Hillsborough Stadium

Hillsborough Stadium is a football stadium located in Sheffield, England, the home of Sheffield Wednesday. 

📜 History

Hillsborough opened in 1899, replacing Olive Grove as Wednesday's home after their former site was utilised for railway expansion. The ground's South Stand still bears the original clock that stood at Olive Grove having been transported to the new stadium and survived various redevelopments and expansions over the decades.

Originally known as Owlerton Stadium, Wednesday enjoyed a strong start to life in their new home as they won back-to-back First Division titles there in 1903 and 1904, as well as picking up an FA Cup in 1907.

Hillsborough was among the host venues for the 1966 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 96, and it has also hosted League Cup final replays in 1977 and 1997 as well as a total of 27 FA Cup semifinals over the years.

It was in an FA Cup semifinal on 15 April 1989 that Hillsborough became the site of the darkest day in English football history, now known as the Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans were crushed to death. The disaster led to the Taylor Report, the culmination of an inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor that recommended a range of safety measures be implemented throughout sports venues across the United Kingdom, most notably that all major stadiums convert to all-seaters.

Following the report, Hillsborough and stadiums throughout the country made the switch to being all-seated, although many clubs have recently begun trialing safe-standing areas.