Deva Stadium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Deva Stadium | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Full name | Deva Stadium |
| Location | Chester, England |
| Built | January 1992-August 1992 |
| Opened | August 1992 |
| Owner | |
| Tenants | Chester City F.C. |
| Capacity | 6,012 (3,284 Seated) |
| Field dimensions | 112 x 71,5 metres |
The Deva Stadium is a football stadium in Chester, England and the current home of Football League Two team Chester City. The name Deva comes from the original Roman name for the fort Deva Victrix, which became the city.
Contents |
[edit] History
The stadium on Bumpers Lane was opened in 1992 and was the first football stadium in England to fulfil the safety recommendations from the Taylor Report, which was commissioned after the Hillsborough disaster of 1989.[1] The stadium has a capacity of 6,012, although it is usually declared full with lower recorded crowds (c.5,500) than this.
Often criticised[citation needed] for its blandness and being isolated from the city centre, the Deva Stadium has three sides of seating and one terraced end, known as the East (main) Stand Harry McNally Terrace (both home), West Stand (half for home fans and half away fans) and the South Stand (away fans). In the summer of 2007, Chester converted the South Stand from terracing to seating. This has reduced the official capacity of the ground. There have been few other changes of significance in the 15 year history of the Deva Stadium, although the North Terrace was renamed the Harry McNally Terrace in December 2006 in honour of one of its most popular managers and the three other stands have been renamed in 2007 for sponsorship reasons.
The stadium hosted its first game on August 25, 1992, when Chester lost 2-1 in the League Cup to Stockport County. 11 days later, Chester beat Burnley 3-0 in the first Football League match on the ground. The stadium was officially opened on October 13, 1992, as Chester beat a Manchester United XI 2-0. Its tenth birthday in August 2002 was celebrated with a special friendly against a Liverpool XI, with Chester winning 1-0.
Between 2004 and 2007 it was official known as the Saunders Honda Stadium for sponsorship purposes.
On May 2nd 2008 it was announced that as of the 2008-09 season, the Deva will be known as The Cestrian Trading stadium. [1]
[edit] Location
Located some way from the city centre in the Sealand Road Industrial Estate, the stadium is notable for crossing the England-Wales border. There is conflicting information as to how much of the ground is actually in England, with some sources suggesting virtually all of it is in Wales (Flintshire). However, the office block is officially in Cheshire,[1] which allows Chester to formally remain an English club. The club though are often taunted by rival fans as being Welsh.
The location of the office means the East Stand behind it is the main stand, rather than the usual West Stand.[1]
[edit] Gallery
 Deva Stadium |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Chas Sumner (1997). On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997, p.127. ISBN 1-874427-52-6.
[edit] External links
- Stadium information Chester City FC
- Deva Stadium Football Ground Guide
