Clubs Formed To Occupy Vacant Stadia

In reply to

… and let us not forget that Liverpool F.C. itself was a breakaway club from Everton F.C. way back when !

Not really a breakaway club – more a club formed by the leaseholder/owner of Anfield after Everton refused to pay an increased rent, and moved to Goodison.

Something that Chelsea share with Liverpool – a club formed to occupy an otherwise vacant stadium.

Any other clubs formed primarily to occupy an otherwise vacant stadium?

In reply to

Thames Association – 120,000 capacity stadium

Right.

Thames Association (later Thames AFC) “were founded in 1928, in a similar manner to New Brighton Tower and Chelsea, to play on a ground without a team. In Thames’ case, they were formed by a group of businessmen who had built the West Ham Stadium, with a capacity of 120,000, in the Custom House area of Essex (now Greater London); the stadium was primarily used for greyhound and speedway racing which took place during the week, leaving Saturdays free. The directors of the stadium decided to form a professional football club to play on Saturdays, to bring in additional revenue to the stadium”.

Another one would appear to be New Brighton Tower.

“Like Liverpool, Chelsea and Thames, New Brighton Tower were formed to play at an already-built stadium, with a massive capacity of 80,000.”

Good pub quiz question? – “What do the football clubs Liverpool and Chelsea, and the former football league clubs Thames AFC and New Brighton Tower, have in common?”.

Coincidentally, New Brighton Tower and Thames AFC were Merseyside and London clubs respectively, as are Liverpool and Chelsea.

(Merger of two posts on Tony Kempster’s Non-League Forum – 1st & 2nd)