Don Valley Stadium

Don Valley Stadium stood in a broad valley beside the River Don on Sheffield’s north-eastern edge. Built in 1990 as the centre-piece of a £147 million programme for the 1991 World Student Games, it became Britain’s second largest athletics stadium with 25,000 seats. The running track lay 4.9 metres below ground, sheltered by steep banks of seating that formed a natural bowl. Five floodlight towers rose 45 metres above the track, each carrying heads as tall as an 11-metre house. The main grandstand held 10,000 spectators under a 6,000-square-metre Teflon-coated roof supported by yellow ladder masts. The stadium hosted world-record throws and major sporting events. Jan Železný threw 95.66 metres in the javelin there in 1993. Sheffield Eagles rugby league club played home games until 2010, drawing 10,603 fans for a World Club Challenge against Bradford Bulls. Rotherham United used the ground for four seasons while their own stadium was rebuilt, and the BritBowl American football final was held there eight times. Channel 4’s celebrity sports show The Games also staged events on the infield. Visitors found level access from the car park straight to mid-level seating, with disabled spectators able to move without steps. Under the main stand lay an 85-metre indoor warm-up track. The east-end finish line ensured afternoon sun and prevailing westerly winds aided athletes. VIP lounges occupied the third level, while the top level held hospitality boxes and press galleries. After the stadium closed in 2013, the site was cleared and redeveloped for research, sports and university teaching facilities.