Highfield Road
Encyclopedia
The Highfield Road Stadium was a football
stadium
in the city of Coventry
, England
. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C.
until the club moved to the new Ricoh Arena
after the 2005-06 season. It was built in 1899 in the Hillfields district, close to the city centre, and staged its final game on 30 April 2005 when Coventry City beat Derby County
6-2 in the Football League Championship
with the last ever goal appropriately being scored by Andrew Whing
, a product of Coventry City's youth academy. A concert by pop star Elton John
was held at the stadium afterwards.
Highfield Road had one of the largest playing surfaces in the English leagues and was the English league's first all-seater stadium (the first all-seater in the UK was Aberdeen FC's Pittodrie Stadium
). The all-seater policy introduced by Jimmy Hill
was later abandoned when Leeds United fans tore-out several hundred seats after losing their First Division game to Coventry 4-0 in 1981, only months after the seats had been installed.
Standing accommodation returned to Highfield Road in 1983, but it became all-seater once again 11 years later when all top division clubs were required to have all-seater stadiums as a result of the Taylor Report
which was the sequel to the Hillsborough disaster
of 1989.
The stadium's record attendance was 51,455 when Coventry played their West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Football League Division 2 game in 1967. However, after it was converted to an all-seater stadium for the second time in the mid 1990s, its maximum capacity was 23,489 at the time of its closure, and all of the pre-1990 seats had been replaced in 1995. The stadium had by then been well-developed with one corner filled to provide a more modern look and feel.
However, it lacked facilities compared to the new stadia of similar-sized clubs such as Southampton and Leicester City, which was one of the main causes of the move to the Ricoh Arena
. Another reason for relocation was that parking facilities in the local area were inadequate. When the stadium was first given the go-ahead in 1999, it had been planned to build a 45,000-seat stadium as part of England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup
. However, England's failure to win the bid to host the tournament - combined with Coventry's relegation in 2001 - saw the stadium's capacity scaled down.
Demolition work began in February 2006 and was completed by the end of the following month.
to provide housing on the areas which were originally the car parks and stands. The area which was the playing surface will be relaid with grass so that the local children can continue the tradition of playing football on that space.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in the city of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
until the club moved to the new Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
after the 2005-06 season. It was built in 1899 in the Hillfields district, close to the city centre, and staged its final game on 30 April 2005 when Coventry City beat Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
6-2 in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
with the last ever goal appropriately being scored by Andrew Whing
Andrew Whing
Andrew John "Andy" Whing is a professional footballer who currently plays for Oxford United.-Coventry City:...
, a product of Coventry City's youth academy. A concert by pop star Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
was held at the stadium afterwards.
Highfield Road had one of the largest playing surfaces in the English leagues and was the English league's first all-seater stadium (the first all-seater in the UK was Aberdeen FC's Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
). The all-seater policy introduced by Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
was later abandoned when Leeds United fans tore-out several hundred seats after losing their First Division game to Coventry 4-0 in 1981, only months after the seats had been installed.
Standing accommodation returned to Highfield Road in 1983, but it became all-seater once again 11 years later when all top division clubs were required to have all-seater stadiums as a result of the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
which was the sequel to the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
of 1989.
The stadium's record attendance was 51,455 when Coventry played their West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Football League Division 2 game in 1967. However, after it was converted to an all-seater stadium for the second time in the mid 1990s, its maximum capacity was 23,489 at the time of its closure, and all of the pre-1990 seats had been replaced in 1995. The stadium had by then been well-developed with one corner filled to provide a more modern look and feel.
However, it lacked facilities compared to the new stadia of similar-sized clubs such as Southampton and Leicester City, which was one of the main causes of the move to the Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
. Another reason for relocation was that parking facilities in the local area were inadequate. When the stadium was first given the go-ahead in 1999, it had been planned to build a 45,000-seat stadium as part of England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. However, England's failure to win the bid to host the tournament - combined with Coventry's relegation in 2001 - saw the stadium's capacity scaled down.
Demolition work began in February 2006 and was completed by the end of the following month.
Post-stadium housing development
The site of the stadium is currently being regenerated by George Wimpey plcGeorge Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
to provide housing on the areas which were originally the car parks and stands. The area which was the playing surface will be relaid with grass so that the local children can continue the tradition of playing football on that space.