Hillsborough Stadium facts for kids
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| Full name | Hillsborough Stadium |
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| Former names | Owlerton Stadium (until 1914) |
| Location | Owlerton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°24′41″N 1°30′2″W / 53.41139°N 1.50056°W |
| Public transit |  Leppings Lane |
| Owner | Sheffield City Council |
| Capacity | 39,732 (temporarily reduced to 34,835 on safety grounds) |
| Record attendance | 72,841 v Manchester City (17 February 1934; FA Cup Quarter-Final) |
| Field size | 116 x 75 yards (approx. 106 x 69 m) |
| Surface | Desso GrassMaster |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1899 |
| Opened | 2 September 1899 |
| Tenants | |
| Sheffield Wednesday (1899–present) | |
Hillsborough Stadium is a famous football stadium in Sheffield, England. It has been the home of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club since it opened in 1899. The stadium can hold 39,732 fans, though its capacity is currently a bit smaller for safety reasons.
Hillsborough has been updated many times over the years. New stands have been built, and the original South Stand was rebuilt for the UEFA Euro 1996 football tournament. The stadium has two large two-tiered stands and two big single-tiered stands, all covered.
A very sad event happened at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989. During an FA Cup semi-final, many fans lost their lives due to crushing. This tragedy led to major safety improvements in stadiums across the UK. For example, all top stadiums now have seats for everyone, and fences around the pitch were removed.
The club has plans to make the stadium even better and host more big matches. The playing field was upgraded in 2015 and again in 2025 with the latest HERO Hybrid Grass system. Hillsborough has hosted important games like the World Cup in 1966 and the European Championship in 1996.
Contents
Stadium History: How Hillsborough Began
In the late 1890s, Sheffield Wednesday needed a new home. Their old ground was needed for railway expansion. After looking at several places, they found a 10-acre site in Owlerton, a quiet area outside the city.
The club bought the land for £5,000. They moved their old stand from Olive Grove and built a new one. The first match at the new stadium was on September 2, 1899, against Chesterfield. The Lord Mayor of Sheffield kicked off the game. Chesterfield scored first, but Wednesday won 5–1! Even though the stadium was far from the city, about 3,000 fans came to watch in the first few months.
Early Years and Name Change
The stadium was first called Owlerton Stadium. In 1914, it was renamed Hillsborough as the area grew. This new name came with many improvements to the ground. Hillsborough proved lucky for Wednesday, as they won their first league titles in 1903 and 1904, and another FA Cup in 1907.
Hillsborough hosted its first FA Cup semi-final in 1912. The first international match was in 1920, where England beat Scotland 5–4. The biggest crowd ever at Hillsborough was 72,841 fans on February 17, 1934. They came to see an FA Cup game against Manchester City.
After the 1913 season, the club made a lot of money. They used it to build a new South Stand and make the Spion Kop bigger. The new South Stand opened in 1913. It cost £18,000 and had 5,600 seats. It also had new offices and changing rooms.
Post-War Era and Big Matches
After World War II, Hillsborough became one of the best stadiums in the country. It hosted 27 FA Cup semi-finals. In 1966, it was chosen as one of the venues for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. It hosted matches with teams like West Germany, Argentina, and Spain. It also held a quarter-final game.
In 1960, work started on a new North Stand. This new stand, opened in 1961, was special because it had a cantilever roof. This meant there were no pillars blocking the view. It almost doubled the stadium's seating capacity from 9,000 to 16,000.
The stadium hosted its first national cup final in 1977. Everton and Aston Villa played in a Football League Cup final replay.
A Sad Day: The Hillsborough Disaster
On April 15, 1989, Hillsborough was the scene of a very sad event in English sports history. Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final. During the match, 97 Liverpool fans were crushed to death. Investigations found that the stadium had not been updated for safety since 1979.
The tragedy led to the Taylor Report. This report made many important safety changes for stadiums across the UK. Terraces were changed to all-seater areas, and fences around the pitch were replaced with low safety barriers. These changes made football grounds much safer for fans.
Hillsborough Memorial
Outside the stadium, near the main entrance, there is a memorial. It remembers the 96 fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough in 1989. The memorial was unveiled on April 15, 1999, ten years after the tragedy. It says: In memory of the 96 men, women, and children who tragically died and the countless people whose lives were changed forever. FA Cup semi-final Liverpool v Nottingham Forest. 15 April 1989. "You’ll never walk alone."
The All-Seater Era
In 1996, Hillsborough hosted several games for the Euro 96 competition. The Danish fans were very popular with the local people because of their great support and good behaviour.
In 1997, Hillsborough hosted another League Cup Final replay. Leicester City beat Middlesbrough 1–0.
The highest number of fans in the all-seater stadium was 39,640. This was for a Premier League game against Manchester United on February 2, 2000. Even when Sheffield Wednesday played in lower leagues, many fans still came to watch.
The Hillsborough Flood
On June 25, 2007, the River Don flooded because of heavy rain. The entire stadium was covered in several feet of water. Changing rooms, restaurants, offices, and the club shop were all damaged. Repairs cost millions of pounds. The clean-up took months, but luckily, the floods happened during the off-season, so matches were not affected much. A memorial for the floods was put up in 2008.
Stadium Stands and Features
North Stand: The Cantilever
The North Stand was first built between 1899 and 1903. The current stand was built in 1960–61 and can seat 9,255 people. It runs along the north side of the pitch.
This stand is famous for its cantilever roof, which means it has no support pillars blocking the view. It was one of the first stands in Britain to have such a roof. Some fans call it 'the cantilever'. When it opened, it could hold 10,000 fans. Its capacity was later reduced to make space for disabled fans and wider exits for safety.
In 2025, Sheffield City Council temporarily reduced the North Stand's capacity to zero for safety reasons.
West Stand: The Leppings Lane End
The original West Stand was built around 1900. The current stand was built between 1961 and 1965 and has 6,658 seats.
This stand is where visiting supporters usually sit. It has two levels: a lower part with 2,494 seats and an upper part with 4,164 seats. The North West Corner, which is next to this stand, has had its seats removed and is not used for fans.
After the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the lower part of the stand was closed for two years. Its fences were removed, and it was converted to all-seater in 1991. In 2023, the council further reduced the capacity of this stand after a crowd management issue during an FA Cup game.
South Stand: The Oldest Part
The original South Stand was built between 1899 and 1903. The current stand was built from 1913 to 1915 and expanded in 1995. It has 11,352 seats, making it the largest stand at Hillsborough.
This stand is next to the River Don. It has a large lower section and an upper section called the 'Grand Stand'. The club's Family Enclosure is also here. The clock on the South Stand is very old; it was moved from the club's first stadium!
The South Stand was made all-seater in 1965 for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. It was greatly updated for Euro 1996. This update added an upper level with more seats, a new roof, and many executive boxes and restaurants. The team changing rooms and dug-outs are also in this stand.
Spion Kop: The Loudest Stand
The Spion Kop was built in 1914 and has 11,210 seats. Like other large terraces in English football, fans named it after a hill where a battle happened in the Second Boer War. The Kop is built into a natural hill at the east end of the stadium. It is known for housing the most vocal and passionate Wednesday supporters.
Concrete steps were added to the Kop in 1914, and it was made bigger over the years. A roof was added in 1986 after fans helped raise money. After the Hillsborough disaster, the Kop was the last part of the stadium to be converted to all-seater in 1993. This change halved its capacity, but it remains one of the largest single-tier stands in Britain.
North West Corner: The Crows Nest
The North West Corner was first built in 1919–20. The current section was built between 1965 and 1966. It is one of the few parts of the stadium that remains uncovered.
This corner was rebuilt for the 1966 World Cup. Seats were installed in 1991. However, it has not been able to get a safety certificate for many years. It is mostly unused by fans, sometimes serving as an overflow for away fans or as a studio area for TV broadcasts. The club removed the seats from this area before the 2021–22 season, meaning it is not used for seating anymore. Wednesday fans often call this corner the 'Crows Nest'.
Kop Corner
Kop Corner was built in 1986 and can hold about 400 people. It is a small section next to the main Spion Kop. It is also mostly uncovered.
This corner was made smaller when the Spion Kop roof was installed in 1986. Seats were added in 1993. Fans often know this corner as 'Tango's corner' because of a famous fan who stands there with his 'Wolverhampton Owls' flag.
South West Corner: Stadium Control
This area is between the South and West stands. Its most noticeable feature is the video scoreboard. A new, modern scoreboard was installed in May 2015. It replaced an older electronic scoreboard that was loved by fans for its unique "T-fault" lighting issue.
Below the scoreboard is the stadium control building. This is where all the technical parts of the stadium, like lights and CCTV, are managed. A small, unused section of terrace here is now only for police and stewards.
Owls Megastore and Ticket Office
The Owls Megastore is the official club shop for Sheffield Wednesday. It is located underneath the North Stand. Here, fans can buy merchandise and match tickets. The shop and ticket office were badly damaged in the 2007 Hillsborough Flood. After repairs, they were combined into a larger, single-story store.
Hillsborough Stadium Footbridge
A bridge was built over the River Don in 1996. It helps fans get to the South Stand, especially for big events like Euro 96. It connects Parkside Road to the main entrance of the stadium.
South Stand Facilities
Underneath the South Stand, there are several restaurants like Dooley's and the Sheridan Suite. There are also bars, meeting rooms, and offices. These areas are used for hospitality and business events.
Stadium Location
Hillsborough Stadium is in the northwest part of Sheffield, about three miles from the city centre. The area around it is mostly homes, with some shops and a shopping centre nearby. You can see great views of the area from the hills to the west.
The stadium is located between Hillsborough Park to the south and houses to the north. The River Don also flows next to the stadium on its south side. The Spion Kop is right next to Penistone Road, a main road leading to the city centre.
Stadium Upgrades
Recent Improvements (2017)
Sheffield Wednesday did not get promoted to the Premier League in the 2015–16 season, so some big upgrade plans were delayed. However, in July 2017, some smaller improvements were made. These included:
- A bigger gathering area behind the Kop.
- A new bar behind the Kop.
- A new banner on the Leppings Lane side of the West Stand.
- New fire safety systems in all food kiosks.
- New LED advertising boards around the pitch.
- A new electronic payment system for food and drinks.
Future Plans for Hillsborough
In 2009, Sheffield Wednesday announced plans for a £22 million upgrade. This would increase the stadium's capacity to 44,825 and make it ready to host World Cup matches. These plans were approved in 2009. However, because England did not win the bid to host the World Cup, the redevelopment was put on hold.
In 2022, the stadium got new LED floodlights. These lights are much better and brighter, improving the matchday experience for fans. They also meet the requirements for both League One and the Championship.
Graffiti artist Luke Horton has been painting new artwork of Wednesday fans on the stadium walls. These paintings show faceless characters with football sayings in the local Yorkshire dialect.
Hillsborough Records
The highest number of fans ever at Hillsborough was 72,841. This was for an FA Cup game against Manchester City on February 17, 1934. Since the stadium became all-seater in 1993, the record attendance is 39,640. This was for a Premier League match against Manchester United on February 2, 2000.
The highest average number of fans for a season was 42,520 in 1952–53. The lowest average attendance was 6,800 in the stadium's first season (1899–1900).
Hillsborough still holds the record for the highest attendance at a third-tier football match in Britain. On December 26, 1979, 49,309 fans watched Sheffield Wednesday beat Sheffield United 4–0. This famous game is known as the Boxing Day Massacre.
The most money ever made from a match at Hillsborough was £1,012,150. This was for a Euro 96 game between Turkey and Denmark in 1996.
International Football Matches
Hillsborough has hosted many international football games. It was a venue for the 1966 FIFA World Cup and 1996 UEFA European Championships. It also hosted some England matches before Wembley Stadium was built.
| Date | Result | Competition | Attendance | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-10-04 |  England |
5–4 |  Scotland |
1920 British Home Championship | 35,000 | |
| 1962-10-03 | England |
1–1 |  France |
UEFA Euro 1964 qualifier | 35,380 | |
| 1966-07-12 |  West Germany |
5–0 |  Switzerland |
1966 FIFA World Cup group stage | 36,000 | |
| 1966-07-15 |  Spain |
2–1 | 32,000 | |||
| 1966-07-19 |  Argentina |
2–0 | 32,000 | |||
| 1966-07-23 | West Germany |
4–0 |  Uruguay |
1966 FIFA FIFA World Cup quarter-final | 34,000 | |
| 1973-09-26 |  Northern Ireland |
0–0 |  Bulgaria |
1974 FIFA World Cup qualifier | 6,206 | |
| 1996-06-09 |  Portugal |
1–1 |  Denmark |
UEFA Euro 1996 group stage | 34,993 | |
| 1996-06-16 |  Croatia |
3–0 | 33,671 | |||
| 1996-06-19 |  Turkey |
0–3 | 28,951 |
Hillsborough also hosted two England under-21 international matches. In 1984, England's under-21s beat France's under-21s 6–1. In 2005, England's under-21s beat Poland's under-21s 4–1.
World Cup Bid
Hillsborough Stadium was chosen by The FA as a possible venue for matches in England's bid to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
See also
In Spanish: Estadio Hillsborough para niños
