Toughsheet Community Stadium facts for kids
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| Full name | Toughsheet Community Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names |
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| Location | Burnden Way Horwich Bolton BL6 6JW England |
| Public transit |  Horwich Parkway |
| Owner | Bolton Wanderers |
| Operator | Bolton Wanderers (1997–present) |
| Capacity | 28,723 (sports) 40,000 (concerts) |
| Record attendance | 28,353 (sports) 34,731 (concert) |
| Field size | 110 x 72 yards (100.6 x 65.8 metres) |
| Surface | GrassMaster |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1996–1997 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Construction cost | £25m |
| Architect | Populous |
| Tenants | |
| Bolton Wanderers (1997–present) | |
The Toughsheet Community Stadium is a cool football stadium located in Horwich, Bolton, England. It's the home ground for the Bolton Wanderers Football Club. This stadium has seats for 28,723 fans, so it can get pretty loud and exciting on match days!
The stadium first opened in 1997 and was called the Reebok Stadium. This was because of a sponsorship deal with the sports company Reebok. Later, in 2014, it was renamed the Macron Stadium after another sportswear brand, Macron. In 2018, it became the University of Bolton Stadium. Since July 1, 2023, it has been known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium, named after a local company that makes building products from recycled materials.
Did you know there's a hotel built right into the stadium? Some of the rooms even have amazing views of the football pitch!
Contents
Building the Stadium: A New Home for Bolton Wanderers
This stadium is an all-seater stadium, meaning everyone gets a seat. It was finished in 1997 and replaced the club's much older home, Burnden Park.
By the 1980s, Burnden Park was getting old and falling apart. At its busiest, it could hold 60,000 people, but parts of it were sold off to help the club with money problems. A new rule in 1990 said that all top-tier football clubs needed to have stadiums where everyone could sit. So, Bolton Wanderers decided to build a brand new stadium. They found the perfect spot in Horwich in 1995.
The stadium cost about £25 million to build. It was designed by Lobb Sports and is known for its unique roof shape, which was first seen at the Kirklees Stadium. The stadium officially opened in 1997. A famous politician, John Prescott, who was the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time, helped open it.
The stadium has four main sections, called stands:
- The Carrs Pasties (North) Stand
- The South Stand (also where away team fans sit)
- The Kia (West) Stand
- The Nat Lofthouse (East) Stand
When the stadium was first named after Reebok, some fans weren't too happy. They felt it was too much about money. But they soon got used to the name, especially since Reebok was a local company. The name changed to Macron Stadium in 2014 and then to University of Bolton Stadium in 2018. Finally, in 2023, it became the Toughsheet Community Stadium. This latest deal is set to last for five years.
Exciting Firsts at the Stadium
The Toughsheet Community Stadium has seen many important moments in its history:
- First Football Match: The very first official game was a Premier League match on September 1, 1997. Bolton played Everton, and it ended in a 0–0 draw.
- First Goal Scorer: The first player to score a goal here was Alan Thompson. He scored a penalty for Bolton against Tottenham Hotspur on September 23, 1997.
- First International Game: On September 6, 2002, the stadium hosted its first international match. It was a friendly game between the England Under-21 team and Yugoslavia Under-21.
- First European Match: Bolton Wanderers played their first ever competitive European game here on September 15, 2005. They faced Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the UEFA Cup and won 2–1.
- Bolton Wanderers Women's First Game: The Bolton Wanderers Women team played their first match at the stadium on April 20, 2025. They won the game and became champions of their league!
More Than Just Football
The stadium isn't just for football; it's a popular place for many other events!
It has hosted huge concerts with famous bands and singers like Oasis, Pink, Elton John, Coldplay, the Killers, Little Mix and Rod Stewart. Coldplay even filmed parts of their music video for "Fix You" here!
The stadium has also been used for:
- The UK Open Darts Championship.
- Boxing matches, including those featuring local boxer Amir Khan.
- Rugby union and Rugby League World Cup matches.
- Mixed martial arts events.
- Important meetings and rallies, like one for politician Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.
- In 2021, it even helped out by hosting Crown Court cases and serving as a place for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Snooker Tournaments
A professional snooker tournament, the 2021 Champion of Champions, was held at the stadium from November 15 to 21, 2021.
Rugby League Matches
The stadium has hosted several exciting rugby league matches, including international test matches and the World Club Challenge.
Rugby League Test Matches
| Date | Teams | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 November 1998 | New Zealand vs Great Britain | New Zealand won 36–16 | 27,486 |
| 18 November 2000 | New Zealand vs England | New Zealand won 49–6 | 16,032 |
| 17 November 2001 | Australia vs Great Britain | Australia won 40–12 | 22,152 |
| 22 October 2022 | England vs France | England won 42–18 | 23,648 |
World Club Challenge Games
| Date | Teams | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 January 2001 | St. Helens vs Brisbane Broncos | St. Helens won 20–18 | 16,041 |
| 14 February 2003 | Sydney Roosters vs St. Helens | Sydney Roosters won 38–0 | 19,807 |
| 23 February 2007 | St. Helens vs Brisbane Broncos | St. Helens won 18–14 | 23,207 |
Record Crowds
The stadium has seen some huge crowds over the years:
- Biggest Football Crowd: 28,353 people watched Bolton play Leicester City on December 28, 2003.
- Biggest Concert Crowd: 34,731 people attended a concert here!
- Lowest Football Crowd: The smallest crowd for a competitive match was 1,540 people for a game against Everton U23s on August 30, 2016.
- Biggest European Game Crowd: 26,163 fans came to see Bolton play Atlético Madrid on February 14, 2008.
- Biggest FA Cup Crowd: 23,523 people watched Bolton play Arsenal on March 12, 2005.
Nat Lofthouse Statue
Outside the stadium, there's a bronze statue of Nat Lofthouse, who was Bolton Wanderers' most famous player. He was known as "The Lion of Vienna." The statue was unveiled on August 24, 2013, before a game against Queens Park Rangers.
The statue cost £100,000, and fans and sponsors helped raise the money. It was officially revealed by the club owner, Eddie Davies. The artist, Sean Hedges-Quinn, spent 18 months creating it. He has also made statues of other football legends at different stadiums.
Getting There
The stadium is easy to get to! The West Stand is only about 200 meters from Horwich Parkway railway station. This station is on the train line that goes between Manchester and Preston.
On match days, special bus services run from all over the area to help fans get to the game. On other days, regular trains run twice an hour in each direction from Horwich Parkway. Many bus routes also stop near the stadium.
Images for kids
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Interior view prior to a Bolton v Arsenal match, February 2007
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Field and grandstands view, August 2005
See also
In Spanish: Toughsheet Community Stadium para niños
