. ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 2 4 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁Sp ot land ▁was ▁originally ▁known ▁as ▁St ▁Clement ' s ▁Play ing ▁Field s , ▁after ▁the ▁nearby ▁St ▁Clement ' s ▁Church . ▁Having ▁previously ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁cr icket , ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁St ▁Clement ' s ▁Rugby ▁Club ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁until ▁they ▁dis band ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁st aging ▁local ▁rugby ▁compet itions , ▁the ▁ground ▁briefly ▁hosted ▁two ▁short - l ived ▁football ▁clubs ▁– ▁the ▁original ▁Ro ch dale ▁A . F . C . ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁and ▁Ro ch dale ▁Town ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁but ▁both ▁fol ded . ▁The ▁present ▁Ro ch dale ▁A . F . C . ▁was ▁then ▁formed ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁later ▁bu ying ▁the ▁free hold ▁for ▁£ 1 , 7 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁club ▁joined ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁a ▁low ▁wooden ▁grand stand ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁ground , ▁once ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁cr icket ▁pav il ion . ▁Also ▁by ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁Sp ot land