Bramall Lane
Encyclopedia
Cricket at the Lane
Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of NorfolkDuke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket clubs and originally had six clubs playing there. It was managed by an umbrella organisation for these clubs; the Sheffield United Cricket Club
Sheffield United Cricket Club
Sheffield United Cricket Club was the first sports club or association in England to bear the word "United" in its name, common amongst association football clubs in England today. Sheffield United Cricket Club was formed in 1854, by several local cricket clubs in Sheffield uniting, thus the name...
.
Bramall Lane opened on 30 April 1855 as a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground with a match between "The Eleven" and "The Twenty Two", The Eleven, despite being the senior team, lost by an innings and 28 runs.
A team representing Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
played the first county match at the ground on 27 August 1855, against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
but lost by an innings and 117 runs.
Although the first county game had been played eight years earlier, the official Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
was not formed until 1863. The idea came from Ellison, who was using his own finances to support the club, in order to improve Bramall Lane's financial position as the county's headquarters. It was the club's headquarters until 1893, when they moved to Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
In 1897, Jack Brown and John Tunnicliffe
John Tunnicliffe
John Tunnicliffe was an English, first-class cricketer, who played in 472 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.-County career:...
recorded a first wicket score of 378 against Sussex—a ground record that has never been beaten. Brown's score of 311 and Yorkshire's innings of 681 for 5 declared were also records when the cricket ground closed. Other notable scores include the 582 for 7 declared they piled up against Surrey in 1935 and the 579 posted against the touring South Africans in 1951. Six other scores in excess of 500 were made. In contrast there were a host of scores under 100, mainly in the 19th century, although Derbyshire's paltry total of 20 in 1939 remains the lowest ever score. Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 24 in 1888 but Kent showed the Yorkshire batsmen up in 1865, bowling them out for 30. Many of the low totals were made on rain affected, uncovered wickets.
The ground hosted a single Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in 1902, against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
, which England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
lost by 143 runs. Australia won thanks to a century by Clem Hill
Clem Hill
Clement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five...
and the bowling of Saunders and Noble, who both took 5 wickets in England's first innings of 145 and Noble and Trumble who took 6 and 4 wickets respectively to bowl the home team out for 195 second time around. The defeat was blamed on the poor light at the ground; a product of smoke emitted by local factories. Attendances were poor, and the experiment was never repeated.
In addition Jack Brown's triple century 10 double centuries were scored on the ground, Sir Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
scored unbeaten two double tons, an 280* against Hampshire in 1939 and 271* against Derbyshire in 1937. W Barber posted 255 against Surrey in 1935 while the great Indian batsman VS Hazare scored 244 not out for the Indian tourists in the first season after World War Two.
Among many notable partnerships W Barber and Maurice Leyland
Maurice Leyland
Maurice Leyland , christened 'Morris Leyland', was an English cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938 and proved himself one of the best left-handers of his generation....
amassed 346 for the second workcet against Middlesex in 1932 and the aforementioned VS Hazare and Vinoo Mankad put on 322 for the Indians against Yorkshire for the 4th wicket in 1946. Only one century was scored in list A one day cricket at Bramall Lane, John Hampshire
John Hampshire
John Harry Hampshire John Harry Hampshire John Harry Hampshire (born 10 February 1941, Thurnscoe (near Barnsley, Yorkshire) better known as Jack Hampshire, is a former English cricketer, who played eight Tests and three ODIs for England between 1969 and 1975. He played first-class cricket for...
's 108 against Nottinghamshire in 1970 in the Sunday League.
Three bowlers took all ten wickets in an innings at Bramall Lane, the feat being more common in the annals of first class cricket than many imagine. The great Australian leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett
Clarrie Grimmett
Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett was a cricketer; although born in New Zealand, he played most of his cricket in Australia. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper.Grimmett was born in Caversham a suburb of Dunedin,...
took 10 for 37 for the tourists in 1930 while TF Smailes took all 10 for 47 for Yorkshire against Derbyshire in 1939. G Wootton took 10 for 54 for an All England Eleven v Yorkshire in 1865 while 9 other bowlers took 9 wickets in an innings there, including a haul of 9 for 12 by the great Yorkshire slow left armer Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
.
The best match bowling figures at the ground, 16 for 114, were recorded by G Burton of Middlesex against Yorkshire in 1888 while Hedley Verity took an incredible 15 for 38 against Kent in 1936. Len Braund
Len Braund
Leonard Charles Braund, born October 18, 1875, at Clewer, Berkshire, and died December 23, 1955, Putney Common, London, was a cricketer who played for Surrey, Somerset and England....
took 15 for 71 for Somerset in 1902 while W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
showed his youthful talent with the ball with a haul of 15 for 79 for Gloucestershire in 1872.
D. Hunter of Surrey dismissed caught 5 batsmen and stumped another in one innings in 1891 while Yorkshire stalwart Jimmy Binks
Jimmy Binks
James Graham "Jimmy" Binks is a former English cricketer who played as a wicket-keeper for Yorkshire. Although he was regarded by many as the best wicket-keeper of his generation, his limited batting ability restricted him to just two Test match appearances for England, both on the 1963-64 tour to...
completed 5 dismissals in an innings 3 times.
The two ends of the ground were known as the Pavilion End and the Football Ground End. Between 1863 and 1973, Yorkshire played 391 first class matches, including 339 County Championship matches at Bramall Lane. Yorkshire's last match at the ground took place on 4, 6 and 7 August 1973, a drawn game against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. The construction of the South Stand began soon after, over the cricket square, finally enclosing the football pitch on all four sides. Yorkshire's cricket games in Sheffield moved to Abbeydale Park
Abbeydale Park
Abbeydale Park is a sports venue in Dore, South Yorkshire, England. It is unusual in having hosted home games for two different county cricket teams.-History:...
.
Football at the Lane
Sheffield F.C.
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...
and Hallam F.C.
Hallam F.C.
Hallam Football Club are a football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently play in the Northern Counties East League Division One...
The game was played to raise money for the Lancashire Distress Fund and ended 0–0.
As Sheffield's main sporting stadium it held all the most important local matches. The world's first football tournament, the Youdan Cup
Youdan Cup
The Youdan Cup was an association football competition played in Sheffield, England. A local theatre owner Thomas Youdan sponsored the competition and provided the trophy...
, held its final at Bramall Lane in March 1867 with Hallam
Hallam F.C.
Hallam Football Club are a football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently play in the Northern Counties East League Division One...
beating Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. This was followed by the Cromwell Cup
Cromwell Cup
The Cromwell Cup was the second ever football competition and was held in Sheffield, England. It was held in February 1868 and named after Oliver Cromwell, manager of the local Alexandra Theatre, who donated the cup . He also played for the Garrick club. The tournament was only open to teams...
a year later, which was won by a newly formed team called The Wednesday. By 1877, a crowd of 8,000 watched The Wednesday beat Hallam in the Sheffield Challenge Cup
Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup
The Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup is a county cup competition involving teams within the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association...
. Bramall Lane effectively became The Wednesday's permanent home between 1880 and the opening of their new stadium at Olive Grove
Olive Grove
Olive Grove was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century...
in 1887.
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
(often referred to as the London FA) and Sheffield FA
Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association
The Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association was formed in Sheffield in 1867 and was the first County Football Association in England. Its teams adopted the Sheffield Rules of football up until 1878 when they were merged with the Football Association's rules...
, was also held at Bramall Lane on 2 December 1871. It was won 3–1 by the home side, who also arranged a number of games with other Associations including regular fixtures against Glasgow.
On 22 March 1889, six days after 22,688 people paid to watch the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final between Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion, it was decided to create a home football team to play at Bramall Lane. It was named Sheffield United after the cricket team.
International matches
Bramall Lane was regularly used for international matches before the construction of a national stadium in London. The worlds first ever floodlitFloodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
football match took place at Bramall Lane on 14 October 1878 in front of an attendance of 20,000. England's
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 10 March 1883 was the first match between these two countries outside London or Glasgow. It makes it the oldest football venues still capable of hosting international matches in the world.
| Date | Result | Competition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 October 1883 | 2–3 | Friendly | ||
| 5 February 1887 | 7–0 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
||
| 29 April 1889 | 4–0 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
||
| 4 April 1903 | 1–2 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
||
| 20 October 1930 | 5–1 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
Milestones
- 1855: The ground at Bramall Lane built for cricket.
- 1878: First floodlit game played between "Reds" and "Blues"
- 1896: A new John Street Stand built with room for 6000 both seated and standing.
- 1897: A new Shoreham Street Stand built.
- 1900: A new cricket pavilionCricket pavilionA cricket pavilion is a pavilion at a cricket ground. It is the main building within which the players usually change in dressing rooms and which is the main location for watching the cricket match for members and others...
built. - 1901: Cycle track removed.
- 1911: Roof added to the Bramall Lane End.
- 1935: Roof added to the Kop. Running trackAthletics (track and field)Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
built in front of John Street Stand. - 1940: The ground damaged in Sheffield BlitzSheffield BlitzThe Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of German Luftwaffe bombing in Sheffield, England during the Second World War. It took place over the nights of 12 December and 15 December 1940....
. John Street was badly affected and the Kop roof damaged. - 1953: FloodlightsFloodlights (sport)Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
installed. - 1966: Bramall Lane Stand opened.
- 1975: South Stand opened.
- 1981: Cricket pavilion demolished.
- 1991: Seats installed in Kop.
- 1994: John Street demolished. Seats added to lower tier of Bramall Lane End.
- 1995: New pylon-less floodlights installed.
- 1996: New John Street Stand opened.
- 2001: New corner stand holding 1,000 fans opened between shoreham st & John street.
- 2002: Blades Enterprise Centre is built between John Street and Bramall Lane.
- 2005: Wooden seats removed from South Stand.
- 2006: New corner opens between Cherry Street and Bramall Lane. Bramall Lane end cantileverCantileverA cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed. - 2008 : New hotel built on the corner of the south stand and Bramall lane end.
The ground today
The stands
The ground has been an all-seater stadium since 1994 and is now made up of four main stands and two corner infill stands in the North-East and South-West corners. The North-West corner (as well as a lot of the land under the John Street Stand) contains the Blades Enterprise Centre, and the South-East corner is still open, although there are plans to fill it with seating as part of the strategy to build a leisure complex at the back of the South Stand.Bramall Lane Stand
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
Campaign, the bottom tier is occupied by away fans whilst the upper tier, which links into the South-West corner infill stand, is given to home fans (although part of the upper tier may be offered to away fans for cup fixtures if demand is sufficient). This is in contrast to previous seasons, when away fans had the upper tier (and hence the best view in the ground) much to the annoyance of home fans. During the 2005–2006 season, the outside of the Bramall Lane Stand was reclad in red-and-white, with the stand sponsors and the club crest on the outside of the stand, while the wooden seats of the upper tier were replaced with newer plastic seats with the words "BLADES" written into them. When the corner infill stand was built during the closed season, the roof over the Bramall Lane Stand was extended toward the pitch to provide better cover for the lower tier and to remove the supporting pillars from the upper tier. There are approximately 2700 seats in the upper tier, and 2990 in the lower, giving a total capacity of 5680. This stand has for many years housed a basic LCD scoreboard and clock between the upper and lower tiers, however at the start of the 2006–2007 season both were replaced by a modern colour video scoreboard.
The South Stand
Arnold Laver
Arnold Laver Ltd is a timber merchant based in Sheffield. The company was founded by Arnold Laver in 1920. They have 12 Depots, Employ approximately 550, and with a turnover in excess of £87 million per year.-History:...
Stand" (after the stand's long-term sponsors in the 1990s) or even the "New Stand" by many older fans since there was no stand on the South end of the pitch until 1975, where previously it was used as the cricket pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
's outfield. Opened in August 1975, the South Stand is situated alongside the pitch and is for home fans who wish to have a side-view when watching the match (the John Street Stand is for families only). During the 2005–2006 season, this stand was renovated, with a re-clad of the outside of the stand and the old wooden seats replaced by newer plastic seats forming an emblem of two swords written. The box-seats were also upgraded, and since the stand then has been under three different sponsorship deals (currently GAC Logistics
GAC Logistics
GAC Logistics is the freight forwarding arm of GAC . Headquartered in Dubai in the Middle East the company employs 8,000 people worldwide and has over 300 offices worldwide, in more than 1,000 locations around the globe...
). This stand holds approximately 7,500 fans, and most of the ground's amenities, including the Box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
, newly expanded and renovated for the 2006–2007
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season Blades Superstore, Platinum Suite, "Legends of the Lane" museum, "1889" award winning restaurant (formerly known as Bosworth's of Bramall Lane), the former police control centre (now relocated to the Blades Enterprise Centre between the Bramall Lane and John Street Stands), newly refurbished reception, Press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
, players entrance, administrative offices and television gantry attached to the roof of the stand.
The Kop Stand
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...
named the noise coming from this stand as the "Bramall Roar" after the 2003 play-off semi-final second-leg against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, which the Blades won 4–3, coming from 0–2 down. The stand is currently sponsored by Kennedys and, was formally sponsored by Hallam FM
Hallam FM
Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.-History:...
. The stand itself is built into a hillside situated behind the goal, at the east end of the stadium. This places the stand along Shoreham Street, hence the often-heard chant of "Hello! Hello! We are the Shoreham Boys" coming from this stand on matchdays. It has the club's initials "SUFC" written into the seats, and holds 10,221 fans, making this the largest stand at Bramall Lane. The facilities are of lower quality in the Kop because there is no indoor concourse, although an outdoor bar was completed in September 2007 to complement the fast-food takeaway, but in spite of this it is still a firm favourite amongst the fans, and usually full on matchday. At a Shareholders meeting in November 2007 the club announced that it intended to expand the Kop by 3,500 ( making it the largest 'kop' in the country ) and to upgrade all the facilities and cover the concourse areas. However, since then Sheffield United chief executive Trevor Birch
Trevor Birch
Trevor Birch is an English football executive and former football player, currently serving as Chief Executive at Sheffield United....
has announced that the extension will not be taken into consideration until the club can gain and maintain Premier League status.
John Street Stand
Kop Corner
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
campaign.
Westfield Health Stand
Westfield Health
Formed in 1919, Westfield Health is a UK-based not for profit organisation which provides healthcare plans to private and public sector organisations and blue-chip companies....
. It is linked to the Bramall Lane stand (upper tier), sharing its facilities, turnstiles and exits. It is always used by home fans, and reputedly has the best views of the ground, although season tickets are not available in this stand. The stand holds approximately 2000 fans.
Blades Enterprise Centre
The North-West corner is filled in by rentable offices, known as the Blades Enterprise Centre, one of many examples of United diversifying their off-the-field activities to maximise income streams. The Enterprise centre provides office space for smaller and new companies in the block between the John Street and Bramall Lane stands, and also underneath the John Street stand itself. Built in 2002, the facility is highly successful, and is the only business location in Sheffield to be signposted from the train stationSheffield Midland station
Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a railway station in Sheffield, England and is the busiest station in South Yorkshire...
. The club intend to build another much larger business centre in between the Kop stand and South stands with work to begin during the Summer 2008. However this has been delayed.
Current and ongoing work
The stadium has an enviable central location close to the city centre. In order to maximise the earnings potential of the land around the stadium in June 2007 work began to build a 158 bedroomed 4 star Millennium and Copthorne Hotel behind the new Westfield stand. The new hotel opened its doors in November 2008.At the Shareholders meeting in November 2007 the club announced that it intends to extend the back of the Kop stand with an additional 3,200 seats and remove the pillars holding up the roof. As the revised stand capacity is likely to be about 13,400, it will overtake Anfield to become the largest single tiered Kop stand in British football.
The club also plan a major upgrade to the Kop facilities and covering of the concourse areas. The club is conscious of creating non football related income streams therefore they also plan to build student accommodation at the back of the Kop and a large business centre (office block) between the Kop and South stand. A planning application is to be submitted in October 2008 with work scheduled to begin towards the end of the 2008–09 season. However this has been delayed.
In the same meeting the club announced that its long term ambitions are to add an additional 6,000 seats to the main South (Valad) Stand with the intentions of taking the overall stadium capacity to just over 44,000, however this expansion would depend on demand in the Premiership and any potential 2018 World Cup venue bid. United PLC
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
Chairman Kevin McCabe has stated that he would build Bramall Lane's extensions to any specifications laid down by the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
with a view to the ground hosting matches should England be successful in winning their World Cup bid. However on 16 December 2009, the FA announced that Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
(home of rivals Sheffield Wednesday) would be Sheffield's venue in the event that a World Cup is awarded to England and Sheffield is named a host city.http://www.england2018bid.com/news/158/candidate-host-cities-revealed.aspx
Following this announcement Sheffield United's Chief Executive, Trevor Birch
Trevor Birch
Trevor Birch is an English football executive and former football player, currently serving as Chief Executive at Sheffield United....
, made it known that all planned redevelopment work had been put on hold until the club was able to regain and maintain Premiership status. With Sheffiled United's relegation to League One in May 2011 any further redevelopment work would seem unlikely in the near future.
Attendance
The record attendance stands at 68,287 for the Sheffield United v Leeds United F.A. Cup fifth round tie, played on 15 February 1936.The record attendance since the 1994 introduction of all spectators being seated is 32,604 at the Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
v Wigan Athletic game in the Premier League, on 13 May 2007.
Average league attendances
- This is the average league attendances stretching back over ten years for Sheffield United home matches at Bramall Lane. Sheffield United away games and any home cup matches are excluded.
- 1998–1999: 16,243
- 1999–2000: 13,718
- 2000–2001: 17,211
- 2001–2002: 18,020
- 2002–2003: 20,069
- 2003–2004: 21,646
- 2004–2005: 19,594
- 2005–2006: 23,650
- 2006–2007: 30,684
- 2007–2008: 25,631
- 2008–2009: 26,023 (prior to playoff 2nd leg)
- In season 2007–2008, Sheffield United had the best average attendance in the Coca Cola Championship.
- In the 2008–2009 season Sheffield United had the second best average attendance of 26,073 in the Coca Cola Championship.
External links
- Bramall Lane Stadium Information from Sheffield United official website
- when Bramall Lane was a first-class Cricket Ground from CricInfo