Tynecastle Stadium - Structure and Facilities

Structure and Facilities

Tynecastle is an all-seated stadium, split into four sections known as the Gorgie Stand, Main Stand, Wheatfield Stand and Roseburn Stand. The Main Stand was designed by noted football stadium architect Archibald Leitch and completed in 1919. It is split into two levels, with approximately 3,300 seats in the main section and 1,400 seats in a paddock to the front of the stand. The paddock was reduced in 1994, when the pitch was shifted 6 metres to the east to make room for the new Wheatfield Stand. The three other stands were constructed between 1994 and 1997, with all having a distinctive goalpost roof structure made out of steel tubes. Unusually, the framework sits at the front of each stand, which means that the support towers sit within 10 yards of the corner flag, forming an arch over the stand. The stadium floodlights sit on top of the support towers, angled down towards the pitch, like the lighting rigs used at concerts. The Wheatfield Stand, which seats just under 6,000 people, slopes at just under 34 degrees, the maximum angle permitted. The Roseburn Stand (School End) was completed in August 1995 and cost £1.4 million to build. The Roseburn Stand seated 3,676 when it was opened, but 280 seats were removed from both it and the Gorgie Stand when the pitch was lengthened in 2005 to meet UEFA requirements. The Gorgie Stand, which was completed in September 1997, contains the Gorgie Suite and a club superstore.