Don Valley Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Don Valley Stadium is a stadium in Sheffield
, England
and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.
. The stadium is an athletics stadium
which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles
RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed by Sheffield City Council
's Design & Building Services and built by RM Douglas Construction. The complex opened in 1990, ready for the 1991 World Student Games and has since become a profitable centre for athletics in the area. It is named after the River Don, which flows nearby.
The stadium is situated on the Sheffield Supertram
line, between Attercliffe
and Meadowhall
. The stadium is also used for Channel 4
's celebrity sports show, The Games, as well as hosting the BritBowl
, the championship finals of the British American Football League
.
The stadium and facilities provide a training base for the City of Sheffield Athletic Club
and is home to the Sheffield Half Marathon
.
Don Valley Stadium is notable as being the largest athletics stadium in the UK, with a seated capacity of 25,000.
The whole of the running track and its infield is illuminated by the strongest floodlighting system in the country. Each of the five lighting towers used is 148 feet (45 metres) above track level and carries a lighting head as tall as a typical three storey house (36 feet/11 metres high). All amenities for competitors and officials are at track level with all spectator facilities at natural ground level. This means, for example, that disabled spectators have level access from the main car park straight through to the mid level of spectator seating.
The track is sunk 16 feet (5 metres) below ground level and is sheltered by banks of spectator seating, creating a 'bowl effect'. This not only gives ideal viewing conditions, but also offers athletes every opportunity of producing peak performances.
This record-breaking philosophy
has even had a bearing on the angle at which the track is set and its positioning is relative to the prevailing winds and the rise and fall of the sun. The finishing line has been positioned at the east end of the stadium which means that in the afternoon and evening when most meetings are held the sun will always be at the athletes backs in the finishing straight, as is the prevailing westerly wind.
VIP facilities are on a third level while the top-most of the four levels has been set aside for hospitality boxes and press areas.
The stadium's major focal point is its grandstand which holds 10,000 spectators. The main canopy roof has an area of 6,000 square metres and is made of Teflon coated glass fibre. It is supported by ladder masts reaching 39 feet (12 m) above the top of the grandstand, the latter are painted yellow and give the stadium its unmistakable appearance. They also give completely uninterrupted sight lines around the bowl although coverage from the rain in the bottom half of the stand can be problematic. Underneath the main stand is located an 85 metres (93 yards) indoor running/warm up track.
Up to 15,000 spectators can also be accommodated on the open terracing giving a seated capacity 25,000 for sports events. For musical performances the stadium can accommodate 15,000 seated guests, but has a maximum capacity of 50,000 if the field is used to accommodate standing fans.
There were plans to use the stadium in a Sheffield bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games
(which eventually went to Manchester
) and also to use it as a potential joint ground for the city's two football teams. In both of these eventualities the seated capacity would have been raised to 45,000. Although Sheffield United
and Sheffield Wednesday
have never played any games there, it was announced in June 2008 that the stadium will host League football for the first time in the 2008–09
season. Rotherham United
will play their "home" league games there until a new community stadium is built in Rotherham
following the breakdown of negotiations with the owners of their previous home, Millmoor
. There have been questions raised about the agreement, and the Football League has stipulated that the club must move back to Rotherham
within four years.
since Wembley in the early twenties. It was built as the centre-piece of a £147 million construction programme needed to provide the necessary sports and cultural facilities to enable the city to host the 1991 World Student Games.
Jan Železný
threw 95.66 metres (104.6 yd) in the javelin
on 29 August 1993 (which was a world record at the time) and infamously nearly hit the TV commentators who were interviewing close to the start/finish line.
Sheffield Eagles
' record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw Sheffield play Bradford Northern
.
The stadium is operated by Sheffield International Venues
and is owned by the Sheffield City Trust
In May 2008, Rotherham United
announced that they will play at the stadium.
The stadium also hosts the annual varsity rugby league game between Sheffield's two universities, the University of Sheffield
and Sheffield Hallam University
.
announced that they will be moving to the Don Valley Stadium for the next three seasons whilst their new stadium is built in Rotherham
.
Rotherham United fans have been given the 10,000 seat main stand which includes concourse, bar and executive facilities including lounges and boxes. Away fans have been given around 2,000 seats on the wing to the right of the home fans.
The first match Rotherham United played at the Don Valley was a pre season friendly game against Derby County
on 19 July 2008. The game finished 0–0. There were several friendlies held at the stadium before the start of the season.
The first official league match was a 1–0 win over Lincoln City
on the opening day of the 2008–09 season.
Exeter City
won promotion from Football League 2 there with a 1–0 victory over Rotherham United in May 2009.
Sheffield Wednesday Women played an FA Cup Round 5 match against Bristol Academy but lost 8–0.
.
Sheffield was included on the schedule for a game against the Kangaroos during their 1994 Kangaroo Tour
and were beaten 80–2 in the first game following the first test match at Wembley.
Eagles became the first English team to beat an Australian team on English soil in the World Club Challenge
in 1997. The club's record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw Sheffield play Bradford.
On 16 October 2009, the Eagles announced they'd be moving their home games from the start of the 2010 season to Bramall Lane
, home of Sheffield United, in a bid to increase attendances and atmosphere.
performed 2 sold-out shows during their Spiceworld Tour
on 12 and 13 September 1998.
The first rock concert to be held at the stadium was a Def Leppard
gig on 6 June 1993. The hometown band was supported by Thunder
, Ugly Kid Joe
and Terrorvision
. A crowd of over 50,000 witnessed this performance. Since, a number of famous artists have performed at the venue. Also U2
played at this venue in 2009 with their 360 Tour
During large concerts, the music being played from Don Valley can be heard up to two miles away in nearby Rotherham
..
In 2011, Arctic Monkeys
played two headlining comeback shows to celebrate the release of their latest album; Suck It and See
. Support at these shows came from the likes of Miles Kane
, the Vaccines
and Anna Calvi
as well as other, less-known artists.
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
. The stadium is an athletics stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed 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...
's Design & Building Services and built by RM Douglas Construction. The complex opened in 1990, ready for the 1991 World Student Games and has since become a profitable centre for athletics in the area. It is named after the River Don, which flows nearby.
The stadium is situated on the Sheffield Supertram
Sheffield Supertram
The Supertram, officially called the Stagecoach Supertram, is a light rail tram system in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England...
line, between Attercliffe
Attercliffe
Attercliffe is an industrial suburb of northeast Sheffield, England on the south bank of the River Don.-History:The name Attercliffe can be traced back as far as an entry in the Domesday book -Ateclive- meaning at the cliffe, a small escarpment that lay alongside the River Don...
and Meadowhall
Meadowhall
Meadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies three miles north east of Sheffield city centre and four miles from Rotherham town centre....
. The stadium is also used for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's celebrity sports show, The Games, as well as hosting the BritBowl
BritBowl
BritBowl is the championship game of the British American Football Association Community Leagues, and formerly the British American Football League in the United Kingdom. It is the most prestigious of the league's three bowl games that constitute BritBowl Weekend. Only teams in the Premier...
, the championship finals of the British American Football League
British American Football League
The British American Football League was the United Kingdom's primary American Football league from 1998 until 2010. It was formerly known as the British Senior League until 2005. BAFL was the trading name for Gridiron Football League Ltd incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee....
.
The stadium and facilities provide a training base for the City of Sheffield Athletic Club
City of Sheffield Athletic Club
The City of Sheffield Athletic Club is one of the North of England's premier clubs, with a senior men's team which is in the Premiership of the British Athletics League. They have a mix of athletes from varied cultural backgrounds from ages 8 year olds to seniors and veterans...
and is home to the Sheffield Half Marathon
Sheffield Half Marathon
The Sheffield Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Sheffield, England. It was started as a Marathon in 1982, with a half marathon run at the same time. The race currently starts and finishes at Don Valley Stadium. In 2004 it was reduced to a half marathon and 3 kilometre fun run...
.
Don Valley Stadium is notable as being the largest athletics stadium in the UK, with a seated capacity of 25,000.
The stadium
The track is sunk 16 feet (5 metres) below ground level and is sheltered by banks of spectator seating, creating a 'bowl effect'. This not only gives ideal viewing conditions, but also offers athletes every opportunity of producing peak performances.
This record-breaking philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
has even had a bearing on the angle at which the track is set and its positioning is relative to the prevailing winds and the rise and fall of the sun. The finishing line has been positioned at the east end of the stadium which means that in the afternoon and evening when most meetings are held the sun will always be at the athletes backs in the finishing straight, as is the prevailing westerly wind.
VIP facilities are on a third level while the top-most of the four levels has been set aside for hospitality boxes and press areas.
The stadium's major focal point is its grandstand which holds 10,000 spectators. The main canopy roof has an area of 6,000 square metres and is made of Teflon coated glass fibre. It is supported by ladder masts reaching 39 feet (12 m) above the top of the grandstand, the latter are painted yellow and give the stadium its unmistakable appearance. They also give completely uninterrupted sight lines around the bowl although coverage from the rain in the bottom half of the stand can be problematic. Underneath the main stand is located an 85 metres (93 yards) indoor running/warm up track.
Up to 15,000 spectators can also be accommodated on the open terracing giving a seated capacity 25,000 for sports events. For musical performances the stadium can accommodate 15,000 seated guests, but has a maximum capacity of 50,000 if the field is used to accommodate standing fans.
There were plans to use the stadium in a Sheffield bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
(which eventually went to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) and also to use it as a potential joint ground for the city's two football teams. In both of these eventualities the seated capacity would have been raised to 45,000. Although Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and 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...
have never played any games there, it was announced in June 2008 that the stadium will host League football for the first time in the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season. Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
will play their "home" league games there until a new community stadium is built in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
following the breakdown of negotiations with the owners of their previous home, Millmoor
Millmoor
Millmoor is a stadium in Rotherham, England. It was built and was used for football matches, and until the end of the 2007–08 season was the home ground of Rotherham United F.C., until a dispute over ownership forced them to move to the Don Valley Stadium in nearby Sheffield.The stadium was...
. There have been questions raised about the agreement, and the Football League has stipulated that the club must move back to Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
within four years.
History
Completed in September 1990 at a cost of £29 million, the Don Valley Stadium was the first completely new national sporting venue built outdoors in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
since Wembley in the early twenties. It was built as the centre-piece of a £147 million construction programme needed to provide the necessary sports and cultural facilities to enable the city to host the 1991 World Student Games.
Jan Železný
Jan Železný
Jan Železný is a Czech javelin thrower, world and Olympic champion and world record holder in javelin throw...
threw 95.66 metres (104.6 yd) in the javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
on 29 August 1993 (which was a world record at the time) and infamously nearly hit the TV commentators who were interviewing close to the start/finish line.
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
' record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw Sheffield play Bradford Northern
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
.
The stadium is operated by Sheffield International Venues
Sheffield International Venues
Sheffield International Venues has grown rapidly over the past 10 years to become one of the largest sport, leisure and entertainment companies in Europe...
and is owned by the Sheffield City Trust
Sheffield City Trust
Sheffield City Trust is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that owns and/or manages twelve entertainment and sports venues in Sheffield, England.-Charitable objectives:The Trust was established in 1988 with three charitable objects:...
In May 2008, Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
announced that they will play at the stadium.
The stadium also hosts the annual varsity rugby league game between Sheffield's two universities, the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
.
As a football venue
In May 2008, Rotherham UnitedRotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
announced that they will be moving to the Don Valley Stadium for the next three seasons whilst their new stadium is built in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
.
Rotherham United fans have been given the 10,000 seat main stand which includes concourse, bar and executive facilities including lounges and boxes. Away fans have been given around 2,000 seats on the wing to the right of the home fans.
The first match Rotherham United played at the Don Valley was a pre season friendly game against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on 19 July 2008. The game finished 0–0. There were several friendlies held at the stadium before the start of the season.
The first official league match was a 1–0 win over Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
on the opening day of the 2008–09 season.
Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
won promotion from Football League 2 there with a 1–0 victory over Rotherham United in May 2009.
Sheffield Wednesday Women played an FA Cup Round 5 match against Bristol Academy but lost 8–0.
Rugby league venue
In 1991, the newly built Don Valley Stadium became home for Sheffield EaglesSheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
.
Sheffield was included on the schedule for a game against the Kangaroos during their 1994 Kangaroo Tour
1994 Kangaroo Tour
The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...
and were beaten 80–2 in the first game following the first test match at Wembley.
Eagles became the first English team to beat an Australian team on English soil in the World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
in 1997. The club's record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw Sheffield play Bradford.
On 16 October 2009, the Eagles announced they'd be moving their home games from the start of the 2010 season to Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, home of Sheffield United, in a bid to increase attendances and atmosphere.
Music venue
The Spice GirlsSpice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
performed 2 sold-out shows during their Spiceworld Tour
Spiceworld Tour
The Spiceworld Tour was a concert tour performed by the British Europop group the Spice Girls in support of their second album Spiceworld which was the soundtrack to their feature film Spiceworld: The Movie. The sell-out European/North American tour ran from February to August 1998, after which it...
on 12 and 13 September 1998.
The first rock concert to be held at the stadium was a Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
gig on 6 June 1993. The hometown band was supported by Thunder
Thunder (band)
Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
, Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....
and Terrorvision
Terrorvision
Terrorvision are an English rock band. They were formed in 1987 in Keighley, and initially disbanded in 2001...
. A crowd of over 50,000 witnessed this performance. Since, a number of famous artists have performed at the venue. Also U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
played at this venue in 2009 with their 360 Tour
During large concerts, the music being played from Don Valley can be heard up to two miles away in nearby Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
..
In 2011, Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
played two headlining comeback shows to celebrate the release of their latest album; Suck It and See
Suck It and See
Suck It and See is the fourth studio album by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys, released 6 June 2011 in the UK and 7 June in the US, following their 2011 North American tour. The band worked with producer James Ford on this album and promised a more "vintage" style. The music video for "Brick...
. Support at these shows came from the likes of Miles Kane
Miles Kane
Miles Peter Kane is an English musician originally from Meols on the Wirral near Liverpool, best known as the co-frontman of The Last Shadow Puppets and former frontman of The Rascals...
, the Vaccines
The Vaccines
The Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011....
and Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi is an English musician who plays in the band of the same name. On 6 December 2010, Calvi was announced as a nominee for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. Her self-titled debut album was released in the UK on 17 January 2011, where it debuted at number 40 on 23 January...
as well as other, less-known artists.