Toughsheet Community Stadium

Toughsheet Community Stadium

Full name	Toughsheet Community Stadium
Former names	University of Bolton Stadium (2018–2023) Macron Stadium (2014–2018) Reebok Stadium (1997–2014)
Location	Burnden Way Horwich BoltonBL6 6JW England
Public transit	Horwich Parkway
Owner	Bolton Wanderers
Operator	Bolton Wanderers(1997–present)
Capacity	28,723 (sports) 40,000 (concerts)
Record attendance	28,353 (sports) 34,731 (concert)
Field size	110 x 72 yards (100.6 x 65.8 metres)
Surface	GrassMaster
Construction
Built	1996–1997
Opened	1997(1997)
Construction cost	£25m
Architect	Populous
Tenants
Bolton Wanderers(1997–present)
Website
bwfc.co.uk/stadium

TheToughsheet Community Stadiumis the home ground ofBolton Wanderers F.C.inHorwich,Greater Manchester,England.

Opening in 1997, it was originally named the Reebok Stadium, after club sponsorsReebok.In 2014, Bolton Wanderers signed a naming rights deal with Italian sportswear companyMacron.It was renamed theUniversity of BoltonStadium in 2018.From 1 July 2023 it became known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium,after a Bolton-based recyclable building product manufacturer.

A hotel forms part of the stadium and some of the rooms offer views of the pitch.

History

The stadium is anall-seater stadiumwith a capacity of almost 29,000 and was completed in 1997, replacing the club's old ground,Burnden Park.

By the 1980s, Burnden Park, which at its peak had held up to 60,000 spectators, was becoming increasingly dilapidated, and a section of terracing was sold off for redevelopment as a supermarket to help pay off the club's rising debts. Bolton Wanderers had dropped into the Third Division in 1983 and later spent a season in the Fourth Division. In January 1990, theTaylor Reportrequired all clubs in the first and second tiers of the English league to have an all-seater stadium by the1994-95 season.Bolton were still in the Third Division at that stage, but were aiming for promotion - which was finally achieved in 1993. By that time, the club's owners had decided to relocate to a new all-seater stadium away from Burnden Park and, by 1995, had identified a location atHorwichas the preferred site of a new stadium.

View at night, February 2005

The lead consultant/architect of the project was Lobb Sports, while local firmBradshaw Gass & Hopeacted as planning supervisors andquantity surveyors.The contractor wasBirse Construction,and Deakin Callard & Partners provided structural engineering services. The value of the contract was £25 million (US$42.1 million).The stadium is noted for its distinctive gabled architecture, first pioneered by theKirklees Stadium.

The stadium was opened in 1997 byJohn Prescott,aLabour Partypolitician, who was theDeputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdomat the time.

The stadium consists of four stands: The Carrs Pasties (North) Stand at one end; the South Stand (Franking Sense and also the away end) at the other end; the Kia (West) Stand at one side of the pitch; and the Nat Lofthouse (east) Stand on the other side.

When the stadium was named after long-time team sponsor Reebok in 1997, fans considered the title impersonal and believed that too much emphasis was being placed on financial considerations. That opposition lessened considerably after the stadium was built, as fans grew accustomed to the name and were bolstered by Reebok's status as a local company.

The Macron branding was applied in July 2014, after the Bolton Wanderers club finalised a partnership with the large Italian sportswear brand. In April 2014, long-serving club chairman Phil Gartside stated that he was "proud" to be associated with Macron and had "been very impressed with their [Macron's] passion for football". A four-year duration was negotiated for the Macron deal and the club had the option to extend at completion.

When the deal with Macron came to an end in August 2018, the stadium was again renamed, this time as the University of Bolton Stadium.

On 1 July 2023, the stadium name was changed to The Toughsheet Community Stadium; the deal is set to last for five years.

Footballing firsts

Interior view prior to a Bolton v Arsenal match, February 2007

• The first competitive – and Premier League – match at the stadium was a 0–0drawbetween Bolton andEvertonon Monday 1 September 1997.Bolton'sGerry Taggarthad a header that crossed the line wrongly ruled out, and the points it would have won would have saved Bolton from relegation at Everton's expense.
• The first player to score at the stadium wasAlan Thompson,apenaltyin the 1–1 draw againstTottenham Hotspur,on 23 September.Chris Armstrong,who later in his career had a short spell with Wanderers, got the equaliser.
• On 6 September 2002, it hosted its first international, a friendly betweenEngland under-21andYugoslavia under-21.It ended in a 1–1 draw with 10,531 in attendance. VisitorDanko Lazovićscored the first goal andShaun Wright-Phillipsequalised.22 years later, it hosted another England under-21 match againstLuxembourg under-21.
• Lokomotiv Plovdivwere the visitors in the firstUEFA Cupmatch at the stadium, on 15 September 2005. Boban Janchevski scored first for the visitors, but late goals fromEl Hadji DioufandJared Borgettisecured a 2–1 home victory in the first competitive European match in Bolton's history.

Other events

Field and grandstands view, August 2005

The stadium has hosted concerts byOasis,Pink,Elton John,Coldplay,The Killers,Little MixandRod Stewart.The music video for Coldplay’s 2005 singleFix Youuses footage filmed at their Horwich concerts. The track was performed twice on each night so enough footage could be captured.

The stadium also hosted theUK Open Darts Championship,boxingmatches with local boxerAmir Khanand in 2011Premiershiprugby union,whenSale Sharkslost toLondon Irish.It will also host group matches and the quarter-final of theRugby League World Cupin 2021.

The venue's Premier Suite is home to the UK's leading amateur mixed martial arts event, Full Contact Contender.

In August 2019, the stadium hosted a campaign rally byLabour PartyleaderJeremy Corbyn.

In March and April 2021, the stadium heldCrown Courtcases due to the large amount that had built up as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemicwhilst the actual Courts were closed.In the same year it was a venue for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Snooker

A professional snooker tournament, the2021 Champion of Champions,was hosted at the stadium between 15 and 21 November 2021.

Rugby League

The stadium has also hosted seven rugby league matches.

Rugby League Test Matches

Test#	Date	Result	Attendance	Notes
1	7 November 1998	New Zealanddef.Great Britain36–16	27,486	1998Great Britain vs New Zealand series
1	18 November 2000	New Zealanddef.England49–6	16,032	2000Rugby League World Cupsemi-final
3	17 November 2001	Australiadef.Great Britain40–12	22,152	2001Ashes series
4	22 October 2022	Englanddef.France42–18	23,648	2021Rugby League World CupGroup A

World Club Challenge

Game	Date	Result	Attendance	Year
1	26 January 2001	St. Helensdef.Brisbane Broncos20–18	16,041	2001World Club Challenge
2	14 February 2003	Sydney Roostersdef.St. Helens38–0	19,807	2003World Club Challenge
3	23 February 2007	St. Helensdef.Brisbane Broncos18–14	23,207	2007World Club Challenge

Challenge Cup

In 2018, the stadium hosted the first ever double-header semi-finals of theChallenge Cup,repeated in 2019.

Bolton Wanderers Free School

In 2014, the club establishedBolton Wanderers Free Schoolat the stadium. It was asixth form centreoffering sports and related courses for 16- to 19-year-olds, and utilised the facilities of the stadium for most of its teaching and learning. However, this closed in 2017 due to low pupil numbers which made it 'not financially viable'.

Attendances

Record attendances

• Record attendance: 28,353 vLeicester City,28 December 2003 (FA Premier League)
• Lowest attendance for a competitive match: 1,540 vEverton U23s,30 August 2016Northern Section Group Stage, Game One
• Lowest Premier League attendance: 17,014 vDerby County,2 January 2008
• RecordUEFA Cupattendance: 26,163 vAtlético Madrid,14 February 2008Last 32 1st leg
• RecordFA Cupattendance: 23,523 vArsenal,12 March 2005Quarter finals
• RecordLeague Cupattendance: 20,064 vAston Villa,23 August 2022,Second Round
• RecordEFL Trophyattendance: 9,062 vBradford City,3 September 2019Northern Section Group Stage, Game One

Average attendances

Season	Division	League Average	European Average	FA Cup Average	League Cup Average	EFL Trophy Average	Play-off Average
2000–01	First Division	14,960		14,982	4,957		23,515
2001–02	Premier League	25,098			7,015
2002–03		25,016		10,123	12,621
2003–04		26,794		8,759	10,191
2004–05		26,005		19,837	18,037
2005–06		25,265	17,635	15,223	11,997
2006–07		23,606		21,088
2007–08		20,901	18,367	15,286	15,510
2008–09		22,485			7,136
2009–10		21,880		13,120	8,050
2010–11		22,869		14,035
2011–12		23,670		10,532	6,777
2012–13	Championship	18,034		15,482
2013–14		16,141		11,965
2014–15		15,413		19,480	9,249
2015–16		15,056		12,812	5,842
2016–17	League One	15,194		8,453		1,565
2017–18	Championship	15,887		11,574	6,385
2018–19		14,239		5,506
2019–20	League One	12,028		6,992		5,839
2020–21	League Two	N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A
2021–22	League One	16,104		11,183	7,147	2,332
2022–23		18,813		5,999	13,284	3,316	23,450
2023–24		21,022		7,369	6,747	2,713	24,518

Nat Lofthouse statue

Lofthouse's statue outside the stadium

Bolton Wanderers unveiled a bronze statue of their most famous player,Nat Lofthouse(1925–2011), prior to a game againstQueens Park Rangerson 24 August 2013. The statue, which cost £100,000 due to the generosity of public donations and sponsors, is situated near to the south-west corner of the stadium and was officially revealed by club owner Eddie Davies in a special ceremony.

Club chaplain Phil Mason, chairmanPhil Gartsideand the son of Nat Lofthouse – Jeff Lofthouse, also took part in the ceremony as did sculptorSean Hedges-Quinn.Hedges-Quinn had taken 18 months overall to complete the project having worked successfully on the statues such as that ofBob StokoeatThe Stadium of Light,Ted BatesatSt Mary's StadiumandSir Bobby RobsonandAlf RamseyatPortman Road.

Transport

The stadium's West Stand lies about 200 metres fromHorwich Parkway railway stationsituated betweenLostockandBlackrodon theManchester to Preston Line.Football specials used to operate to and from the station on matchdays in the past, but not in recent years. When the Wanderers play at home, bus services are laid on by the club from across the borough.

On non-matchdays, Horwich Parkway is served by two trains an hour in each direction, operated byNorthern.Numerous routes serve bus stops near or at the ground, operated by TfGM under the Bee Network brand.Arriva North West,Vision Bus andDiamond Bus North West.

See also

• List of stadiums in the United Kingdom by capacity
• Lists of stadiums

External links

• Official websiteon Bolton Wanderers FC
• Bolton Wanderers Free SchoolArchived13 June 2015 at theWayback Machine