By Stoke City Football Club
Stoke City Football Club, Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4EG
Capacity
27,743 (reduced from 28,384 due to segregation)
The Britannia Stadium is the home of Stoke City Football Club and has been so since the summer of 1997.
The all-seater stadium cost nearly £15,000,000 to build and brought the Club up to standards set out in the Taylor Report following 119 years at the Victoria Ground.
The first sod from the land, formerly owned by the National Coal Board and operated as Hem Heath Colliery until its closure in the early 1990s, was cut in the late autumn of 1996.
By early 1997, the skeletal steel superstructure was in place and the stadium began to take shape.
Later that year, it opened its doors for the first time as the Britannia Stadium thanks to a £1,000,000, 10-year sponsorship deal with the Britannia Building Society which was instrumental in the overall funding of the project.
Another £3,000,000 was given as a grant by the Football Trust.
Rochdale were the visitors for the historic first-ever competitive match on 27th August - a 1-1 draw in the Worthington Cup watched by 15,439 - and four days later the first-ever League game took place against Swindon Town before a crowd of 23,859 in party mood.
Ten years on and the Club obtained full ownership of the stadium in a deal worth £6,000,000 following the previous joint-partnership with the Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Stoke-on-Trent Regeneration Ltd.
STADIA
The L-shaped Boothen End and Novus Stand sweep around the North and East sides of the stadium and hold a total number of 6,006 and 8,789 supporters respectively.
The main Q-railing Stand is a two-tier construction seating over 7,357 fans as well as hosting the media and all the major conferencing and event facilities such as the Tony Waddington Suite.
Finally, the Marston's Pedigree Stand has the capacity to house 4,996 supporters and is usually segregated to allow both home and away support to enter the stand, as first demonstrated in the match against Southend United in 2007.
The Club offices, dressing rooms and boardroom are nested within the South-West corner of the stadium along with the Club's Superstore.
The stadium's elevated location on land rising towards Heron Cross and looking across the valley of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey canal means it commands superb views of the City and the site of the Club's previous home, the Victoria Ground. Its lofty position means it can be seen by visitors as they arrive into the City on both the A500 and A50.
As well as football, the stadium has staged funfairs, firework displays and music concerts. The likes of Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Busted have all played out on the pitch at the ground in addition to the numerous summer music concerts.
Built upon the ever-expanding Trentham Lakes site, the whole area now employs more people than it did when it was Hem Heath Colliery.
FIRSTS
First Manager Of Stoke City At The Britannia Stadium
Chic Bates
First Match At The Britannia Stadium
27th August 1997 (12,768)
Worthington Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg
versus Rochdale - Drew 1-1
First Goalscorer At The Britannia Stadium
Graham Kavanagh
versus Rochdale
Worthington Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg
27th August 1997
First League Match At The Britannia Stadium
30th August 1997 (23,000)
Nationwide League Division One
versus Swindon Town - Lost 2-1
First League Goalscorer At The Britannia Stadium
Richard Forsyth
versus Swindon Town
Nationwide League Division One
30th August 1997
First Win At The Britannia Stadium
13th September 1997
Nationwide League Division One
versus Stockport County - Won 2-1
First League Cup Win At The Britannia Stadium
24th September 1997
Worthington Cup 2nd Round 2nd Leg
versus Burnley - Won 2-0
First Football League Trophy Match At The Britannia Stadium
7th December 1999
Northern Section 1st Round
versus Darlington - Won 3-2
(won by golden goal in extra-time)
First FA Cup Match At The Britannia Stadium
18th November 2000
1st Round
versus Nuneaton Borough - Drew 0-0 (lost replay 1-0)
First FA Cup Wins At The Britannia Stadium
18th November 2001
1st Round
versus Lewes - Won 2-0
(Lewes drawn at home but tie played at Britannia)
12th December 2001
2nd Round Replay
versus Halifax Town - Won 3-0
(Drawn at Home)
4th January 2003
3rd Round
versus Wigan Athletic - Won 3-0
First Ever Home Game In The Premier League
23rd August 2008
Aston Villa - Won 3-2
First Ever Home Win In The Premier League
23rd August 2008
Aston Villa - Won 3-2
First Ever Scorer At Home In The Premier League
Liam Lawrence (penalty)
versus Aston Villa - Won 3-2
23rd August 2008
First European Game At The Britannia Stadium
28th July 2011
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round 1st Leg
versus Hajduk Split - Won 1-0
First European Goalscorer At The Britannia Stadium
Jonathan Walters
versus Hajduk Split
28th July 2011