Dean Court facts for kids
Panorama of Dean Court from East Stand
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| Former names | Goldsands Stadium Seward Stadium Fitness First Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Kings Park Bournemouth Dorset BH7 7AF England |
| Coordinates | 50°44′07″N 1°50′18″W / 50.73528°N 1.83833°W |
| Owner | Black Knight Football Club |
| Capacity | 11,307 |
| Record attendance | 28,799 (Bournemouth v Manchester United, 2 March 1957) |
| Field size | 105 by 68 metres (114.8 yd × 74.4 yd) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1910 |
| Renovated | 2001 |
| Tenants | |
| AFC Bournemouth (1910–present) | |
Dean Court, also known as Vitality Stadium, is a famous football stadium. It's located in Boscombe, a part of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. This stadium is the home ground for the football team AFC Bournemouth. It can hold up to 11,307 fans. The stadium's name changes sometimes because companies pay to have their name linked to it. This is called "sponsorship."
Contents
History of Dean Court
How the Stadium Started
The story of Dean Court began in 1910. The Cooper-Dean family, who owned land in the town, gave a piece of it to the Boscombe football club. The stadium was named after this family. The land used to be an old gravel pit.
The stadium wasn't ready for the start of the 1910–11 football season. So, the club played their first games at a nearby park called King's Park. They finally moved into Dean Court in December 1910. Even then, the changing rooms weren't finished. Players had to get ready in a hotel nearby! One of the first improvements was a stand with 300 seats.
Joining the Football League
In 1923, the club joined Division Three South of the Football League. This was a big step for them. At this time, they changed their name to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. The very first Football League match at Dean Court was on September 1, 1923. About 7,000 people watched a 0–0 draw against Swindon Town.
More improvements were made to the stadium. They bought parts from the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. This helped them build a larger stand with 3,700 seats. In 1936, a covered area for fans was added at the southern end of the ground.
Record Crowds and Changes
The most people ever to watch a League game at Dean Court was on April 14, 1948. A huge crowd of 25,495 saw Bournemouth lose 1–0 to QPR. The biggest crowd ever for any match was on March 2, 1957. An amazing 28,799 fans watched an FA Cup game against Manchester United.
After this, a roof was added to the western stand. The club also bought more land to expand the stadium. They planned to build a leisure centre. However, they ran out of money and stopped the project in 1984. The unfinished building was taken down, and houses were built there instead.
A New Look for the Stadium
In 2001, Dean Court was completely rebuilt. The football pitch was turned 90 degrees from its original spot. The stadium was also moved further away from nearby houses. Because the work wasn't finished in time, Bournemouth played their first eight games of the 2001–02 season at another stadium.
When Dean Court reopened on November 10, it had a new name: the Fitness First Stadium. It was rebuilt with three sides and could hold 9,600 people. Later, in 2005, seats were added to the undeveloped south end. On February 24, 2004, a player named James Hayter scored the fastest hat-trick in Football League history at Dean Court. He scored three goals in just 2 minutes and 20 seconds!
In 2005, the club sold the stadium but continued to use it. This is called a sale-and-leaseback deal.
New Stands and New Names
In the 2010–11 season, a temporary stand was built at the south end. But it was removed the next season when fewer people attended games. In July 2011, the stadium was renamed the Seward Stadium after a company bought the naming rights. When that company had problems, the stadium was renamed again in February 2012 to the Goldsands Stadium for two years.
In 2013, a new stand with 2,400 seats was built. This happened because the club was promoted to the Championship. This new stand was named after Ted MacDougall, a famous former player. In July 2015, the stadium became known as the Vitality Stadium, which is its current name.
Future Plans for Dean Court
The club has been thinking about making the stadium bigger for a while. In August 2014, the chairman, Jeff Mostyn, said they were looking into expanding it. Dean Court has a capacity of 11,307, which is quite small for a Premier League team. The club wanted to build a new stand and fill in the corners to reach about 14,000 seats.
In May 2016, the club decided to delay these plans. They were having discussions about buying the stadium back from its owners. Fans really wanted more tickets, so increasing the stadium's size was important.
In December 2016, the club even considered finding a completely new place for a stadium. By July 2017, they confirmed they were looking to build a new stadium near the current Kings Park site.
However, in April 2025, the club's owner, Bill Foley, announced exciting news! The club agreed to buy the stadium back. Instead of building a new stadium, they plan to make the current one much bigger. They hope to expand it to about 20,000 seats, possibly even 23,000, all while the team continues to play there.
Storm Damage in 2022
In February 2022, a very strong storm called Storm Eunice caused damage to the stadium. Because of the damage, an EFL Championship game against Nottingham Forest had to be postponed.
Other Events at the Stadium
Besides football, Dean Court has hosted other events. In 2013, both the England Ladies' and England Under 16s football teams played games there. The stadium has also been used for music concerts. For example, Elton John performed there in 2006.
International Football Games
Dean Court has been a venue for several international football matches. England's Under-21, Under-20, and Under-16 teams have all played important games here. The England women's national team has also competed at the stadium. These matches include qualifiers for major tournaments and friendly games, bringing exciting international football to Bournemouth.
See also
In Spanish: Dean Court para niños
