Filbert Way | |
Full name | King Power Stadium |
---|---|
Former names | The Walkers Stadium (2002–2011) |
Location | Filbert Way, Leicester, England LE2 7FL |
Coordinates | 52°37′13″N 1°8′32″W / 52.62028°N 1.14222°WCoordinates: 52°37′13″N 1°8′32″W / 52.62028°N 1.14222°W |
Owner | Leicester City F.C. |
Capacity | 32,312 |
Field size | 102 x 67 metres (111.5 x 73 yd) |
Surface | Desso GrassMaster |
Construction | |
Built | 2002 |
Opened | 2002 |
Tenants | |
Leicester City (2002–present) |
The King Power Stadium (also known as the Leicester City Stadium due to UEFA sponsorship regulations) is a football stadium in Leicester, England. It is the home of Leicester City, the current champions of the Premier League following their title win in the 2015-16 season. The all-seater stadium opened in 2002 and has a capacity of 32,312, the 20th largest football ground in England.
The current record attendance at the stadium for football is 32,242. It is named after travel retail group King Power, a company owned by the club's owners. The site has hosted rugby and football international matches, as well as boxing events. The address of the ground 'Filbert Way,' retains a link to their former home Filbert Street. Inside the stadium, suites & lounges are named after club legends.
Leicester's previous stadium was at nearby Filbert Street, which had been their home since 1891. It was gradually upgraded during the 20th century and with the advent of the Taylor Report in January 1990 requiring all clubs in the top two divisions to have all-seater stadiums by August 1994, Leicester City's directors began to investigate the possibility of building a new stadium during the early 1990s, but initially decided to take the redevelopment option by building a new stand on one side of Filbert Street and fitting seats into the remaining standing areas, giving the stadium a 21,500 all-seated capacity by the 1994–95 season.
Filbert Street's conversion to an all-seater stadium coincided with their promotion to the Premier League after a seven-year exile from the top flight, and with their relegation after just one season it appeared that the 21,500 capacity would be adequate.
However, success in the late 1990s saw crowds rise, which meant that virtually every game at Filbert Street was a sell-out by the end of the decade. Relocation was soon back on the cards; several similar sized clubs had relocated to new stadiums around this time, including Leicester's midland rivals Stoke City and Derby County.