Roots Hall
Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England
Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea, England — opened 20 August 1955 (as a football ground), 14 rugby league games hosted, home of Southend Invicta (Rugby Football League Second Division), for the 1984-85 season only (having previously played at Cougar Park and London Road Stadium in 1983-84, before later moving on to Bartercard Odsal Stadium in 1985).
Sourcing caveat: The exact reason for Southend Invicta's frequent ground changes across its short existence, and its precise fold date, could not be confirmed.
Ground facts
| Opened | 20 August 1955 (as a football ground) (Built 1952, opened 1955 as Southend United F.C.'s home ground; rugby league was a single-season tenancy far later in the ground's life.) |
| Home club | Southend Invicta (Rugby Football League Second Division), for the 1984-85 season only (having previously played at Cougar Park and London Road Stadium in 1983-84, before later moving on to Bartercard Odsal Stadium in 1985) |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 14 |
| Top recorded crowd | 504 |
| Capacity | Currently around 11,409 usable (of a 12,392 full capacity); this reflects the ground's football-era capacity, not necessarily its 1984-85 rugby league configuration |
| Floodlights installed | Installed circa the mid-1960s |
| Surface | Grass |
| First rugby league match | 9 Sep 1984, Southend Invicta 14-17 Bramley (Second Division) |
| Years used | 1984–1985 |
| Location | Southend-on-Sea, Essex |
Name history
- Roots Hall — 1955-present
Rugby league history
Southend United F.C.'s long-time football ground, host for a single season (1984-85) to Southend Invicta, a short-lived rugby league club previously known as Kent Invicta, which shifted grounds frequently during its brief 1983-85 existence before folding.
Primarily and still Southend United F.C.'s home ground; under new ownership since July 2024 with a phased stand refurbishment underway (architects appointed June 2025), no demolition planned.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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