was formed in 1878 and played at Woodville Park and Hospitalfield before acquiring a former rubbish tip on the seafront to build Gayfield.

The original site was very cramped, with no room for spectators on the Dundee Road side; when Rangers lost to Arbroath in the Scottish Cup they complained that the pitch wasn't playable due to its size, saying they had been "beaten on a back green", and won the rematch.

In September 1885, Arbroath played Bon Accord in the Scottish Cup at Gayfield and won 36–0, which remains a British record score for a senior football match.

[3] Gayfield is situated on the sea front, to the west of Arbroath harbour, on the southern edge of the town.

Due to its position next to the North Sea, in winter spectators can be exposed to severe cold and winds.