Swansea.com Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Swansea.com Stadium
Stadiwm Swansea.com

UEFA
Swansea.com Stadium Stadiwm Swansea.com Location in Swansea
Former names	White Rock Stadium (2004, under construction) New Stadium Swansea (2005, official) Liberty Stadium (2005–2021)
Location	Normandy Road, Swansea, Wales
Coordinates	51°38′32″N 3°56′06″W / 51.6422°N 3.9351°W / 51.6422; -3.9351
Public transit	The New Mex bus stop Swansea railway station
Owner	Swansea City AFC
Operator	StadCo
Capacity	21,088
Field size	105 x 68 metres (115 x 74 yards)
Surface	Desso GrassMaster
Construction
Broke ground	2003
Opened	10 July 2005
Construction cost	£27 million
Architect	TTH Architects, Gateshead UK
Tenants
Swansea City (2005–present) Ospreys (2005–present)

The Swansea.com Stadium (which is Stadiwm Swansea.com in Welsh) is a modern sports stadium in Swansea, Wales. It used to be called the Liberty Stadium. This stadium opened in 2005 and is a special place where people can watch sports and hold big meetings.

It's the home ground for two major teams: Swansea City, a football club that plays in the EFL Championship, and the Ospreys, a rugby team. When Swansea City got promoted in 2011, this stadium became the first Premier League ground in Wales! It's also the third largest stadium in Wales, after the Millennium Stadium and the Cardiff City Stadium. When European football games are played here, it's known as Swansea Stadium because of rules about advertising.

History of the Stadium

For a long time, the old stadiums used by Swansea City (called Vetch Field) and the Ospreys (called St Helen's and The Gnoll) were getting old and needed updates. The teams didn't have enough money to build a new stadium by themselves.

So, the Swansea council worked with some developers to create a plan for a new, modern stadium. They decided to build it on the site of an old athletics stadium called the Morfa Stadium. The money for the new stadium came from building a large shopping area nearby. The whole project cost more than £50 million!

Opening Day and First Games

The stadium officially opened its doors on 10 July 2005. It became the new home for both Swansea City and the Ospreys. The very first football match played there was a friendly game on 23 July 2005. Swansea City played against Fulham, a team managed by former Swansea player Chris Coleman. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. The first goal was scored by Fulham's Steed Malbranque, and Swansea's Marc Goodfellow scored to tie the game.

The first league game was on 6 August, where Swansea beat Tranmere Rovers. The winning goal was scored by a new player, Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Remembering a Legend

In October 2005, before a match between Swansea City and Oldham Athletic, a special statue was revealed. It was a statue of Ivor Allchurch, a famous football player born in Swansea. He scored a record 164 goals for the club in 445 games!

Stadium Growth and Changes

The stadium is very popular, especially during Swansea City football matches, which often sell out. The club has talked about making the stadium even bigger in the future. They hope to expand it in stages, possibly reaching a capacity of 33,000, and even over 40,000 later on. A bigger stadium would mean it could host more Wales international football matches.

In 2014, some cool new things were added to the stadium. Two huge 'Jumbotron' screens were put inside the north and south stands, which are about 200 inches big! Also, all the TVs in the food areas were replaced with new 50-inch screens.

In July 2018, Swansea City AFC took full ownership of the stadium. This means they are now completely in charge of running it. However, the Ospreys rugby team still shares the stadium with them.

Naming the Stadium

The logo of Liberty Stadium.

While the stadium was being built, people suggested different names for it. One common temporary name was "White Rock" stadium, named after an old copper factory that used to be on the site. Once it was finished, they called it "New Stadium Swansea" while they looked for a company to sponsor the name.

On 18 October 2005, a company from Swansea called Liberty Properties Plc won the rights to name it. That's how it became the "Liberty Stadium". However, when UEFA (the group that runs European football) holds matches there, it's called Swansea Stadium. This is because UEFA has rules about not showing company sponsorships during their games.

For one night only, on 8 May 2015, the stadium was even renamed "The Katie Phillips Stadium"! Then, on 9 August 2021, the stadium got its current name, the Swansea.com Stadium. This happened after a 10-year agreement with a business called Swansea.com, which shares a director with Swansea City.

International Football Games

The Swansea.com Stadium has hosted eight international football matches for the Wales national team. The very first Wales match played here was on 17 August 2005. It was the first time Wales had played in Swansea in 17 years! In that game, local player John Hartson was the captain, and it ended in a 0–0 draw against Slovenia.

The first competitive game and first win for Wales at the stadium was a 2–0 victory over Switzerland on 7 October 2011, during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. The most recent Wales game at the stadium was a 0–0 draw against the United States on 12 November 2020.

Here are the results of the Wales international football games played at the stadium:

Date	Type	Opponents	Final score
17 August 2005	Friendly	Slovenia	0–0
15 August 2006		Bulgaria
20 August 2008		Georgia	1–2
3 March 2010		Sweden	0–1
7 October 2011	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier	Switzerland	2–0
6 February 2013	Friendly	Austria	2–1
26 March 2013	2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier	Croatia	1–2
12 November 2020	Friendly	United States	0–0

Other Uses for the Stadium

Besides football and rugby, the Swansea.com Stadium is also a popular place for concerts and other big events! Many famous music artists have performed here.

Concerts at the Stadium

Kings of Leon performing at the stadium

Stadium Facts and Attendance

Here are some interesting facts and figures about the Swansea.com Stadium:

• The stadium can hold 21,088 people.
• The most people ever at a game here was 20,999, for a rugby match between the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues on 1 May 2016.
• The first international football game held here was Wales vs. Slovenia on 17 August 2005.

The table below shows the average number of people who came to watch home league matches for Swansea City and the Ospreys each season:

Images for kids

• 

  A rugby match at the stadium.

• 

  Inside the stadium during a game.

• 

  Another view of the stadium interior.

• 

  A wide shot of the stadium's seating.

• 

  The statue of Ivor Allchurch.

• 

  The Robbie James Wall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Liberty Stadium para niños