Swindon Supermarine - the story of their home

Swindon Supermarine’s home is a classic non‑league ground with a modern twist: a former works sports field slowly transformed into a stadium and community hub on the edge of Swindon. Today it hosts Southern League football under the new name Imagine Cruising Stadium, but locals still know it as Hunts Copse – the place where an open patch of grass became a proper lower‑league home.

From works field to football home

Before Swindon Supermarine existed, the football section was part of the Vickers Armstrong works sports complex at South Marston, serving employees from the engineering and aircraft factories. When the industrial estate expanded, the old sports ground had to be given up and a brand‑new complex was built nearby in 1990 for football, rugby, cricket, archery and bowls. The football pitch at Hunts Copse was, at that stage, little more than an open field with goalposts – no stands, no floodlights and very few of the features people now associate with the stadium.

In 1992, Swindon Athletic merged with Supermarine F.C. and moved in, making Hunts Copse the home of the new Swindon Supermarine club. Over the next few years the ground began to change quickly, with the first clubhouse and new changing rooms appearing in 1993 as the team pushed to climb the non‑league pyramid.

Building a stadium, step by step

Promotion ambitions meant the ground had to keep pace with league requirements. Through the 1990s and early 2000s Swindon Supermarine added floodlights, enclosed the pitch with a perimeter fence and built a new 225‑seater stand to complement the original structure, bringing total covered seating up to around 300. These upgrades allowed the club to join and then stay in the Southern League, meeting the criteria for step 3 and step 4 football.

A key moment came in 2005 when a supporters‑led consortium bought the 9.5‑acre football section of the site, securing the long‑term future of the ground. That purchase added extra land for training pitches and opened the door to more ambitious development plans for both the first team and the growing youth and ladies’ set‑up.

The Webbswood era

As with many non‑league clubs, commercial backing has shaped the ground’s identity. In 2010 a sponsorship deal with local firm H J Webb & Son saw Hunts Copse officially branded the Webbswood Stadium. Under that name the ground became known across the Southern League as a tidy, welcoming venue: two seated stands on one side, covered sections behind the goal, a clubhouse and bar, and a shop tucked into the complex.

At pitch level, the surface is fully floodlit and enclosed by a six‑foot fence, creating an intimate, close‑to‑the‑action feel that groundhoppers tend to love. Visiting fans often comment on the mix of old‑school non‑league charm and the more modern touches that have been added as facilities improved.

The Swindome and community facilities

One of the most distinctive features of the site now sits just beyond the main pitch: an air‑domed indoor 3G training centre known as the Swindome. Opened in the mid‑2010s, the Swindome allows Supermarine’s squads to train all year round, whatever the weather, and has been described by club staff as a huge step forward for preparation and player development. Inside the complex there is also a small gym (the Pro‑Zone), changing facilities and viewing areas, meaning the whole site functions as more than just a match-day venue.

Crucially, the Swindome and surrounding pitches are shared with the wider community. Local youth sides, casual leagues and schools use the facilities, which helps keep the ground busy throughout the week and ties Swindon Supermarine more closely into the sports scene around South Marston.

Imagine Cruising Stadium: the latest chapter

For many years the name Webbswood Stadium was tied closely to the club, but in June 2025 a new naming‑rights agreement was announced. From the 2025–26 season the ground has been known as the Imagine Cruising Stadium, reflecting a partnership with a Swindon‑based travel company specialising in cruise holidays. The change marks another stage in the ground’s evolution: from works field, to Hunts Copse, to Webbswood and now to a stadium branded by a global business while still rooted firmly in non‑league football.

On match-days, though, the essentials remain the same. The ground still sits just over four miles from Swindon town centre, on the edge of the countryside, with supporters gathering in the clubhouse before heading out to stands that sit almost on top of the pitch. For visitors and new fans discovering Swindon Supermarine, the Imagine Cruising Stadium offers a snapshot of what lower‑league football can be: steadily improved, community‑owned, and shaped by the people who turn up week after week.