English association football stadium in Bolton
The
Toughsheet Community Stadium
is the home ground of
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
in
Horwich
,
Greater Manchester
, England.
Opening in 1997, it was originally named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsors
Reebok
. In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming rights deal with Italian sportswear company
Macron
.
[5]
It was renamed the
University of Bolton
Stadium in 2018.
[6]
From 1 July 2023 it became known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
[7]
A hotel forms part of the stadium and some of the rooms offer views of the pitch.
History
[
edit
]
The stadium is an
all-seater stadium
with a capacity of almost 29,000 and was completed in 1997, replacing the club's old ground,
Burnden Park
.
By the 1980s, Burnden Park, which at its peak had held up to 60,000 spectators, was becoming increasingly dilapidated, and a section of terracing was sold off for redevelopment as a supermarket to help pay off the club's rising debts. Bolton Wanderers had dropped into the Third Division in 1983 and later spent a season in the Fourth Division. In January 1990, the
Taylor Report
required all clubs in the first and second tiers of the English league to have an all-seater stadium by the
1994-95 season
. Bolton were still in the Third Division at that stage, but were aiming for promotion - which was finally achieved in 1993. By that time, the club's owners had decided to relocate to a new all-seater stadium away from Burnden Park and, by 1995, had identified a location at
Horwich
as the preferred site of a new stadium.
The lead consultant/architect of the project was Lobb Sports, while local firm
Bradshaw Gass & Hope
acted as planning supervisors and
quantity surveyors
. The contractor was
Birse Construction
, and Deakin Callard & Partners provided structural engineering services. The value of the contract was £25 million (US$42.1 million).
[8]
The stadium is noted for its distinctive gabled architecture, first pioneered by the
Kirklees Stadium
.
The stadium was opened in 1997 by
John Prescott
, a
Labour Party
politician, who was the
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
at the time.
[9]
The stadium consists of four stands: The Carrs Pasties (North) Stand at one end; the South Stand (Franking Sense and also the away end) at the other end; the Kia (West) Stand at one side of the pitch; and the Nat Lofthouse (east) Stand on the other side.
When the stadium was named after long-time team sponsor Reebok in 1997, fans considered the title impersonal and believed that too much emphasis was being placed on financial considerations. That opposition lessened considerably after the stadium was built, as fans grew accustomed to the name and were bolstered by Reebok's status as a local company.
[10]
The Macron branding was applied in July 2014, after the Bolton Wanderers club finalised a partnership with the large Italian sportswear brand. In April 2014, long-serving club chairman Phil Gartside stated that he was "proud" to be associated with Macron and had "been very impressed with their [Macron's] passion for football". A four-year duration was negotiated for the Macron deal and the club had the option to extend at completion.
[11]
When the deal with Macron came to an end in August 2018, the stadium was again renamed, this time as the University of Bolton Stadium.
[12]
On 1 July 2023, the stadium name was changed to The Toughsheet Community Stadium; the deal is set to last for five years.
[7]
- The first competitive ? and Premier League ? match at the stadium was a 0?0
draw
between Bolton and
Everton
on Monday 1 September 1997.
[13]
Bolton's
Gerry Taggart
had a header that crossed the line wrongly ruled out, and the points it would have won would have saved Bolton from relegation at Everton's expense.
[14]
- The first player to score at the stadium was
Alan Thompson
, a
penalty
in the 1?1 draw against
Tottenham Hotspur
, on 23 September.
Chris Armstrong
, who later in his career had a short spell with Wanderers, got the equaliser.
[15]
- On 6 September 2002, it hosted its first international, a friendly between
England under-21
and
Yugoslavia under-21
. It ended in a 1?1 draw with 10,531 in attendance. Visitor
Danko Lazovi?
scored the first goal and
Shaun Wright-Phillips
equalised.
[16]
22 years later, it hosted another England under-21 match against
Luxembourg under-21
.
[17]
- Lokomotiv Plovdiv
were the visitors in the first
UEFA Cup
match at the stadium, on 15 September 2005. Boban Janchevski scored first for the visitors, but late goals from
El Hadji Diouf
and
Jared Borgetti
secured a 2?1 home victory in the first competitive European match in Bolton's history.
[18]
Other events
[
edit
]
The stadium has hosted concerts by
Oasis
,
[19]
Pink
,
Elton John
,
Coldplay
,
The Killers
,
Little Mix
and
Rod Stewart
. The music video for Coldplay’s 2005 single
Fix You
uses footage filmed at their Horwich concerts. The track was performed twice on each night so enough footage could be captured.
[20]
The stadium also hosted the
UK Open Darts Championship
,
boxing
matches with local boxer
Amir Khan
and in 2011
Premiership
rugby union
, when
Sale Sharks
lost to
London Irish
. It will also host group matches and the quarter-final of the
Rugby League World Cup
in 2021.
The venue's Premier Suite is home to the UK's leading amateur mixed martial arts event, Full Contact Contender.
[21]
[22]
In August 2019, the stadium hosted a campaign rally by
Labour Party
leader
Jeremy Corbyn
.
[23]
In March and April 2021, the stadium held
Crown Court
cases due to the large amount that had built up as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
whilst the actual Courts were closed.
[24]
In the same year it was a venue for COVID-19 vaccinations.
[25]
Snooker
[
edit
]
A professional snooker tournament, the
2021 Champion of Champions
,
[26]
was hosted at the stadium between 15 and 21 November 2021.
[27]
Rugby League
[
edit
]
The stadium has also hosted seven rugby league matches.
[28]
Rugby League Test Matches
[
edit
]
- ^
Originally meant to be on 30 October 2021, but the competition was postponed to 2022 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
.
World Club Challenge
[
edit
]
Challenge Cup
[
edit
]
In 2018, the stadium hosted the first ever double-header semi-finals of the
Challenge Cup
, repeated in 2019.
[29]
Bolton Wanderers Free School
[
edit
]
In 2014, the club established
Bolton Wanderers Free School
at the stadium. It was a
sixth form centre
offering sports and related courses for 16- to 19-year-olds, and utilised the facilities of the stadium for most of its teaching and learning. However, this closed in 2017 due to low pupil numbers which made it 'not financially viable'.
[30]
Attendances
[
edit
]
Record attendances
[
edit
]
- Record attendance: 28,353 v
Leicester City
, 28 December 2003 (
FA Premier League
)
- Lowest attendance for a competitive match: 1,540 v
Everton U23s
, 30 August 2016
Northern Section Group Stage, Game One
- Lowest Premier League attendance: 17,014 v
Derby County
, 2 January 2008
- Record
UEFA Cup
attendance: 26,163 v
Atletico Madrid
, 14 February 2008
Last 32 1st leg
- Record
FA Cup
attendance: 23,523 v
Arsenal
, 12 March 2005
Quarter finals
- Record
League Cup
attendance: 20,064 v
Aston Villa
, 23 August 2022,
Second Round
- Record
EFL Trophy
attendance: 9,062 v
Bradford City
, 3 September 2019
Northern Section Group Stage, Game One
Average attendances
[
edit
]
Season
|
Division
|
League Average
[31]
[32]
[33]
|
European Average
|
FA Cup Average
|
League Cup Average
|
EFL Trophy Average
|
Play-off Average
|
2000?01
|
First Division
|
14,960
|
|
14,982
|
4,957
|
|
23,515
|
2001?02
|
Premier League
|
25,098
|
|
|
7,015
|
|
|
2002?03
|
25,016
|
|
10,123
|
12,621
|
|
|
2003?04
|
26,794
|
|
8,759
|
10,191
|
|
|
2004?05
|
26,005
|
|
19,837
|
18,037
|
|
|
2005?06
|
25,265
|
17,635
|
15,223
|
11,997
|
|
|
2006?07
|
23,606
|
|
21,088
|
|
|
|
2007?08
|
20,901
|
18,367
|
15,286
|
15,510
|
|
|
2008?09
|
22,485
|
|
|
7,136
|
|
|
2009?10
|
21,880
|
|
13,120
|
8,050
|
|
|
2010?11
|
22,869
|
|
14,035
|
|
|
|
2011?12
|
23,670
|
|
10,532
|
6,777
|
|
|
2012?13
|
Championship
|
18,034
|
|
15,482
[34]
|
|
|
|
2013?14
|
16,141
|
|
11,965
[35]
|
|
|
|
2014?15
|
15,413
|
|
19,480
|
9,249
|
|
|
2015?16
|
15,056
|
|
12,812
|
5,842
|
|
|
2016?17
|
League One
|
15,194
|
|
8,453
|
|
1,565
|
|
2017?18
|
Championship
|
15,887
|
|
11,574
|
6,385
|
|
|
2018?19
|
14,239
|
|
5,506
|
|
|
|
2019?20
|
League One
|
12,028
|
|
6,992
|
|
5,839
|
|
2020?21
[a]
|
League Two
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
2021?22
|
League One
|
16,104
|
|
11,183
|
7,147
|
2,332
|
|
2022?23
|
18,813
|
|
5,999
|
13,284
|
3,316
|
23,450
|
2023?24
|
21,022
|
|
7,369
|
6,747
|
2,713
|
24,518
|
Nat Lofthouse statue
[
edit
]
Bolton Wanderers unveiled a bronze statue of their most famous player,
Nat Lofthouse
(1925?2011), prior to a game against
Queens Park Rangers
on 24 August 2013. The statue, which cost £100,000 due to the generosity of public donations and sponsors, is situated near to the south-west corner of the stadium and was officially revealed by club owner Eddie Davies in a special ceremony.
Club chaplain Phil Mason, chairman
Phil Gartside
and the son of Nat Lofthouse ? Jeff Lofthouse, also took part in the ceremony as did sculptor
Sean Hedges-Quinn
. Hedges-Quinn had taken 18 months overall to complete the project having worked successfully on the statues such as that of
Bob Stokoe
at
The Stadium of Light
,
Ted Bates
at
St Mary's Stadium
and
Sir Bobby Robson
and
Alf Ramsey
at
Portman Road
.
[36]
Transport
[
edit
]
The stadium's West Stand lies about 200 metres from
Horwich Parkway railway station
situated between
Lostock
and
Blackrod
on the
Manchester to Preston Line
. Football specials used to operate to and from the station on matchdays in the past, but not in recent years . When the Wanderers play at home, bus services are laid on by the club from across the borough.
[37]
On non-matchdays, Horwich Parkway is served by two trains an hour in each direction, operated by
Northern
. Numerous routes serve bus stops near or at the ground, operated by TfGM under the Bee Network brand.
Arriva North West
, Vision Bus and
Diamond Bus North West
.
[38]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
To check the stadium's full postal address, go to the
Royal Mail address finder
and type: BL6 6JW. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
- ^
"Reebok Stadium"
. architect
Populous
. Archived from
the original
on 27 February 2012
. Retrieved
10 August
2014
.
- ^
"University of Bolton Stadium"
. StadiumDB.com.
- ^
"Groundsmen Win Top Awards with Desso Pitches"
. SAPCA. 18 June 2007. Archived from
the original
on 23 October 2014
. Retrieved
10 August
2014
.
- ^
"BWFC strike stadium and kit deal with Macron"
. bwfc.co.uk. 24 April 2014. Archived from
the original
on 24 April 2014
. Retrieved
24 April
2014
.
- ^
"Welcome to the University of Bolton Stadium"
.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
1 August 2018
. Retrieved
16 September
2018
.
- ^
a
b
"The Toughsheet Community Stadium"
.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
19 February 2023
. Retrieved
19 February
2023
.
- ^
"Bolton Wanderers Football & Athletic Co Ltd. New Stadium"
.
Bradshaw Gass & Hope
. Bradshaw Gass & Hope, LLP. 2014. Archived from
the original
on 5 September 2011
. Retrieved
6 August
2014
.
- ^
"Timeline: A history of the Reebok Stadium"
.
The Bolton News
. 24 April 2014
. Retrieved
6 August
2014
.
- ^
Sam Antrobus (17 December 2012).
"Should football fans really be so fearful of such deals?"
. FootballFanCast.com. Archived from
the original
on 24 May 2013
. Retrieved
21 March
2013
.
- ^
"Bolton to change stadium name to Macron Stadium ? but where does it rank in the worst arena names?"
.
The Daily Mirror
. 24 April 2014
. Retrieved
6 August
2014
.
- ^
"Welcome to the University of Bolton Stadium"
. bwfc.co.uk. 1 August 2018
. Retrieved
1 August
2018
.
- ^
Shaw, Phil (2 September 1997).
"Football: Speed's miss spares Bolton"
.
The Independent
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
Iles, Marc (8 July 2017).
"Two decades after Gerry Taggart's 'goal that never was' - Bolton Wanderers finally get goal-line technology"
.
The Bolton News
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
Walker, Michael (21 January 2019).
"I scored historic goal but couldn't keep Bolton up"
. Press Reader
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
"Wright-Phillips saves England"
. BBC Sport. 6 September 2002
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
Bolton Wanderers to host England U21 qualifier in March
- ^
"Bolton 2 Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1"
.
Manchester Evening News
. 15 September 2005
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
McNair, James (17 July 2000).
"Oasis | Reebok Stadium, Bolton"
.
The Independent
. Archived from
the original
on 12 July 2009.
- ^
Montgomery, James (2 August 2005).
"Coldplay's clip for 'Fix You': All new footage of Chris Martin walking around"
. MTV
. Retrieved
6 March
2019
.
- ^
Wharton, Brad.
"Full Contact Contender 3 Report and Results"
.
YourMMA.tv
. YourMMA
. Retrieved
2 April
2013
.
- ^
McCann, George.
"FCC 5 Review and Results"
.
Love2Fight Magazine
. Archived from
the original
on 14 May 2014
. Retrieved
2 April
2013
.
- ^
Marshall, Brad (17 August 2019).
"Jeremy Corbyn addresses hundreds of activists at University of Bolton Stadium rally"
.
The Bolton News
. Retrieved
26 August
2019
.
- ^
Manchester Evening News: "Football stadium to be transformed into a crown court"
- ^
Pharmacy to lead mass vaccination site at stadium Pharmacy to lead mass vaccination site at stadium"
- ^
"Cazoo and Matchroom Expand Partnership Deal"
.
WST
. 17 June 2021. Archived from
the original
on 17 June 2021.
- ^
"Champion Of Champions Snooker Heads To University Of Bolton Stadium With Full Crowd This November"
.
Champion of Champions Snooker
. 15 April 2021
. Retrieved
17 April
2021
.
- ^
"Reebok Stadium - Results - Rugby League Project"
.
Rugbyleagueproject.org
. Retrieved
10 January
2021
.
- ^
"Semi Final Venues Announced"
. rugby-league.co.uk. 30 May 2018
. Retrieved
30 May
2018
.
- ^
"Bolton Wanderers Free School 'not financially viable'
"
. bwfc.co.uk. 7 March 2017.
Archived
from the original on 26 October 2018
. Retrieved
7 May
2018
.
- ^
"Premier League 2001/2002 - Attendance"
.
worldfootball.net
. Retrieved
9 October
2018
.
- ^
"Championship 2012/2013 - Attendance"
.
worldfootball.net
. Retrieved
9 October
2018
.
- ^
"League One 2016/2017 - Attendance"
.
worldfootball.net
. Retrieved
9 October
2018
.
- ^
"Bolton results 2012-13"
. Football365. Archived from
the original
on 12 August 2014
. Retrieved
10 August
2014
.
- ^
"Bolton results 2013-14"
. Football365. Archived from
the original
on 10 August 2014
. Retrieved
10 August
2014
.
- ^
"Nat Lofthouse statue at Bolton's Reebok Stadium"
. BBC News. 24 August 2013
. Retrieved
24 August
2013
.
- ^
"Directions to the Reebok Stadium"
.
Bwfc.co.uk
. Retrieved
25 March
2013
.
- ^
"Archived copy"
.
www.bwfcbusiness.co.uk
. Archived from
the original
on 2 September 2012
. Retrieved
17 January
2022
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
External links
[
edit
]
53°34′50″N
2°32′8″W
/
53.58056°N 2.53556°W
/
53.58056; -2.53556
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