Vitality Stadium – stadium description

In 1910 the Cooper-Dean family donated part of their lands to the local football side. Stadium built on that ground was opened the same year and received the name Dean Court, honoring the donors. That name was official until 2011 when first naming rights contract was signed, changing official naming to Seward Stadium.

Historical venue was equipped in its first decades in one of stands built for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924, the largest exhibition event ever with 27 million visitors. Dean Court lost its form in 2001 however, due to complete revamp. The pitch was rotated 90 degrees and moved slightly to increase distance from local housing. Three new stands were built and the open side on the South was later filled with a temporary stand. In 2005 Bournemouth sold the ground to Structadene developers and leases it since then.

Record attendance was set in 1957, when AFC Bournemouth matched Manchester United in the FA Cup. 28,799 people watched that game. Currently stands are all-seater sections accommodating 11,307 fans, mostly covered.

How Vitality Stadium compares to other Premier League venues?