Britannia Stadium
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| The Brit | |
| Full name | The Britannia Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 4EG |
| Coordinates | 52°59′18″N 2°10′32″W / 52.98833°N 2.17556°WCoordinates: 52°59′18″N 2°10′32″W / 52.98833°N 2.17556°W |
| Built | 1997 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Owner | Stoke City F.C |
| Capacity | 28,383 |
| Field dimensions | 100 by 64 metres (110 yd × 70 yd)[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Stoke City F.C. (1997-present) | |
The Britannia Stadium is a football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home of Stoke City Football Club. The club had played at the Victoria Ground until 1997 and the move was the brainchild of then-Chief Executive Jez Moxey.[2] The club's manager at this time was Chic Bates. The stadium holds 28,383 supporters, with the highest attendance being recorded for the sell out fixture against Everton in their FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 2002.[3] The first goal in the stadium was scored by Graham Kavanagh for Stoke in a league cup game against Rochdale.[4]
Sir Stanley Matthews had his ashes buried under the centre circle of the pitch when he died.
Contents |
[edit] Stadium Construction
In total, the Britannia Stadium cost £14.7million to construct on the former site of Hem Heath colliery. Building work began in late autumn 1996 and was completed in August 1997. The all-seater stadium holds 28,383 supporters (although this has been reduced to 27,500 for the 2008/2009 season due to segregation) in four cantilever stands. The main West stand consists of two tiers of seating which house 7,357 spectators, plus all of the Stadiums corporate and media facilities. The L-shaped Boothen and East stands hold 6,006 and 8,789 people respectively. The South Stand, which is used mainly for away support can accommodate 4,996 people.[5] Due to the capacity being under 30,000, it is not eligible to be a UEFA 4 star stadium. If it was above this capacity it has all the specifications to be a UEFA 4 Star Stadium.[6] The clubs dressing rooms, offices, boardroom and club superstore are positioned between the West and South stands.
Recently in 2006, work has taken place on the A50 to allow direct access to the stadium from the eastbound direction, involving the building of a bridge across the road. It is close to the Sideway junction with the A500.
[edit] Boothen End
The Boothen End is a favourite amoungst many fans. Many of the fans who used to sit in the old Boothen End at the Victoria Ground sit here and it is where the atmosphere is at its best in the stadium. It can hold 5,000 passionate potters. Most of the songs at stoke are started here and this is where the reputation for stoke city's loudness has originated.
[edit] Seddon Stand
The Seddon Stand is the east stand of the stadium. It begins at block 26 where it connects to the Boothen End and follows round and down the side of the pitch up until the Family Stand. It offers excellent views of the pitch. This is considered to be one of the better stands as it offers great atmosphere and great views of the match
[edit] John Smith's Stand
The Main Stand (Sponsored by John Smiths) finishes off the impressive look of the stadium. Its two tiers can house around 12,000 spectators and includes all of the admin offices, hospitality and media space. This is the quieter area of the stadium and is considered to give the best view of the pitch.
[edit] Away End(SEAT Stand)
Away Supporters are housed in the South stand with a capacity of 4,700. On almost all occasions, the away team will be given the whole stand but should City's home crowd exceed 23,000, the stand is designed to separate so that more Stoke fans can watch from the south end. The divide inside the stand completely blocks off the stand into two halves with equal facilities on each side. A slight intimidated feeling is in the away end as it gives the view of the boothen end and the rest of the stadium, which is intimadating if the stadium is on song, which is regular
[edit] Future development
If Stoke can establish themselves in the FA Premier League, they would consider filling in the corner between the Boothen End and the West Stand, taking the ground's capacity to over 30,000.[7]
Due to Stoke's promotion to the Premier League in the 2007/08 season, as of the summer of 2008, the interior of the ground including executive boxes, the Waddington suite and the main reception have undergone refurbishment. In between the Seddon end and the South Stand there is now a large screen.
[edit] Notable non-Stoke games
The stadium hosted the 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 playoff finals for the Conference National.
The stadium has also hosted a U21 international between England and Portugal on 16 April 2002. Portugal won the match 1-0.[8]
[edit] Ownership
The Stadium was originally owned jointly by Stoke City F.C., Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Stoke-on-Trent Regeneration Ltd. However, in December 2007 Stoke City F.C. announced that they had agreed a deal to buy Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Stoke-on-Trent Regenerations shares in the stadium for £6 million, giving them full ownership.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ "Premier League Club Directory". http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/2e/3/0,,12306~131886,00.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-01-15.
- ^ mersysidepotters.com: The Britannia Stadium
- ^ stadiumguide.com: stadiumguide.com: Britannia Stadium
- ^ Stoke City FC: Brit-10-Years: First Ever Game
- ^ Stoke City FC: The Britannia Stadium
- ^ fussballtempel.net: UEFA 4-star and 5-star stadiums - Requirements
- ^ BBC SPORT: Stoke opt not to expand stadium
- ^ "England U21: 0 Portugal U21: 1 (Tonel 39)". web.ukonline.co.uk. http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ic.ic/u21portugalfriendlya.html.
- ^ "Football club finish stadium deal". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 2007-12-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7156859.stm. Retrieved on 2007-12-22.
[edit] External links
- Stoke City guide
- BBC Stoke guide
- Unofficial Stoke City message board
- Guide from The Oatcake - Stoke City fanzine
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Stoke City Football Club
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