Ewood Park

Ewood Park was built around 1881 and opened as a multi-sports and events venue on the 15th April 1882. Whilst the Rovers played a number of games at Ewood, mainly Lancashire Cup Finals, they took up permanent residence in September 1890 and eventually purchased it some three years later.

Ewood was the idea of four local businessmen and the site had a cinder track built around it for athletics, greyhound racing and horse (trotting) races - the pitch was also used for a wide range of events. In October 1883, a ‘Michaelmas Fair’ was held at Ewood Park comprising of a Circus, Pot Fair, Brass Band Concert and a traditional Fun Fair.

Originally the main Grandstand was on the Riverside, as were the changing rooms and other ancillary buildings. In 1907 a new Stand was built on Nuttall Street which included new dressing rooms and offices. By 1928 the ground was fully terraced with the Backburn End being the only one without any spectator cover. Floodlights were installed and first used in October 1958 and two years later the Blackburn End finally got a roof - a modern concrete cantilever design paid for out of profits from the run to the F.A. Cup Final earlier that year.

Over the years the ground suffered some fire damage. In 1913, members of the Suffragette movement set a fire in the Directors Box whilst a further fire in 1926 caused by an electrical fault did a small amount of damage, again to the Nuttall Street Stand. That structure saw two more fires in 1977 and in 1984. The latter enabled the Club to build the John Lewis Suite, a glass fronted Executive Lounge located at the Blackburn end of the stand. 

With the involvement of Jack Walker, the ground saw a complete change. Firstly, with the Riverside being totally rebuilt in the late-1980s and then the other three sides becoming all-seating by November 1995.

Today the capacity is 31,367 - all seated. The record attendance was 62,522 for an F.A. Cup tie versus Bolton Wanderers in 1929.

Steve Williams