Newport Stadium facts for kids
| Spytty Park | |
 |
|
| Location | Lliswerry, Newport NP19 4PT |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°34′26″N 2°57′34″W / 51.57389°N 2.95944°W |
| Owner | Newport City Council |
| Operator | Newport City Council |
| Capacity | 5,058 (3,246 seated) |
| Record attendance | 4,616 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1994 |
| Expanded | 2004 |
| Construction cost | £7 million |
| Tenants | |
| Newport City Newport Harriers A.C. Newport County A.F.C. (1994–2012) |
|
Newport Stadium, also known as Spytty Park, is a sports stadium in Newport, South Wales. It's mainly used for football and athletics events. The stadium is the home ground for Newport City Football Club and the Newport Harriers Athletic Club.
It used to be the home for Newport County and Albion Rovers football clubs. Even though Newport County moved, they still use the stadium for their younger teams and for training their main players.
Contents
About the Stadium
The stadium was opened in 1994. It cost about £7 million to build. It has a grass field for sports.
Who Owns and Manages It?
The stadium is owned and managed by Newport City Council. It is part of a bigger sports area called the Newport International Sports Village. This area also includes the Wales National Velodrome, which is a special track for cycling.
Stadium Capacity and Upgrades
Newport Stadium can hold up to 5,058 people. About 3,246 of these seats are covered. Before 2012, when Newport County moved to a different stadium, Newport Stadium was improved to meet the standards for a football league called the Conference National.
The stadium is also designed for international-level track and field events. It has strong floodlights that can make the field very bright, which is important for evening games and events.
Stadium Layout
Newport Stadium has two main covered stands along the sides of the football pitch.
- The west stand has seats for about 1,100 people.
- The east stand is a covered standing area for about 1,600 people. This part is often called The Shed.
There is also an uncovered standing area at the north end of the stadium. You can get to the stadium from Spytty Road, and there's a big car park for visitors.
Temporary Stands for Big Games
Sometimes, when there was a very important football match, extra temporary stands were put up.
- In 2002, when Newport County played Blackpool in the 2001–02 FA Cup, a temporary stand with seats was added behind the goal at the north end.
- In 2006, for an FA Cup game against Swansea City, another temporary stand was put up behind the goal at the south end.
In 2011, more temporary stands were added. A stand with 949 seats was placed at the south end, and another with 1,197 seats was put in front of the north standing area. These additions increased the stadium's total capacity to 5,058 people, with 3,246 seated.
Record Attendances
Newport Stadium has seen some exciting matches with many fans.
- The record attendance without any temporary stands was 4,300 people. This happened during a game against Manchester United in the 2003–04 season. At that time, this was the stadium's full capacity.
- With the help of temporary stands, the highest number of people to ever attend a game at the stadium was 4,616. This record was set on November 11, 2006, for an FA Cup match against Swansea City.
