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Hillsborough stadium

Hillsborough
Hillsborough stadium Logo.png
Hillsborough Stadium interior.jpg
Full name Hillsborough Stadium
Former names Owlerton Stadium (until 1914)
Location Owlerton, Sheffield, England S6 1SW
Coordinates 53°24′41″N 1°30′2″W / 53.41139°N 1.50056°W / 53.41139; -1.50056Coordinates: 53°24′41″N 1°30′2″W / 53.41139°N 1.50056°W / 53.41139; -1.50056
Owner Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Ltd
Capacity 39,732
Field size 116 x 75 yards (approx 106x69m)
Surface Desso GrassMaster
Construction
Broke ground 1899
Opened 2 September 1899
Tenants
Sheffield Wednesday (1899–present)

Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England has been the home ground of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. since opening in 1899. It is a 39,732 capacity stadium, making it the largest club ground in England outside of the Premier League until Newcastle United and Aston Villa were relegated in 2016 making it the third. It is located in the Sheffield suburb of Owlerton.

Although the ground has received little investment since Euro 1996, it is still regarded as "a beautiful ground oozing character." It has two large two-tiered stands and two large single-tiered stands, all of them covered. All four stands are of a similar capacity 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 corner, is uncovered and is only used for visiting supporters when the West Stand's upper and lower tiers are full. On the other corner of the West Stand is a large screen which was installed in 2015.

On 15 April 1989, the ground was the scene of the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final. This led to a series of safety improvements at the ground and other stadiums around the country, including the requirement for top clubs to have all-seater stadiums and the withdrawal of perimeter fencing.

Plans by the club to renovate the stadium and expand capacity to 44,825 have been approved by Sheffield City Council with the aim of hosting World Cup matches. The playing surface has been upgraded to a Desso GrassMaster including a complete replacement of the Under-soil heating and Drainage System. The stadium previously played host to World Cup and European Championship football in 1966 and 1996 respectively.


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