Pittodrie Stadium
Encyclopedia
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium
situated in the Scottish
city
of Aberdeen
. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club
. Since then, it has been the location of a number of firsts in the field of stadium design, notably becoming one of the first all-seater stadia
in the United Kingdom
.
It is now one of the largest football stadia in Scotland and has a seating capacity
of 22,199; only Celtic Park
, Murrayfield
, Hampden
and Ibrox
are larger. In addition to its main duty of hosting home matches for Aberdeen FC, it has been the venue for a number of Scottish international matches and occasional games of rugby union
.
club, a precursor to Aberdeen FC
, which along with other local clubs Victoria United
and Orion
amalgamated on 18 April 1903. Having previously played their football at various venues within the city, a former dung hill for police horses was chosen by Aberdeen to be cleared and readied for football on 1 February 1899. The land was leased from Mr Knight Erskine of Pittodrie with an agreement to construct a terrace on what is now the site of the Richard Donald Stand. On 2 September 1899, the first game was played in the new home, known then as Pittodrie Park; a 7–1 win over Dumbarton
. On 15 August 1903, 8000 spectators turned up to watch the new Aberdeen FC draw 1–1 against Stenhousemuir
, the first game played at Pittodrie by its amalgamated tenants.
Increasing popularity of the team and rising attendances lead to continued construction on Pittodrie, and a number of football firsts throughout the years. Aberdeen FC purchased the ground they had been leasing, with the final payment made on 1 December 1920. In 1925 the Main Stand, where the club offices, dressing rooms and trophy room are located, was constructed. Also in the 1920s, the dugout was introduced to football by coach Donald Coleman, who was interested in sitting lower to the pitch in order to inspect the players' footwork.
After the Second World War, the team won its first trophy, a Scottish Cup
victory, and with increased success came more additions to Pittodrie. The record attendance occurred on 13 March 1954, when 45,061 spectators turned up for a Scottish Cup match between Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian
. Floodlights
were introduced at Pittodrie on 21 October 1959, when English
league side Luton Town
were beaten 3–2 in a friendly. By the 1st August 1968, the Main Stand had become all-seated as part of a £100,000 improvement of the ground. This coincided with a change of name from Pittodrie Park to Pittodrie Stadium. On 6 February 1971, a fire destroyed part of the Main Stand, and gutted the dressing rooms and club offices. The Scottish Cup
– held by Aberdeen at the time – had to be rescued by firemen.
In 1978, Pittodrie became the second all-seated stadium
in Great Britain, after the south terracing was fitted with bench style seating. (Clydebank
had done something similar two years before as a response to being promoted to the Premier Division). This improvement pre-dated the Taylor Report
on British football grounds by a decade and coincided with a distinct upturn in the fortunes of the home team, now managed by Alex Ferguson
. The south side became the South Stand in 1980, following the installation of a cantilever
roof which covered most of the seats. A year later, the benches were replaced by individual seats.
Both during the subsequent run in the 1980s and at numerous other times over the century the stadium has been in operation, there have been many memorable nights for the local fans. However, Pittodrie’s greatest night is generally regarded as 16 March 1983. Aberdeen fought back from 2–1 down in a European Cup Winners' Cup
quarter-final second leg tie against top German
team FC Bayern Munich
to win 3–2. A full house witnessed this victory take the Dons through to the semi-finals; they went on to win the trophy. The club installed 24 executive boxes in the Main Stand, and built a new roof over the Merkland Road End in 1985. Undersoil heating was installed in 1987.
The most recent development of the stadium came in the 1992-93 season
when the Beach End stand on the east side of the ground was demolished, with the new Richard Donald
stand - named after the club's long serving chairman - constructed in its place. On 1 August 1993, the new stand was opened with a League Cup
tie against Clydebank
. The official opening was carried out later in 1993 by Princess Anne
. It is currently the only two tier stand in the stadium. The stadium has remained relatively unchanged since then, although some minor improvements, such as the introduction of an electronic stadium entry system for the 2006–07 season, have been carried out.
The site of the stadium is only 500 metres away from the North Sea
, and with only the King's Links golf course between the stadium and the beach, the ground is one of the coldest football grounds in Britain.
As a result of a ground sharing
agreement, Pittodrie was used by Inverness Caledonian Thistle
for their home matches during the early part of the 2004–05 season. This was required because Inverness CT's own Caledonian Stadium
did not meet the requirements for entry into the Scottish Premier League
until improvements were carried out and the seating capacity
increased. In 2005 the stadium size criterion for entry to the SPL was reduced to 6,000, thereby allowing Inverness Caledonian Thistle to return to their home stadium partway during the season.
The Main Stand was the original grandstand
within the ground, and contains much of the staff and offices responsible for the day-to-day running of the stadium, from the boot room to the trophy room. Teams enter the pitch from a tunnel to the extreme left of this stand. As befits a main stand, this section of the ground includes both padded seating for club officials and VIPs
, and several executive boxes at the rear. There are a number of pillars running along this stand, supporting the roof. As a consequence, views in some places are restricted. It remains, however, the most expensive stand from which to watch matches. To the east of the Main Stand is the club shop, which doubles as a ticket office. Another Aberdeen club shop is to be found on Bridge Street, in the city centre.
This stand is named after former club chairman Richard ‘Dick’ Donald
. Completed in 1993, it houses over 6,000 fans, although this is a reduction on its Beach End predecessor. It is a cantilever
construction with two tiers and a row of twelve executive boxes in between. It is commonly referred to as simply the "RDS". It was built by the present chairman’s construction firm, the Stewart Milne Group, at a cost of £4.5 million. Within this stand are a number of banqueting rooms, which are used for corporate hospitality and outside bookings.
Taking its name from the street behind it, the Merkland Stand (also known as 'the Paddock' or 'King Street End') sits behind the goal, on the west of the ground. The Merkland is Aberdeen FC’s family stand, with reduced prices for under-twelves and families. There is also a section for disabled supporters near the pitch. The stand itself is a covered enclosure, with two pillars supporting the roof. The entrance to the stand is dominated by a façade
constructed from granite
, a local stone.
Named simply after its position within the ground, the South Stand was originally an undeveloped embankment which was later remodelled as a standing terrace. Seating and a cantilever roof were later added, although some of the 8,400 seats remain uncovered. Since 1993, the easternmost part of the stand has been used to house away fans. Sections P, Q and R are designated for this purpose, however for matches against the Old Firm
this increases to sections S and T and beyond if needed, stretching to the halfway line. The television
gantry and commentary positions are housed in this stand.
. The principle of a move, rather than a redevelopment of Pittodrie, has already been recommended by Aberdeen City Council
. An earlier plan to move to the edge of the city, which corresponded with Scotland’s failed joint bid for the Euro 2008 tournament, has been scrapped.
In June 2006, the club's two major shareholders agreed a plan to sell the land on which the stadium sits to clear some of the club’s debt.
international matches staged at Pittodrie. Normally these matches are played at Hampden Park
in Glasgow
, but during times of redevelopment of the national stadium, or matches which are expected to draw a low crowd, the Scottish Football Association
has made use of other stadia in the country. Playing at Pittodrie, Scotland have won nine matches, drawn two and lost two.
In November 2008, Pittodrie hosted a rugby union
international between Scotland
and Canada
, with Scotland winning comfortably 41-0. Pittodrie has also been used for concerts; both Elton John
and Rod Stewart
have played at Pittodrie.
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...
situated in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. Since then, it has been the location of a number of firsts in the field of stadium design, notably becoming one of the first all-seater stadia
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
It is now one of the largest football stadia in Scotland and has a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 22,199; only Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, Hampden
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
and Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
are larger. In addition to its main duty of hosting home matches for Aberdeen FC, it has been the venue for a number of Scottish international matches and occasional games of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
.
History
Pittodrie’s original tenants were the original AberdeenAberdeen F.C. (1881)
Aberdeen F.C. were a Scottish football team formed in 1881. On 14 April 1903 they merged with the two other Aberdeen clubs Victoria United and Orion to form the current Aberdeen Football Club....
club, a precursor to Aberdeen FC
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, which along with other local clubs Victoria United
Victoria United F.C.
Victoria United Football Club were a Scottish football team who played in the city of Aberdeen.They were formed in 1889 and dissolved on the 14 of April 1903 when they merged with Aberdeen and Orion to form the current Aberdeen F.C.....
and Orion
Orion F.C.
Orion Football Club were a Scottish football team who played in the city of Aberdeen between 1885 and 1903.They were one of the three clubs who merged on the 14th of April 1903 to form the current Aberdeen F.C.; the other two being Aberdeen and Victoria United.Orion won two Northern League...
amalgamated on 18 April 1903. Having previously played their football at various venues within the city, a former dung hill for police horses was chosen by Aberdeen to be cleared and readied for football on 1 February 1899. The land was leased from Mr Knight Erskine of Pittodrie with an agreement to construct a terrace on what is now the site of the Richard Donald Stand. On 2 September 1899, the first game was played in the new home, known then as Pittodrie Park; a 7–1 win over Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
. On 15 August 1903, 8000 spectators turned up to watch the new Aberdeen FC draw 1–1 against Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
, the first game played at Pittodrie by its amalgamated tenants.
Increasing popularity of the team and rising attendances lead to continued construction on Pittodrie, and a number of football firsts throughout the years. Aberdeen FC purchased the ground they had been leasing, with the final payment made on 1 December 1920. In 1925 the Main Stand, where the club offices, dressing rooms and trophy room are located, was constructed. Also in the 1920s, the dugout was introduced to football by coach Donald Coleman, who was interested in sitting lower to the pitch in order to inspect the players' footwork.
After the Second World War, the team won its first trophy, a Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
victory, and with increased success came more additions to Pittodrie. The record attendance occurred on 13 March 1954, when 45,061 spectators turned up for a Scottish Cup match between Aberdeen and Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. Floodlights
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
were introduced at Pittodrie on 21 October 1959, when English
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
league side Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
were beaten 3–2 in a friendly. By the 1st August 1968, the Main Stand had become all-seated as part of a £100,000 improvement of the ground. This coincided with a change of name from Pittodrie Park to Pittodrie Stadium. On 6 February 1971, a fire destroyed part of the Main Stand, and gutted the dressing rooms and club offices. The Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
– held by Aberdeen at the time – had to be rescued by firemen.
In 1978, Pittodrie became the second all-seated stadium
All-seater stadium
An all-seater stadium is a sports stadium in which every spectator has a seat. This is commonplace in football stadiums in nations such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. Most soccer and American football stadiums in the United States and Canada are all-seaters, as are most baseball...
in Great Britain, after the south terracing was fitted with bench style seating. (Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
had done something similar two years before as a response to being promoted to the Premier Division). This improvement pre-dated the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
on British football grounds by a decade and coincided with a distinct upturn in the fortunes of the home team, now managed by Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
. The south side became the South Stand in 1980, following the installation of a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
roof which covered most of the seats. A year later, the benches were replaced by individual seats.
Both during the subsequent run in the 1980s and at numerous other times over the century the stadium has been in operation, there have been many memorable nights for the local fans. However, Pittodrie’s greatest night is generally regarded as 16 March 1983. Aberdeen fought back from 2–1 down in a European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
quarter-final second leg tie against top German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
to win 3–2. A full house witnessed this victory take the Dons through to the semi-finals; they went on to win the trophy. The club installed 24 executive boxes in the Main Stand, and built a new roof over the Merkland Road End in 1985. Undersoil heating was installed in 1987.
The most recent development of the stadium came in the 1992-93 season
1992-93 in Scottish football
The 1992–93 season was the 96th season of competitive football in Scotland.- Notable events:* Rangers completing a domestic treble of the Premier Division title, FA Cup and League Cup....
when the Beach End stand on the east side of the ground was demolished, with the new Richard Donald
Dick Donald
Richard MacNaughton 'Dick' Donald was a Scottish footballer, businessman and football administrator. He is best known for his time as Chairman of Aberdeen Football Club during the club's most successful period in the 1980s, but he was also an important figure in the family firm, which operated...
stand - named after the club's long serving chairman - constructed in its place. On 1 August 1993, the new stand was opened with a League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
tie against Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
. The official opening was carried out later in 1993 by Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. It is currently the only two tier stand in the stadium. The stadium has remained relatively unchanged since then, although some minor improvements, such as the introduction of an electronic stadium entry system for the 2006–07 season, have been carried out.
The site of the stadium is only 500 metres away from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, and with only the King's Links golf course between the stadium and the beach, the ground is one of the coldest football grounds in Britain.
As a result of a ground sharing
Groundshare
Groundshare is the principle of sharing a stadium between two local sport teams. This is usually done for the purpose of reducing the costs of either construction of two separate facilities and related maintenance. -Intersport Groundshares:...
agreement, Pittodrie was used by Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
for their home matches during the early part of the 2004–05 season. This was required because Inverness CT's own Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium
The Caledonian Stadium, currently known as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium situated in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland...
did not meet the requirements for entry into the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
until improvements were carried out and the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
increased. In 2005 the stadium size criterion for entry to the SPL was reduced to 6,000, thereby allowing Inverness Caledonian Thistle to return to their home stadium partway during the season.
Structure and facilities
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
within the ground, and contains much of the staff and offices responsible for the day-to-day running of the stadium, from the boot room to the trophy room. Teams enter the pitch from a tunnel to the extreme left of this stand. As befits a main stand, this section of the ground includes both padded seating for club officials and VIPs
Very Important Person
A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
, and several executive boxes at the rear. There are a number of pillars running along this stand, supporting the roof. As a consequence, views in some places are restricted. It remains, however, the most expensive stand from which to watch matches. To the east of the Main Stand is the club shop, which doubles as a ticket office. Another Aberdeen club shop is to be found on Bridge Street, in the city centre.
This stand is named after former club chairman Richard ‘Dick’ Donald
Dick Donald
Richard MacNaughton 'Dick' Donald was a Scottish footballer, businessman and football administrator. He is best known for his time as Chairman of Aberdeen Football Club during the club's most successful period in the 1980s, but he was also an important figure in the family firm, which operated...
. Completed in 1993, it houses over 6,000 fans, although this is a reduction on its Beach End predecessor. It is a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
construction with two tiers and a row of twelve executive boxes in between. It is commonly referred to as simply the "RDS". It was built by the present chairman’s construction firm, the Stewart Milne Group, at a cost of £4.5 million. Within this stand are a number of banqueting rooms, which are used for corporate hospitality and outside bookings.
Taking its name from the street behind it, the Merkland Stand (also known as 'the Paddock' or 'King Street End') sits behind the goal, on the west of the ground. The Merkland is Aberdeen FC’s family stand, with reduced prices for under-twelves and families. There is also a section for disabled supporters near the pitch. The stand itself is a covered enclosure, with two pillars supporting the roof. The entrance to the stand is dominated by a façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
constructed from granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, a local stone.
Named simply after its position within the ground, the South Stand was originally an undeveloped embankment which was later remodelled as a standing terrace. Seating and a cantilever roof were later added, although some of the 8,400 seats remain uncovered. Since 1993, the easternmost part of the stand has been used to house away fans. Sections P, Q and R are designated for this purpose, however for matches against the Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
this increases to sections S and T and beyond if needed, stretching to the halfway line. The television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
gantry and commentary positions are housed in this stand.
Future developments
Despite improvements and its ground-breaking past, it appears that the future of Pittodrie as a football stadium is uncertain. Plans are in action for the club to move to a New Aberdeen StadiumNew Aberdeen Stadium
The New Aberdeen Stadium is a proposed stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. It would be the home stadium of Scottish Premier League football club Aberdeen...
. The principle of a move, rather than a redevelopment of Pittodrie, has already been recommended by Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland.The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. Act 1994...
. An earlier plan to move to the edge of the city, which corresponded with Scotland’s failed joint bid for the Euro 2008 tournament, has been scrapped.
In June 2006, the club's two major shareholders agreed a plan to sell the land on which the stadium sits to clear some of the club’s debt.
Other uses
Since its construction, there have been thirteen ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
international matches staged at Pittodrie. Normally these matches are played at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, but during times of redevelopment of the national stadium, or matches which are expected to draw a low crowd, the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
has made use of other stadia in the country. Playing at Pittodrie, Scotland have won nine matches, drawn two and lost two.
In November 2008, Pittodrie hosted a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international between Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, with Scotland winning comfortably 41-0. Pittodrie has also been used for concerts; both Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
have played at Pittodrie.