Lane Capacities

[Tony]

Compiling some stats and am tying to get the lane capacities since we moved there. Maybe on for SB.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I believe the official capacity at the end of the 1970's, so after the South Stand was built was 49,309. It must have been reduced during the 80's, presumably due to safety concerns because we 'sold out' the FA Cup Qtr Final v man Utd in 1990 and the attendance was about 34,500.

No idea before then when we still had the cricket pitch or before the Bramall Lane stand was built.

 

[bornablade]

The highest attendance I have been in at the Lane was the derby April 1980 (third division). Over 45,000.

 

[vorpal blade]

Yes, I remember it was always stated as 49000, in the 1970s I think it was after the South Stand was built and therefore cricket banished?

in the days of standing room, weren't these 'capacities' just an estimate at most grounds? or did they really count them and lock the gates at a certain number? its just that I remember listening to the owner of Rotherham United the morning we played them in about 1978 .... when asked what the Millmoor capacity was he said something to the effect 'we're going to find out today' .... as a result there were about 26000 in the ground and a wall caved in behind the goal with lots of injuries but luckily no fatalities.

 

[jockdodds]

Yes, I remember it was always stated as 49000, in the 1970s I think it was after the South Stand was built and therefore cricket banished?

in the days of standing room, weren't these 'capacities' just an estimate at most grounds? or did they really count them and lock the gates at a certain number? its just that I remember listening to the owner of Rotherham United the morning we played them in about 1978 .... when asked what the Millmoor capacity was he said something to the effect 'we're going to find out today' .... as a result there were about 26000 in the ground and a wall caved in behind the goal with lots of injuries but luckily no fatalities.

In the late 59s and early 60s the capacity was 57000, which was reached in the 1959 FA cup 6th round against Norwich and the 1962 FA cup 6th round against Burnley. For the 6th round game against Wednesday in 1960 the capacity was increased to 60000 by the construction of a temporary stand on the cricket pitch.

 

[vorpal blade]

Ah, now I am half remembering seeing some sort of stand on the cricket on a photo I saw many years ago ... any photos Jock?

 

[Dnblade]

I often used to think there was more people there than the official figure that was announced back in the day...Did it hold 49k in the early 70's?...43k there for the Cardiff game in 71 for instance,it was packed...I don't know where you would have fitted another 6k.

 

[jockdodds]

Ah, now I am half remembering seeing some sort of stand on the cricket on a photo I saw many years ago ... any photos Jock?

No, I don't have any photos - but I was there and saw it in person!

 

[Cheets]

I believe the official capacity at the end of the 1970's, so after the South Stand was built was 49,309. It must have been reduced during the 80's, presumably due to safety concerns because we 'sold out' the FA Cup Qtr Final v man Utd in 1990 and the attendance was about 34,500.

No idea before then when we still had the cricket pitch or before the Bramall Lane stand was built.

49,309 was the crowd at the Boxing Day massacre in 1979, a record for the third tier. Our capacity in the Panini albums was always given as 49,000 in the late 70s, early 80s but was drastically reduced, especially in the standing areas, following the publication of the Taylor report.

 

[Ecco1889]

The attendance of the derby April 1980 was 42526
The biggest attendance I have been is April 1972 v Manchester Utd 45045

 

[Keen Blade]

49,309 was the crowd at the Boxing Day massacre in 1979, a record for the third tier. Our capacity in the Panini albums was always given as 49,000 in the late 70s, early 80s but was drastically reduced, especially in the standing areas, following the publication of the Taylor report.

 

[Keen Blade]

Since the Boxing Day Massacre was at the Sty , it's not relevant to the Lane. After the South Stand was built , my recollection off the top of my head is that we rarely (and only barely) exceeded 40k.

 

[Cheets]

Since the Boxing Day Massacre was at the Sty , it's not relevant to the Lane. After the South Stand was built , my recollection off the top of my head is that we rarely (and only barely) exceeded 40k.

Yeah - I was replying to CoaxingStar 71 who stated that he thought our capacity was 49,309. My point was that that was the attendance at the BDM, not the capacity of Bramall Lane. We got 45,156 against SWFC at the return match in April 1980.

 

[derfblade.3]

The attendance of the derby April 1980 was 42526
The biggest attendance I have been is April 1972 v Manchester Utd 45045

As was mine.

That's me, second left 8 rows down.

 

[coaxingstar71]

49,309 was the crowd at the Boxing Day massacre in 1979, a record for the third tier. Our capacity in the Panini albums was always given as 49,000 in the late 70s, early 80s but was drastically reduced, especially in the standing areas, following the publication of the Taylor report.

I thought that specific figure rung a bell! I knew it was 49,000 but thought it was a bit more.

 

[OrlandoexiledBlade]

we got 40,899 v Leeds in the League Cup in 1978. (After getting 35,000+ v Liverpool in the round earlier. I remember then there were spaces in the front corners of the kop and the East John Street Terrace, so was surprised it was that many

 

[coaxingstar71]

Yeah - I was replying to CoaxingStar 71 who stated that he thought our capacity was 49,309. My point was that that was the attendance at the BDM, not the capacity of Bramall Lane. We got 45,156 against SWFC at the return match in April 1980.

Ecco1889 is correct, the return derby game in April 1980 was 42,526 - Keen Blade

 

[cahill]

I often used to think there was more people there than the official figure that was announced back in the day...Did it hold 49k in the early 70's?...43k there for the Cardiff game in 71 for instance,it was packed...I don't know where you would have fitted another 6k.

Hull City home 1971 during our promotion season was 42,000 I recall, a night match. I remember being crushed behind a crash barrier at the back of the kop and being unable to breathe and thinking I wasn’t long for this world, until the bigger lad next to,me pushed back and I was able to nip under to the front of it. Never made that mistake again

 

[Ecco1889]

Ecco1889 is correct, the return derby game in April 1980 was 42,526 - Keen Blade

The 42526 figure is from Sheffield United the complete record,but a couple of sources on the net state 45156?

 

[Harry's Game]

All wankers I’m told.

 

[bornablade]

The 42526 figure is from Sheffield United the complete record,but a couple of sources on the net state 45156?

I've seen the 45156 figure quoted on a football website.

Barry Davies commentary for MOTD as the teams come on the pitch stated that there were 46,000 in Bramall Lane.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Attendances could be taken with a pinch of salt pre-electronic turnstiling as the club fiddled the gates like fuck. Saying that they couldn't fiddle a sell out and my record at the Lane is the FA Cup quarter final v Burnley in 1962 at 57k. Excluding Wembley visits that was my record until Bobby Charlton's last match at OT which I believe was 57280 so it beats it by a whisker.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

In the late 59s and early 60s the capacity was 57000, which was reached in the 1959 FA cup 6th round against Norwich and the 1962 FA cup 6th round against Burnley. For the 6th round game against Wednesday in 1960 the capacity was increased to 60000 by the construction of a temporary stand on the cricket pitch.

Correct. I was there for all three.

 

[Topplayersleave]

Attendances could be taken with a pinch of salt pre-electronic turnstiling as the club fiddled the gates like fuck. Saying that they couldn't fiddle a sell out and my record at the Lane is the FA Cup quarter final v Burnley in 1962 at 57k. Excluding Wembley visits that was my record until Bobby Charlton's last match at OT which I believe was 57280 so it beats it by a whisker.

They could fiddle a sell out too, they'd just let more in

Biggest fiddle of an attendance I've seen at the Lane was the 17,000 against Newcastle in the League Cup the season Bassett got us promoted from Division Three

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

I seem to remember the capacity in the late sixties and early seventies was stated as being 55,000.

 

[Seanshoreham]

Before 1973 we had the cricket pavilion in the background although don't remember anyone sitting in it for our big games?. Also there was a club in it where I used to go for a pint before the game. They also used to sell tickets in the pavilion for big games like the cup time at Leeds 1968
As a general rule of thumb the further back you go (less elf and safety) the bigger the capacity. My dad was in the 68k gate v Leeds in 1936, he got pushed onto the cricket field and couldn't see a thing. Biggest gate for me was 45k v Man Utd 1972

 

[Dnblade]

Hull City home 1971 during our promotion season was 42,000 I recall, a night match. I remember being crushed behind a crash barrier at the back of the kop and being unable to breathe and thinking I wasn’t long for this world, until the bigger lad next to,me pushed back and I was able to nip under to the front of it. Never made that mistake again

Yes,i was stood on the Lane End that night Cahill,watching us get kicked off the park.

 

[cahill]

Yes,i was stood on the Lane End that night Cahill,watching us get kicked off the park.

That’s right, Chris Simpkin etc. Ref stopped the match and had a word with both captains. In the late 1990s whilst working at a Magistrates court I got into conversation with the Stipendiary Magistrate, turned out he was a Hull fan who’d been at the same match. I don’t think Hull recovered from the failure of that season until about 10 years ago.

Looked like all Hull fans at the Lane end how did you end up in there ?

 

[Athens Blade]

I think it’s about 32,000 now

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I often used to think there was more people there than the official figure that was announced back in the day...Did it hold 49k in the early 70's?...43k there for the Cardiff game in 71 for instance,it was packed...I don't know where you would have fitted another 6k.

I think the attendance for a derby game was around 49,000 back in the 1970’s. It was the one after the Boxing Day fiasco. Slightly more (a few hundred neutrals obviously) at Hillsboro for that match I recall.