History of the Magnum in Irvine relived in new video

The former Irvine leisure centre was once one of the most popular venues in Ayrshire - if not the country - before its closure.

Later replaced by the Portal, the site where the centre once stood is now nothing but empty space.

The story of the Magnum is certainly an interesting one and thanks to a new video posted on YouTube by TVAyrshire last week, it is one we are now able to relive.

And with the help of our camera club member John Low we can also take you on a tour of the much-loved leisure centre.

In the 1960s and 70s, plans were put in place to redevelop Irvine, TVAyrshire's Eddie Gemmell told.

A major part of those plans was the Magnum leisure centre, with a number of people involved in its creation.

Initially, the building was to be called the 'Irvine Harbour Leisure Centre', though the much more memorable name we have all come to know was eventually decided upon.

Located on what is now Beach Drive on the harbourside, the centre was fitted with two swimming pools, an ice rink, a sauna, an indoor bowls hall, three squash courts, a fitness room, a weights room, a games room, a solarium suite, a theatre cinema, two cafeterias and a licensed bar.

It is safe to say it really had it all.

At the time, the building of the Magnum cost just £3.2 million - and it became the largest leisure centre in Europe when it opened in 1976.

On its first day of operation, some 25,000 visitors descended on Irvine to get inside the state-of-the-art facility with number breaking the one million landmark before its first year of use.

So popular was the landmark that Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to the centre when she came to Irvine back in 1979.

And, as Eddie revealed, believe it or not there were even grander plans for the Magnum which, along with the Rivergate Shopping Centre was to be at the centre of larger redevelopment plans for the harbourside.

Those plans, though, did not make it past the first stage of development.

If they were to have progressed, the Rivergate would have been extended to connect to Irvine's train station.

The harbour would have been the focus of the next stage, with plans including a ski slope, a rollercoaster and a stadium - which would have been placed next to the Magnum.

But none of that ever came to fruition, and we will never know what could have been.

But what it was is still something we can all remember fondly.

As well as hosting facilities way beyond the times, the leisure centre also played host to some of the biggest bands in the UK.

In 1980, the venue hosted Madness, and with the increased fame of the Magnum others soon followed.

The Jam played Irvine in 1981, The Clash also played the following year, and 1985 brought perhaps the biggest of them all, when The Smiths came to town.

This was, in part, thanks to later-promoter Billy Freckleton who had a keen eye for up-and-coming talent - like Billy Connolly.

The Magnum also hosted other massive events, like in 1994 when the main hall became the setting for Paul Weir's victory over Paul Oulden to win the vacant WBO junior-flyweight boxing title.

It wasn't quite all a success however, with the leisure centre's theatre having its struggles.

Originally only showing arthouse films, this idea was halted due to a lack of financial viability. Mainstream films later became the norm, though in 2003 The Hulk became the last film to be shown in the theatre.

KA Leisure first took over the venue on 2000, and budget cuts would later hit the Magnum.

Lack of maintenance became an issue, and in 2009 due to low attendance numbers a full closure of the centre was approved by council.

There was initially no planned replacement until 2011 when plans for the Portal were unveiled.

It was not a well received decision in Irvine, with a Save the Magnum campaign launched in 2013 prior to the closure of the centre.

This would prove unsuccessful and the Magnum was officially closed on December 30, 2016.

Demolition was completed one year later, leaving us with the empty grass space we now know today.

TVAyrshire's full video on the Magnum is available to view online via their YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=nbXOiT4nRZM.