Tynecastle Stadium

Tynecastle Stadium

Tynie
Tynecastle Stadium Location in Edinburgh
Location	Gorgie, Edinburgh, Scotland
Coordinates	55°56′21″N 3°13′56″W / 55.93917°N 3.23222°W / 55.93917; -3.23222
Owner	Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Capacity	17,480
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	10 April 1886
Renovated	1994–1997
Architect	Archibald Leitch (Main Stand) Jim Clydesdale (Wheatfield, Roseburn and Gorgie Stands)
Tenants
Heart of Midlothian F.C.	1886–present

The Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League club Heart of Midlothian. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,480, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland. Hearts first played at the present site of Tynecastle in 1886.

After Hearts was formed in 1874, the club played at sites in the Meadows, Powburn and Powderhall. Hearts first moved to the Gorgie area, in the west of Edinburgh, in 1881. This pitch stood on the site of the present-day Wardlaw Street and Wardlaw Terrace. As this site was then regarded as being 'out of town', Hearts would sometimes stage two matches for the price of one, or set an admission price much lower than Edinburgh derby rivals Hibs. In 1886, with the city continuing to expand, tenements replaced the old ground and Hearts moved across Gorgie Road to the present site, which was leased from Edinburgh Corporation. Hearts played a friendly against Bolton Wanderers to inaugurate their new home on 10 April 1886. Tynecastle staged its first Scottish Football League match on 23 August 1890, when Hearts lost 5–0 to Celtic.

Hearts won the Scottish Cup in 1891, which provided the club with sufficient finances for a new clubhouse. Tynecastle hosted its first international fixture in 1892, a 6–1 victory for Scotland against Wales. Only 1,200 fans attended the match because a snowstorm had led many fans to assume that it would be postponed. 1892 also saw a roof constructed on the original "South" stand. In 1895 Tynecastle hosted a "World Championship" match between the winner of the English Football League First Division, Sunderland, and the Scottish league champions, Hearts. The trophy was won by Sunderland, who beat Hearts by a 5–3 score. Tynecastle hosted another "World Championship" game in 1902, when Hearts beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–1.