Sheffield Wednesday have had a few grounds since forming in 1867 but found home in Owlerton in 1899 and are there still, at Hillsborough Stadium. At the end of the 1898-99 season, Wednesday were facing the very real threat of being homeless when a demand for rent increased dramatically at Olive Grove leaving the club with no other option but vacate and search for a new permanent home. When a supporter poll revealed Owlerton would be an acceptable place to move to, the club set about securing a 10-acre plot of land for £4,500. The location was a risky call for the club, not being served by public transport and meaning a walk to matches but all fears were allayed when early crowds at Owlerton compared favourably to Olive Grove.
The grounds:
Highfields 1867-70
Myrtle Road 1870-77
Bramall Lane 1873-87
Sheaf House 1877-81 & 1885-87
Hunters Bar 1882-1885
Olive Grove 1887-1899
Owlerton / Hillsborough 1899-present
With the attendances rising, improvements were quickly afforded to the clubs new home - stands quickly erected, reporters enclosure, roomy dressing rooms for both home & away teams, bathrooms with baths & showers (& hot water), a tea & coffee room, toilets, referee's room and a refreshment room. At a cost of £2,674 a large entrance door and turnstiles were erected on Penistone Road giving Wednesday the most modern stand built at that point in England. 3000 fans were catered for in the Leppings Lane end when the grassy bank was transformed into a roofed stand that was later extended and connected to the North Stand. All the improvements proved Sheffield Wednesdays determination to make their new stadium one of the best in the country and 1913 brought the plans to create a new South Stand, ambitiously to run the whole length of the riverside to house 16,600 fans.
1927 saw the plans to extend be refreshed when a 12,000 capacity stand was built in replacement of the Leppings Lane end corner. This took the stadiums total capacity to over 80,000. 1954 saw the introduction of floodlights with an extension to the Kop and this modern stadium was a jewel in English footballs crown. In 1960 the club were again at the forefront of stand construction when a groundbreaking cantilever stand was to be built for the North Stand. Forcing the team to play in a 3-stand stadium for the 1960-61 season proved little inconvenience as upon its opening, Wednesday boasted one of the finest stands in world football - built the full length of the pitch.
The Kop finally got its roofing after the 1985-86 season had finished and upon completion, Wednesday boasted the largest covered standing area in Europe - housing 22,000 fans. This new addition was officially opened by HM the Queen in December 1986, with over 40,000 fans in attendance.
The disaster in 1989 sent shock-waves throughout world football and the microscope fell on the club to provide answers into the tragedy of which 96 Liverpool fans died in a terrible set of circumstances. Wednesday closed the Leppings Lane end for 2 years while adjustments were made, slashing the capacity of the stand. 1990 saw crush barriers, fire alarms and emergency lighting installed at the stadium as a result. 92' saw undersoil heating installed and 12 months later the Kop and north-west corner were transformed into all-seating sections. During the Kop's redevelopment, 11,210 seats were installed and the famous Owl design and 'The Owls' were built into the stand.
Extensions and improvements were made over the following years keeping Wednesday in a modern, safe and roofed home. In 1997 the wooden seating in the North Stand was finally replaced by the more modern, comfortable plastic seats and 'SWFC' was installed in white amongst the blue. Flooding in 2007 caused damage to the North and South stands, dressing rooms and of course the pitch was under several feet of water at its worst point. The busted river bank and lashing rain brought with it a tidal wave of mud - ruining everything it covered, including the boardroom! The ticket office and club shop also came under the attack of the filthy water and thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused. The club claimed £1m on the clubs insurance to rectify the damage.
Current capacities:
North Stand 9,255
West Stand 6,658
NW corner 1,337
Kop 11,210
South stand (lower) 8,275
Grandstand 3,077
TOTAL: 39,812
Hillsborough is no longer the most modern, breath-taking stadium in England - but for fans up and down the country, visiting the stadium is still a moment to look forward to. I remember my first visit to the stadium - its something I will never forget, nervously and excitedly walking up the steps to be greeted by a site that was forever etched into my mind. It was the 23rd February 2002, against local rivals Rotherham United. My first visit to Hillsborough with my best-friend Kieron Jones and my heart is almost beating out of my chest. Totally in awe of the stadium - keep in mind I had only been to Belle Vue (Doncaster Rovers), Millmoor (Rotherham Utd) and the mighty Old Road (Denaby United) - so the sight of the brilliant Hillsborough had me captivated. I remember looking at all the fans during the game, seeing the passion and laughing at Kevin Pressman wobbling his belly when the chant of 'who ate all the pies' rang out from the Kop where we were sat. I remember the feeling of embarrassment when a full Kop joined the singing of 'Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday' only for me to sing 'Silver Lining' and hoping nobody heard. We went on to lose to a sickening 90th minute long range goal but walking down the steps away from the stands I had a look over my shoulder at the stadium and that feeling reassures me that Hillsborough really is the home of football.
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