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	Capacity
	Opened
	Owner
	Pitch Dimensions

Craven Cottage is astadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the 6.3 acre home ground of the football team Fulham F.C. since 1896. Its capacity has recently been increased to around 26,600 with the highest all-seater Premiership home attendance of 25,357 fans present for the 2-1 loss against Chelsea on 01 January 2008 in the West London derby.

Fulham are renowned for their special bond with Craven Cottage, as many fans view the ground as being the epitome of what the club stands for. It has one of the most picturesque settings in the British football, located next to Bishops Park on the banks of the River Thames.

The ground

Hammersmith End

The Hammersmith End (or Hammy) is the northernmost stand in the ground, and, hence the name, the closest to Hammersmith. It is situated such that looking out from the stand you can see the Putney End and the Cottage opposite, the Riverside Stand (and the river itself) to the right and the Johnny Haynes Stand to the left. The roofing on the ‘Smithy’ was financed through the sale of Alan Mullery to Spurs. It is home to the more vocal Fulham fans, and many stand during games at the back rows of the stand. If Fulham win the toss, they always choose to play towards the Hammersmith End in the second half, a tradition Liverpool F.C. are thought to have copied (playing towards the famous Kop).

Putney End

The Putney End is the southernmost stand in the ground, nearest to Putney and Bishops Park. To its right is The Cottage, opposite is the Hammersmith End, with the Riverside and Johnny Haynes Stands to left and right respectively. This generally hosts visiting or ‘neutral’ supporters. When the ground became redeveloped in 2003-4 (during Fulham’s exile to Loftus Road) the club applied for a licence to have a designated neutral area. Due to Fulham’s past history of having no segregation in the Putney End and having very well-behaved fans, the FA gave Fulham special dispensation to allow for this. Fulham is the only club currently in the UK to have such an area. Fans can wear whatever shirt and support either side in this area, leading to friendly banter. Flags of every nationality in the Fulham squad were hung from the roofing, however they were retracted after the 2006-07 season commenced. For games against the bigger clubs, the entire Putney End is allocated to visiting supporters.

Riverside Stand

The Riverside was originally terracing that backed onto the Thames. It also featuerd large advertising hoardings above the fans. By 1973, a proper seated stand had been built called the Eric Miller Stand (one of the directors at the time). The stand was opened in a prestigious friendly against Santos F.C., who included Pelé in the team. The name of the stand became called simply The Riverside after the discovery of Eric Miller’s suicide, who had been under investigation for fraud and embezzelment.

The Riverside Stand backs onto the river Thames and is elevated uniquely above the pitch unlike the other 3 stands. It contains the corporate hospitality seating alongside Fulham fans. Jimmy Hill once referred to the Riverside being “a bit like the London Palladium” as Blocks V & W (the middle section) are often filled with the rich and famous (including often Al-Fayed). There are several Harrods advertising boardings and above these is the gantry, for the press and cameras. Tickets in this area are often the easiest to buy, not surprisingly they are also some of the more expensive. It has the Hammersmith End to its left, the Putney End to its right and is opposite the Johnny Haynes Stand. During the 70’s, Craven Cottage flooded, with water gushing in from the Riverside. On non-match days, the George Cohen restaurant is open providing posh-nosh from Harrods or alternatively there is the Cottage Cafe, located near to the Cottage itself. (The River Café is also located nearby). Under Tommy Trinder’s chairmanship in the 60’s, flags of all other teams in the Division 1 were proudly flown along the Thames. However, when Fulham were relegated in 1969, Trinder decided not to change the flags as “Fulham won’t be in this division next season”. True to Tommy’s prophecy, Fulham were relegated again! There is now a campaign to bring back the flags again, though whether Chelsea’s club badge would be flown is another matter! The Riverside Stand has been used by sponsors, placing adverts on top of the covering, sponsors who have used this include Pipex.com and Lee Cooper Jeans. The end of the Riverside Stand towards the ‘Smithy’ End’ indicates the end of the ‘Fulham Wall’, which is the Mile Post in The Boat Race.

Johnny Haynes Stand

Formerly the Stevenage Road Stand - named for the street it is on - The Johnny Haynes Stand. Holding Fulham supporters, a lot of whom are season ticket holders, this is opposite the Riverside Stand, with the Putney End and the Cottage to its left, and the Hammersmith end to the right. This stand includes the ticket office and club shop, as well as nostalgic but uncomfortable original wooden seats. This remains the oldest stand (dating back to 1905) in the Football League and is thus a Grade II* listed building (thanks to Jimmy Hill’s efforts when saving the club as Chairman). (The oldest football stand in the world is considered to belong to Great Yarmouth Town, though Wolverton A.F.C. dispute this.) The original wooden Bennet seats as specified by Leitch in 1905 now number 3,571, remain as robust as ever.

The stand’s new name was announced shortly after Johnny Haynes’ untimely death in late 2005. Due to parts of the structure being wooden there is a no-smoking policy in this part of the ground. The exterior facing Stevenage Road has a beautiful brick façade rarely seen amongst stadia and features the club’s old emblem in the artwork. Interesting to note, that decorative pillars show the club’s foundation date as 1880 though this thought to be incorrect. Also, a special stone to commemorate Fulham 2000 and The Cottagers return to their rightful home was engraved on the façade for all to see. The family enclosure is located in the corner nearest to the Hammersmith end. The stand also features very narrow and rickety turnstiles (that all must pass through) which are very much a squeeze for some of the more portly spectators. The 2006-7 season sees a new introduction in that all tickets are now read electronically when passing through the gates. Where the new plastic seating lies (in front of the wooden seats), originally was a standing area. Children were often placed at the front of this enclosure and the area had a distinctive white picket fence to keep fans off the pitch (up until the 70’s).

The Pavillion

The Cottage Pavillion dates back to 1905 along with the Johnny Haynes Stand, built by renowned architect Archibald Leitch. The reason The Cottage was built was due to an oversight in the Stevenage Road Stand (as it was then), as Leitch had forgotten to accommodate changing rooms in his final plans. Besides being the changing rooms, the Cottage (also called The Clubhouse) was traditionally used by the player’s families and friends who sit on the balcony to watch the game, but the club now sell those seats at a premium game-by-game rate. In the past, board meetings used to be held in The Cottage itself as well. In the three other corners of the ground there are what have been described as large ‘filing cabinets’, which are corporate boxes on three levels.

Future plans

Craven Cottage is where most Fulham fans would like to be, although the club might prefer a more lucrative situation - a larger ground enabling greater ticket revenue. Whether the club is still looking for a new site for a stadium is unknown, but comments in summer 2004 from Fulham’s CEO at the time, Jim Hone, suggest Fulham are back home for good. Fulham’s move back to the Cottage is believed to have been instigated and financed by the sale of Louis Saha to Manchester United, as his transfer covered the £9 million bill. Plans to move to White City with QPR into a 40,000 all-seater stadium appear to have been put firmly on hold. Fulham now have more realistic expectations of aiming for a mid-table finish and ensuring Premiership survival. The board seem to have moved away from their grandiose ideas of making Fulham the “Manchester United of the south” as Al-Fayed has come to realise how expensive it is to subsidise a Premiership outfit. Fulham appear to be committed to a gradual increase of the grounds capacity every summer between seasons. The capacity of Craven Cottage has been increased during the summer for the past 3 years and this trend continued in 2008 with a small increase in the capacity of the Hammersmith End. Fulham have announced that they are planning to increasing the capacity of Craven Cottage by 4000 seats.

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Latest Bolton Wanderers News

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	Capacity		28,723
	Opened		1997
	Owner		Bolton Wanderers
	Pitch Dimensions		110 x 72 yards

The Reebok Stadium is the home ground of English football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook retail park in Horwich, situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. It is commonly known as ‘The Reebok’. It has 4 stands: The Debt Matters (North) Stand at one end, the Woodford Group (South) Stand:the away end, at the other end, the West Stand at one side of the pitch and the Nat Lofthouse (East) Stand at the other side.

It is a modern, all-seater stadium with a capacity of 28,723 which was completed in 1997, replacing the club’s old ground, Burnden Park. Despite the improved facilities and larger capacity (and resultant larger ticket revenues), this move was unpopular with many of the club’s fans. This was partly due to the new stadium being built out-of-town, and partly due to sentimental attachment to the old stadium and its history. In recognition of this, the street on which the stadium is situated is called Burnden Way.

The lead consultant/architect of the project was Lobb Sports, but the local firm of Bradshaw Gass & Hope acted as planning supervisors and quantity surveyors. The value of the contract was £25 million.

The Reebok Stadium is named for long-time team sponsor, Reebok. Again, this was unpopular with many fans, as it was considered impersonal, and that too much emphasis was being placed on financial considerations. This opposition has considerably lessened since the stadium was built, however, as fans have grown accustomed to the name.

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Latest Derby County News

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	Capacity		33,597
	Opened		18th July 1997
	Owner		Derby County F.C.

Pride Park Stadium is a football ground in the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is owned by and is the home of Derby County F.C. The stadium holds 33,597 spectators. The stadium was completed in 1997 and replaced Derby County’s previous stadium, the Baseball Ground. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 18 July, with a friendly against Sampdoria following on 4 August.

The first competitive league match to be played there was against Wimbledon. The floodlights failed part way through the match and it had to be abandoned.

Plans to build the stadium were revealed only 18 months before the beginning of Derby’s first season there. The original plan had been for the Baseball Ground to be rebuilt with a 26,000-seat capacity, but in February 1996 it was announced that Derby would be relocating instead.

Pride Park has been used for three England under-21s international matches and one full international, a 4–0 friendly victory for England over Mexico on 27 May 2001. That match also holds the record for the highest attendance at the stadium: a full-house of 33,597. The highest attendance at Pride Park Stadium for a Derby County match is 33,475.

2008 Expansion

On 27 April 2007, Derby County released details of a proposed £20m development around the stadium which would create about 250 jobs. Although plans have yet to be submitted to the city council, the Pride Plaza project would include a 165-bed hotel, bars, restaurants and office space. On 9 of November Derby City Council agreed to let the plans go ahead.

Two squares and a road on the west side of the stadium would be named after club legends Brian Clough, Steve Bloomer and Lionel Pickering. The club have said no money would be taken away from the team to pay for the development.

On top of this the club has announced plans to expand the capacity up to 44,000, with the work due to take place during the 2007–08 close season, provided the club avoided relegation. The plans include adding rows of seats to the north, south and east stands. If completed, this would allow the club to break its current club record home attendance, which stands at 41,826 for a match against Tottenham Hotspur during the 1969–70 season set at The Baseball Ground.

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Latest Blackburn Rovers News

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	Capacity		31,367
	Opened		1882
	Pitch Dimensions		115 x 76 yards

Ewood Park is a football ground in Blackburn, Lancashire and the home of Blackburn Rovers football club since they moved there from Leamington Road in the summer of 1890. The stadium, which opened in 1882 as a multi sports stadium, is an all seater facility which holds 31,367 people and has a pitch size of 115 x 76 yards. It comprises four sections: Darwen End, Riverside Stand (currently sponsored by Fraser Eagle), named as such because it stands practically on the banks of the River Darwen, Blackburn End and Jack Walker Stand, named after Blackburn industrialist and club supporter, Jack Walker.

Blackburn Rovers is the only football club to have won the English F.A. Cup 3 times in 3 consecutive seasons, and for this achievement it is the only club in the English Football League with permission to display its club crest on the corner flags. This rule is still applicable at Ewood Park, despite the victories being achieved whilst at the club’s previous Leamington Road ground.

The stadium hosted three matches during the Women’s Euro 2005 competition—two England matches in group play, and the final.

Ewood Park is the oldest home to a Premier League club. Though both Anfield and Stamford Bridge were constructed earlier (1884 and 1877), their current tenants (Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC) did not start playing there until 1892 and 1905, respectively.

Redevelopment

Like many English stadia, Ewood Park remained relatively unchanged for most of the 20th century until outside factors forced change. In the summer of 1984, part of the Nuttall Street Stand was damaged by fire. Instead of rebuilding the stand, the club’s directors decided to install two banks of executive boxes in place of the destroyed section. Later in the decade, the old Riverside stand was deemed unsafe in high winds and needed to be rebuilt. The steel for the new stand was provided by Walkersteel, then owned by Jack Walker, who was later to buy the club. The newly-named for 2007-08 season Fraser Eagle Stand provides 5,000 seats and is now the only part of Ewood Park to date from before the nineties.

After Walker bought Blackburn in 1991, Ewood Park was extensively rebuilt for the modern Premiership era. Three of the four stands - the Darwen End now seating 8,000 and all allocated to Away fans, the Blackburn End a mirror image of the Darwen End Seating 8,000, and the Nuttall Street Stand - were demolished and rebuilt. The Nuttall Street stand was renamed the Jack Walker stand in his honour and seats 11,000 fans and includes the players dressing room and media facilities, the old boardroom was dismantled piece by piece and reassembled when the rebuilding was finished and is situated in the Blackburn End of the ground.

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Latest Spurs News

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	Capacity		36,310
	Opened		September 1899
	Pitch Dimensions		110 x 73 yards

White Hart Lane is the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. It is situated in Tottenham, North London. In 2006, minor alterations to the seating configuration increased capacity to 36,310 all-seated.

Supporters often refer to the ground as “The Lane” or “WHL”.

History

Tottenham Hotspur moved to White Hart Lane in 1899. Their first game there resulted in a 4-1 home win against Notts County. 5,000 supporters witnessed the victory. Between 1908 and 1972, White Hart Lane was one of very few British football grounds that featured no advertising hoardings at all.

By 1923, the ground was enlarged to accommodate 50,000 covered spectators. The pitch was overlooked by a copper fighting cock (the club mascot) that still keeps an eye on proceedings from the roof of the West Stand. In the 1930s watching football was a tremendously popular pastime, and despite Tottenham’s relative mediocrity, at the time, 75,038 spectators squeezed into White Hart Lane in March 1938 to see Spurs lose to Sunderland in the FA Cup. 1953 saw the introduction of floodlights, which were renovated again in the 1970s and steadily upgraded with new technology since. By this stage, Tottenham were firmly established as one of England’s top clubs and attracted some of the highest attendances in the country on a regular basis.

The West Stand was built in the early 1980s and the project was so poorly managed that it was completed late and the cost overruns had severe financial implications for the club. This side of the ground is parallel with Tottenham High Road and is connected to it by Bill Nicholson Way.

The East Stand (on Worcester Avenue) is a three tier structure designed by noted stadium architect Archibald Leitch in the 1930s. Until the 1980s, the middle tier was a standing terrace offering very good views of the playing pitch at reasonable admission prices. The banter among home supporters was marked and the entire terrace was nicknamed The Shelf. By 1990, the East Stand had been upgraded to its current condition, but two view-obstructing roof supports reflect its true age.

The early 1990s saw the completion of the South Stand (on Park Lane) and the introduction of the first Jumbotron video screen, of which there are now two, one above each penalty area. The renovation of the Members’ (North) Stand which is reached via Paxton Road was completed in 1998, leaving the ground in its present form. Talks at board level continue over the future of their home, with an increase in capacity essential as home matches continue to sell out. A move to Wembley Stadium was ruled out by the club, as was the talk of moving to the future stadium of the 2012 Olympic Games.

There had also been plans to increase the stadium’s capacity to 50,000-60,000.

It was announced on the 30th October 2008 that Tottenham are going to develop on the current site and also to the north where they have purchased land, creating a 60,000-seater stadium. The new area will include leisure facilities, shops, housing, a club museum, public space and also a new base for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. There will be public consultations with a view to applying for planning permission in 2009.

Stands

- North Stand - Total: 10,086
- East Stand - Total: 10, 691
- West Stand - Total: 6,890
- South Stand - Total: 8,573
- Total Capacity: 36,310

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Latest Everton News

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	Capacity		40,569
	Opened		August 24 1892
	Owner		Everton FC
	Pitch Dimensions		112 x 78 yards

Goodison Park is the home ground of Everton F.C. in Liverpool. It was built in 1892, and now has a total capacity of 40,569 all-seated.

History

Built in 1892, on what was Mere Green field, it is one of the oldest and most historic football grounds in the world and was the first major football stadium in England. Goodison Park was the first purpose built football stadium in England. Mere Green field cost £8,090, with an interest free loan of £1,000 from the Catholic Dr Baxter, helping to secure the purchase. It was officially opened on 24th August 1892. The mortgage was cleared during season 1904/05. Kelly Brothers of Walton, erected two uncovered stands, each to accommodate 4.000 & a covered stand to accommodate 3,000, at a cost of £1,640. Twelve turnstiles cost a total of £93. It is also nicknamed the Grand Old Lady. It was the first British sports ground ever to have double-decker stands on all 4 sides and the first to have a 3 tier stand. It was also the first English league ground to have undersoil heating. In 1913 it became the first English football ground to be visited by a reigning monarch, King George V. The first covered dugouts in England were constructed at Goodison, in 1931, following Everton’s visit to Pittodrie to play a friendly against Aberdeen, where such dugouts had been constructed at the behest of the Dons’ trainer Donald Coleman.

The ground staged 5 matches including a semi-final for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the final for the 1894 FA Cup and the FA Cup Final replay in 1910. Everton have hosted more international matches than any other English club. On 6th April 1895 Goodison hosted England v Scotland and so Everton became the first club to host England internationals on two grounds. Liverpool also became the first English city to stage England games at three different venues. Goodison was also, in 1949, the site of England’s first ever home defeat by a non-Home Nations country, namely the Republic of Ireland. The last Everton player to play in an international at Goodison was Ray Wilson for England v Poland 5th January 1966. The game ended 1-1 and England’s goal was scored by Bobby Moore. This was his first international goal and the only one on English soil. In 1973 Goodison hosted Northern Ireland’s home games against Wales & England.

The greatest match the stadium has ever held, according to voters at Everton’s official website, was a European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich in 1985. Munich, leading at half time, were defeated by three second half Everton goals from Andy Gray, Graeme Sharp and Trevor Steven.

On 26th December 1920, Goodison hosted a match between; Dick, Kerr’s Ladies & St Helens Ladies. An estimated 67,000 turned up for the match, 14,000 of which were locked out. The average gate at Goodison in 1919/1920 was 29,050. Dick, Kerr’s Ladies won 4-0 & over £3,000 was raised for charity.

In seasons 1962/63 & 1963/64 attendances for league matches were in excess of 1,000,000.

The ground is situated in a tightly-packed residential district, which has made expansion of the ground extremely difficult, if not impossible. One corner of the ground is actually formed by a church, St Luke the Evangelist’s.

The pitch is one of the largest in the Premiership (or the old Football League), most pitches tending towards a de facto standard of 110 x 70 yards. Goodison Park is considerably wider, and slightly longer.

Stands

The ground is made up of 4 stands:

The Park End - capacity 6,000. A single-tier, cantilever stand completed in 1994. At the South end of the ground, behind one goal, the Park Stand backs onto Walton Lane which borders Stanley Park. It was re-constructed in 1995. During the 1960s and 1970s, both ends featured a large semi-circle behind the goals, slightly reminiscent of the old Wembley Stadium.

Bullens Road - capacity 8,067. A two-tier stand designed by the renowned football ground architect Archibald Leitch. On the East side of the ground the stand is divided into the Upper Bullens, Lower Bullens and the Paddock. The South end of the Bullens Road stand houses away supporters. The North corner of the stand is connected to the Gwladys Street Stand.

Gwladys Street End - capacity 10,155. Another two-tier Archibald Leitch stand, divided into Upper Gwladys and Lower Gwladys. Behind the goal at the North end of Goodison Park, the Lower Gwladys can be said to hold the most boisterous and vociferous Evertonians. If Everton win the toss before kick-off they always elect to play towards the Gwladys Street End in the second half.

Main Stand - capacity 16,347 (upper tiers). A three-tier stand, incorporating the Main Stand, Family Enclosure and Top Balcony, as well as what, for such a large ground, is a relatively small number of corporate boxes. The current Main Stand was completed in 1971, at a cost of £1m, following the demolition of the previous 1909 incarnation (another Archibald Leitch design). The Main Stand houses the teams’ changing rooms, and the players enter the pitch from a surprisingly discreet tunnel at the halfway line in the Main Stand. Unusually (particularly considering the date of construction) the Top Balcony is accessed by escalator.

A New Goodison?

Goodison Park became all-seater in 1994 with the construction of the Park end, taking the capacity to just over 40,000. It is theoretically possible to expand the ground, but the club considers that it would not be financially viable to do so, and therefore wishes to move.

In 1996, chairman Peter Johnson announced the club’s intention to leave Goodison Park. Although the move was met with opposition from some supporters groups, most notably Goodison Forever-ton (GFE), the club undertook the first of two supporter ballots at the last game of the 1996/97 season to guauge reaction to a proposed move to a site on the Kirkby Golf Course. Although it was much disputed at the time, particularly with the GFE’s calls to the club chairman to hold the ballot under the rules of the Electoral Reform Society, the reported 82% vote in favour of leaving Goodison was generally accepted as being a true barometer of voting supporter sentiments at the time. However, within just six days of the vote, the club chairman stunned most fans by suggesting that Kirkby Golf Course may not be the preferred location of Everton’s new ground and that sites as far afield as Cronton and Burtonwood were not being ruled out.

After 18 months of trying, the GFE finally released an architectural study which they disproved the club’s official line, that Goodison Park could not be redeveloped to a capacity in excess of 45,000. Given Everton’s precarious standing, though, there was very little appetite for discussions about the ground issue. Indeed, by the time the true picture of Everton’s dire financial crisis emerged in November 1998, following the controversial sale of Duncan Ferguson to Newcastle United, which prompted Peter Johnson to sell his stake in the club, it was obvious to all, especially the new owner, Bill Kenwright, that any talk of a ground move would have to be shelved for some considerable time. Nevertheless, the question over Goodison Park’s future still lurked in the background and by early 2000 - four years after the question of moving was first aired - the debate was back in full swing as Everton sought to secure land and planning permission at King’s Dock. On 18 November 2000, the club initiated the second ballot of supporters. Again the GFE was the only serious opposition, citing that it would eventually be proved that the club would not be able to afford a stake in the project and calling for Everton to finally bite-the-bullet and start a redevelopment of Goodison which would be completed by 2005 (noting that had such an ambition been undertaken at the first time of asking in 1996 that it would be nearly completed). Again, though, the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of leaving Goodison Park, this time with some 85% of voting fans declaring their willingness to move. Although Everton were eventually granted preferred bidder status, over twelve other applicants, the deal fell through in 2003 after Everton failed to secure their necessary £30m investment and an alternative bidder was chosen.

In late 2004, representatives from the club met with representatives of their local rivals Liverpool and the Sports Minister to discuss plans to build a joint stadium, Stanley Park. However, this proposal was rejected by both clubs. This leaves Everton with the decision to either build a new stadium on their own, or try and rebuild Goodison Park. As of June 2006, Everton have received at least three offers from Knowsley and Sefton to relocate a few miles outside Liverpool. They are currently in talks with the supermarket Tesco to make a joint bid to build a stadium complex in Knowsley. Supporters opposed to the plans have since formed the KEIOC (Keep Everton In Our City) lobby group. Despite a vociferous campaign the group failed to sway opinion sufficiently, and a subsequent postal ballot held by the club ended with 60% of submitted votes being in favour of a move to Kirkby. Everton hope to move to their new stadium in 2010.

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Latest Chelsea News

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	Capacity		42,055
	Opened		1877
	Owner		Chelsea Pitch Owners plc
	Pitch Dimensions		110 x 75 yards

Stamford Bridge is a football ground on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. It is nicknamed “The Bridge” by the club’s supporters.

Current stands

Matthew Harding Stand - capacity: 10,884

The Matthew Harding Stand, previously known as the North Stand, is along the north edge of the pitch. It is named after former Chelsea director Matthew Harding, who transformed the club in the early 1990s before his death in a helicopter accident in October 22, 1996. It was due to a considerable investment in the club by Harding that the stand was able to be completed, and as such the tribute is fitting. It was completed during the 1997-98 season, a year or so after Mr Harding’s death. The stand has two tiers and is the area where a majority of Season Ticket Holders will be found. As such, this stand is considered the area where the best and most consistent atmosphere will emanate from, particularly the Lower Tier. There are rumours that owner Roman Abramovich will make this bigger, however it would be necessary to knock down the ‘Chelsea World of Sport’ (for 2005/6 the ‘Chelsea Centenary Museum’) which falls behind the Matthew Harding stand.

For some European matches, sections of this stand are unusable, as large television vans block entrances to the stand. Therefore, the stadium operates with a reduced capacity for these occasions.

East Stand - capacity: 10,925

The oldest stand, the East Stand is located along the east side of the pitch. Previously it was the home to away supporters on the bottom tier, however at the start of the 2005/2006 season manager José Mourinho requested the move of the family section to this part of the stand to boost team morale. The stand has three tiers and is the heart of the stadium, housing the tunnel, dugout, dressing rooms, conference room, press centre, AV and commentary box. The middle tier is occupied by facilities, clubs, and executive suites. The upper tier provides spectators with one of the best views in the stadium.

Shed End capacity: 6,814

The Shed End is located along the south side of the pitch. The stand has two tiers. The lower tier used to be home to the family centre, however for the 2005/2006 season and beyond the club has moved the away fans to the East corner of the stand (Gates 1-3 of the Upper Tier and around half of the Lower). The Shed also contains the centenary museum and a memorial wall where families of deceased fans are able to leave a permanent memorial of their loved ones indicating their eternal support for the club.

West Stand - capacity: 13,432

The West Stand, recently updated, is located along the west side of the pitch. It has three tiers, in addition to a row of executive boxes that stretches the length of the stand. This stand houses Abramovich on match days. Due to this, Abramovich installed heaters so fans (and himself) are warm on the terraces during the cold winter days.

The construction of the stand was almost responsible for Chelsea’s financial crisis, which would’ve seen the club fall into administration but for the intervention of Abramovich. In borrowing some £70m from Eurobonds to finance the project, Ken Bates put Chelsea into a perilous financial position, primarily because of the repayment terms.

Now complete, the stand is the main external ‘face’ of the stadium, being the first thing fans see when entering the primary gate on Fulham Road. The Main Entrance is flanked by the Spackman and Speedie hospitality entrances, named after former Chelsea players Nigel Spackman and David Speedie. The stand also features the largest concourse area in the stadium.

The aforementioned executive boxes are also known as the Millennium Suites and are the home of the majority of matchday hospitality guests. Each box is also named after a former Chelsea player (names in brackets):

* Tambling Suite (Bobby Tambling)
* Clarke Suite (Steve Clarke, current Assistant Manager at Chelsea)
* Harris Suite (Ron Harris)
* ‘Drakes’ (Ted Drake)
* Bonetti (Peter Bonetti)
* Hollins (John Hollins)

Centenary Museum

2005 saw the opening of a new club museum, known as the Chelsea Museum or the Centenary Museum, to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the club. The museum is located in the former Shed Galleria. Visitors are able to visit the WAGs lounge and then watch an introductory video message from the vice-president Richard Attenborough. They are then guided decade by decade through the club’s history seeing old programmes, past shirts, José Mourinho’s coat and other memorabilia.

The Future

The club has announced that it wants to extend Stamford Bridge to around 55,000 seats; however, its location in a heavily built-up part of Inner London near a main road and two railway lines makes this very difficult. The dispersal of an additional 13,000 fans into the residential roads, of the Moore Park Estate opposite, would not be desirable and the club is said to be looking at all possible solutions to this.

The club have therefore been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge to a variety of locations, including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, White City, Battersea Power Station, the Imperial Road Gasworks (off the Kings Road on the Fulham and Chelsea border) and the Chelsea Barracks. Furthermore, due to the terms of the Chelsea Pitch Owners, the club could have to relinquish the name ‘Chelsea Football Club’ should it ever move from Stamford Bridge.

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	Capacity		42,640
	Opened		1897
	Owner		Aston Villa
	Pitch Dimensions		344 × 226 feet

Villa Park is a football ground in the district of Aston, in Birmingham, England. It has been the home of Aston Villa Football Club since 1897. It is a UEFA 4–star rated stadium and it has hosted 16 England internationals at senior level. The first international was in 1899 with the most recent being in 2005. It was the first English ground to stage international football in three different centuries.

Villa previously played at Aston Park from 1874 to 1876 and Perry Barr from 1876 to 1897. Villa Park is the most used stadium in FA Cup semi-final history, having hosted 55 semi-finals. The stadium currently comprises four stands; Holte End, Trinity Road Stand, North Stand and the Doug Ellis Stand. The Club have planning permission to extend the North Stand. This will involve the ‘filling in’ of the corners to either side of the North Stand. If and when completed, the capacity of Villa Park will be increased from 42,640 to approximately 50,000.

Facilities

Villa Park comprises 42,640 seats split between four stands. These four stands are the Holte End to the South, the Trinity Road stand to the West, the Doug Ellis Stand opposite the Trinity Road Stand, and the North Stand behind the northern goal. The Holte End is a two–tiered stand with a capacity of 13,500. The roof is a variant of the “King Truss” system and the front third slopes forward slightly. It is one of the largest behind-the-goal stands in Europe. The Holte End is the most renowned stand at Villa Park amongst club supporters and supporters of other clubs. It is traditionally where Villa’s most vocal and passionate supporters gather, including some Aston Villa hooligan firms.

The North Stand, which used to be known as the Witton End, was built in the late 1970s and is the most dated of Villa Park’s stands. It is two–tiered, with a double row of executive boxes running across the middle. Planning permission has been granted for a new stand to be built in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. The club shop is at the North Stand end of the stadium. Manager Martin O’Neill expressed his desire to have Villa fans seated in the North Stand behind the goal for the 2007–08 season. This arrangement was confirmed by the club and they released cut-price season tickets for the Lower tier. This meant moving the away fans from the lower tier of the North Stand to the lower and upper tiers of the Doug Ellis Stand. The Doug Ellis Stand, formerly known as the Witton Lane Stand, is a two–tiered stand with a row of executive boxes dividing the tiers. Opposite the Doug Ellis Stand is the most modern stand at Villa park, the Trinity Road Stand. It is made up of three tiers with a row of executive boxes between the second and third tiers. This stand, although much larger than the other stands has roughly the same roof level as the other three sides. In the SW corner is a three-storey, pavilion-like structure which is used for corporate hospitality. There are two large television screens in the SW and NE corners of the ground.

Future

The Club have planning permission to extend the North Stand. This will involve the ‘filling in’ of the corners to either side of the North Stand. The previous chairman, Doug Ellis, stated that the money must be spent on improving the playing squad first. However, new owner Randy Lerner seems more keen on the idea of increased capacity. If and when completed, the capacity of Villa Park will be increased to 50,000.

Villa Park is one of six stadiums that will hold Olympic football matches in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Lord Sebastian Coe, head of the organising committee for London 2012, claimed that because Villa Park is an Olympic Venue, it will be entitled to funding to help expansion plans.

Other uses

Many athletics and cycle events were staged there prior to the First World War. As a Four star UEFA rated stadium, Villa Park has been used as a venue for international games and several cup games. Villa Park was the first English ground to stage international football in three different centuries and it has hosted matches during several international tournaments. Villa Park hosted three World Cup matches during the 1966 World Cup and four matches during Euro ‘96. Villa Park has hosted a number of England internationals at senior level. The first of which was in 1899, the most recent being in 2005. In all it has hosted 16 international matches. Villa Park also hosted the last ever final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup where Lazio beat Real Mallorca 2–1.

Villa Park has hosted games for several Cup competitions. It is the most used stadium in FA Cup semi-finals history, having hosted 55 semi-finals. The club hosted the League Cup Final in 1980–81 in which Liverpool beat West Ham 2–1 in a replay. During the construction of the new Wembley Stadium between 2001 and 2005 the FA Trophy Final was held at Villa Park.

The stadium has hosted several music concerts, featuring artists such as Bruce Springsteen.

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