Kassam Stadium facts for kids
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| Full name | Kassam Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Grenoble Road, Oxford, England, OX4 4XP |
| Coordinates | 51°42′59.11″N 1°12′29.04″W / 51.7164194°N 1.2080667°W |
| Owner | Firoka Group |
| Operator | Oxford United |
| Capacity | 12,500 |
| Field size | 112 × 78 yards |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1997 |
| Opened | 2001 |
| Construction cost | £15m |
| Architect | ACP Architecture Ltd |
| Tenants | |
| Oxford United (2001–present) London Welsh (2012–2015) |
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The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club. It is also known as Grenoble Road. The stadium is named after its owner, Firoz Kassam, who was also a chairman of the football club.
Oxford United plays its games here in League One, which is the third level of English football. Before this stadium was built, the club played at The Manor Ground from 1925 until 2001.
Opening the Stadium
The Kassam Stadium is owned by one of Firoz Kassam's companies, called Firoka Group. The very first football match played here was a friendly game on 4 August 2001.
Oxford United played against Crystal Palace. The game ended in a 1–1 draw, and Oxford United won after a penalty shootout. Paul Powell scored the first goal for Oxford United at the new stadium. One week later, on 11 August, the first official league match took place. Oxford United played against Rochdale in the Football League Third Division.
Stadium Records
The most people ever to watch a game at the Kassam Stadium was 12,243. This happened during Oxford United's last match of the 2005–06 League Two season.
In the summer of 2006, Manchester United played a friendly game here. About 11,463 fans came to watch. On Boxing Day in 2006, a record 11,065 people attended a Conference Premier game. This record was broken on 3 May 2010, when 11,963 fans watched a play-off match against Rushden & Diamonds.
In January 2016, 11,673 people watched Oxford United win an FA Cup game 3–2 against Swansea City. This was the biggest home crowd in almost four years.
The stadium also hosts concerts. On 24 July 2006, Sir Elton John performed to a sold-out crowd of 17,500 people.
Stadium Design and Features
One special part of the stadium is its main entrance. It has shiny glass panels that reflect light. The stadium also has many rooms that can be used for meetings and other events. The South Stand of the stadium has 28 private boxes. Each box can hold up to 20 people.
The Kassam Stadium has three main stands:
- The North Stand is used by both home and away fans. It can hold 5,026 people.
- The East Stand is often called the Oxford Mail Stand. This is where the loudest home fans sit. It can hold 2,879 spectators.
- The South Stand is the biggest part of the stadium. It has the club offices, changing rooms, and the private executive boxes. This stand is split into two levels. The lower level has a special Family Section. The South Stand can hold 4,495 people in total.
Images for kids
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The East Stand being built in November 2000
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Panoramic view of the Kassam Stadium
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View from the open end of the Kassam Stadium
See also
In Spanish: Kassam Stadium para niños
