Why did they call it Ninian?

The present day Ninian Crichton-Stuart is the hereditary keeper of Falkland Palace in Fife,a former Scottish royal palace restored by the Bute family. His grandfather, the second son of the 3^rd Marquis of Bute,Lord Ninian Crichton Stuart acted as guarantor for the stadium before it was opened in 1910. He died tragically just 5 years later in the First World War battle of Loos in Belgium.

In the programme'Why did they call it Ninian?" Ninian talks about the grandfather he never knew and how he and his family feel about the demise of the ground that carries his name….

The programme traces the early history of the ground with the aid of our own Richard Shepherd and also highlights the contribution of another character in the Ninian Park story, again with the aid of his grandson.

Sir Herbert Merrett, a world renowned Welsh coal exporter, became chairman, after a long battle with the club's existing shareholders, in 1939 and remained apart from one short break until 1957. During his time the club reached the league's highest pinnacle, the first division, for one of only 3 periods in the club's history. Sir Herbert's grandson, Christopher Gridley makes a sentimental return to Ninian Park for the first time in forty years to talk about his grandfather.

The programme includes archive material being shown for the very first time as well as historical gems from the 1920s on, including the post second world war visit of the crack Moscow Dynamo team who created a sensation when they toured here in 1945.

There will also be fresh pictures of the work going on across the road in the new stadium, and why one well known city fan wants to see Ninian Park razed to the ground as soon as possible!!!