Don Valley Stadium, Rotherham United – 2008-2012

The Don Valley Stadium was a temporary home to Rotherham United for four years.

Following their exit from Millmoor, Rotherham United spent the next four years plying their trade in nearby Sheffield at the Don Valley Stadium.

The Don Valley Stadium was better known as a track and field athletics venue and a place where music concerts such as the one by local rock legends Def Leppard, were held.

The stadium was the second-largest athletics stadium in the UK, with a seated capacity of 25,000.

It had a very short lifespan of just twenty-three years, having been built for the World Student Games in 1991. By 2013, the facility was gone.

Rotherham United became part of the stadium’s short history in 2008 when they agreed on a deal to temporarily use the facilities.

There are a number of record attendances for the stadium.

The largest crowds to gather for an event there were when music gigs were held. The capacity for concerts was 50,000 and with megastars like Bon Jovi, U2, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson playing there, this capacity was often reached.

In terms of football and more specifically, Rotherham United, the record attendance was 5,404, for a League Cup match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 26^th 2008. The game finished in a 0-0 stalemate but was won on penalties by the home side.

Rotherham played their last game at the Don Valley Stadium on 5^th May 2012. They played out a 1-1 draw with Northampton Town in a League Two match.

Rotherham returned to their hometown on 18^th August 2012, when the club unveiled the New York Stadium at their season-opener against Burton Albion.

The Millers’ fans would have been happy to see the club back in Rotherham anyway but a 3-0 win sent them home with even bigger smiles on their faces.

The Don Valley Stadium was demolished in 2013 and in its stead, a new sports facility was constructed, which consisted of an indoor arena, an all-weather playing surface and wellbeing centres. Collectively known as the Olympic Legacy Park, the area has been rejuvenated and is continuously upgraded.