Wikipedia

Spion Kop (stadiums)

Spion Kop(or theKopfor short) is a colloquial name or term for a number of single-tierterracesand stands atsportsstadiums,particularly in theUnited Kingdom.The steep nature resembles theSpion Kop,a hill nearLadysmith,South Africa, which was the scene of theBattle of Spion Kopin January 1900 during theSecond Boer War.

Spion Kop, Manor Ground
Boer soldiers at Spion Kop hill, 1900

History

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TheSpion Kop hillnearLadysmith,South Africa

The first recorded reference to a sports terrace as "Kop" related toWoolwich Arsenal'sManor Groundin 1904, four years after the Second Boer War.[1][2]A local newsman likened the silhouette of fans standing on a newly raised bank of earth to soldiers standing atop thehillat theBattle of Spion Kop.Two years later in 1906,Liverpool Echosports editorErnest Edwardsnoted of a new open-air embankment atAnfield:

This huge wall of earth has been termed "Spion Kop", and no doubt this apt name will always be used in future in referring to this spot.

The use of the name for the stand was given recognition at Anfield in 1928 when it was extended to a 27,000 capacity and acantileverroof was added which amplified the roar of the crowd to create an intense atmosphere.[2]Traditionally, Liverpool's most vocal supporters congregate in this stand and are referred to askopites.[3]Such is the reputation of the stand that it was claimed that the crowd in the Kop could suck the ball into the goal and it has become one of the most famous football stands in the world.[4]

Liverpool's Spion Kop (capacity 27,000, although crowds of 30,000+ have been recorded) was redesigned in 1994 (completed) to comply with requirements of theTaylor Report,which made all-seater stadiums obligatory in the highest two divisions of English football. A new Spion Kop was built in its place with 12,390 seats, making it the largest single-tier stand in the country at the time. This new Kop still stands and currently houses the club's museum.

Following the opening of the newTottenham Hotspur Stadium,Anfield's Kop ceased to be the largest single-tier stand in the country. The South Stand of the new stadium has 17,500 seats and has an incline of 34 degrees, making it one of the steepest stands in the country.[5]

Manchester United's proposed new 100,000-capacity Old Trafford stadium will reportedly take inspiration from Tottenham's South Stand with a 'new Stretford End'[6]to be a single-tier, steep stand which, due to the overall ground's significantly higher capacity, would likely house 25,000 supporters, indeed a stadium designed to the same proportions but with a 100,000 capacity would actually see this 'new Stretford End' holding as many as 29,000.

Villa Park's old Holte End was historically the largest of all Kop ends, closely followed by the old South Bank atMolineux,both once regularly holding crowds in excess of 30,000.[2]

Many other Englishfootballclubs and somerugby leagueclubs (such asWigan's former homeCentral Park) applied the same name to stands in later years.[citation needed]

Composition

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There is much debate about what type of stand constitutes a Kop.[citation needed]The size and location of the stand in the stadium varies; most are located behind the goal and are occupied by its club's most vocal supporters. It is usually a single-tiered stand and was traditionally terraced. In England,safety regulationsbrought into effect after the 1989Hillsborough disasterrequired many to be madeall-seated.A Kop is not necessarily the largest stand in the stadium and does not have to have a particularly large capacity; for example, Chesterfield's former stadium,Saltergate,had a Kop with a capacity of only a few thousand.

Kops

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Spion Kop atAnfield,the home ofLiverpool F.C.
The Kop atMeadow Lane
Billy Bonds stand atLondon Stadium
The Kop atSt Andrew's
The South Stand atTottenham Hotspur Stadium
Ground Club Stand
Anfield Liverpool Spion Kop[7]
Central Park(demolished 1999) Wigan WarriorsRLFC The Kop (demolished 1999)[8]
Baseball Ground(demolished 2003–04) Derby Popside Kop (The Popside) (demolished 2003–04)[9]
Bloomfield Road Blackpool Mortensen Kop[10]
Bramall Lane Sheffield United The Kop[11]
County Ground Northampton Town Spion Kop[12]
Deepdale Preston North End Bill Shankly Kop[13]
Elland Road Leeds United The Kop[14]
Molineux Wolverhampton Wanderers The Southbank (Sir Jack Hayward Stand)
Filbert Street(demolished 2003) Leicester City Spion Kop (Double Decker)[15](demolished 2003)
Fratton Park Portsmouth Spion Kop[16](renamed as The Milton End)
Highfield Road(demolished 2006) Coventry City The Spion Kop Terrace[17](demolished 2006)
Hillsborough Stadium Sheffield Wednesday Spion Kop[18]
Home Park Plymouth Argyle Spion Kop (demolished 2001)
Knowsley Road(demolished 2011) St Helens R.F.C. The Kop (demolished 2011)
London Stadium West Ham Billy Bonds Stand (East Stand)[19]
Manor Ground(demolished c.1913) Woolwich Arsenal Spion Kop[1](demolished c.1913)
Meadow Lane Notts County Spion Kop[20]
Oakwell Barnsley Spion Kop (demolished 1998)[21]
Prenton Park Tranmere Rovers Essar Kop Stand[22]
Racecourse Ground Wrexham The Kop (demolished 2023)
Recreation Ground(demolished 2012) Chesterfield Spion Kop (demolished 2011)[23]
St Andrew's Birmingham City Spion Kop[24]
Stade de la Meinau RC Strasbourg Ouest Kop[25]
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham Hotspur South Stand/Park Lane
Wilderspool Stadium(demolished 2014) Warrington Wolves Spion Kop (demolished 2014)
Valley Parade Bradford City The Kop End[26]
King Power Stadium Leicester City South Stand/Fosse Stand (The Kop)[27]
Windsor Park Linfield/Northern Ireland The Kop[28]
Parc des Princes Paris Saint-Germain Kop of Boulogne[29]
Westfalenstadion Borussia Dortmund The Yellow Wall

References

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  1. ^ab"Showdown in Durban".The Globe And Mail.25 June 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved5 October2023.
  2. ^abcIrwin, Colin (2006).Sing When You're Winning.Andre Deutsch. p. 164.ISBN978-0233001845.
  3. ^"Football First 11: Stunning stadiums".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2009.Retrieved29 October2008.
  4. ^Burt, Jason (16 January 2011)."Liverpool 2 Everton 2: match report".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved12 July2011.
  5. ^White, Jim (22 March 2019)."Tottenham Hotspur's new home sets benchmark for modern stadia".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved24 February2020.
  6. ^Kenmare, Jack (15 February 2024)."Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans for a 'new Old Trafford' have emerged and they are seriously impressive".Sport Bible.Retrieved26 November2024.
  7. ^Pearce, James (23 August 2006)."How Kop tuned in to glory days".Liverpool Echo.Archived fromthe originalon 10 February 2009.Retrieved7 April2010.
  8. ^Hadfield, Dave (3 September 1999)."Rugby League: Curtain falls on house of fame".The Independent.London.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2022.Retrieved6 April2010.
  9. ^"derbycountyfootballhistory.co.uk".Archived fromthe originalon 4 August 2013.
  10. ^"Blackpool".Football Ground Guide.Retrieved6 April2010.
  11. ^"Sheffield United".Football Ground Guide.Retrieved6 April2010.
  12. ^"County Ground, Northampton".Football Ground Guide. Archived fromthe originalon 25 November 2009.Retrieved9 April2010.
  13. ^"Preston North End".Football Ground Guide.Retrieved9 April2010.
  14. ^"ARTISTS IMPRESSIONS – ELLAND ROAD FOR WORLD CUP".Leeds United AFC. 1 December 2009.Retrieved30 June2010.
  15. ^"Filbert Street Leicester City".Football Ground Guide. Archived fromthe originalon 31 December 2009.Retrieved13 April2010.
  16. ^"Fratton Park Portsmouth".Football Addict. 21 September 2018.Retrieved30 July2019.
  17. ^"Highfield Road, Coventry City".Football Ground Guide. Archived fromthe originalon 28 March 2008.Retrieved13 April2010.
  18. ^"The ASD Lighting Kop".Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Archived fromthe originalon 3 January 2011.Retrieved7 April2010.
  19. ^"Londons Stadium History".West Ham United.Retrieved8 April2024.
  20. ^"Notts County | Club | Meadow Lane | Meadow Lane — The Home Of Notts County FC".Nottscountyfc.premiumtv.co.uk.Retrieved7 April2010.
  21. ^"Oakwell | Barnsley FC | Football Ground Guide".January 2010.
  22. ^"Tranmere Rovers".Football Supporters Federation.Archived fromthe originalon 30 December 2010.Retrieved9 April2010.
  23. ^"Chesterfield".Football Ground Guide.Retrieved20 April2010.
  24. ^"St Andrew's Stadium Plan"(PDF).Birmingham City F.C. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 31 March 2010.Retrieved7 April2010.
  25. ^"La tribune Ouest Kop".rcstrasbourgalsace.fr(in French). 16 June 2016.Retrieved24 May2017.
  26. ^"Bradford City".Football Ground Guide.Retrieved7 April2010.
  27. ^"The Walkers Stadium".Leicester City F.C. 22 September 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2010.Retrieved7 April2010.
  28. ^"Alex Russell Stand reverts back to" Kop Stand "name".Linfield F.C. 4 December 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2011.Retrieved30 June2010.
  29. ^ "Kop Of Boulogne, une histoire devenue légende".lagrinta.fr. 20 October 2013.Retrieved6 October2015.

Sources

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