The
Stadium of Light is an
all-seaterAn 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...
football
stadiumA 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...
in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the
fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts
Sunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
matches. The name
Stadium of Light is a tribute to the traditional mining industry which brought prosperity to the town; a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
monument stands at the entrance.
As well as hosting Sunderland games, the stadium has hosted two matches for the
England national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, as well as one
England under-20 football team- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match. With an original capacity of 42,000, it was expanded in 2002 to seat 49,000, and its simple design is expected to allow for redevelopments up to an eventual capacity of 64,000. The attendance record at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002, when Sunderland played
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
with the visitors running out 1-0 winners. Along with hosting football matches, the stadium has played host to performers such as
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
,
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
and
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. The ground also holds conference and banqueting suites, the
Black Cats Bar, and a club shop selling Sunderland merchandise.
Planning and construction
Following the release of the
Taylor ReportThe 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...
in January 1990, Sunderland was obliged to make plans to turn their
Roker ParkRoker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
home into an all-seater stadium. Roker Park was a ground that mainly consisted of standing terraces, and if converted into all-seater it would have held far fewer spectators than before. Enclosed by residential streets on all sides, expansion was practically impossible. So, by 1991, Sunderland chairman Bob Murray began investigating the possibility of relocation to a new stadium.
The front-runner that emerged was a proposed stadium located on an area of land adjacent to the
Nissan car plantNissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd, or NMUK is a car manufacturing plant in Washington, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by the European division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. It is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom, and the most productive in Europe...
. The 48,000 all-seater ground was labelled "the Wembley of the North" - a capacity that not even
Manchester United'sManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
exceeded until 1996. The plans did not come to fruition. Shortly after the plans were announced in 1992, Nissan launched an official objection, ultimately forcing Sunderland to abandon the idea. In 1995, Sunderland put forward a plan to build a stadium on the former site of Wearmouth Colliery. The area, on the north bank of the
River WearThe River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in the Sheepfolds district of Sunderland, was only a few hundred yards from Roker Park, and close to the centre of the city. On 13 November 1995, the Sunderland Chairman Bob Murray announced that the
Tyne and Wear Development CorporationThe Tyne and Wear Development Corporation was established in 1987 to develop land on the banks of the River Tyne and the River Wear in England. Its flagship developments included the regeneration of the East Quayside in Newcastle, Royal Quays in North Tyneside and St Peter's in Sunderland. During...
had approved plans for Sunderland to build a 34,000-seater stadium on the site.
Ballast Wiltshier plc, a contracting company that had built the
Amsterdam ArenAAmsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
, was contracted to build the stadium at an initial cost of £15 million. In June 1996, as the planned capacity rose to 40,000, construction work began. The capacity was revised again in early 1997, and the stadium was completed on time, with a capacity of 42,000. The stadium's design allows possible expansion of a further tier, completed expansion of the whole upper tier would produce a capacity of 63,000. During construction, the stadium had not adopted an official name, and had been known colloquially as the "Wearside Stadium" and "New Roker Park". The name was eventually revealed as the Stadium of Light, a reference to a miner's lamp (the stadium is built on the site of the old Wearmouth Colliery, and many Sunderland fans have worked in the region's mines). To emphasise the fact, a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
is located in front of the stadium's ticket office, adjacent to the stadium. The stadium was opened on 30 July 1997 by
Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, with bands such as Status Quo, Upside Down and Kavana playing. To celebrate the opening of the stadium, Sunderland played a friendly against Ajax, which was drawn 0–0.
The North Stand was extended in 2000 to bring the capacity to 49,000, costing the club a further £7 million, making the final cost of the stadium £23 million. On 18 July 2006, a statue of 1973 FA Cup Final winning manager
Bob StokoeRobert "Bob" Stokoe was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland....
was unveiled. At the end of season
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
awards, the Stadium of Light was named the
Best Away Ground, with other contenders including
Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
's
Alexandra StadiumThe Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...
and
Plymouth ArgylePlymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
's
Home ParkHome Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
. Sunderland celebrated the ten year anniversary of the stadium with a pre-season friendly against
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
on 6 August 2007, the game was drawn 1–1.
Structure and facilities
The stadium is in the shape of a square bowl, and is separated into the
West Stand,
North Stand, East Stand (formerly the Vaux Stand, the Carling Stand, and Fosters Stand respectively), and the
South Stand (also known as the Metro FM Stand). The West Stand includes the
Premier Concourse which is the name of the upper tier, and a number of executive boxes. The North Stand also includes an upper tier, called the
Strongbow Upper, which contains the
Black Cats Bar.
The
pitchAn association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is several metres below the level of the ground outside of the stadium. The pitch uses a lighting system from Stadium Grow Lighting to ensure the grass can grow at any time of year. The device controls the factors of the pitch, including exposure to light, temperature, water, and air, to make the grass able to grow in any condition. Away fans are seated in the west half of the South Stand. The East Stand has the Sunderland emblem on the seats, while the North Stand has the slogan "Ha'way The Lads". The stadium also has a Davy lamp monument, and a statue of Bob Stokoe. The perimeter walls of the stadium incorporates a "Wall of Fame" feature, where names can be engraved into the bricks of the walls. The interior of the stadium holds a banqueting suite, which can seat from 460 to 600 people. The stadium also contains several conferencing suites, that can be hired for events.
International matches
As well as holding Sunderland games, the stadium has also hosted
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
matches. The stadium was one of several venues used as temporary home grounds for the
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team while the redevelopment of
Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
took place. It hosted its first England game in 1999, when they played
Belgium in a friendly match, which England won 2–1. It played host to its first competitive England match on 2 April 2003, when they played
TurkeyThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in a Euro 2004 qualifying match, which England won 2–0. The Stadium of Light also held an
England under 20- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match against
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on 27 November 2002, Italy beat England 5–3.
Matches
| Date |
Result |
Competition |
| 10 October 1999 |
2–1 |
Friendly |
| 27 November 2002 |
3–5 |
Under 20 International - Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
|
| 2 April 2003 |
2–0 |
UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying |
Concerts
In October 2008 it was announced that the stadium would hold a concert on 10 June 2009, featuring
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, with Kasabian,
The EnemyThe Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
and
Reverend and the MakersReverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...
as support acts, with the stadium housing roughly 60,000 fans. Shortly afterwards
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
confirmed they would start their nationwide 'Circus' tour at the Stadium of Light.
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
also performed a sell out show at the stadium on 11 June 2010, with support from
VV BrownVanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
,
Butch WalkerButch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
and City & Colour.
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
announced that they would return to the stadium along with
Robbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
on 27 May 2011 and supported by
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. On this occasion Take That began their
Progress LiveProgress Live was the eighth concert tour by British male vocal group Take That. The tour, sponsored by Samsung, supported their sixth studio album, Progress as they visited the biggest cities in the UK and Europe. It was the first tour wherein all five original members will perform since 1995...
tour in Sunderland, making the Stadium of Light the first venue to hear Take That perform as a five since 1995. Originally only two dates were announced, however due to huge demand from fans two further dates were added at the Stadium of Light.
Kings Of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
also announced that they would play at the stadium on 17 June 2011 as part of their nationwide tour across Britain.
Concerts at the Stadium of Light
| Summer |
Artist |
| 2009 |
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
|
| 2010 |
Pink Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
|
| 2011 |
Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
Kings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
|
| 2012 |
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
ColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
Bruce Springstein and E Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
|
Sunderland University
The Stadium of Light currently hosts the annual graduation ceremony for the students of the
University of SunderlandThe University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
. The stadium won the RSVP magazine's
Most creative use of a sporting venue award in 2007 for its usage as the university's graduation site.
Records
The highest recorded league attendance at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002 for the Sunderland vs Liverpool game. The lowest league attendance at the stadium was 22,167 against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 2 December 2003. The lowest ever attendance at the Stadium of Light was 11,450 against
Chester CityChester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the Carling Cup 1st Round on 24 August 2004.
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
won the match 3-0. Sunderland's largest margin of victory at the stadium was a 7-0 win over Oxford United during the 1998–99 promotion season.
The highest seasonal average at the stadium since it was opened was 46,790 in the
2000–01 seasonThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
while Sunderland were playing in the Premier League. The lowest average attendance at the Stadium of Light was 27,119 in the
2003–04The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season in Division One. The highest total seasonal attendance was recorded during the
1998–99 season-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
when the aggregate was 890,660 in a season where Sunderland were First Division champions, and
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-finalists. The lowest seasonal aggregate at the Stadium of Light was 623,741 in the
2003–04 seasonThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, the same season that the club were FA Cup and play off semi-finalists.
The fastest ever goal scored was scored by
Darren BentDarren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
for Sunderland A.F.C against
TottenhamTottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
after just 36 seconds on 3rd April 2010. The record was previously held by another Sunderland A.F.C player,
Fraizer CampbellFraizer Lee Campbell is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a striker. He previously played for Manchester United, Royal Antwerp, Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur....
. He scored after just 41 seconds against Bolton Wanderers on 9th March 2010, just a month earlier.
Transport
Sunderland stationSunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
, which is now connected to London Kings Cross by services run by the Open Access operator
Grand Central Railway, is located nearby to the stadium. The
St Peter'sSt Peter's Metro Station on the Tyne and Wear Metro is the nearest one to the University of Sunderland's St Peter's Campus. The station was built for the Sunderland extension in 2002. It is located close to the Wearmouth Bridge and just a short distance south of the old Monkwearmouth Station that...
and
Stadium of Light Metro stationStadium of Light Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, situated to the north of the centre of the city of Sunderland, England. The station opened in 2002, as part of the extension of the Metro system into the city...
s were built to serve the stadium. The
MetroThe Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
was extended into Sunderland in 2002. A
park and ridePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
system is available on match days to allow spectators to park away from the stadium, and a new footbridge proposal has been put forward to link the stadium to the south bank of the river as part of the stadium park regeneration project.
Footnotes and references
Footnotes:
References:
The
Stadium of Light is an
all-seaterAn 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...
football
stadiumA 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...
in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the
fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts
Sunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
matches. The name
Stadium of Light is a tribute to the traditional mining industry which brought prosperity to the town; a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
monument stands at the entrance.
As well as hosting Sunderland games, the stadium has hosted two matches for the
England national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, as well as one
England under-20 football team- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match. With an original capacity of 42,000, it was expanded in 2002 to seat 49,000, and its simple design is expected to allow for redevelopments up to an eventual capacity of 64,000. The attendance record at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002, when Sunderland played
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
with the visitors running out 1-0 winners. Along with hosting football matches, the stadium has played host to performers such as
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
,
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
and
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. The ground also holds conference and banqueting suites, the
Black Cats Bar, and a club shop selling Sunderland merchandise.
Planning and construction
Following the release of the
Taylor ReportThe 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...
in January 1990, Sunderland was obliged to make plans to turn their
Roker ParkRoker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
home into an all-seater stadium. Roker Park was a ground that mainly consisted of standing terraces, and if converted into all-seater it would have held far fewer spectators than before. Enclosed by residential streets on all sides, expansion was practically impossible. So, by 1991, Sunderland chairman Bob Murray began investigating the possibility of relocation to a new stadium.
The front-runner that emerged was a proposed stadium located on an area of land adjacent to the
Nissan car plantNissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd, or NMUK is a car manufacturing plant in Washington, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by the European division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. It is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom, and the most productive in Europe...
. The 48,000 all-seater ground was labelled "the Wembley of the North" - a capacity that not even
Manchester United'sManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
exceeded until 1996. The plans did not come to fruition. Shortly after the plans were announced in 1992, Nissan launched an official objection, ultimately forcing Sunderland to abandon the idea. In 1995, Sunderland put forward a plan to build a stadium on the former site of Wearmouth Colliery. The area, on the north bank of the
River WearThe River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in the Sheepfolds district of Sunderland, was only a few hundred yards from Roker Park, and close to the centre of the city. On 13 November 1995, the Sunderland Chairman Bob Murray announced that the
Tyne and Wear Development CorporationThe Tyne and Wear Development Corporation was established in 1987 to develop land on the banks of the River Tyne and the River Wear in England. Its flagship developments included the regeneration of the East Quayside in Newcastle, Royal Quays in North Tyneside and St Peter's in Sunderland. During...
had approved plans for Sunderland to build a 34,000-seater stadium on the site.
Ballast Wiltshier plc, a contracting company that had built the
Amsterdam ArenAAmsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
, was contracted to build the stadium at an initial cost of £15 million. In June 1996, as the planned capacity rose to 40,000, construction work began. The capacity was revised again in early 1997, and the stadium was completed on time, with a capacity of 42,000. The stadium's design allows possible expansion of a further tier, completed expansion of the whole upper tier would produce a capacity of 63,000. During construction, the stadium had not adopted an official name, and had been known colloquially as the "Wearside Stadium" and "New Roker Park". The name was eventually revealed as the Stadium of Light, a reference to a miner's lamp (the stadium is built on the site of the old Wearmouth Colliery, and many Sunderland fans have worked in the region's mines). To emphasise the fact, a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
is located in front of the stadium's ticket office, adjacent to the stadium. The stadium was opened on 30 July 1997 by
Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, with bands such as Status Quo, Upside Down and Kavana playing. To celebrate the opening of the stadium, Sunderland played a friendly against Ajax, which was drawn 0–0.
The North Stand was extended in 2000 to bring the capacity to 49,000, costing the club a further £7 million, making the final cost of the stadium £23 million. On 18 July 2006, a statue of 1973 FA Cup Final winning manager
Bob StokoeRobert "Bob" Stokoe was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland....
was unveiled. At the end of season
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
awards, the Stadium of Light was named the
Best Away Ground, with other contenders including
Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
's
Alexandra StadiumThe Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...
and
Plymouth ArgylePlymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
's
Home ParkHome Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
. Sunderland celebrated the ten year anniversary of the stadium with a pre-season friendly against
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
on 6 August 2007, the game was drawn 1–1.
Structure and facilities
The stadium is in the shape of a square bowl, and is separated into the
West Stand,
North Stand, East Stand (formerly the Vaux Stand, the Carling Stand, and Fosters Stand respectively), and the
South Stand (also known as the Metro FM Stand). The West Stand includes the
Premier Concourse which is the name of the upper tier, and a number of executive boxes. The North Stand also includes an upper tier, called the
Strongbow Upper, which contains the
Black Cats Bar.
The
pitchAn association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is several metres below the level of the ground outside of the stadium. The pitch uses a lighting system from Stadium Grow Lighting to ensure the grass can grow at any time of year. The device controls the factors of the pitch, including exposure to light, temperature, water, and air, to make the grass able to grow in any condition. Away fans are seated in the west half of the South Stand. The East Stand has the Sunderland emblem on the seats, while the North Stand has the slogan "Ha'way The Lads". The stadium also has a Davy lamp monument, and a statue of Bob Stokoe. The perimeter walls of the stadium incorporates a "Wall of Fame" feature, where names can be engraved into the bricks of the walls. The interior of the stadium holds a banqueting suite, which can seat from 460 to 600 people. The stadium also contains several conferencing suites, that can be hired for events.
International matches
As well as holding Sunderland games, the stadium has also hosted
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
matches. The stadium was one of several venues used as temporary home grounds for the
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team while the redevelopment of
Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
took place. It hosted its first England game in 1999, when they played
Belgium in a friendly match, which England won 2–1. It played host to its first competitive England match on 2 April 2003, when they played
TurkeyThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in a Euro 2004 qualifying match, which England won 2–0. The Stadium of Light also held an
England under 20- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match against
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on 27 November 2002, Italy beat England 5–3.
Matches
| Date |
Result |
Competition |
| 10 October 1999 |
2–1 |
Friendly |
| 27 November 2002 |
3–5 |
Under 20 International - Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
|
| 2 April 2003 |
2–0 |
UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying |
Concerts
In October 2008 it was announced that the stadium would hold a concert on 10 June 2009, featuring
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, with Kasabian,
The EnemyThe Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
and
Reverend and the MakersReverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...
as support acts, with the stadium housing roughly 60,000 fans. Shortly afterwards
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
confirmed they would start their nationwide 'Circus' tour at the Stadium of Light.
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
also performed a sell out show at the stadium on 11 June 2010, with support from
VV BrownVanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
,
Butch WalkerButch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
and City & Colour.
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
announced that they would return to the stadium along with
Robbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
on 27 May 2011 and supported by
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. On this occasion Take That began their
Progress LiveProgress Live was the eighth concert tour by British male vocal group Take That. The tour, sponsored by Samsung, supported their sixth studio album, Progress as they visited the biggest cities in the UK and Europe. It was the first tour wherein all five original members will perform since 1995...
tour in Sunderland, making the Stadium of Light the first venue to hear Take That perform as a five since 1995. Originally only two dates were announced, however due to huge demand from fans two further dates were added at the Stadium of Light.
Kings Of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
also announced that they would play at the stadium on 17 June 2011 as part of their nationwide tour across Britain.
Concerts at the Stadium of Light
| Summer |
Artist |
| 2009 |
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
|
| 2010 |
Pink Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
|
| 2011 |
Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
Kings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
|
| 2012 |
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
ColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
Bruce Springstein and E Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
|
Sunderland University
The Stadium of Light currently hosts the annual graduation ceremony for the students of the
University of SunderlandThe University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
. The stadium won the RSVP magazine's
Most creative use of a sporting venue award in 2007 for its usage as the university's graduation site.
Records
The highest recorded league attendance at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002 for the Sunderland vs Liverpool game. The lowest league attendance at the stadium was 22,167 against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 2 December 2003. The lowest ever attendance at the Stadium of Light was 11,450 against
Chester CityChester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the Carling Cup 1st Round on 24 August 2004.
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
won the match 3-0. Sunderland's largest margin of victory at the stadium was a 7-0 win over Oxford United during the 1998–99 promotion season.
The highest seasonal average at the stadium since it was opened was 46,790 in the
2000–01 seasonThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
while Sunderland were playing in the Premier League. The lowest average attendance at the Stadium of Light was 27,119 in the
2003–04The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season in Division One. The highest total seasonal attendance was recorded during the
1998–99 season-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
when the aggregate was 890,660 in a season where Sunderland were First Division champions, and
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-finalists. The lowest seasonal aggregate at the Stadium of Light was 623,741 in the
2003–04 seasonThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, the same season that the club were FA Cup and play off semi-finalists.
The fastest ever goal scored was scored by
Darren BentDarren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
for Sunderland A.F.C against
TottenhamTottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
after just 36 seconds on 3rd April 2010. The record was previously held by another Sunderland A.F.C player,
Fraizer CampbellFraizer Lee Campbell is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a striker. He previously played for Manchester United, Royal Antwerp, Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur....
. He scored after just 41 seconds against Bolton Wanderers on 9th March 2010, just a month earlier.
Transport
Sunderland stationSunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
, which is now connected to London Kings Cross by services run by the Open Access operator
Grand Central Railway, is located nearby to the stadium. The
St Peter'sSt Peter's Metro Station on the Tyne and Wear Metro is the nearest one to the University of Sunderland's St Peter's Campus. The station was built for the Sunderland extension in 2002. It is located close to the Wearmouth Bridge and just a short distance south of the old Monkwearmouth Station that...
and
Stadium of Light Metro stationStadium of Light Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, situated to the north of the centre of the city of Sunderland, England. The station opened in 2002, as part of the extension of the Metro system into the city...
s were built to serve the stadium. The
MetroThe Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
was extended into Sunderland in 2002. A
park and ridePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
system is available on match days to allow spectators to park away from the stadium, and a new footbridge proposal has been put forward to link the stadium to the south bank of the river as part of the stadium park regeneration project.
Footnotes and references
Footnotes:
References:
The
Stadium of Light is an
all-seaterAn 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...
football
stadiumA 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...
in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the
fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts
Sunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
matches. The name
Stadium of Light is a tribute to the traditional mining industry which brought prosperity to the town; a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
monument stands at the entrance.
As well as hosting Sunderland games, the stadium has hosted two matches for the
England national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, as well as one
England under-20 football team- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match. With an original capacity of 42,000, it was expanded in 2002 to seat 49,000, and its simple design is expected to allow for redevelopments up to an eventual capacity of 64,000. The attendance record at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002, when Sunderland played
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
with the visitors running out 1-0 winners. Along with hosting football matches, the stadium has played host to performers such as
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
,
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
and
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. The ground also holds conference and banqueting suites, the
Black Cats Bar, and a club shop selling Sunderland merchandise.
Planning and construction
Following the release of the
Taylor ReportThe 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...
in January 1990, Sunderland was obliged to make plans to turn their
Roker ParkRoker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
home into an all-seater stadium. Roker Park was a ground that mainly consisted of standing terraces, and if converted into all-seater it would have held far fewer spectators than before. Enclosed by residential streets on all sides, expansion was practically impossible. So, by 1991, Sunderland chairman Bob Murray began investigating the possibility of relocation to a new stadium.
The front-runner that emerged was a proposed stadium located on an area of land adjacent to the
Nissan car plantNissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd, or NMUK is a car manufacturing plant in Washington, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by the European division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. It is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom, and the most productive in Europe...
. The 48,000 all-seater ground was labelled "the Wembley of the North" - a capacity that not even
Manchester United'sManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
exceeded until 1996. The plans did not come to fruition. Shortly after the plans were announced in 1992, Nissan launched an official objection, ultimately forcing Sunderland to abandon the idea. In 1995, Sunderland put forward a plan to build a stadium on the former site of Wearmouth Colliery. The area, on the north bank of the
River WearThe River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in the Sheepfolds district of Sunderland, was only a few hundred yards from Roker Park, and close to the centre of the city. On 13 November 1995, the Sunderland Chairman Bob Murray announced that the
Tyne and Wear Development CorporationThe Tyne and Wear Development Corporation was established in 1987 to develop land on the banks of the River Tyne and the River Wear in England. Its flagship developments included the regeneration of the East Quayside in Newcastle, Royal Quays in North Tyneside and St Peter's in Sunderland. During...
had approved plans for Sunderland to build a 34,000-seater stadium on the site.
Ballast Wiltshier plc, a contracting company that had built the
Amsterdam ArenAAmsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
, was contracted to build the stadium at an initial cost of £15 million. In June 1996, as the planned capacity rose to 40,000, construction work began. The capacity was revised again in early 1997, and the stadium was completed on time, with a capacity of 42,000. The stadium's design allows possible expansion of a further tier, completed expansion of the whole upper tier would produce a capacity of 63,000. During construction, the stadium had not adopted an official name, and had been known colloquially as the "Wearside Stadium" and "New Roker Park". The name was eventually revealed as the Stadium of Light, a reference to a miner's lamp (the stadium is built on the site of the old Wearmouth Colliery, and many Sunderland fans have worked in the region's mines). To emphasise the fact, a
Davy lampThe Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
is located in front of the stadium's ticket office, adjacent to the stadium. The stadium was opened on 30 July 1997 by
Prince Andrew, Duke of YorkPrince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, with bands such as Status Quo, Upside Down and Kavana playing. To celebrate the opening of the stadium, Sunderland played a friendly against Ajax, which was drawn 0–0.
The North Stand was extended in 2000 to bring the capacity to 49,000, costing the club a further £7 million, making the final cost of the stadium £23 million. On 18 July 2006, a statue of 1973 FA Cup Final winning manager
Bob StokoeRobert "Bob" Stokoe was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east rivalry between the region's footballing giants, Newcastle United and Sunderland....
was unveiled. At the end of season
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
awards, the Stadium of Light was named the
Best Away Ground, with other contenders including
Crewe AlexandraCrewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
's
Alexandra StadiumThe Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...
and
Plymouth ArgylePlymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
's
Home ParkHome Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
. Sunderland celebrated the ten year anniversary of the stadium with a pre-season friendly against
JuventusJuventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
on 6 August 2007, the game was drawn 1–1.
Structure and facilities
The stadium is in the shape of a square bowl, and is separated into the
West Stand,
North Stand, East Stand (formerly the Vaux Stand, the Carling Stand, and Fosters Stand respectively), and the
South Stand (also known as the Metro FM Stand). The West Stand includes the
Premier Concourse which is the name of the upper tier, and a number of executive boxes. The North Stand also includes an upper tier, called the
Strongbow Upper, which contains the
Black Cats Bar.
The
pitchAn association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is several metres below the level of the ground outside of the stadium. The pitch uses a lighting system from Stadium Grow Lighting to ensure the grass can grow at any time of year. The device controls the factors of the pitch, including exposure to light, temperature, water, and air, to make the grass able to grow in any condition. Away fans are seated in the west half of the South Stand. The East Stand has the Sunderland emblem on the seats, while the North Stand has the slogan "Ha'way The Lads". The stadium also has a Davy lamp monument, and a statue of Bob Stokoe. The perimeter walls of the stadium incorporates a "Wall of Fame" feature, where names can be engraved into the bricks of the walls. The interior of the stadium holds a banqueting suite, which can seat from 460 to 600 people. The stadium also contains several conferencing suites, that can be hired for events.
International matches
As well as holding Sunderland games, the stadium has also hosted
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
matches. The stadium was one of several venues used as temporary home grounds for the
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team while the redevelopment of
Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
took place. It hosted its first England game in 1999, when they played
Belgium in a friendly match, which England won 2–1. It played host to its first competitive England match on 2 April 2003, when they played
TurkeyThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in a Euro 2004 qualifying match, which England won 2–0. The Stadium of Light also held an
England under 20- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
match against
ItalyThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on 27 November 2002, Italy beat England 5–3.
Matches
| Date |
Result |
Competition |
| 10 October 1999 |
2–1 |
Friendly |
| 27 November 2002 |
3–5 |
Under 20 International - Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
|
| 2 April 2003 |
2–0 |
UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying |
Concerts
In October 2008 it was announced that the stadium would hold a concert on 10 June 2009, featuring
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, with Kasabian,
The EnemyThe Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
and
Reverend and the MakersReverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"...
as support acts, with the stadium housing roughly 60,000 fans. Shortly afterwards
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
confirmed they would start their nationwide 'Circus' tour at the Stadium of Light.
PinkAlecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
also performed a sell out show at the stadium on 11 June 2010, with support from
VV BrownVanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
,
Butch WalkerButch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
and City & Colour.
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
announced that they would return to the stadium along with
Robbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
on 27 May 2011 and supported by
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. On this occasion Take That began their
Progress LiveProgress Live was the eighth concert tour by British male vocal group Take That. The tour, sponsored by Samsung, supported their sixth studio album, Progress as they visited the biggest cities in the UK and Europe. It was the first tour wherein all five original members will perform since 1995...
tour in Sunderland, making the Stadium of Light the first venue to hear Take That perform as a five since 1995. Originally only two dates were announced, however due to huge demand from fans two further dates were added at the Stadium of Light.
Kings Of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
also announced that they would play at the stadium on 17 June 2011 as part of their nationwide tour across Britain.
Concerts at the Stadium of Light
| Summer |
Artist |
| 2009 |
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
Take ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
|
| 2010 |
Pink Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
|
| 2011 |
Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
Kings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
|
| 2012 |
Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
ColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
Bruce Springstein and E Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
|
Sunderland University
The Stadium of Light currently hosts the annual graduation ceremony for the students of the
University of SunderlandThe University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
. The stadium won the RSVP magazine's
Most creative use of a sporting venue award in 2007 for its usage as the university's graduation site.
Records
The highest recorded league attendance at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002 for the Sunderland vs Liverpool game. The lowest league attendance at the stadium was 22,167 against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 2 December 2003. The lowest ever attendance at the Stadium of Light was 11,450 against
Chester CityChester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the Carling Cup 1st Round on 24 August 2004.
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
won the match 3-0. Sunderland's largest margin of victory at the stadium was a 7-0 win over Oxford United during the 1998–99 promotion season.
The highest seasonal average at the stadium since it was opened was 46,790 in the
2000–01 seasonThe 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
while Sunderland were playing in the Premier League. The lowest average attendance at the Stadium of Light was 27,119 in the
2003–04The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
season in Division One. The highest total seasonal attendance was recorded during the
1998–99 season-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
when the aggregate was 890,660 in a season where Sunderland were First Division champions, and
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-finalists. The lowest seasonal aggregate at the Stadium of Light was 623,741 in the
2003–04 seasonThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, the same season that the club were FA Cup and play off semi-finalists.
The fastest ever goal scored was scored by
Darren BentDarren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
for Sunderland A.F.C against
TottenhamTottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
after just 36 seconds on 3rd April 2010. The record was previously held by another Sunderland A.F.C player,
Fraizer CampbellFraizer Lee Campbell is an English footballer who plays for Sunderland as a striker. He previously played for Manchester United, Royal Antwerp, Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur....
. He scored after just 41 seconds against Bolton Wanderers on 9th March 2010, just a month earlier.
Transport
Sunderland stationSunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
, which is now connected to London Kings Cross by services run by the Open Access operator
Grand Central Railway, is located nearby to the stadium. The
St Peter'sSt Peter's Metro Station on the Tyne and Wear Metro is the nearest one to the University of Sunderland's St Peter's Campus. The station was built for the Sunderland extension in 2002. It is located close to the Wearmouth Bridge and just a short distance south of the old Monkwearmouth Station that...
and
Stadium of Light Metro stationStadium of Light Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro, situated to the north of the centre of the city of Sunderland, England. The station opened in 2002, as part of the extension of the Metro system into the city...
s were built to serve the stadium. The
MetroThe Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
was extended into Sunderland in 2002. A
park and ridePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
system is available on match days to allow spectators to park away from the stadium, and a new footbridge proposal has been put forward to link the stadium to the south bank of the river as part of the stadium park regeneration project.
Footnotes and references
Footnotes:
References:
External links