Estadio Easter Road

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Easter Road
273px
Localización
País Bandera del Reino Unido Reino Unido
Localidad Edimburgo, Escocia
Coordenadas 55°57′42″N 3°09′56″O / 55.961666666667, -3.1655555555556
Detalles generales
Apodo El San Siro de Leith[2]
The Holy Ground[3]
Capacidad 20,421[1]​ espectadores
Propietario Hibernian
Construcción
Apertura 1893
Remodelación 2010
Equipo diseñador
Arquitecto Percy Johnson-Marshall (Secciones Norte y Famous Five)[4]
Equipo local
Hibernian (1893–presente)
Raith Rovers (1995, un partido)
Edinburgh Rugby (1998–1999)

Easter Road es un estadio de fútbol ubicado en el distrito de Leith en Edimburgo, Escocia. Es el hogar del club Hibernian de la Liga Premier Escocesa. El estadio tiene en la actualidad una capacidad para 20,421 espectadores sentados, haciéndolo el quinto estadio más grande de Escocia. Easter Road también es conocido por sus hinchas como The Holy Ground o el San Siro de Leith.[2][3]​ El estadio también ha sido usado para partidos internacionales, semifinales de la Copa de la Liga Escocesa y fue, brevemente, el estadio local del club de rugby profesional de Edimburgo.

Hibernian jugó su primer partido en la ubicación actual de Easter Road en 1893. El 2 de enero de 1950, un número récord de 65,860 espectadores se dieron cita al estadio para el derby de Edimburgo. En ese entonces, el estadio contaba con secciones de graderías muy grandes.[5]​ El tamaño de las graderías fue reducido en gran medida en los años 1980. Luego de la publicación del Informe Taylor, Hibernians consideraron mudarse a otro estadio, pero esos planes fueron abandonados en 1994. La renovación del estadio se inició en 1995 y fue finalmente completada en 2010. La cancha del Easter Road tenía un desnivel pronunciado hasta que fue removida al final de la temporada 1999-2000.[6]

Historia

Hibernian jugó su primer partido en el parque The Meadows el 25 de diciembre de 1875.[7]​ El club se mudó a la zona de Easter Road en 1880, a una cancha llamada Hibernian Park.[8]​ Este lugar tenía la ventaja de ser equidistante a las dos zonas donde se encontraban la mayor concentración de sus hinchas, las comunidades de inmigrantes irlandeses en el puerto de Leith y el Old Town de Edimburgo.[9]​ Cuando Hibernian sufría de dificultades financieras en los años 1890, el contrato sobre Hibernian Park expiró y los dueños comenzaron la construcción de lo que hoy en día es Bothwell Street.[8]​ El club fue reformado en 1892 y se alquiló un pedazo de terreno llamado Drum Park.[2]​ El lugar tenía acceso restringido desde Easter Road, un desnivel pronunciado y estaba cerca a Bank Park, el hogar de Leith Athletic.[2]​ Pese a que había un sentido de continuidad con relación al anterior recinto, los hinchas estaban ansiosos de empezar de nuevo. El primer partido jugado en Easter Road fue un amistoso contra Clyde el 4 de febrero de 1893.[10]

El primer partido de la Liga Escocesa en Easter Road se jugó cuando Hibs se unieron a la liga en la temporada 1893-1894.[11]​ El club tuvo un periodo exitoso en esta época ganando la Copa Escocesa en 1902 y el campeonato de la liga en 1903.[12]​ A pesar de estos logros, el equipo estaba considerando mudarse nuevamente.[8]​ Hibs consideró mudarse a Aberdeen en 1902, un año antes de que Aberdeen F.C. fuese fundado.[8]​ En 1909, comenzó la construcción de un potencial nuevo estadio en el área de Piershill en Edimburgo, pero la North British Railway ganó un juicio el cual le permitió construir una línea de tren sobre el terreno.[8]​ Finalmente no se construyó ninguna línea de tren, pero Hibs fue disuadido de construir en el lugar.[8]​ El futuro de Easter Road fue recién asegurado en 1922, cuando el club llegó a un acuerdo para arrendar el lugar por 25 años.[8]​ Dos años después, tres bancos de graderías fueron levantados, mientras que una gradería principal fue construida en el lado oeste de la cancha con capacidad para 4,480 personas.[8]

Imagen de los Famosos Cinco en Easter Road.

Inmediatamente después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Hibs experimentó un periodo muy exitoso,[8]​ ganado tres campeonatos de la liga entre 1948 y 1952. Esto llevó a mayores niveles de asistencia, alcanzando un récord de 65,860 espectadores el 2 de enero de 1950 en el derby de Edimburgo contra el Hearts.[13][14][15]​ Esta cantidad también es el récord de espectadores para cualquier partido jugado en Edimburgo.[13][14]​ Al ver que los hinchas tuvieron que apretarse mucho en las graderías para alcanzar este récord, el tamaño de la gradería Este fue aumentado.[8]​ El club incluso había hecho planes para aumentar la capacidad total del estadio a cerca de 100,000 espectadores.[15]

Hibs fue uno de los primero clubes en instalar torres de luces en las esquinas de su estadio, a diferencia de las luces montadas en techo usadas en Ibrox. Las luces de Easter Road fueron instaladas por una empresa local, Miller & Stables, quienes construirían estructuras similares para muchos otros estadios en Escocia. Fueron usadas por primera vez para un derby de Edinburgo jugado el 18 de octubre de 1954. La gradería norte fue techada en 1960, pero la cancha se mantuvo sin cambios durante los años 1960 y 1970. Hibs fue el primer club en Escocia en instalar un sistema de calefacción el subsuelo en 1980. Se instalaron bancos en la gradería norte en 1982, pero esto fue realizado sólo porque era más barato que reemplazar las barreras de la gradería. Poco tiempo después, el presidente de Hibernian admitiría que el estadio era un "desastre".

Hibs were one of the first clubs to install corner floodlight pylons, rather than the roof-mounted lights used at Ibrox.[8]​ The Easter Road floodlights were installed by a local company, , who would construct similar leaning gantries in many other Scottish grounds.[8]​ They were first used for an Edinburgh derby played on 18 October 1954.[8]​ A roof was put over the North Terrace in 1960, but the ground was largely unchanged through the 1960s and 1970s.[8]​ Hibs became the first club in Scotland to install undersoil heating, in 1980.[8]​ Benches were installed in the North Terrace in 1982, but this was only because they were cheaper than replacing the terrace barriers.[8]​ Soon afterwards, Hibs chairman Kenny Waugh admitted that the stadium was a "mess".[16]

The East Stand, which was built in this form in 1985 and demolished in March 2010.

The height of the East Terrace was greatly reduced and a roof was erected in the mid-1980s.[8][16]​ This work reduced the capacity to 27,000.[16]​ Hibs was taken over by a consortium led by David Duff in 1987.[8]​ The new regime spent approximately £1 million on executive boxes and refurbishments, but their policy of diversifying the business into property and public houses crippled the club financially when there was an economic downturn in the late 1980s.[8]​ Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer attempted a takeover of Hibs in June 1990, with the intention of merging the two major Edinburgh football clubs.[8]​ The Hibs fans protested against this and Mercer was prevented from gaining the 75% shareholding that was needed to close Hibs.[8]

Sir Tom Farmer took control of Hibs in 1991,[17]​ but the club was still faced with the need to develop a stadium that would meet the requirements of the Taylor Report.[8]​ Hibs entered talks with Edinburgh District Council about sharing a new stadium with Hearts, but the proposed site of Ingliston was in the wrong part of the city for Hibs.[8]​ The club was more interested in the possibility of playing at Meadowbank Stadium, only a few hundred yards from Easter Road, but there were planning difficulties with adapting Meadowbank into a large football stadium.[4]

The reorganisation of the club after Farmer took control meant that there was no real pressure to move, as he also owned Easter Road.[4]​ The Hibs board made an assessment, however, that the ground could not be renovated in a cost-effective fashion before the August 1994 deadline set by the Taylor Report.[4]​ Hibs proposed in January 1992 to sell Easter Road and move to a site owned by Farmer in Straiton.[18]​ Hibs also invited Hearts to share this stadium, as their proposal for a site in Millerhill had been rejected by planners.[4]​ Those plans were scaled down in 1993 when Lothian Regional Council refused to allow the rest of the Straiton site to be used for commercial development.[4]​ The Hibs board continued to back the Straiton proposal and they insisted the installation of bucket seats in the uncovered South Terrace was merely to comply with the Taylor Report deadline.[4]​ This measure also reduced the capacity of Easter Road to 13,500.[4]

Later in 1994, however, the Straiton proposals were abandoned and Easter Road underwent major redevelopment in 1995.[4][18]​ Stands behind each goal were built at a cost of £8 million, increasing the capacity to 16,531.[5][17][19]​ The ground was made all seated by the installation of bucket seats in the East Terrace during 1995.[5][16]​ Views of the pitch from this stand were somewhat restricted by supporting pillars.[5]​ The Easter Road slope, which meant that the north end of the pitch was 1.8 metres lower than the south, was removed at the end of the 1999–2000 season.[6][20]​ The West Stand was built in 2001 to replace the ageing main stand,[16]​ increasing capacity to 17,500.[21]

Despite this development work, a move to a shared stadium in Straiton was again proposed in 2003.[22]​ Hibs hoped that selling the Easter Road site would allow them to clear their debts and reduce costs.[22]​ Club director Rod Petrie commented that any decision would be based on financial grounds and after consultation with the fanbase, as the club were not being forced to move.[18]​ Farmer expressed support for further redeveloping Easter Road, if it could be part of a viable business plan.[23]​ During the consultation, Farmer said that his main priority was ensuring the club's survival and denied that any deal had been concluded.[24]​ The consultation found that the fans were largely opposed to the Straiton proposal, which the club eventually abandoned.[25]​ To remove part of the debt, the club sold some land to the east of the stadium that had previously been used for car parking.[26][27]​ Selling players, including Steven Whittaker, Scott Brown, Kevin Thomson and Steven Fletcher, also funded these debts and further work.[28]

The club first obtained planning permission to replace the East Stand in 1999, and this was renewed in 2005.[5]​ Hibs started a consultation with supporters on its redevelopment in 2007.[5]​ The development was put on hold until sufficient cash resources were obtained to finance the project.[29]​ The consultation process found that a single tier stand would be most popular with the fans.[16]​ Petrie announced at the 2009 annual general meeting that the club would enter negotiations with contractors to establish the cost of rebuilding the stand.[30]​ After these negotiations were concluded, Hibs announced in February 2010 that work would immediately begin on a new East Stand, increasing capacity to 20,421.[1]​ Demolition of the old stand began in early March,[31]​ and the stand was opened a month ahead of schedule in August 2010.[15][28][32]

Estructura e instalaciones

The new East Stand, opened in August 2010.

Easter Road is an all-seated stadium, split into four geographic sections, known as the Famous Five (formerly North),[16]​ East, South and West Stands. The Famous Five and South Stands are the oldest part of the present stadium, built in 1995.[4]​ Each stand has two tiers, a cantilevered roof and a capacity of nearly 4,000.[19]​ To keep within the boundaries of the site, the upper deck of each stand angles toward the centre.[19]​ When the stands were built, the Famous Five Stand was above pitch level and the South Stand was below, but this was corrected when the natural slope was removed.[19]​ Each stand also stretched beyond the east touchline, which was corrected by widening the pitch when the East Stand was rebuilt.[19]​ Between the two tiers of the Famous Five Stand there are function suites and lounges.[16][19]

The West Stand, which initially had a capacity of 6,500, was built in 2001.[16][33]​ A reception area, club offices, media centre, banqueting suites, hospitality area and changing rooms are located in the West Stand.[16][33]​ The capacity of the West Stand was reduced slightly when the new East Stand was constructed in 2010, as the pitch was widened during this development.[34]​ The East Stand, which is the newest part of the stadium, was built in 2010.[32][35]​ It is the only stand that is not split into two tiers and has a capacity of 6,400.[1]​ The decision to build the East Stand as a single tier was taken to maintain the character of the old terrace, which had been a simple viewing area without many facilities.[36]

Otros usos

Otros partidos de fútbol

Kirkcaldy club Raith Rovers used Easter Road as a home venue once, for the home leg of a UEFA Cup tie against Bayern Munich in 1995.[37]​ The match was moved from Rovers' normal home ground of Stark's Park due to Easter Road's greater capacity.[38]​ Easter Road has sometimes played host to Scottish League Cup semi-final matches, such as in the 1996, 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006 competitions.[39][40][41][42]​ Team managers Terry Butcher and Gus MacPherson have objected to playing semi-finals at Easter Road, on the grounds that their players should have the chance to play at Hampden Park, or that playing Hearts in Edinburgh gives them a form of home advantage.[41][43]

Scotland have played four full international matches at Easter Road. These have been friendly matches against less attractive opposition where a relatively small crowd was expected, and it has therefore been unnecessary to play the match at Hampden Park. The Scotland under-21 team has also sometimes played matches at Easter Road, such as when Scotland played Iceland in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs.[44]​ The most recent full international played at the stadium was a friendly match involving South Korea and Ghana, played in advance of the 2006 World Cup.[45]​ International stars such as Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah and Park Ji-Sung played in the match, which Ghana won 3–1.[45]

Partidos internacionales

Five full international football matches have been played at Easter Road, all of them since 1998.

Local
vs.
Visita
Local
vs.
Visita
Local
vs.
Visita
Local
vs.
Visita
Local
vs.
Visita

Otros deportes

Easter Road was briefly the home ground for the Edinburgh professional rugby union team in the late 1990s.[46]Heineken Cup matches against Ebbw Vale and Toulouse were played at the ground during the 1998–99 season, with attendances of a few thousand.[46][47]​ Edinburgh again expressed interest in using Easter Road in both 2004 and 2006, but this was opposed by Hibs manager Tony Mowbray, who was concerned that playing rugby would damage the pitch.[47][48]​ One of the hospitality suites within the stadium staged an amateur boxing show on 15 November 2009.[49]

Otros usos no deportivos

Elton John performed Easter Road's first rock concert on 25 June 2005.[50]​ The international headquarters of the Homeless World Cup is based in the South Stand of the stadium.[51]

Transporte

Edinburgh Waverley railway station, the main station in Edinburgh, is approximately 1,5 millas (2,4 km) from the stadium; the walk between the two sites takes approximately 20 minutes.[52]​ There was a railway halt immediately beside the ground, part of the Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway, which was opened in 1950 and closed in 1967.[53]​ The Edinburgh Trams system was to have served the stadium by the McDonald Road tram stop on Leith Walk, but this part of the line was cancelled in June 2011 due to delays and cost overruns.[54]​ Easter Road is served by several Lothian Buses routes.[55]​ Services 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 22, 25 and 49 run down Leith Walk; services 1 and 35 run down Easter Road itself; services 4, 5, 15, 19, 26, 34 and 44 run along London Road and routes 34 and 49 serve Lochend Road.[55]​ Several First Edinburgh routes also serve the area.[56]​ Visitors to the ground travelling by car can park in the surrounding streets.[52]


Referencias

  1. a b c Hardie, David (2 de noviembre de 2010). «Easter Road set for biggest crowd in 17 years as Hibs take on Hearts». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Consultado el 2 de noviembre de 2010. 
  2. a b c d Lugton, 1999, p. 199
  3. a b «Sparky in The Hibernian». www.hibernianfc.co.uk (Hibernian F.C.). 24 September 2011. Consultado el 29 October 2011. «Buzzing like a wasp and stinging like a diehard Hibee, Leigh Griffiths has brought a gust of invigorating fresh air to the team's attack since joining the club on loan. Having supported Hibernian from the stands as a boy and after playing for the team in green at junior level - before spells with Livingston and Dundee - Griffiths must have felt like he was coming home. But his transition from Leith Academy to the Leith San Siro has not been a smooth ride, although the Scotland under-21 striker says he is glad he got there in the end.» 
  4. a b c d e f g h i j Inglis, 1996, p. 451
  5. a b c d e f Leslie, Colin (23 de febrero de 2010). «Fans' favourite to make its last stand as sun sets on the East». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). Consultado el 23 de febrero de 2010. 
  6. a b «Hibs bid farewell to slope». BBC Sport (BBC). 29 April 2000. Consultado el 30 October 2011. 
  7. Lugton, 1999, p. 26
  8. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n ñ o p q r s t u v Inglis, 1996, p. 450
  9. Lugton, 1999, p. 45
  10. Lugton, 1999, p. 205
  11. Lugton, 1999, p. 218
  12. Lugton, 1999, p. 220
  13. a b Halliday, Stephen (28 de julio de 2007). «Magical Barça to cast spell before Hearts' record crowd». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  14. a b «Hearts heading for a home record». BBC Sport (BBC). 27 de julio de 2007. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  15. a b c Hardie, David (19 de agosto de 2010). «Stand and watch march of progress at Hibs». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010.  |title= y |título= redundantes (ayuda)
  16. a b c d e f g h i j «How Hibs ground Easter Road has evolved since Waugh sent in bulldozers in 1983». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). 23 de febrero de 2010. Consultado el 1 de noviembre de 2011. 
  17. a b «Hibs reveal Farmer stake». BBC Sport (BBC). 30 de julio de 2003. 
  18. a b c Buckland, Simon (22 de junio de 2003). «Sleeping with the enemy». The Sunday Times (News International). Consultado el 15 de marzo de 2011. 
  19. a b c d e f Inglis, 1996, p. 452
  20. «Hibs dig deep to put Easter Road on level». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 10 de mayo de 2000. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  21. «Capacity crowd to welcome Sauzee». Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). 26 de septiembre de 2001. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  22. a b «Capital groundshare plan». BBC Sport (BBC). 16 de junio de 2003. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  23. «Farmer backs Easter Road». BBC Sport (BBC). 19 de septiembre de 2003. Consultado el 15 de marzo de 2011. 
  24. «Hibs' survival is my desire». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). 19 de septiembre de 2003. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  25. «Straiton dead end unites the Hibs family». Sunday Herald (Herald & Times Group). 2 de noviembre de 2003. Consultado el 15 de marzo de 2011. 
  26. Robertson, Rob (2 de diciembre de 2002). «Cash from Hibs' land sale will not be handed to Williamson». The Herald (Herald & Times Group). Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  27. «Hibernian lose £1.9m but car park sale cuts debt to £10m». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 1 de octubre de 2004. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  28. a b Murray, Ewan (22 de agosto de 2010). «Historic marker for Hibernian after 20 years of prudent progress». The Observer (Guardian News and Media Limited). Consultado el 31 de octubre de 2011. 
  29. «Hibs accounts delay stand plans». BBC Sport (BBC). 14 de septiembre de 2008. 
  30. «Hibernian to reconsider East Stand plans for Easter Road». Daily Record (Trinity Mirror). 8 de octubre de 2009. 
  31. «Mixed emotions at Easter Road, as Hibs' East Terrace is torn down». STV. 3 de marzo de 2010. Consultado el 5 de marzo de 2010. 
  32. a b Hardie, David (10 de agosto de 2010). «Hibs' East Stand to be open for season opener». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). Consultado el 10 de agosto de 2010. 
  33. a b «Bulldozers arrive at Easter Road». BBC Sport (BBC). 16 de enero de 2001. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  34. «New stadium rapidly taking shape as Hibs ensure construction is kept to schedule». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 13 de mayo de 2010. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  35. «Hibernian hail Easter Road stadium expansion». BBC Sport (BBC). 22 de febrero de 2010. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  36. «One-tier stand to take Easter Road to 21,000». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 22 de noviembre de 2008. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2010. 
  37. McKinney, David (18 de octubre de 1995). «Bayern ruin all Raith's dreams». The Independent. Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010. 
  38. Shaw, Phil (30 de septiembre de 1995). «Dancing in streets of Raith again». The Independent. Consultado el 25 de agosto de 2010. 
  39. «Office semi-divided». BBC Sport (BBC). 30 de enero de 2007. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  40. «Cup semi for Easter Road». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). 10 de diciembre de 2003. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  41. a b «Butcher bemoans Easter Road semi». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). 19 de noviembre de 2004. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  42. «Semi-final now pay-at-gate after crowd fears». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). 24 de enero de 2006. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  43. «Fir Park and Hampden host semis». BBC Sport (BBC). 10 de noviembre de 2009. Consultado el 30 de enero de 2011. 
  44. Pattullo, Alan (15 de octubre de 2010). «Hibs' reward for rebuilding job is to stage Scotland U-21 play-off». The Scotsman (Johnston Press). Consultado el 15 de octubre de 2010. 
  45. a b Grahame, Ewing (5 de junio de 2006). «Essien entertains for Ghana». The Guardian (Guardian News and Media Limited). Consultado el 1 de noviembre de 2011. 
  46. a b «Gunners eye Easter Road». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 16 de enero de 2006. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  47. a b «Easter Road put in the frame as new home for Gunners». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 3 de noviembre de 2006. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  48. «Easter Road on rugby agenda». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 7 de julio de 2004. Consultado el 30 de octubre de 2011. 
  49. «Boxing bound for Easter Rd». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 24 de octubre de 2009. 
  50. «Elton John set for Hibs & Killie». BBC Sport (BBC). 20 de enero de 2005. 
  51. «Easter Road provides a home for World Cup organisers». Edinburgh Evening News (Johnston Press). 12 de mayo de 2009. Consultado el 31 de diciembre de 2010. 
  52. a b «Hibernian». Scottish Football Ground Guide. Consultado el 17 de marzo de 2010. 
  53. «North British Railway List of Stations». North British Railway Study Group. 2009. Consultado el 31 de octubre de 2011. 
  54. «Edinburgh trams: Councillors vote to continue project». BBC News. BBC. 30 de junio de 2011. Consultado el 30 de junio de 2011. 
  55. a b «Route Map». Lothian Buses. Consultado el 28 de noviembre de 2011. 
  56. «Map». First Group. Consultado el 18 de marzo de 2010.