Hillsborough Stadium
Encyclopedia
Hillsborough Stadium (commonly called just Hillsborough) is the home of Sheffield Wednesday
football club, Sheffield
, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove
. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the largest stadium in the city. It is also the largest club stadium in England outside of the Premier League. The vast majority of the seats are covered. It is located in the Sheffield suburb of Owlerton
, but takes its name from the parliamentary constituency in which it lies.
The stadium was known as Owlerton until becoming Hillsborough in 1914 following ground improvements – hence the fact that Sheffield Wednesday are commonly known as the Owls. It was around the time of this change that a wall collapsed during a match at the stadium and injured 75 spectators, although nobody was killed.
On 15 April 1989, the ground was the scene of one of the worst sporting tragedies
of all time when 96 Liverpool
fans were crushed to death in an FA Cup
semi-final in the infamous Hillsborough disaster
. This prompted a series of improvements to safety at the ground and at other stadiums around the country.
Although the ground has received little investment since Euro 1996
, it is still regarded as "a beautiful ground oozing character." It has two large separate two tiered stands and two large single tiered stands, all of which are covered. All four stands are of a similar size in terms of capacity, but with the South stand being the largest and the West stand (used for away fans) the smallest. Only one corner of the ground is filled, between the West and North Stands. This area, known as the North West terrace, is uncovered and is only used for visiting supporters when the West stand upper and lower tiers are full. On the other corner of the West stand is an electronic scoreboard.
Plans by the club for a £22 million renovation of the stadium and expansion to 44,825 have been approved by Sheffield City Council
Planning Department with an aim to hosting FIFA World Cup 2018 matches. The stadium has been listed as FIFA's preferred Sheffield ground. The ground has previously played host to World Cup
and European Championship
football in 1966
and 1996
respectively.
During the 1898–99
season Sheffield Wednesday were told that the land rented at Olive Grove would be needed for railway expansions. They were allowed to remain there for the rest of that season but had to find a new ground for the next season. Several locations were considered but fell through for various reasons. An alternative was offered by the Midland Railway Company
but it did not meet the requirements of the club.
Finally James Willis Dixon of Hillsborough House
, owner of the Silversmiths James Dixon & Sons, offered a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) site at Owlerton, a sparsely populated area of land to the northwest of the city. The land was part of the Hillsborough House estate which was being sold off by the Dixon's. It was successfully bought for £5,000 GBP plus costs. Soil was dumped at both ends of the ground to level out the ground which was initially meadowland covered with dandelions. The 2,000 capacity stand at Olive Grove was then transported to the new site and was joined by a newly constructed 3,000 capacity stand for the start of the next season. The first match to be played was on 2 September 1899 against Chesterfield
. The match was kicked off by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield
William Clegg
, himself a former Wednesday player. It was a Chesterfield player, Herbert Munday, who scored the first goal at the new stadium but Wednesday came back to win the game 5–1. Despite the location of the ground several miles outside the city boundaries and a poor public transport service the new ground averaged 3,000 supporters for the first three months.
and
1903–04
. This was followed by a second FA Cup
in 1907.
The first FA Cup semi-final to be held at the stadium was a replay between West Bromwich Albion
and Blackburn Rovers
on 3 April 1912. A crowd of 20,050 saw an extra time goal give West Brom the win. This was followed by its first international on 10 April 1920. A match between England
and Scotland
was watched by 25,536. The game ended with England winning 5–4. The following two seasons saw Hillsborough host two more FA Cup semi-finals, both between Preston North End
and Tottenham Hotspur
. The crowds for these matches were 43,320 and 49,282 respectively. The highest ever attendance was 72,841 on 17 February 1934 for an FA Cup
5th round game against Manchester City
.
After the end of the 1912–13
season a record profit was announced by the club. The money was invested in a replacement for the Olive Grove stand on the south side of the stadium. The banking on the Spion Kop was also increased in size. The new south stand was completed in time for the first round of the FA Cup on 1 October 1913 against Notts County
. It cost £18,000 and included 5,600 seats plus terracing at the front. New offices, dressing rooms, refreshment rooms and a billiard
room were also part of the new stand. The second round tie went to a replay on 4 February 1914, which was held in front of a record home crowd of 43,000. However the match was remembered for the collapse of the new retaining wall at the Penistone Road end. It caused 70 injuries and caused the match to be suspended while the casualties were taken to the infirmary.
, Argentina
, Switzerland
, and Spain
, as well as a quarterfinal in which West Germany beat Uruguay 4–0.
Demolition of the North Stand began in 1960 and work began on a new £150,000 stand. The new stand, designed by local firm Husband & Co, was 360 feet (109.7 m) in length. It was only the second stand in the country, after one at Scunthorpe United
's Old Showground
, to be build with a cantilever roof and the first to run the full length of the pitch. It was opened on 23 August 1961 by Stanley Rous
, secretary of the Football Association. The 10,008 capacity all-seater stand almost doubled the seating capacity
of Hillsborough from 9,000 to 16,000.
The ground held its first national cup final in 1977 when it played host to Everton
and Aston Villa
for a Football League Cup
final replay. A crowd of 52,135 watched a 1–1 draw leading to another replay. At the end of the 1980s the ground held three successive FA Cup semis ending with the tragic events that changed the nature of football grounds throughout the country.
fans were crushed to death in an FA Cup
semi-final in the Hillsborough disaster.
This prompted a series of improvements to safety at the ground and other grounds across the country; the terraced stands were converted to all seated accommodation over the following four years, and the fences around the pitch were replaced with low safety-barricades to allow incursion onto the playing surface in case of emergency.
. The Danish fans
endeared themselves to the local population with their fanatical support and exemplary behaviour, and were particularly popular amongst local landlords—a number of Sheffield public houses had to order emergency supplies of beer and cigarettes
In 1997 Hillsborough hosted its first major domestic match since the disaster. The League Cup Final
replay between Leicester City
and Middlesbrough
was played at the ground. It was won by Leicester by one goal to nil. Later the same year Middlesbrough returned to Hillsborough for an FA Cup semi-final replay in which they beat Chesterfield
by three goals to nil.
The record attendance since the ground was made all-seated was on 2 February 2000 in a Premier League game against Manchester United and was watched by 39,640 fans. In recent years average attendances at Hillsborough have remained high despite Wednesday's relatively poor league position:
Current stand constructed:1960–1961
Capacity: 9,255 (seated)
Sponsored by: My Sheffield Jobs
The original North Stand was built between 1899 and 1903. In the early 1960s this was replaced by the current North Stand which runs along the long north edge of the pitch, and was the second football stand in Britain to have a cantilever
roof (thus amongst some fans, it is known as "the cantilever"). It was however the first in the country to run the entire length of the pitch; the first cantilever stand in English football at Scunthorpe United's
Old Show Ground only covered the centre of the pitch. Following the formal opening of the stand in August 1961, a celebration match was played on 22 October 1961 when Wednesday met Santos of Brazil with their new star Pele in the team. Pele's goal helped Santos to a 4–2 win. When opened, the stand held 10,000 but the capacity has been reduced more recently to make room for disabled spectators and also to widen the exit aisles for safety reasons. Hillsborough is the only football ground to be mentioned in Nikolaus Pevsner
's Buildings of England due to this stand.
At the time of opening the stand was the best new stand to be built since Arsenal
's East Stand at Highbury
in the 1930s, and it still is a fabulous stand.
1900
Current Stand constructed: 1961–1965
Capacity: 5,772 (seated). Some sources claim 7,995 which include 1,382 seats in the North West Terrace, however,the figure of 5,772 is the largest working capacity of the stand.
Currently sponsored by Carling Lager* (Advertising boards donated to the Children's Hospital Charity) *As of 2009/10 season.
Situated at the Leppings Lane end of the ground, the West Stand seats the away supporters on Wednesday's home games.
The original stand built at the turn of the century was a covered terrace housing up to 3,000 fans. In the 1920s this was joined by the North West terrace before the Leppings Lane stand was replaced by a 12,000 capacity partially covered terrace.
Before the 1966 World Cup the West Stand was demolished again and replaced by a two-tiered structure with 4,471 seats in the upper tier and retaining a terrace in front of the stand. After the infamous Hillsborough disaster
in 1989 the lower tier terrace was closed for two years and replaced by 2,294 seats. The North West terrace was the last section of the stand to be made all seated, adding another 1,382 seats to the structure.
Current stand constructed: January 1965 – May 1966
Sponsored by: Handley Brown Solicitors
Capacity: 1,382
The North West Terrace (still referred to as a terrace despite now being all seated) is the only major section of the stadium to remain uncovered (the other area is the small corner section joined to the Kop). The original North West Terrace was built between 1919 and 1920 to adjoin both the North Stand and West Stand, but was demolished in early 1965 and replaced in mid 1966, in time for the 1966 World Cup.
The terrace was not in use for two years, as the stand failed to gain a safety certificate for the 2007–08 season,. In recent years it had only been used as overspill for away fans when both the upper and lower tiers of the West Stand have been filled. Whilst not being used for seating, the terrace has recently been used as extra advertising space, with advertising boards on the back wall, and more recently a large 'My Sheffield Jobs' seat covering appearing alongside their sponsorship of the North Stand. It is sponsored by Handley Brown.
This stand will be re-opened for away fans in the 2009–10 season under new chairman Lee Strafford
The first South Stand was originally constructed at Olive Grove
, but moved with the club in the summer of 1899 to the new site at Owlerton
where it was reconstructed brick-by-brick. The famous clock was also moved to Hillsborough.
The modern stand, the oldest remaining stand at the ground, was constructed between 1913 and 1915 for a fee exceeding £17,000 to a design by Archibald Leitch
. The stand had 5,600 seats as well as room for 11,000 standing fans. The famous clock was salvaged from the old stand and put on the new one. The modern stand has seen a series of improvements, the first being a conversion to an all-seated stand in 1965 ahead of the 1966 FIFA World Cup
and latest being a major £7 million re-development for the Euro 1996
international competition when an upper tier (Grandstand
) of 3,000 extra seats, a new roof, 30 executive boxes, two conference suites, a bar, a restaurant and a range of office space were added. Again, the famous clock was saved and put on the new stand.
The South Stand is the most recognisable of the four stands at Hillsborough and still bears the original now-famous and easily recognisable clock face and finial
from the very first stand, which was brought from Olive Grove. The stand houses the main reception, media and hospitality boxes, as well as the ground's family enclosure, five modern refreshment kiosks and four bars. It also features concourse television sets relaying live coverage of the match as well as highlights at half-time
.
Capacity: 11,210 (seated)
Sponsored by ASD Lighting
Named after a hill that was the scene of a famous battle in the Second Boer War
, the Spion Kop is built into a natural hill at the east end of the ground and houses the most vocal of Wednesday supporters. It is usually simply referred to by fans as The Kop.
The stand remained open to the elements until a roof was added in 1986 after fans raised money to contribute to the cost. When the roof was added, the stand was 'squared' off to make it symmetrical so that the roof was used fully. due to this, the Kop was extended, so the capacity rose from 16,000 to 22,000, which made it the biggest standing area in Europe at the time.
The Kop was the last part of the Wednesday ground to be converted to all-seater accommodation, the change finally coming in 1993 to comply with new FA Premier League
regulations following the Taylor Report
. The capacity was hence halved, but the Kop remains one of the largest single tier stands in Britain.
A large concourse
area was added in 2004, partially funded by the Owls Trust
.
The most dominant feature is the electronic scoreboard, which was one of the first electric scoreboards in an English football ground. For the majority of the match, this shows the score and time, but as of the 2011–12 season, the board shows advertisements every few minutes. Prior to and after the match, information like team line - ups, fixtures, and other results are shown.
Below the scoreboard is the stadium control building, where all the technical aspects of the stadium are controlled from (e.g. lighting, announcements).
At the base of the area is a very small section of disused terrace, which has still not been converted to seating. It is only used as a congregation area for the police and stewards, and has not held fans since the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster.
It and the neighbouring ticket office were severely damaged in the Hillsborough Flood. The wall separating the ticket office and club shop was subsequently demolished, and a much larger Owls Megastore opened a few months later, with the ticket office now being located in one of the corners of the shop.
The stadium is sandwiched between Hillsborough Park
to the south and terrace housing to the north. The River Don also runs alongside the stadium to the south. The Spion Kop backs straight onto Penistone Road, a major dual carriageway leading to the city centre, while there is some space between the West Stand and Leppings Lane.
standards for hosting World Cup
matches. The details of the plans are as follows:
fifth round on 17 February 1934. A total of 72,841 turned up to see a 2–2 draw with Manchester City
. The highest attendance recorded since work to convert the stadium to an all-seater venue was completed in 1993 was for a Premier League match against Manchester United
on 2 February 2000. The game was watched by 39,640 fans.
The highest seasonal average attendance at Hillsborough was 42,520 in the 1952–53
season in Division 1
. The highest average attendance in the second tier of English football was 41,682 in the 1951–52
season, which saw the club gain promotion from Division 2
and Derek Dooley score a record 46 league goals. The highest average attandance in the third tier of English football was achieved in the 2004–05
season when an average of 23,107 fans watched each League One
game at Hillsborough.
The lowest average attendance at Hillsborough came in the first season after its opening (1899–00
) when each game was attended by an average crowd of just 6,800 fans, mainly due to the fact that the new stadium, then called Owlerton Stadium, was a fraction of the size it is today.
The largest gate receipts taken from a match at Hillsborough was for the Euro 96 game between Turkey
and Denmark
on 19 June 1996. A crowd of 28,671 watched the match, paying a total of £1,012,150.
Hillsborough still holds the record for the highest attendance for a third tier football match. 49,309 spectators turned up on 26 December 1979, one of the most memorable days in SWFC history, when the Owls beat Sheffield United 4–0 in a top of the table clash, now known as the Boxing Day Massacre.
The largest receipts for a club game at Hillsborough were for the FA Cup
semi-final replay between Chesterfield
and Middlesbrough
on 22 April 1997 and totalled £680,965. The game was watched by 30,339 fans.
The highest receipts for a game at Hillsborough involving Sheffield Wednesday
was for the Premier League match against Manchester United
on 7 March 1998, which was watched by 39,427 fans and earned the club £386,426.
and 1996 UEFA European championships. It was also used for some England
matches prior to the construction of Wembley Stadium
on 16 December 2009.
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
football club, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove
Olive Grove
Olive Grove was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century...
. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the largest stadium in the city. It is also the largest club stadium in England outside of the Premier League. The vast majority of the seats are covered. It is located in the Sheffield suburb of Owlerton
Owlerton
Owlerton is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, it lies northwest of the city centre near the confluence of the River Don and River Loxley. Owlerton was formerly a small rural settlement with its origins in the Early Middle Ages, it became part of Sheffield in the early 1900s as the city expanded...
, but takes its name from the parliamentary constituency in which it lies.
The stadium was known as Owlerton until becoming Hillsborough in 1914 following ground improvements – hence the fact that Sheffield Wednesday are commonly known as the Owls. It was around the time of this change that a wall collapsed during a match at the stadium and injured 75 spectators, although nobody was killed.
On 15 April 1989, the ground was the scene of one of the worst sporting tragedies
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
of all time when 96 Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
fans were crushed to death in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final in the infamous 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....
. This prompted a series of improvements to safety at the ground and at other stadiums around the country.
Although the ground has received little investment since Euro 1996
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
, it is still regarded as "a beautiful ground oozing character." It has two large separate two tiered stands and two large single tiered stands, all of which are covered. All four stands are of a similar size in terms of capacity, but with the South stand being the largest and the West stand (used for away fans) the smallest. Only one corner of the ground is filled, between the West and North Stands. This area, known as the North West terrace, is uncovered and is only used for visiting supporters when the West stand upper and lower tiers are full. On the other corner of the West stand is an electronic scoreboard.
Plans by the club for a £22 million renovation of the stadium and expansion to 44,825 have been approved by Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors...
Planning Department with an aim to hosting FIFA World Cup 2018 matches. The stadium has been listed as FIFA's preferred Sheffield ground. The ground has previously played host to World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
football in 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
and 1996
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
respectively.
History
1898-99 in English football
The 1898–99 season was the 28th season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the first season in which automatic promotion/relegation was introduced between the First and Second divisions. Both Divisions were expanded to 18 teams....
season Sheffield Wednesday were told that the land rented at Olive Grove would be needed for railway expansions. They were allowed to remain there for the rest of that season but had to find a new ground for the next season. Several locations were considered but fell through for various reasons. An alternative was offered by the Midland Railway Company
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
but it did not meet the requirements of the club.
Finally James Willis Dixon of Hillsborough House
Hillsborough House
Hillsborough House, later called Hillsborough Hall is a large stone built mansion built in the Adam style in the latter part of the 18th century. It stands 2½ miles NW of the centre of Sheffield at grid reference in the suburb of Hillsborough within Hillsborough Park, a council owned public...
, owner of the Silversmiths James Dixon & Sons, offered a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) site at Owlerton, a sparsely populated area of land to the northwest of the city. The land was part of the Hillsborough House estate which was being sold off by the Dixon's. It was successfully bought for £5,000 GBP plus costs. Soil was dumped at both ends of the ground to level out the ground which was initially meadowland covered with dandelions. The 2,000 capacity stand at Olive Grove was then transported to the new site and was joined by a newly constructed 3,000 capacity stand for the start of the next season. The first match to be played was on 2 September 1899 against Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. The match was kicked off by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield
Lord Mayor of Sheffield
The Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield...
William Clegg
William Clegg
-External links:****...
, himself a former Wednesday player. It was a Chesterfield player, Herbert Munday, who scored the first goal at the new stadium but Wednesday came back to win the game 5–1. Despite the location of the ground several miles outside the city boundaries and a poor public transport service the new ground averaged 3,000 supporters for the first three months.
Early years
The ground was known as the Owlerton Stadium until 1914, when it was renamed Hillsborough to coincide with a series of ground improvements. The ground took its new name from the newly created parliamentary constituency. The ground proved to be lucky for Wednesday with the first 8 years proving to be their most successful so far. They included their first league wins in the 1902–031902-03 in English football
The 1902–03 season was the 32nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-First Division:-Second Division:...
and
1903–04
1903-04 in English football
The 1903–04 season was the 33rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:For the first time ever, a London team, Woolwich Arsenal, is promoted to the First Division and makes the League's reach nationwide...
. This was followed by a second FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1907.
The first FA Cup semi-final to be held at the stadium was a replay between West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on 3 April 1912. A crowd of 20,050 saw an extra time goal give West Brom the win. This was followed by its first international on 10 April 1920. A match between England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
was watched by 25,536. The game ended with England winning 5–4. The following two seasons saw Hillsborough host two more FA Cup semi-finals, both between Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. The crowds for these matches were 43,320 and 49,282 respectively. The highest ever attendance was 72,841 on 17 February 1934 for an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
5th round game against Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
.
After the end of the 1912–13
1912-13 in English football
The 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7....
season a record profit was announced by the club. The money was invested in a replacement for the Olive Grove stand on the south side of the stadium. The banking on the Spion Kop was also increased in size. The new south stand was completed in time for the first round of the FA Cup on 1 October 1913 against Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. It cost £18,000 and included 5,600 seats plus terracing at the front. New offices, dressing rooms, refreshment rooms and a billiard
English billiards
English billiards, called simply billiards in many former British colonies and in Great Britain where it originated, is a hybrid form of carom and pocket billiards played on a billiard table. Billiards is less well known as "the English game", "the all-in game" and "the common game".The game is for...
room were also part of the new stand. The second round tie went to a replay on 4 February 1914, which was held in front of a record home crowd of 43,000. However the match was remembered for the collapse of the new retaining wall at the Penistone Road end. It caused 70 injuries and caused the match to be suspended while the casualties were taken to the infirmary.
Post war
During the post war era Hillsborough rose to be one of the top stadiums in the country. It hosted a total of 27 FA Cup semi-finals. In 1966, the stadium was selected as one of the venues for the Football World Cup, hosting first round matches involving West GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, as well as a quarterfinal in which West Germany beat Uruguay 4–0.
Demolition of the North Stand began in 1960 and work began on a new £150,000 stand. The new stand, designed by local firm Husband & Co, was 360 feet (109.7 m) in length. It was only the second stand in the country, after one at Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
's Old Showground
Old Showground
The Old Showground was the original stadium of the English football club Scunthorpe United and had been built in c.1867.Scunthorpe United played at the Old Showground until 1988, when they moved to Glanford Park - the first newly-constructed Football League stadium since Southend United's Roots...
, to be build with a cantilever roof and the first to run the full length of the pitch. It was opened on 23 August 1961 by Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:...
, secretary of the Football Association. The 10,008 capacity all-seater stand almost doubled the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of Hillsborough from 9,000 to 16,000.
The ground held its first national cup final in 1977 when it played host to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for a Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final replay. A crowd of 52,135 watched a 1–1 draw leading to another replay. At the end of the 1980s the ground held three successive FA Cup semis ending with the tragic events that changed the nature of football grounds throughout the country.
Hillsborough disaster
On 15 April 1989, the ground was the scene of one of the worst sporting tragedies of all time when 96 LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
fans were crushed to death in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final in the Hillsborough disaster.
This prompted a series of improvements to safety at the ground and other grounds across the country; the terraced stands were converted to all seated accommodation over the following four years, and the fences around the pitch were replaced with low safety-barricades to allow incursion onto the playing surface in case of emergency.
Memorial
Outside the ground, near the main entrance on Parkside Road, is a memorial to the 96 fans that lost their lives at Hillsborough in 1989, during the FA Cup Semi Final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The memorial was unveiled on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, 15 April 1999. It reads: In memory of the 96 men, women, and children who tragically died and the countless people whose lives were changed forever. FA Cup semi-final Liverpool v Nottingham Forest. 15th April 1989. "You’ll never walk alone.". The memorial suffered minor damage in the Hillsborough Flood; however, it was easily and swiftly repaired.All-seater era
In 1996, Hillsborough was host to several fixtures at the Euro 96 competition and in particular was host to the Danish squadDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. The Danish fans
Roligan
The Roligan movement are Danish football fans, who are well-mannered, yet cheerful, during the match and before and after. This behavior is the opposite of that exhibited by hooligans. The term roligan is a pun based on the word rolig which means "calm" in Danish.The movement was founded during the...
endeared themselves to the local population with their fanatical support and exemplary behaviour, and were particularly popular amongst local landlords—a number of Sheffield public houses had to order emergency supplies of beer and cigarettes
In 1997 Hillsborough hosted its first major domestic match since the disaster. The League Cup Final
1997 Football League Cup Final
The 1997 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played between Middlesbrough and Leicester City. The first game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 6 April 1997 ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time. Fabrizio Ravanelli opened the scoring only for Leicester's Emile Heskey to equalise in the last minute of extra time...
replay between Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
was played at the ground. It was won by Leicester by one goal to nil. Later the same year Middlesbrough returned to Hillsborough for an FA Cup semi-final replay in which they beat Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
by three goals to nil.
The record attendance since the ground was made all-seated was on 2 February 2000 in a Premier League game against Manchester United and was watched by 39,640 fans. In recent years average attendances at Hillsborough have remained high despite Wednesday's relatively poor league position:
- 2006–072006-07 in English footballThe 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
: 23,638 (Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe 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...
) - 2005–062005-06 in English footballThe 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
: 24,853 (Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe 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...
) - 2004–052004-05 in English footballThe 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
: 23,100 (Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
) - 2003–042003-04 in English footballThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
: 22,336 (Division TwoFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
)
Hillsbrough Flood
On 25 June 2007, the River Don burst its banks during a period of severe weather in the area, and the whole ground was flooded with several feet of water. The changing rooms, restaurants and kitchens and boardroom were all flooded, as well as the ticket office and superstore; many local houses were also affected. The clean-up effort took months; however, Sheffield Wednesday's fixtures were only slightly affected as the floods occurred in the off-season. The stadium suffered millions of pounds of damage, and a memorial to the floods was unveiled on 25 June 2008 under the South Stand.North Stand
Constructed: 1899–1903Current stand constructed:1960–1961
Capacity: 9,255 (seated)
Sponsored by: My Sheffield Jobs
The original North Stand was built between 1899 and 1903. In the early 1960s this was replaced by the current North Stand which runs along the long north edge of the pitch, and was the second football stand in Britain to have a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
roof (thus amongst some fans, it is known as "the cantilever"). It was however the first in the country to run the entire length of the pitch; the first cantilever stand in English football at Scunthorpe United's
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
Old Show Ground only covered the centre of the pitch. Following the formal opening of the stand in August 1961, a celebration match was played on 22 October 1961 when Wednesday met Santos of Brazil with their new star Pele in the team. Pele's goal helped Santos to a 4–2 win. When opened, the stand held 10,000 but the capacity has been reduced more recently to make room for disabled spectators and also to widen the exit aisles for safety reasons. Hillsborough is the only football ground to be mentioned in Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
's Buildings of England due to this stand.
At the time of opening the stand was the best new stand to be built since Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's East Stand at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
in the 1930s, and it still is a fabulous stand.
- "There is not a misplaced line in this remarkable stand. From any angle (it) is quite breathtaking. It is like an architect’s model of the dream stand of the future, a space age stand." Simon InglisSimon InglisSimon Inglis is a British architectural historian, writer and broadcaster, most notably about football and stadiums.Inglis was born in Sparkhill, Birmingham and is currently editor of the Played in Britain series on sporting heritage, published by English Heritage...
Leppings Lane End (West Stand)
Constructed: c.Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1900
Current Stand constructed: 1961–1965
Capacity: 5,772 (seated). Some sources claim 7,995 which include 1,382 seats in the North West Terrace, however,the figure of 5,772 is the largest working capacity of the stand.
Currently sponsored by Carling Lager* (Advertising boards donated to the Children's Hospital Charity) *As of 2009/10 season.
Situated at the Leppings Lane end of the ground, the West Stand seats the away supporters on Wednesday's home games.
The original stand built at the turn of the century was a covered terrace housing up to 3,000 fans. In the 1920s this was joined by the North West terrace before the Leppings Lane stand was replaced by a 12,000 capacity partially covered terrace.
Before the 1966 World Cup the West Stand was demolished again and replaced by a two-tiered structure with 4,471 seats in the upper tier and retaining a terrace in front of the stand. After the infamous 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....
in 1989 the lower tier terrace was closed for two years and replaced by 2,294 seats. The North West terrace was the last section of the stand to be made all seated, adding another 1,382 seats to the structure.
North West Terrace
Constructed: 1919–1920Current stand constructed: January 1965 – May 1966
Sponsored by: Handley Brown Solicitors
Capacity: 1,382
The North West Terrace (still referred to as a terrace despite now being all seated) is the only major section of the stadium to remain uncovered (the other area is the small corner section joined to the Kop). The original North West Terrace was built between 1919 and 1920 to adjoin both the North Stand and West Stand, but was demolished in early 1965 and replaced in mid 1966, in time for the 1966 World Cup.
The terrace was not in use for two years, as the stand failed to gain a safety certificate for the 2007–08 season,. In recent years it had only been used as overspill for away fans when both the upper and lower tiers of the West Stand have been filled. Whilst not being used for seating, the terrace has recently been used as extra advertising space, with advertising boards on the back wall, and more recently a large 'My Sheffield Jobs' seat covering appearing alongside their sponsorship of the North Stand. It is sponsored by Handley Brown.
This stand will be re-opened for away fans in the 2009–10 season under new chairman Lee Strafford
South Stand
- Original stand constructed: 1899–1903
- Current stand constructed: 1913–1915
- Extended: 1995
- Total stand capacity: 11,354 (all-seater)
- Sponsored by: TBC
The first South Stand was originally constructed at Olive Grove
Olive Grove
Olive Grove was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century...
, but moved with the club in the summer of 1899 to the new site at Owlerton
Owlerton
Owlerton is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, it lies northwest of the city centre near the confluence of the River Don and River Loxley. Owlerton was formerly a small rural settlement with its origins in the Early Middle Ages, it became part of Sheffield in the early 1900s as the city expanded...
where it was reconstructed brick-by-brick. The famous clock was also moved to Hillsborough.
The modern stand, the oldest remaining stand at the ground, was constructed between 1913 and 1915 for a fee exceeding £17,000 to a design by Archibald Leitch
Archibald Leitch
Archibald "Offside Archie" Leitch was a Scottish architect, most famous for his work designing football stadia throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.-Early work:...
. The stand had 5,600 seats as well as room for 11,000 standing fans. The famous clock was salvaged from the old stand and put on the new one. The modern stand has seen a series of improvements, the first being a conversion to an all-seated stand in 1965 ahead of the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
and latest being a major £7 million re-development for the Euro 1996
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
international competition when an upper tier (Grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
) of 3,000 extra seats, a new roof, 30 executive boxes, two conference suites, a bar, a restaurant and a range of office space were added. Again, the famous clock was saved and put on the new stand.
The South Stand is the most recognisable of the four stands at Hillsborough and still bears the original now-famous and easily recognisable clock face and finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
from the very first stand, which was brought from Olive Grove. The stand houses the main reception, media and hospitality boxes, as well as the ground's family enclosure, five modern refreshment kiosks and four bars. It also features concourse television sets relaying live coverage of the match as well as highlights at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
.
Spion Kop
Constructed: 1914Capacity: 11,210 (seated)
Sponsored by ASD Lighting
Named after a hill that was the scene of a famous battle in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the Spion Kop is built into a natural hill at the east end of the ground and houses the most vocal of Wednesday supporters. It is usually simply referred to by fans as The Kop.
The stand remained open to the elements until a roof was added in 1986 after fans raised money to contribute to the cost. When the roof was added, the stand was 'squared' off to make it symmetrical so that the roof was used fully. due to this, the Kop was extended, so the capacity rose from 16,000 to 22,000, which made it the biggest standing area in Europe at the time.
The Kop was the last part of the Wednesday ground to be converted to all-seater accommodation, the change finally coming in 1993 to comply with new FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
regulations following 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...
. The capacity was hence halved, but the Kop remains one of the largest single tier stands in Britain.
A large concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
area was added in 2004, partially funded by the Owls Trust
Wednesdayite
Wednesdayite, the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Society is the largest independent supporters group for Sheffield Wednesday fans and formerly a shareholder in Sheffield Wednesday PLC.-Profile:...
.
Stadium Control area
The stadium control area is located in the South - West area of the ground, between the South and West stands.The most dominant feature is the electronic scoreboard, which was one of the first electric scoreboards in an English football ground. For the majority of the match, this shows the score and time, but as of the 2011–12 season, the board shows advertisements every few minutes. Prior to and after the match, information like team line - ups, fixtures, and other results are shown.
Below the scoreboard is the stadium control building, where all the technical aspects of the stadium are controlled from (e.g. lighting, announcements).
At the base of the area is a very small section of disused terrace, which has still not been converted to seating. It is only used as a congregation area for the police and stewards, and has not held fans since the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster.
Owls Megastore
The Owls Megastore is the official Sheffield Wednesday club shop, located underneath the North Stand.It and the neighbouring ticket office were severely damaged in the Hillsborough Flood. The wall separating the ticket office and club shop was subsequently demolished, and a much larger Owls Megastore opened a few months later, with the ticket office now being located in one of the corners of the shop.
Hillsborough Stadium Footbridge
A bridge was built across the River Don in 1996, to provide access to the refurbished South Stand, ahead of Euro 96. It connects Parkside Road and the surrounding area to the main entrance to Hillsborough Stadium.Dooley's Restaurant, Sheridan Suite, and others
Several restaurants, such as Dooley's and the Sheridan Suite, are located around the ground. The majority are in the South Stand.Location
The stadium is located in the north west of the city roughly three miles from the city centre. The area is mainly residential with a number of shops and a shopping centre located at nearby Hillsborough Corner. Views of the area can be enjoyed from hills located to the west.The stadium is sandwiched between Hillsborough Park
Hillsborough Park
Hillsborough Park is a large parkland area in Hillsborough, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The park was created in 1897 by the Dixon Family, who built Hillsborough Hall. It is now owned by Sheffield City Council and the hall is used as a library....
to the south and terrace housing to the north. The River Don also runs alongside the stadium to the south. The Spion Kop backs straight onto Penistone Road, a major dual carriageway leading to the city centre, while there is some space between the West Stand and Leppings Lane.
Stadium upgrade plans
Sheffield Wednesday announced in the summer of 2009 plans for a £22 million upgrade of the stadium and an increase in capacity to 44,825 from the current 39,812 with no viewing restrictions. These plans will be completed by 2013 and will bring the stadium up to FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
standards for hosting World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
matches. The details of the plans are as follows:
- Removing the current pillars that support the roof of the Kop and installing an 'iconic' roof structure
- Adding a corner between North Stand and the Kop with a medium-sized round hole underneath the seats to let wind get onto the pitch
- Adding a roof to the North-West Corner
- Removing the pillars and roof from the West Stand and replacing the roof
- Removing the present tier on the West Stand so that the inclination of the present day upper tier contiunues to pitch level
- Adding a new tier above the present upper tier on the West Stand with a 'new specific learning zone' between the new upper tier and present upper tier
- Renovation of the exterior appearance of the West Stand
- Demolition of the mega-store and gymnasium behind the North Stand
- The extension of the North Stand to create the 'biggest classroom in Europe' as well as 'enterprise zones' and 17 boxes
- Improved layout of the stadium South Stand floor plan and stadium surroundings to comply with FIFA requirements
- Improved parking and stadium access
- Adding rainwater harvesting and solar cell technology
- Demolition of the existing stadium control between the South Stand and West Stand and relocation to the corner between the Kop and South Stand
- Adding TV screens to the corners of the roof between the Kop-North Stand and South Stand-West Stand
- New bridge across the River Don for entry to West Stand, with turnstiles on the other side of the river
Work updates
- Work has not started as of April 2011
- Planning permission was granted for the entire scheme on 20 October 2009
- Due to England not winning the World Cup 2018 bid, redevelopment has been put on hold
Records
The highest attendance recorded at Hillsborough was in the FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fifth round on 17 February 1934. A total of 72,841 turned up to see a 2–2 draw with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. The highest attendance recorded since work to convert the stadium to an all-seater venue was completed in 1993 was for a Premier League match against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 2 February 2000. The game was watched by 39,640 fans.
The highest seasonal average attendance at Hillsborough was 42,520 in the 1952–53
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
season in Division 1
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. The highest average attendance in the second tier of English football was 41,682 in the 1951–52
1951-52 in English football
The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
season, which saw the club gain promotion from Division 2
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
and Derek Dooley score a record 46 league goals. The highest average attandance in the third tier of English football was achieved in the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season when an average of 23,107 fans watched each League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
game at Hillsborough.
The lowest average attendance at Hillsborough came in the first season after its opening (1899–00
1899-00 in English football
The 1899–1900 season was the 29th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Chesterfield and Middlesbrough replaced Blackpool and Darwen in the Football League....
) when each game was attended by an average crowd of just 6,800 fans, mainly due to the fact that the new stadium, then called Owlerton Stadium, was a fraction of the size it is today.
The largest gate receipts taken from a match at Hillsborough was for the Euro 96 game between Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
and Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
on 19 June 1996. A crowd of 28,671 watched the match, paying a total of £1,012,150.
Hillsborough still holds the record for the highest attendance for a third tier football match. 49,309 spectators turned up on 26 December 1979, one of the most memorable days in SWFC history, when the Owls beat Sheffield United 4–0 in a top of the table clash, now known as the Boxing Day Massacre.
The largest receipts for a club game at Hillsborough were for the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final replay between Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 22 April 1997 and totalled £680,965. The game was watched by 30,339 fans.
The highest receipts for a game at Hillsborough involving Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
was for the Premier League match against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 7 March 1998, which was watched by 39,427 fans and earned the club £386,426.
International football
Hillsborough was used as a venue for the 1966 FIFA World Cup1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
and 1996 UEFA European championships. It was also used for some England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
matches prior to the construction of Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
| Date | Result | Competition | Attendance | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-10-04 | 5–4 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
35.000 | ||||
| 1962-10-03 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 1964 qualifier | 35,380 | ||||
| 1966-07-12 | 5–0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... group stage |
36,000 | ||||
| 1966-07-15 | 2–1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... group stage |
32,000 | ||||
| 1966-07-19 | 2–0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... group stage |
32,000 | ||||
| 1966-07-23 | 4–0 | 1966 FIFA World Cup 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... quarter-final |
34,000 | ||||
| 1973-09-26 | 0–0 | 1974 FIFA World Cup 1974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... qualifier |
6,206 | ||||
| 1996-06-09 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 group stage | 34,993 | ||||
| 1996-06-16 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 group stage | 33,671 | ||||
| 1996-06-19 | 0–3 | UEFA Euro 1996 group stage | 28,951 |
English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
Hillsborough Stadium was selected by The FA as a proposed venue for matches as part of the English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidEnglish 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
England 2018 was the Football Association's unsuccessful bid for the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. FIFA invited bidding countries to bid for either the 2018 or the 2022 finals, or both...
on 16 December 2009.
External links
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8217000/8217675.stm The History of Hillsborough Stadium – BBC Sheffield
- Hillsborough Stadium Information at Sheffield Wednesday official website
- Hillsborough at Google Maps
- Hillsborough stadium review from thisisfootball.co.uk