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Sheffield Wednesday
Hillsborough

Capacity: 39,812 (all seated)
Address: Hillsborough, Sheffield, S6 1SW
Main Telephone No: 0870 999 1867
Main Fax No: 0114 221 2122
Ticket Office: 0871 230 1867
Ticket Office Fax: 0114 221 2401
Club Nickname: The Owls
Year Ground Opened: 1899
Pitch Size: 115 x 75 yards
Home Shirt Sponsors: Gilder Group Volkswagen
Away Shirt Sponsors: Westfield Health
Home Kit Colours: Blue & White
Away Kit Colours: Silver With Blue Trim
Kit Manufacturers: Puma
Official Web Sites:
www.swfc.co.uk
Our Wednesday forum
Unofficial Web Sites:
London Owls
OwlZone Message Boards
Anzowls,

Owls Online
Owlstalk

Vital Sheffield Wednesday
SheffieldWednesday.com


Map
Contents
What's Hillsborough Like?
Future Developments
External View Of The Kop (photo)
What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
South Stand (photo)
Where To Drink?
North Stand (photo)
How To Get There And Where To Park

Looking Towards The Kop (photo)
By Train
Local Rivals
Leppings Lane End (photo)
Local Rivals
Admission Prices
Fixtures 2011-2012
Programme Price
Ground Layout
Disabled Facilities
Record & Average Attendance
Fans Ground Reviews
Hotel Accommodation
Hillsborough Location Map



What's Hillsborough Like?

Although the ground has not had the level of new investment some other clubs have recently received, it is still a beautiful ground oozing character. It has four large separate stands, all of which are all covered and are roughly the same height, giving a uniform feel to the stadium. On one side is the North Stand. This large single tiered stand was opened in 1961. It was hailed as an architectural marvel, as at the time it was the largest cantilever stand ever built in Britain and only the second such type of stand to have been constructed (the first was at the Old Showground in Scunthorpe). The two tiered South Stand on one side of the ground is the largest of the stands and is superb looking. Considering that it was opened in 1914 and was designed by the famous football ground architect Archibald Leitch, then it is a testimony after so much time that we still marvel at it. Plus it still outshines many new stands that have been built even in recent years. On its roof is the trademark of a Leitch Main Stand, the gable. This triangular structure on the roof, contains a clock and is adorned with a copper football. The stand has a large lower tier with a small upper tier above. At the back of the lower tier is a row of executive boxes. The team dugouts and Directors Box are located on this side.

At one end is the Spion Kop. This was previously a huge open bank of terrace, that was at one time the largest in Britain. It gained a roof in 1986 and was made all seated in 1993. Opposite is the West Stand or Leppings Lane End. This two tiered stand was opened in 1966, in time for the Club to host some World Cup games played that year. Like the Kop, it has a number of large supporting pillars. One corner of the ground is filled with seating between the North & West Stand, this area is uncovered. On the other side of the West Stand is an electric scoreboard, under which is tucked a Police Control Box. Unusually for such an old ground, it doesn't have a set of floodlight pylons. Instead the stadium is illuminated by lights running across the front of the stand roofs.

Outside the ground near the main entrance is a memorial to the 96 fans who died at Hillsborough in 1989, at the FA Cup Semi Final between Liverpool & Nottingham Forest. The memorial is normally covered in flowers left by those who wished to pay their respects.

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Future Developments

The Club had previously announced plans to increase the capacity at Hillsborough to almost 45,000. This was primarily through the proposed expansion of the Leppings Lane End, including the building of an additional tier and the 'filling in' of the corner between this and the South Stand. This was in the hope that England would win the bid to stage the 2018 World Cup (Hillsborough was listed as one of the potential venues). However the failure of this bid, means that plans have been shelved for the time being. They may be 'dusted off' if the Club gain promotion to the Premier League.

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External View Of The Kop


External View Of Kop, Hillsborough

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What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters?
Away fans are normally placed in the upper tier of the West Stand (the Leppings Lane) end of the ground, where up to 3,700 away supporters can be accommodated. If there is a particularly large following (or for an FA Cup Tie) then the corner described above may also be made available, plus the lower tier of the West Stand. This can take the allocation up to 8,000. There are a number of supporting pillars in the West Stand, which could impede your view. On the concourse food on sale includes; A range of Pies (£2.80), Sausage Rolls (£2.20), Cheeseburgers (£3.40), Burgers (£3.20), Rollover Hot Dogs (£3.20) and Pork Baps (£3.50). The refreshments though are served from behind a metal mesh, which gives the area a prison like feel.

I had an enjoyable day out at Hillsborough, where I found the atmosphere around the ground to be relaxed. I thought the ground was certainly one of the best in the League, if not the country, in terms of setting and attractiveness. Lee Hicklin adds; 'About a hundred yards down Leppings Lane there is a programme and football memorabilia shop, which is worth a visit'.

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South Stand

South Stand Hillsborough
                    Sheffield

Where To Drink?
Mark Doyle informs me; 'another pub that caters for away supporters is the New Bridge Inn on Penniston Road, which is the main A61 that runs by the stadium. Head up the A61 in the opposite direction to Sheffield City Centre (Meadowhall & M1) and you will reach the pub on your left just before Wadsley Bridge,' Terry Potts, recommends the 'Wadsley Jack' on Rural Lane. It's about a 15 minute walk (uphill though) from the visitors end. Dave Reid informs me 'if you continue up the road past the Wadsley Jack there is the Rose & Crown pub which also welcomes away supporters'.

Also I did pass a couple of pubs (the Norfolk Arms & The Red Lion) on the way into Sheffield on the A61 from the M1, where away fans were drinking. Bill Harris a visiting Millwall fan adds; 'I found an excellent Pub called The New Barrack Inn on the A61 just before McDonalds on the way to the ground, from the city centre. Forget the exterior, inside the pub has some excellent decor and no juke boxes or fruit machines. Although on my own I was made to feel very welcome and spent a good couple of hours talking football to the locals'. This pub is owned by the Castle Rock Brewery and is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. It normally has seven beers on handpull, plus one cider polypin. It is also serves food.

For those with a little bit more time on their hands or planning to travel to the ground by Supertram, then the Hillsborough Hotel near the Langsett/Primrose View tram stop (two stops from Hillsborough going towards Meadowhall/Halfway) is worth a visit. This CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed pub, has a range of real ales available, hot food and is home to the Crown Brewery, whose beers it also has on offer. In fact on my last visit, a lovely smell of hops wafted throughout the bar. Also from the outside area at the back you can see people descending down the artificial ski slope in the distance. John Piper adds; 'From the Langsett/Primrose view stop. Cross over the road and walk back about 50 metres, in the direction of the city centre and the Hotel is on the corner. Afterwards just hop back on the tram (Yellow route - destination Middlewood) and get off at the Leppings Lane stop. An all day ticket for the Supertram and is currently £3.70 and can be bought on board'. In Hillsborough itself (and conveniently situated by the tram stop, so much so that you can literally get straight off the tram and walk through the doors of the pub) is a Wetherspoons called the Rawson Spring. I am not sure if this is suitable for away fans on matchday, so if anyone can please clarify the situation then please e-mail me at
duncan@footballgrounds.net. If you do go into the CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed pub, then try to guess what the building was used for, before becoming a pub.

If arriving in Sheffield by train then as Joe Oates a visiting West Ham United fan suggests; 'The Howard pub, on Howard street opposite Sheffield Railway Station. I found it to be a very warm and welcoming place for away fans to visit. A reasonable selection of the usual draught beers/lagers and three ales on the pump. Prices were very reasonable and a good selection of pub grub, including chicken curry and chips for £2.50. It is then a ten minute walk to Castle Square Tram station for the Yellow route'.

Please note that alcohol is not available to visiting supporters in the away section of the ground.

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North Stand


North
                    Stand Hillsborough

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How To Get There And Where To Park

Leave the M1 at Junction 36 and follow the A61 into Sheffield. Continue along the A61 for approximately eight miles. You will see Hillsborough Stadium on your right. This is not the shortest route to the ground, but this is definitely the easiest and avoids Sheffield City Centre. There is some street parking to be had if you arrive early, otherwise there are some unofficial car parks along the A61 that charge in the region of £4. Gary Rickett-Ambrose adds; 'There is a car park directly behind the Kop and the Wednesday Club shop. It is called the wednesdayite car park and is open to fans of both teams. It costs £5 for visitors'.

Alternatively, you may find it easier to park at Meadowhall Railway Station, near to the well known Shopping Centre (unless of course it is in the run up to Christmas or the January sales, when the shopping centre is very busy), just by Junction 34 of the M1, where you can park for free and then take a yellow tram to Leppings lane, which costs £3 return and takes about 35 minutes.

Map showing the location of Hillsborough stadium (at the bottom of this page).

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Looking Towards The Kop

Looking Towards The
                    Hillsborough Kop

By Train
Sheffield Railway Station is located over three miles away from the ground. Either get a taxi up to the ground or the bus station is a one minute walk from the railway station. Cross over at the pedestrian crossing, and follow the signs. Head for the far side of the terminus. Bus no. 53 to Ecclesfield runs regularly to the ground (every ten minutes), the journey time is about 30 minutes. Jeremy Dawson informs me; 'if arriving by train, by far the easiest way to get to the ground is by tram, which run every ten minutes during the day. Leaving the station on a blue tram, you can either change to a yellow one in the city centre, which takes you to Leppings Lane (right by the ground), or stay on the blue one to Hillsborough, which is 10 minutes walk to the ground'. The journey time of the tram is around 20 minutes. Matt Wilcock adds; 'on matchdays regular shuttle buses run from the road at the far side of the bus station They are marked football'. 

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Leppings Lane End


Leppings Lane End Hillsborough

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Local Rivals
Sheffield United, Leeds United, Rotherham United, Barnsley, Chesterfield & Doncaster Rovers.

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Admission Prices

Like a number of Clubs, Sheffield Wednesday operate a category system (A & B), whereby the most popular games cost more to watch. Category B ticket prices are shown below in brackets:

Home Fans*:

South Stand: Adults £28 (£26) Over 65's/Under 16's £18 (£16)
North Stand: Adults £26 (£24) Over 65's/Under 16's £16 (£14)
Hallam FM Kop: Adults £22 (£20) Over 65's/Under 16's £14 (£12)

Away Fans:
West Stand (Leppings Lane End): Adults £22 (£20) Over 65's/Under 16's £14 (£12)

* A discount of up to £2 per adult and up to £13 per junior ticket can be gained if you are a Club member.

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Fixtures 2011-2012
Sheffield Wednesday FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).

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Programme
Official Programme £3

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Ground Layout


Layout

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Disabled Facilities
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.

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Record & Average Attendance
Record Attendance:
72,841 v Manchester City,
FA Cup 5th Round, February 17th, 1934.

Modern All Seated Attendance Record:
39,640 v Manchester United
Premier League, February 2nd, 2000.


Average Attendance:
2010-2011: 17,821 (League One)
2009-2010: 23,179 (Championship League)
2008-2009: 21,542 (Championship League)

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Fans Reviews Of Hillsborough
Philip John Williams (Colchester United) 22/10/11
Steve Ellis (Exeter City) 7/5/11
Stuart Jones (Southampton) 13/8/05
Anthony Wallis (Hull City) 8/12/04

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Hotel Accommodation
If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Late Rooms. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. The Hotels listing also includes details of how far away the accommodation is located from the football ground. Access their Sheffield Hotels and Guest Houses page. 

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Map showing the location of the Hillsborough stadium, railway station and listed pubs.

Instructions for using the map:
- Use the bar on the left of the map to zoom in / out using the + / - keys.
- Click and drag an area of the map to move around or use the up/down, left/right arrows
- Click the Satellite button to see aerial view photograph.



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Feedback
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at duncan@footballgrounds.net  and I'll update the guide.


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Copyright Duncan Adams 2012
All rights reserved                                                                  
Last Updated: 29 January 2012