Kingsholm Stadium facts for kids
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Castle Grim
Holm Queensholm |
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Exterior view, November 2016
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| Location | Gloucester, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°52′18″N 2°14′34″W / 51.87167°N 2.24278°W |
| Public transit |  Gloucester |
| Owner | Gloucester Rugby |
| Capacity | 16,115 (12,000 Concerts) |
| Surface | Artificial |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1891 |
| Opened | 1891 |
| Tenants | |
| Gloucester Rugby Gloucester–Hartpury |
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Kingsholm Stadium is a famous rugby union stadium in Gloucester, England. It is the home ground for the Gloucester Rugby team. The stadium can hold 16,115 people.
People sometimes call it 'Castle Grim'. This nickname comes from the old estate where the stadium was built. A new main stand opened in 2007. It has 7,500 seats and runs along one side of the pitch.
Kingsholm was once a home stadium for the England rugby team. This was before they moved to Twickenham Stadium. It also hosted a big game between New Zealand and the USA in the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
Contents
Exploring Kingsholm Stadium
Kingsholm Stadium has different areas for fans to watch games. Many English rugby stadiums have standing areas called terraces.
The Compeed Shed
The North Stand is a popular standing area. It is known as 'The Compeed Shed' for sponsorship reasons. This area runs along the entire length of the pitch. It can hold about 3,000 people. The Shed is famous in rugby for being very close to the action. Its low roof helps fans make a lot of noise to support their team!
West Stand Terrace
The West Stand terrace holds around 1,615 fans. Above this standing area, there are special boxes for guests. This stand is sponsored by Allstone speedy skips.
East Stand Seating
The East Stand has seats for about 3,000 fans. It is right next to Kingsholm Road. This stand is sponsored by Stowford Press.
A Look Back: Kingsholm's History
The idea to buy the land for Kingsholm Stadium started in July 1891. The Gloucester Football Club bought the grounds. The very first match was played there in October 1891.
In 1892, a pavilion was built. It had seats for 424 spectators. A wooden stand was added in 1923. Sadly, a fire destroyed this stand in September 1933. A bigger, new stand was built quickly that same year. The original pavilion was taken down in 1934. In its place, the stand known today as The Shed was built.
Big Games: International Rugby Matches
Kingsholm Stadium has hosted many exciting international rugby games. In May 2008, the Barbarian F.C. team played against the Ireland national rugby union team here.
The stadium was also a venue for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. It hosted one pool game during that tournament. Later, it hosted four pool games in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Teams like Tonga, Georgia, Scotland, Argentina, the United States, and Japan played their matches at Kingsholm.
| List of men's and women's international rugby union matches at Kingsholm Stadium | ||||
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| Date | Country | Score | Country | Use |
| 6 January 1900 | England  |
3–13 |  Wales |
1900 Home Nations Championship |
| 8 October 1991 | New Zealand  |
46–6 |  United States |
1991 Rugby World Cup |
| 27 May 2008 | Ireland  |
39–14 | Barbarians | Uncapped match |
| 12 June 2011 | England Saxons | 41–14 | Tonga  |
Churchill Cup |
| 15 November 2014 | Tonga |
40–12 | United States |
2014 End-of-year test |
| 5 September 2015 | Japan  |
13–10 |  Georgia |
World-cup warm up game |
| 19 September 2015 | Georgia |
17–10 | Tonga |
2015 Rugby World Cup |
| 23 September 2015 | Scotland  |
45–10 | Japan |
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| 25 September 2015 | Argentina  |
54–9 | Georgia |
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| 11 October 2015 | United States |
18–28 | Japan |
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| 9 April 2022 | England |
58–5 |  Wales |
2022 Women's Six Nations Championship |
| 7 September 2024 | England |
 France |
2024 WXV warm up game | |
Kingsholm also hosted a game for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. New Zealand played Lebanon there on October 29. Some players from that New Zealand team, like Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo, later played for Gloucester Rugby.
Music and Fun: Concerts at Kingsholm
Kingsholm Stadium is not just for rugby! It often hosts pop concerts, usually after the rugby season ends. Many famous artists have performed here.
Some of the stars who have played at Kingsholm include Tom Jones, McFly, Ronan Keating, and The Wanted. In 2015, Madness performed. Elton John played in 2016, followed by Jess Glynne and Lionel Richie. In 2017, Little Mix entertained the crowds.
Football at the Stadium
Kingsholm Stadium hosted some football matches for Gloucester City A.F.C. in the 1910s. After their home ground flooded several times, there were talks about Gloucester City A.F.C. using Kingsholm. However, no agreement was reached for them to play there.
Growing and Changing: Stadium Development
In 2003, Gloucester Rugby started 'Project Kingsholm'. This project aimed to improve the entire stadium. Supporters even helped raise money for these plans. The idea was to make the stadium bigger and better.
In 2006, the club announced plans to expand Kingsholm. This would increase the stadium's capacity to 16,500. The old main Grandstand was replaced with a new seating area. A standing area on the Worcester Street end was also turned into an all-seater stand.
The 'Save Our Shed' Campaign
In 2007, there were plans to change The Shed terracing into an all-seater stand. This would have made the entire stadium seated. However, many fans loved standing in The Shed. They started a campaign called 'Save Our Shed' or 'SOS'. They held up posters during televised matches. They even made T-shirts with the slogan.
The fans did not want to stop the stadium from improving. They just wanted to keep a standing area because it was so important to the atmosphere. In 2008, the club chairman confirmed that The Shed would be redeveloped but would remain a terrace. It would also have more space, holding up to 6,000 people.
Recent Changes
In 2017, The Shed was renamed Greene King Shed due to a sponsorship deal. In 2021, a new deal changed its name again to The Compeed Shed. Also, a new artificial surface was installed on the pitch before the 2021–22 season.
Images for kids
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Panoramic view of the stadium in 2011
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See also
In Spanish: Estadio Kingsholm para niños
