One of the masts from the SS Great Eastern is used as a flagpole at which English football stadium?

SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers from England to Australia without refuelling. Her length of 692 feet (211 m) was only surpassed in 1899 by the 705-foot (215 m) 17,274-gross-ton RMS Oceanic, and her gross tonnage of 18,915 was only surpassed in 1901 by the 701-foot (214 m) 21,035-gross-ton RMS Celtic.

The SS Great Eastern was scrapped at New Ferry on the River Mersey by Henry Bath & Son Ltd in 1889–1890. It took a total 18 months to take her apart. At the time Everton Football Club were looking for a flagpole for their Anfield ground, and consequently purchased her top mast. It still stands there today at the ground which is now owned by Liverpool Football Club (formed 1892).

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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8 Comments

Jerry Edwards

Player, It's true. I believe that Liverpool FC were formed after an acrimonious split with Everton who moved their home to Goodison Park. They will shortly be playing their home matches at a new, state of the art stadium.

Player

I never knew Everton originally played at Anfield.

Fred Keogh

Parts of the Great Eastern are/were still visible on the banks of the Mersey at New Ferry, nuts and bolts, iron can still be found along the beach. I found dozens of pieces as a teenager. There are some impressive photographs of the ship beached at New Ferry, Wirral.