Swansea.com Stadium facts for kids
 |
|
 Swansea.com Stadium
Stadium 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 |
| Public transit | The New Mex bus stop Swansea |
| Owner | City and County of Swansea Council |
| Operator | StadCo |
| Capacity | 21,088 |
| Record attendance | 20,972 (Swansea City vs Liverpool, Barclays Premier League, 1 May 2016) |
| 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 (2005–2025) Wales national football team (selected matches) |
|
The Swansea.com Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm Swansea.com) is a cool sports ground in Swansea, Wales. It's where both rugby union and football games are played. The stadium first opened in 2005 and was called the Liberty Stadium. It can hold over 21,000 fans, making it the biggest stadium built just for sports in Swansea!
This stadium is the home field for EFL Championship club Swansea City and the Ospreys rugby team. When Swansea City joined the Premier League in 2011, this stadium became the first Premier League ground in Wales. It is the third largest stadium in Wales. In European games, it's known as Swansea Stadium because of advertising rules.
Contents
Stadium History: How it Began
Before the Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea City played at Vetch Field. The Ospreys played at St Helen's and The Gnoll. These older stadiums were not modern enough for the teams. So, the Swansea council and some builders came up with a plan.
They decided to build a new stadium with 20,520 seats. It would be located next to the River Tawe, where the old Morfa Stadium used to be. The money for this big project came from building a large shopping area nearby. The whole development cost more than £50 million.
Opening Day Excitement
The stadium officially opened on 10 July 2005. It became the new home for both Swansea City and the Ospreys. On 23 July 2005, Swansea City played their first friendly match there against Fulham. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. Fulham's Steed Malbranque scored the first goal, and Swansea's Marc Goodfellow scored to tie the game.
The first league game was on 6 August, with Swansea beating Tranmere Rovers 1–0. The winning goal was scored by a new player, Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Honoring a Legend
In October 2005, a special statue was revealed outside the stadium. It honored Ivor Allchurch (1929–1997), a famous footballer from Swansea. He scored a record 164 goals for the club in 445 games!
Big Crowds and Future Plans
The stadium saw its first full crowd on 1 November 2006. That day, the Ospreys rugby team beat Australia A 24–16. Many Wales international football games have also been played here.
Swansea City football matches often sell out. The club has talked about making the stadium even bigger in the future. They want to add more seats, possibly expanding it to 33,000 or even over 40,000. This would allow even more big national football matches to be held in Swansea.
In July 2018, Swansea City took full ownership of the stadium. They made an agreement with Swansea Council. The Ospreys rugby team continues to share the stadium.
Stadium Names Through the Years
While the stadium was being built, people called it "White Rock" stadium. This name came from the old copper works that used to be on the site. But "White Rock" was just a temporary name. Once construction finished, the owners looked for a company to sponsor the stadium's name.
For a short time, it was called "New Stadium Swansea." Then, on 18 October 2005, a company called Liberty Properties Plc won the naming rights. They named it "Liberty Stadium." However, in UEFA matches, it is still called Swansea Stadium because of rules about sponsors.
On 8 May 2015, for one night, the stadium was renamed The Katie Phillips Stadium. This was a special event for an Ospreys fan chosen by chance.
Then, on 9 August 2021, the stadium got its current name: the Swansea.com Stadium. This happened after a 10-year agreement with Swansea.com, a business connected to Swansea City.
International Football Matches
The stadium has hosted eight Wales international football games. The first one was on 17 August 2005, a 0–0 draw against Slovenia. It was the first Wales match in Swansea in 17 years! Local player John Hartson was the team's captain for the first time.
The first competitive game and first win was a 2–0 victory over Switzerland on 7 October 2011. This was part of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. The most recent game was a 0–0 draw against the United States on 12 November 2020.
Here are the results of the international matches:
| 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 Fun Uses of the Stadium
Concerts and Music Events
The Swansea.com Stadium isn't just for sports! Many famous music artists have performed huge concerts here. Imagine seeing your favorite band play in a stadium!
| Date | Artist |
|---|---|
| 1 June 2007 | The Who |
| 29 June 2008 | Elton John |
| 23 June 2010 | Pink |
| 1 June 2011 | Rod Stewart |
| 12 June 2011 | JLS |
| 2 July 2014 | Kings of Leon |
| 28 May 2016 | Manic Street Preachers |
| 18 June 2016 | Lionel Richie |
| 14 June 2017 | Take That |
| 23 June 2018 | The Killers |
| 7 July 2018 | Little Mix |
| 29 June 2022 | Elton John |
| 12 June 2023 | Arctic Monkeys |
| 6 June 2024 | Take That |
Political Gatherings
In April 2014, the stadium also hosted a conference for the UK Independence Party. This shows that stadiums can be used for many different types of large events, not just sports and music.
Stadium Facts and Fan Numbers
- The stadium can hold 21,088 people.
- The most people ever at a game was 20,972. This happened on 1 May 2016, when Swansea City played Liverpool.
- The first international game was Wales vs. Slovenia on 17 August 2005.
The tables below show how many fans, on average, came to watch Swansea City and Ospreys league matches each season. Note: For the 2025-26 season, the Ospreys moved to the St Helens Ground.
| Season | Swansea City | Ospreys |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 17,960 | 8,567 |
| 2006–07 | 18,008 | 9,147 |
| 2007–08 | 16,906 | 9,487 |
| 2008–09 | 17,509 | 9,063 |
| 2009–10 | 15,407 | 8,284 |
| 2010–11 | 15,507 | 8,855 |
| 2011–12 | 19,946 | 7,259 |
| 2012–13 | 20,370 | 9,272 |
| 2013–14 | 20,407 | 7,936 |
| 2014–15 | 20,555 | 8,398 |
| 2015–16 | 20,711 | 8,474 |
| 2016–17 | 20,619 | 9,026 |
| 2017–18 | 20,879 | 6,994 |
| 2018–19 | 18,444 | 6,812 |
| 2019-20 | 15,405 | 5,834 |
| 2020–21 | NA | NA |
| 2021–22 | 17,389 | 6,131 |
| 2022–23 | 16,821 | 5,800 |
| 2023–24 | 16,586 | 4,892 |
| 2024–25 | 15,499 | 4,192 |
| Season | Swansea City | |
| 2025-26 | 0 | |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Liberty Stadium para niños
- List of stadiums in Wales by capacity
- List of Premier League stadiums
- List of football stadiums in England
