The club initially played at Holebottom on Smallshaw, before moving to Rosehill and then to nearby Hurst Cross for their first fixture played on 27 September 1884, making the ground one of the oldest football venues in the world.[3] The following year saw a record crowd of over 9,000 attend a Lancashire Senior Cup match against Blackburn Rovers.[3] Floodlights were installed in 1953 and inaugurated with a 4–3 win over Wigan Athletic on 29 September that year; club record goalscorer Stuart Dimond getting the club's first goal under lights. During the 1954–55 season Hurst Cross staged the first Football Association-approved floodlit competition, the Lancashire and Cheshire Floodlit Cup. Ashton United, Wigan Athletic and Nelson of the Lancashire Combination and Mossley, Macclesfield Town, Droylsden, Hyde United and Stalybridge Celtic from the Cheshire County League were invited to compete for the trophy, eventually won by Hyde United. The competition was repeated the following season with Winsford United taking the place of Wigan Athletic; Hyde United were again successful.
The current capacity is 4,500, of which 250 is seated (in the Sid Sykes Stand) and 750 is covered,[1] including the Popular Stand on the opposite side of the ground. Open terracing with a small amount of covered standing is available at both ends of the ground.