The compact Stag Ground is located at the heart of the historic little market town of Kimberley, a town so well regarded that even the mighty M1 took sympathy, and circumnavigate it.

The exact year when Kimberley Town were formed is unclear. The earliest mention of the Club was in the Nottingham Evening Post in December 1886, when, as members of the Nottingham Football League, Town lost 7-0 to Nottingham Forest in the Notts F.A. Senior Cup. There is also mention of the competing in the F.A. Cup between 1892-1908, their most notable achievement was reaching the 3rd Qualifying Round, where they lost to Leicester Fosse 3-0.

Success for the town was to continue under guise of Kimberley YMCA, forerunner of the modern day Kimberley Town. YMCA were winners of the Notts Intermediate Cup in 1915, a trophy which would not return to Kimberley for another 82 years, though it was Town's westerly rivals of Kimberley Miners Welfare who were to bring the silverware home on that occasion. Kimberley YMCA were disbanded in 1928 and were upon reforming in 1947/48 they limited appearances to friendlies only until joining the Notts Amateur League in the early 1950's. The years 1954/55 proved to be YMCA's swag song years, and how beautifully they sang. YMCA captured the Senior Knockout Cup in 1954 and were crowned Division One Champions in 1955. Promotion to the Central Alliance League Division Two signaled a new start, retaking the original name of the present day Kimberley Town.

Despite the Club being founder members of the Central Midlands Supreme Division, they found themselves forcibly demoted after four seasons for failing to have floodlights at their Stag Ground home. Fortunately, aided by a £3,500 grant from the Football Foundation, and also the generosity of a wealthy owner, the Club have been able to invest in excess of £10,000 in recent years to enable it to bring the standard of the facilities on offer up to Supreme Division & F.A.Vase standards. Along with hard standing, the most striking feature of the improvements are the vital addition of the floodlights. There are three silver floodlights adorning either side of the pitch, each containing two high powered clusters. Tall and modern in design, these pole-style dominate the local landscape, serving as the perfect marker for visitors.

A public footpath circumnavigates the east and north of the ground. As part of the ground improvements, the club have installed a sturdy, eight foot high, steel fence. This serves to not only keep trespassers off the sacred turf, but also to prevent the loss of too many precious footballs into the adjoining residents gardens. There is no requirement for a security fence on the south side of the ground due to the back gardens of Kimberley's Nottingham Road residents acting as the perfect deterrent.

Further improvements have been made in the shape of a Social Club that contains a modern tea room, as well as offering darts and pool over a pint of Hardy & Hanson's best bitter, as an alternative to the action on the pitch. This green painted wooden construction occupies a third of the Noel Street End of the ground. It is a porter cabin style building which has been given a lick of paint and bears a sign on the side proclaiming 'This is Kimberley Town', an Anfield-eque warning to opposing players. The sign also bears the Club emblem, a stag. The nickname of the Club, and the naming of the ground, derives from a venue just a few yards up the path onto Nottingham Road. Here you will find the historic half timbered Stag public house, which has been serving up Kimberley's finest ales to the locals since 1737. Also located at the Noel Street End you'll find an unusual shaped changing room with a high triangular roof. This was refurbished in 2005 in order to meet Northern Counties East League standards, a measure of the Club's ambitions.

In front of these changing rooms is the Stag Ground's only covered stand. This is a flat based cantilevered stand which can provide cover for up to 250 spectators. Adorning the fascia of the stand is a sign again spelling out the name of the Club.

On the half way line, directly facing each other, are the two dugouts. Traditionally built in breeze block and painted white, they both identically offer a fairly wide birth, if not the height, for those warming the bench. The pitch is surrounded by a blue tubular barrier held aloft by permanent white concrete posts. The shape of one or two of these steel tubes look rather dented, hopefully not having been in contact with an unfortunate footballer. Maintaining the general colour code are the blue and white of goal nets.

It is interesting to note that The Stags Ground was the opening venue for a world record in 2004, when it hosted the first of six matches in the space of 24 hours between The Stags and Rainworth Miners Welfare.

On a less positive note, in vast contrast to the unpleasant aroma one might experience at Carlton or Gedling Town, you may well find at the Stag Ground that, with a westerly wind, the air is full of the sweet scent of barley & hops. This can be attributed to the nearby Hardy & Hanson Brewery, Kimberley's famous independent ale producer whose origins date back to 1832.

Future Plans

The Stags are looking to bring the ground up to level 6 standards. This will require the provision of a walk way and a stand. which the club are looking into potential finance for the project. Stags are also aiming to expand the club by bringing local youth teams under their wing.