MKM Stadium
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) | |
The Kingston Communications Stadium, often shortened to KC Stadium or just the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull (Hull), England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s,[2] it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately GB£44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider Kingston Communications. The stadium is owned by Hull City Council and operated by the Stadium Management Company (SMC).[1]
The bowl-shaped stadium contains a continuous single tier of seats with a second tier on the west side.[1] Its current capacity is 25,404.[1] The stadium accommodates fans of its two tenants, association football club Hull City A.F.C., which moved there from Boothferry Park,[3] and rugby league football club Hull FC, relocated from the Boulevard.[4] The ground also hosts international association football and rugby league football competitions[5][6][7] and acts as a venue for concerts by musical artists, such as Elton John[8] and The Who.[9]
History
The idea of a new stadium for Kingston upon Hull first surfaced in 1997, but funds to finance such a project only became available when the city council sold a portion of its holdings in Kingston Communications.[2] The council provided most of the funds, more than GB£42 million, with the rest stemming from government single regeneration budget grants and from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund.[2]
The council appointed John Topliss to head the stadium construction project.[2] He and his team partnered with consulting firm Drivers Jonas to explore preliminary issues such as stadium location, seating capacity, and facilities offered. Stated Mr. Topliss: "We had a totally blank canvas and, working with consultants, made a thorough assessment of what was needed."[2]
The project team considered over a dozen sites, inside and outside of the city, before settling on The Circle in West Park.[2] Factors contributing to the decision include transport guidance, central government planning guidelines, existing athletic facilities, isolation from residential areas, and council ownership.[2]
The final recommendation of Drivers Jonas included additional facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports for the people of West Hull in addition to the main stadium, planned to seat from 25,000 to 30,000 spectators.[2] Professional services firm Arup Associates provided initial concept proposals for the stadium.[1] The Miller Partnership, an architectural and interior design firm, adopted these proposals during the stadium's design.[1]
In spite of a number of obstacles during the course of the project, including Hull City A.F.C.'s receivership in 2001, the stadium complex was completed on time (in fourteen months)[1] and on budget (at approximately GB£44 million).[1] The stadium opened its doors on December 18 2002. Hull City beat Sunderland A.F.C. 1–0 in a friendly match to mark the occasion.[10] Steve Melton scored the goal in this victory; this was the first goal to be scored at the KC Stadium.[3]
Structure and facilities
The all-seater stadium consists of a single-tier, asymetrical bowl that can seat about 20,000,[1]
Corporate hospitality is provided by 28 executive boxes located between the two tiers of the DeVries Honda West Stand,[1] while security of the stadium is handled using 57 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that cover the stadium.[1] Over the summer of 2007, SMC installed an LCD screen in the Smith & Nephew North Stand to replace the old electronic scoreboard.[11] The screen has an area of approximately 40 m2 (430 ft.2) and will show such content as live home game feeds, match highlights, interviews, and action replays.[11]
The stadium's seats are mostly black, with a band of white and amber seats around the circumference.[1] White and amber seats also form the word Hull and an image of a coronet,[10] a symbol of the city that also appears in the club crest for Hull FC[4] and in the coat of arms of the city council.[12] Black, white, and amber were chosen in order to remain neutral toward the colours of its two tenants: black and white for Hull FC and black and amber for Hull City A.F.C.[1] The blue and gold of owner Hull City Council appear in the stadium's four external columns.[1]
The size of the playing surface is 114 x 74 metres (125 x 81 yd)[1] and made of rye grass with a 3% additive of artificial grass.[13] This provides ample room for a FIFA-regulation association football pitch of 105 x 68 metres (115 x 74 yd)[1] and a standard rugby league football pitch of 100 x 68 metres (109 x 74 yd).[1] The playing surface has an automated watering system and below-surface heating.[1]
Set within Hull's West Park, the stadium is the first in England to be built in a parkland setting.[13] The stadium complex also includes the 1,500 seat Gemtec Arena, a skate park, two multi-use all weather pitches, a community learning zone complete with classrooms, a health & fitness suite, a cyber cafe, and a library.[1]
The KC Stadium has received several honours. It was named the chief new development in Yorkshire at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Pro-Yorkshire Awards [14] It was also on the shortlist for the Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building[14] and received a high commendation in the British Construction Industry Awards in the Best Value category.[14]
Stands
| Stand | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Smith & Nephew[15] | North | 4,000[1] |
| Ideal Standard[15] | East | 6,000[1] |
| MKM[15] | South | 4,000[1] |
| DeVries Honda[15] | Lower West | 6,000[1] |
| Upper West | 5,000[1] |
=Smith & Nephew stand
The Smith & Nephew stand is normall ocupaid by the away fans. Although at some games at Hull City A.F.C games it is split between Hull fans and the travelling fans. At the top of the stand they is the scoreboard.
Ideal Standard stand
The Ideal Standard stand is where most of the singing and chanting takes place at rugby and football games.
MKM stand
The MKM stand is where hull is spelt out on the seats. It is behind the goals.
DeVries Honda stand
DeVries Honda stand is the family stand and has most of the under 18s in the seats. It is spit into a uper tier and a lower tier.
Tenants
| Season | League | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Championship | 18,583[16] |
| 2005–06 | Championship | 19,841[17] |
| 2004–05 | League One | 18,027[18] |
| 2003–04 | Division Three | 16,846[19] |
Hull City A. F. C.
The stadium replaced Boothferry Park as home to Hull City A.F.C., and was the backdrop for the club's recent climb through the English Football League.[3] It first hosted the club's home games during the second half of the 2002-03 season; the first competitive match was against Hartlepool United, a game that Hull City won by a score of 2–0.[20] Hull City (nicknamed the Tigers) regularly attracted some of the best attendances outside the Premiership,[21][22] but the level of support was not matched by on-field performances; the Tigers finished thirteenth in their first season at the KC Stadium.[23]
However, in 2003–04 (their first full season at the new ground), the Tigers won promotion as Division Three runners-up, securing their place in the newly-named Football League One (previously Division Two).[3] A second successive promotion, again as runners-up, followed in 2004–05; as a result, the KC Stadium currently hosts matches between clubs in the Football League Championship.[3]
Attendances for Hull City's league games at the KC Stadium 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.[16]
In a 2005 poll that was carried out by 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.[24]
| Season | Attendance |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 10,866[25] |
| 2005 | 10,604[25] |
| 2004 | 11,458[25] |
| 2003 | 11,598[25] |
Hull FC
Hull FC play their home games at the stadium, having relocated from the Boulevard.[4] During their stint at the KC Stadium, they have consistently ended each season on a high note: in 2003, the team just missed play-off qualification; in 2004, the club finished third.[4] They finished fourth in 2005, and enjoyed even greater success in the Challenge Cup, in which they beat the Leeds Rhinos in the final.[4] Hull FC reached the Super League Grand Final in 2006.[26] Attendances average around 11,000,[27] but are often more than double that figure when the club hosts local rivals Hull Kingston Rovers.[28]
Other sporting events
England Under-21s (association football)
The stadium has hosted several England Under-21s games; in fact, a crowd of 25,280 attended one under-21 match between England and the Netherlands in early 2004.[5]
Great Britain (rugby league football)
The KC Stadium is now also a regular venue for international rugby league games, and has hosted Great Britain matches in both the Tri-Nations[6] and the Ashes[7] competitions. The stadium hosted the 2004 Tri-nations match in which New Zealand lost by a score of 26–24.[6] The stadium also hosted the Tri-Nations game between Great Britain and Australia in 2005; the final score was 26–14 to Australia.[29]
Concerts
As well as serving as a sporting venue, the KC Stadium also hosts musical events, including such artists as Sir Elton John,[8] Bryan Adams,[8] R.E.M.[8] and The Who.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "The Kingston Communications Stadium - Facts". Kingston Communications Stadium. Stadium Management Company. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Full Circle". Hull in print. Kingston upon Hull City Council. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-12.
- ^ a b c d e "History Of The Tigers". Hull City afc: the tigers: Official Site. Hull City Football Club & FL Interactive Ltd. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e "Hull FC History". Welcome to the Official Hull FC Website. Hull FC. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ a b "Football Ground Guide: Hull City". The Internet Football Grounds Guide. Duncan Adams. 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations 2004". Virtual Rugby League Hall of Fame. Rugby League Hall of Fame. 2004. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ a b "What are the Ashes all about?". BBC Sport Academy. The British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ a b c d "Concert Gallery". Kingston Communications Stadium. Stadium Management Company. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ a b "The Who Return To Rock Europe". Kingston Communications Stadium. Stadium Management Company. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Home From Home". Hull City AFC. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ a b "Big Screen Installed". Hull City afc: the tigers: Official Site. Hull City Football Club & FL Interactive Ltd. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "College of Arms Newsletter, August 2004: Recent Grants of Arms". The College of Arms. August 2004. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ a b "About the stadium". BBC - Humber Sport - Stadium Facts. The British Broadcasting Corporation. 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ a b c "Another award goes to..." Hull in print. Kingston upon Hull City Council. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ a b c d "Tickets". Kingston Communications Stadium. Stadium Management Company. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ a b "Football League: FLC Attendance, 2006-2007". The Football League. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Football League: FLC Attendance, 2005-2006". The Football League. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ "Football League: FL1 Attendance, 2004-2005". The Football League. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ "Football League: FLD3 Attendance, 2003-2004". The Football League. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
- ^ "2002/2003: Hull City: Match: Fixtures & Results". Hull City afc: the tigers: Official Site. Hull City Football Club & FL Interactive Ltd. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "Football League: FLD3 Attendance, 2002-2003". The Football League. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "Average Attendances - English Football Divisions - 1994/95-2005/06". The Political Economy of Football. Jez Booker. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "2002/2003: Hull City: Match: Table". Hull City afc: the tigers: Official Site. Hull City Football Club & FL Interactive Ltd. 2003. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "City has 'best' football stadium". The British Broadcasting Corporation. 2005-09-02. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d "Super League Statistics - Hull FC". RLFANS.COM. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "2006 Super League Grand Final". Hull FC Photo Prints. Hull FC. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "Club-by-club guide: Hull". Sporting Life. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Fixtures/Results 2007". Hull FC. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations 2005". Virtual Rugby League Hall of Fame. Rugby League Hall of Fame. 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-05.