Dean Court

Dean Court stands in Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth on the Dorset coast. The football stadium has been the home of Bournemouth since 1910, when the Cooper-Dean family gave the club a piece of land once used as a gravel pit. The first match was played in December that year, though players changed in a nearby hotel because facilities were not ready. Early improvements included a 300-seat stand, followed by fittings from the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley that allowed a 3,700-seat stand to be built in 1923. The ground’s record attendance came in 1957 when 28,799 watched an FA Cup tie against Manchester United. The stadium has seen several name changes through sponsorship, from Fitness First to Goldsands and now Vitality Stadium. In 2001 the ground was completely rebuilt, with the pitch rotated ninety degrees and moved away from nearby housing. A temporary south stand was added in 2010 but removed two seasons later after attendances fell. A 2,400-seat stand was built in 2013 and named after former striker Ted MacDougall. Plans to expand capacity to around 20,000 seats were announced in 2025, with work due to begin the following year. Visitors find a three-sided stadium with seating on three sides and an open southern end. The Ted MacDougall Stand sits at one end, while the main stand runs along one touchline. The pitch is surrounded by modern stands with good sightlines, and the stadium has hosted England youth and women’s internationals as well as music concerts. Storm Eunice in 2022 caused damage that forced a Championship game to be postponed. The ground remains the club’s heart, with redevelopment set to increase its size while keeping it open during construction.