MKM Stadium: Difference between revisions
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The pitch size is 114 x 78 yards and made of rye grass and 3% artificial grass. |
The pitch size is 114 x 78 yards and made of rye grass and 3% artificial grass. |
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Hull FC moved directly from the Boulevard and Hull City moved from Boothferry Park Both have previously played at the Boulevard. |
Hull FC moved directly from the Boulevard and Hull City moved from Boothferry Park Both have previously played at the Boulevard. |
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[[Image:Kc stadium inside.jpg|200px|thumb|left|KC Stadium in 2006.]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 21:12, 1 August 2007
The Circle | |
 | |
 | |
| Former names | No former names |
|---|---|
| Location | The Circle, Walton Street, Anlaby Road, Hull, England HU3 6HU |
| Owner | Hull City Council |
| Operator | Stadium Management Company |
| Capacity | 25,404 (Football and rugby league) [1] |
| Surface | Grass interwoven with astro-turf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2001 |
| Opened | 2002 |
| Construction cost | £44m GBP |
| Architect | The Miller Partnership |
| Tenants | |
| Hull City A.F.C. (The Championship) (2003-present) Hull FC (Rugby League Super League) (2003-present) | |
Kingston Communications Stadium or KC Stadium is a facility in the city of Hull, England, named after the stadium's sponsors, Kingston Communications. It is owned by Hull City Council and run by the Stadium Management Company (SMC). In June 2007, control of SMC was assumed by businessman Paul Duffen who took over from Adam Pearson in a deal [2] which included the purchase of Hull City A.F.C. The ground is shared by Hull City A.F.C. (football) and Hull FC (Rugby League) - the two teams have priority use at the stadium at the end of each sport's season, thus Hull FC receive priority during the early part of the football season, the situation being reversed at the early part of the rugby season. It is also used for holding music concerts, including Elton John and The Who. The stadium replaced Boothferry Park for Hull City and The Boulevard for Hull FC. There are 24 Executive boxes inside the stadium and has 57 CCTV cameras.
Football
Hull City
The stadium is home to Hull City A.F.C., replacing Boothferry Park, and has staged City's recent climb throughout the English league. It first hosted the club's home games during the second half of the 2002-03 season; the first competitive match was against Hartlepool, a game which finished 2-0 to Hull City. The Tigers regularly attracted some of the best attendances outside the Premiership, but the level of support was not matched by on-field performances; Hull finished 13th in their first season at the KC Stadium.
However, in 2003-04, their first full season at the new ground, the Tigers won promotion as Division Three runners-up, to secure their place in the newly-named Football League One (previously Division Two). A second successive promotion, again as runners-up, followed in 2004-05 and the KC Stadium is currently hosting Championship football. On its opening, the KC Stadium's visitors included the likes of Boston United and Kidderminster Harriers. Just three years later, the likes of Southampton and Wolves were being entertained there.
Attendances for Hull City's league games at the KC have averaged above 16,000 in each full season they have played there, peaking just short of 20,000 in their first season in the Championship[3].
In a 2005 poll, carried out by property consultants Drivers Jonas and decided by football fans from across the country, the KC Stadium was judged to have the best access and facilities in the country.
Average Attendances
Average Attendance:
- 2006-07: 18,583 (Football League Championship)
- 2005-06: 19,841 (Football League Championship)
- 2004-05: 18,027 (League One)
- 2003-04: 16,846 (Division Three)
England Under-21s
It has also hosted several England Under-21s games. Such as England vs Holland
Rugby League
Hull FC
Hull FC plays their home games at the stadium, having moved away from The Boulevard. The KC Stadium has witnessed their rise from play-off contenders to championship contenders; 2003 saw the team just miss out on play-off qualification and in 2004 the club finished 3rd. In 2005 they finished 4th, but enjoyed even greater success in the Challenge Cup, beating Leeds Rhinos in the final[4]. They reached the Super League Grand Final in 2006. Attendances average around 11,000[5], but were more than double that figure when hosting local rivals Hull KR[6].
In the rugby league PlayStation game both Hull FC and the KC Stadium have featured.
Great Britain
The KC has also become a regular venue for international rugby league and has hosted Great Britain matches in both the Tri-Nations and the Ashes. The game between Great Britain and Australia was hosted by the KC Stadium in 2005, the final score was 26–14 to Australia. Also in 2004 New Zealand lost to Great Britain at the KC Stadium. It has also held fixtures between these teams many times. Four Great Britain players playing currently also play for Hull FC. The KC Stadium has never hosted a Tri-Nation final because of the geographical placing. It has however hosted two Tri-Nation games.
Concerts
As well as being a sporting venue, the KC Stadium has hosted musical events featuring acts such as Sir Elton John, Bryan Adams, R.E.M. and The Who.
General
The KC Stadium has an all-seating capacity of 25,404, being designed as a single tier, asymmetrical bowl of approximately 20,000 seats with a second upper tier to the West Stand of over 5,000 seats. Future expansion to around 35,000 is possible, either by building-up the North, East and South stands or the addition of a second tier on the East Stand. Work could start within months, though this would ultimately depend on a casino and hotel complex being built nearby to finance the work.
The seat colours are predominantly black with a white and amber band around the stadium and the word Hull depicted in amber and white, these colours being chosen to remain neutral to the black and white of Hull FC and the amber and black of Hull City.
Also incorporated in the Stadium complex is the 1,500 seat Gemtec Arena sports arena (previously known as the Vulcan Arena), skate park, two multi-use all weather pitches, and a community learning zone, complete with classrooms, health & fitness suite, cyber cafe and library. In 2005 Gemtec Document Network replaced Vulcan Windows as the sponsors of the arena.
The east stand is where the majority of chanting takes place for both Hull City and Hull FC games.
Construction of the stadium took 14 months to complete and the total project cost was approximately £44 million. The stadium opened its doors on December 18 2002 and Hull City beat Sunderland A.F.C. 1-0 in a friendly to mark the occasion.[7] Steve Melton scored the goal in this victory; the first goal to be scored at the KC Stadium.[8]
It is the first stadium in England to be built in a parkland setting. The stadium was built on Victorian Park, better known as West Park. There is a railway line that runs next to the stadium, which travels to Cottingham, a village near Hull that claims to be the biggest village in England. The park the stadium is built in is home to colony of rare lizards.
The pitch size is 114 x 78 yards and made of rye grass and 3% artificial grass. Hull FC moved directly from the Boulevard and Hull City moved from Boothferry Park Both have previously played at the Boulevard.
References
- ^ "KC Stadium facts and figures". Kingston Communications. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Statement from Adam Pearson". KC Stadium Official Website.
- ^ "Football League Official Stats". The Football League. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Hull FC History". Hull FC. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Club-by-club guide: Hull". Sporting Life. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Fixtures/Results 2007". Hull FC. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Home From Home". Hull City. Retrieved 01 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "History Of The Tigers". Hull City AFC. Retrieved 2007-06-16.