Ewood Park facts for kids
 |
|
 Ewood Park
Location in Blackburn
|
|
| Full name | Ewood Park |
|---|---|
| Address | Nuttall Street |
| Location | Blackburn Lancashire, England BB2 4JF |
| Coordinates | 53°43′43″N 2°29′21″W / 53.72861°N 2.48917°W |
| Capacity | 31,367 |
| Field size | 115 yd × 76 yd (105 m × 69 m) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1882 |
| Opened | April 1882 |
| Renovated | 1913, 1928, 1955, 1988, 1995 |
| Tenants | |
| Blackburn Rovers (1881, 1890–present) Blackburn Rovers Women (2024–present) |
|
Ewood Park is a famous football stadium located in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. It has been the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C. since 1890. The Rovers are a historic club, being founding members of both the English Football League and the Premier League.
This stadium is an all-seater facility, meaning everyone has a seat. It can hold 31,367 fans. Ewood Park has four main sections, also called stands. These are the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, the Riverside Stand, and the Jack Walker Stand. The Jack Walker Stand is named after a big supporter and local businessman, Jack Walker. The football pitch inside the stadium is about 115 yards long and 76 yards wide.
Contents
Ewood Park's Early Days: The "Old" Stadium
People have played football at this location since at least 1881. Back then, it was known as Ewood Bridge and was mostly just a field. Blackburn Rovers played their first game there against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1881.
Ewood Park officially opened in April 1882. In its early years, it hosted football, athletics, and even some greyhound racing. Blackburn Rovers moved back to the ground permanently in 1890. They signed a ten-year agreement to use the stadium.
In 1893, Blackburn Rovers bought the land for £2,500. A few years later, in 1903, a roof was added to the Darwen End. This part of the stadium could then hold 12,000 spectators.
Building the Nuttall Street Stand
In 1904, the Nuttall Street Stand was built. It was designed by a famous architect named Archibald Leitch. This new stand cost £24,000. Fans first used it on New Year's Day 1907 for a match against Preston North End.
In 1905, Laurence Cotton became the club chairman. He worked to improve both the team and the stadium. Construction began in 1906 on a new main stand. This stand had seats for 4,112 people on its upper level. It also had space for 9,320 standing fans below.
A Protest in 1913
In November 1913, there was an attempt to damage Ewood Park. This happened during a time when suffragettes were campaigning for women's right to vote. They used various methods to protest, including trying to burn down buildings. An attempt was made to burn down Ewood Park's grandstand, but it was stopped. Other sports venues were sometimes targeted to protest against male dominance in society.
Changes in the Mid-20th Century
The Nuttall Street Stand stayed mostly the same for many years. However, a fire in 1984 in one corner led to some changes. The club added executive boxes and a lounge with glass windows overlooking the pitch. This new section was called the John Lewis Complex.
The Blackburn End is named because the town of Blackburn is behind it. This stand is for home supporters. It got a concrete roof in 1960, which was paid for after the team had a good run in the FA Cup.
A two-level Riverside Stand was built in 1913. This brought the stadium's total capacity to 70,886, with 7,000 seats. In 1928, the Riverside Stand's roof was replaced.
Ewood Park saw its biggest crowd ever in 1929. A total of 62,522 fans came to watch a game against Bolton Wanderers. Floodlights were installed in 1958. They were first used in a friendly match against Werder Bremen.
The "New" Ewood Park: A Modern Stadium
After selling his company, Jack Walker bought Blackburn Rovers. He wanted to make Ewood Park one of the best stadiums in the country. By 1991, Walker had full control of the club. He had already funded a new stand to replace the Riverside Stand.
In June 1992, plans were approved to rebuild the other three sides of Ewood Park. This would create an all-seater stadium with over 31,000 seats. By February 1994, the new Blackburn and Darwen End stands were open. These new stands also had car parks behind them. The rebuilding involved knocking down some old houses and a mill.
The stadium's big transformation was finished in August 1994. The Jack Walker Stand opened on the site of the old Nuttall Street Stand. The new Ewood Park officially opened in November 1995. Blackburn Rovers celebrated with a huge 7–0 win against Nottingham Forest.
The Jack Walker Stand
The Jack Walker Stand is the largest stand at Ewood Park. It is named after the club's former owner, Jack Walker. This stand has 11,000 seats. It was one of three stands built during the stadium's big renovation in the early 1990s.
This stand includes the changing rooms for both home and away teams. It also has facilities for media and conferences. The Premier Suite and Jack's Kitchen are here, offering special hospitality for fans. Nearby houses were removed to make space for this large stand.
The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End
The modern Blackburn End Stand has 8,000 seats. It was built in the early 1990s. The club's boardroom was carefully moved from the old Nuttall Street Stand and rebuilt here. The lower part of this stand is known for having some of the most enthusiastic Rovers supporters.
Behind the stand, there is a memorial garden and a statue of Jack Walker. The statue is called "Rovers' Greatest Supporter." Outside, you'll find the Blackburn Rovers club shop, "Roverstore." There's also a ticket office for home fans and the "Blues" cafe bar.
This stand was renamed The Ronnie Clayton End on August 13, 2011. This was to honor Ronnie Clayton, a long-serving and much-loved player for the Rovers. The "Strikers Lounge" for junior club members is also in this stand.
The RFS Riverside Stand
The old Riverside Stand was replaced in 1988. The previous stand had failed a safety check after a fire at another stadium. The new stand was a single-tier structure with over 1,000 seats. The materials for the roof and seating came from Walkersteel, a local company owned by Jack Walker.
More seats were added to the Riverside Stand in 1990. Today, the stand is sponsored by Regulatory Finance Solutions (RFS). It is the oldest part of the modern Ewood Park. It's the only stand with just one level of seating. The seats spell out the word "ROVERS," which is the club's nickname.
This stand holds about 6,000 spectators. In one corner, there's a giant TV screen. It shows highlights, team lists, and other live games on match days. There have been ideas to make this stand bigger, which could increase the stadium's capacity to 40,000. However, these plans have not happened yet.
The Bryan Douglas Darwen End
The Darwen End is named after the town of Darwen, which is close to Blackburn.
This modern Darwen End was built in 1993 and has 8,000 seats. It looks similar to the Blackburn End and holds both home and away supporters. The club's education department is located here. It offers football-based activities for young people.
The "Legend's Lounge" and International hospitality suites are also in this stand. Behind it is the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre. This center provides facilities for community coaching and soccer schools. An old mill was demolished to make way for the new stand and a car park.
On November 1, 2012, the Darwen End was renamed to honor club legend Bryan Douglas. He was very proud of this honor, especially since he was born only 400 yards from the Darwen End.
Other Events at Ewood Park
While Ewood Park is mainly for Blackburn Rovers, it has hosted many other important events. It held the 1941 Football League War Cup Final Replay. The stadium has also hosted international football matches. These include England playing against Scotland in 1891 and against Wales in 1924.
Six FA Cup semi-finals were played here between 1893 and 1947. On November 9, 2002, Ewood Park hosted a rugby league test match. The Great Britain team played against New Zealand.
The stadium has also hosted several England U21 international games. In 2005, it was a venue for the Women's Euro 2005 competition. It hosted two England group matches and the final. In June 2017, the famous singer Elton John held a pop concert at the ground.
In May 2022, the stadium was opened for Muslims to perform the Eid al-Fitr prayer.
Stadium Records
- Record Attendance: 61,783 fans against Bolton Wanderers on March 2, 1929, for an FA Cup 6th Round match.
- Record League Attendance: 52,656 fans against Preston North End on December 26, 1921, in the Football League Division One.
See also
In Spanish: Ewood Park para niños
- List of football stadiums in England
- Lists of stadiums
