Pittodrie Stadium facts for kids
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Pittodrie
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Pittodrie, with North Sea in background.
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 Pittodrie Stadium
Location in Aberdeen
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| Location | Pittodrie Street, Aberdeen, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 57°09′33″N 2°05′20″W / 57.15917°N 2.08889°W |
| Owner | Aberdeen F.C. |
| Capacity | 19,274 |
| Field size | 109 yd × 72 yd (100 m × 66 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1899 |
| Opened | 2 September 1899 |
| Renovated | 1993 (Richard Donald Stand opened) |
| Construction cost | GB£4.5 million (Richard Donald stand) |
| Tenants | |
| Aberdeen F.C. (1899–1903) Aberdeen F.C. (1903–present) Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. (2004–2005) |
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Pittodrie Stadium, often called Pittodrie, is a famous football stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. It's where the local football team, Aberdeen F.C., has played its home games since 1903. Before that, another team called the original Aberdeen F.C. used the ground from 1899.
Pittodrie is a special place because it was one of the first stadiums in the United Kingdom to have seats for everyone. It also invented the "dugout," which is where coaches and players sit close to the pitch. With space for 19,274 fans, it's the fourth-largest stadium in the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). It's also the biggest stadium in Scotland outside of the main cities.
By November 2017, Pittodrie had hosted fifteen matches for the Scotland national football team. It has also been used for rugby union games and even concerts. For example, Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. played some of their home matches here in 2004–2005.
Contents
History of Pittodrie Stadium
The first Aberdeen football club started in 1881. They played in different places until 1899. That's when they found a piece of land, which used to be a place for police horses. They cleaned it up and made it ready for football. The land was rented from Mr. Knight Erskine of Pittodrie.
The very first game at Pittodrie was on September 2, 1899. The team won 7–1 against Dumbarton F.C.. In 1903, the original Aberdeen club joined with two other local teams. They formed the Aberdeen FC we know today. On August 15, 1903, 8,000 fans watched the new team play its first game at Pittodrie. They drew 1–1 against Stenhousemuir F.C.. The club joined the Scottish Football League in 1904.
Growing Popularity and New Features
As the team became more popular, more people came to watch. This led to big changes at Pittodrie in the 1920s. The club bought the ground they had been renting in 1920. The Main Stand, which holds the club offices and trophy room, was built in 1925. This was partly paid for by selling a player named Alex Jackson.
Also in the 1920s, the "dugout" was invented at Pittodrie. Aberdeen coach Donald Colman wanted to sit lower to the pitch. This way, he could see the players' footwork better.
Aberdeen won its first major trophy, the Scottish Cup, in 1947. More success meant more improvements to Pittodrie. The most people ever to watch a game at Pittodrie was 45,061. This happened on March 13, 1954, for a Scottish Cup match against Hearts.
Floodlights were added on October 21, 1959. This allowed games to be played at night. By 1968, the Main Stand had seats for everyone. This was part of a big upgrade. Around this time, the name changed from Pittodrie Park to Pittodrie Stadium. In 1971, a fire damaged part of the Main Stand. Firefighters had to save the Scottish Cup trophy, which Aberdeen held at the time.
Becoming an All-Seater Stadium
In 1978, Pittodrie became the first stadium in Great Britain to have seats for every fan. This was a big step for stadium design. It happened ten years before new rules made it a requirement for all British football grounds. This change came as the team, managed by Alex Ferguson, started to do very well.
The south side of the stadium became the South Stand in 1980. It got a special roof that covered most of the seats. A year later, the long benches were replaced with individual seats.
One of Pittodrie's most famous nights was March 16, 1983. Aberdeen played Bayern Munich in a European Cup Winners' Cup game. They were losing 2–1 but came back to win 3–2. This amazing victory helped them reach the semi-finals. They went on to win the trophy by beating Real Madrid in the final.
In 1985, the club added 24 special boxes in the Main Stand. They also built a new roof over the Merkland Road End. In 1987, heating was installed under the pitch.
Recent Changes and Location
The newest part of the stadium was built in 1993. The old Beach End stand was taken down. In its place, the new Richard Donald Stand was built. It was named after the club's chairman. This stand opened on August 1, 1993. It's the only part of the stadium with two levels of seating. Since then, the stadium has mostly stayed the same. Some small updates, like an electronic entry system, were added in 2006.
Pittodrie Stadium is very close to the North Sea, only about 550 yards away. Because of this, it's known as one of the coldest football grounds in Britain.
For a short time in 2004–2005, Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. used Pittodrie. Their own stadium wasn't big enough for the Scottish Premier League at the time. Once their stadium was improved, they moved back home.
In March 2020, the club announced plans to reduce the stadium's capacity to 15,500. However, attendance numbers in the 2023-24 season have often been higher than this.
Parts of Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium has four main sections, called stands. Each stand has its own features.
The Main Stand
The Main Stand is the oldest part of the stadium. It's where many of the club's offices are, including the dressing rooms and the trophy room. Players walk onto the pitch from a tunnel in this stand. It has special padded seats for club officials and important guests. There are also several private boxes at the back. Some views in this stand can be blocked by pillars that hold up the roof. It's usually the most expensive place to watch a game. The club shop and ticket office are next to this stand.
The Richard Donald Stand
This stand is named after Dick Donald, a former club chairman. It was finished in 1993 and can hold over 6,000 fans. It has two levels and a row of twelve private boxes in between. People often call it the "RDS." It cost £4.5 million to build. Inside, there are rooms used for events and parties.
The Merkland Stand
The Merkland Stand is behind one of the goals. It's also known as 'the Paddock' or 'King Street End'. This is the family stand, with cheaper tickets for kids under twelve and families. There's also a special area for disabled fans near the pitch. The front of the stand is made of granite, a local stone.
The South Stand
The South Stand was originally just a grassy bank. Later, seats and a roof were added. Some of its 8,400 seats are still not covered. Since 1993, the far end of this stand has been used for visiting fans. This stand also holds the television cameras and commentary positions.
Future Plans for Aberdeen FC
Even with all its history, Pittodrie might not be a football stadium forever. There are plans for Aberdeen F.C. to move to a new stadium. The idea of moving, instead of just updating Pittodrie, has been suggested by the Aberdeen City Council. An earlier plan to move to the edge of the city was stopped.
In 2006, the club's main owners agreed to sell the land where the stadium sits. This was to help pay off some of the club's debts.
In the late 2010s, construction started on a new training facility called Cormack Park. It opened in 2019. However, plans for a new stadium at the same spot were paused because of money problems. In 2021, new designs were shown for a stadium closer to the city's beachfront, not far from Pittodrie.
Other Events at Pittodrie
Pittodrie has hosted more than just Aberdeen FC games.
Scotland National Football Team Matches
The Scotland national football team has played fifteen international matches at Pittodrie. Usually, the national team plays at Hampden Park in Glasgow. But sometimes, when Hampden Park is being worked on, or for smaller games, other stadiums are used. Scotland has won ten games, drawn two, and lost three at Pittodrie. The most recent was a 1–0 loss to the Netherlands on November 9, 2017.
| 3 February 1900 | Scotland  |
5 – 2 |  Wales |
1900 British Home Championship |
Bell  2'D. Wilson 7', 35'Hamilton 37'Smith 60' |
T.D. Parry W.T. Butler |
Attendance: 12,500 Referee: C.E. Sutcliffe (England) |
| 12 February 1921 | Scotland |
2 – 1 | Wales |
1921 British Home Championship |
| Wilson 11', 46' |
D.J. Collier |
Attendance: 20,824 Referee: J. Mason (England) |
| 21 November 1935 | Scotland |
3 – 2 | Wales |
1936 British Home Championship |
| Duncan 23' C.E. Napier 46', 85' |
C. Phillips 72' D.J. Astley 88' |
Attendance: 26,334 Referee: S. Thompson (Northern Ireland) |
| 10 November 1937 | Scotland |
1 – 1 |  Ireland |
1938 British Home Championship |
| Smith 48' |
P. Doherty |
Attendance: 21,878 Referee: A.J. Jewell (England) |
| 10 November 1971 | Scotland |
1 – 0 |  Belgium |
1972 European Championship qualifier |
| O'Hare 5' |
Attendance: 36,500 Referee: Bostrom (Sweden) |
| 16 May 1990 | Scotland |
1 – 3 |  Egypt |
Friendly match |
| McCoist 73' |
Youssef 15' Hassan 28'Hamid 83' |
Attendance: 23,000 Referee: Pedersen (Norway) |
| 2 June 1993 | Scotland |
3 – 1 |  Estonia |
1994 World Cup qualifier |
| McClair 16' Nevin 27', 72' (pen.) |
Bragin 57' |
Attendance: 14,307 Referee: Ouzounov (Bulgaria) |
| 8 September 1993 | Scotland |
1 – 1 |  Switzerland |
1994 World Cup qualifier |
| Collins 50' |
Bregy 69' (pen.) |
Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Quiniou (France) |
| 7 September 1997 | Scotland |
4 – 1 |  Belarus |
1998 World Cup qualifier |
| Gallacher 7', 58' Hopkin 54', 88' |
Katchouro 74' (pen.) |
Attendance: 20,160 Referee: van der Ende (Netherlands) |
| 14 October 1998 | Scotland |
2 – 1 |  Faroe Islands |
2000 European Championship qualifier |
| Dodds 21' Burley 45' |
Petersen 86' (pen.) |
Attendance: 18,517 Referee: Kapitanis (Cyprus) |
| 17 April 2002 | Scotland |
1 – 2 |  Nigeria |
Friendly match |
| 17:45 | Dailly 7' |
Aghahowa 40', 69' |
Attendance: 20,465 Referee: Øvrebø (Norway) |
| 22 August 2007 | Scotland |
1 – 0 |  South Africa |
Friendly match |
| 20:00 | Boyd 71' |
Attendance: 13,723 Referee: Atkinson (England) |
| 16 November 2010 | Scotland |
3 – 0 | Faroe Islands |
Friendly match |
| 20:00 | Wilson 24' Commons 31'Mackie 45' |
Attendance: 15,064 Referee: van Boekel (Netherlands) |
| 6 February 2013 | Scotland |
1 – 0 | Estonia |
Friendly match |
| 19:45 | Mulgrew 39' |
Attendance: 16,102 Referee: Turpin (France) |
| 9 November 2017 | Scotland |
0 – 1 |  Netherlands |
Friendly match |
| 19:45 | Depay 40' |
Attendance: 17,883 Referee: Buquet (France) |
Rugby Union Matches
Since 2005, Pittodrie has also hosted four international rugby union games.
| Date | Country | Score | Country | Victor |
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| 24 May 2005 | Scotland |
38 – 9 | Barbarians | Scotland |
| 22 November 2008 | Scotland |
41 – 0 |  Canada |
Scotland |
| 27 November 2010 | Scotland |
19 – 16 |  Samoa |
Scotland |
| 24 November 2012 | Scotland |
15 – 21 |  Tonga |
Tonga |
Concerts and Other Events
Pittodrie has also been a venue for concerts. Famous musicians like Elton John and Rod Stewart have performed there.
See also
In Spanish: Pittodrie Stadium para niños
- Stadium relocations in Scottish football
- List of stadiums in the United Kingdom by capacity
- Lists of stadiums
