Football came to dominate Towneley in the 1930s. The Sports Pavilion was completed in 1931 at a cost exceeding that of the Stocks Massey Music Pavilion, being insured for £1,800 , that is £300 more than for the Music Pavilion. It was opened on August 12th 1931 by Edwin Whitehead as can be seen from this plaque, which has now been removed from the changing rooms and placed in Towneley Hall away from the hands of metal thieves who have recently targeted the pavilion.
In November 1932, the Borough Surveyor reported that the demand for the use of football pitches at Towneley Playing Fields had been very heavy. Considerable difficulty was being experienced in meeting requirements. The land near the Avenue, Towneley Holmes, which was reserved to form part of the extension to the Golf Course would, as a temporary measure be laid out as football pitches.
By 1935, it was necessary to convert part of the stables in Towneley Park into more dressing rooms for the footballers. When the greyhound track was closed and the land purchased by Burnley Corporation, the golfers were hoping to extend their course to 18 holes but demand for even more football pitches won the day. The footballers on Towneley Holmes then made use of Red Gate Barn until it was demolished in 1959. This resulted in the need for 18 additional dressing rooms at Upper Towneley so in 1960 a brick with timber superstructure extension to the Sports Pavilion was completed at an approximate cost of £11,000.
The History of Towneley Park 