Pride Park Stadium

Engaging the same architects as Middlesbrough, the Miller Partnership, Derby's plans predominantly followed those of the Riverside Stadium, with the first stage being a detached main stand facing a horseshoe running unbroken round the other three sides, with the possibility of the corners being filled in later and the ground's capacity being increased if and when necessary by raising the horseshoe roof. Pickering laid the foundation stone in November 1995 and, after decontamination, the first of the more than 1,000 pre-cast concrete piles was sunk in September 1996. This was followed by 6,500 tonnes of concrete and more than 2,100 tonnes of steelwork as the ground began to take shape.…

On 3 October 2011, Derby County announced that they had submitted plans to Derby City Council for a £7 million development of land outside the stadium, which the club named "The Plaza @ Pride Park". These plans included five cafes/restaurants, two convenience stores and 2,000 square metres of office space. These plans had been scaled down from the planned £20 million pound development proposed in 2007. Derby County CEO Tom Glick said that these plans would help the club deal with the new Financial Fair Play regulations which were to be introduced in the Football League from 2012, as revenue from the plaza would be reinvested back into the club. Chief executive Tom Glick said that the club…

The Queen opened the stadium on 18 July 1997 in front of 30,000 spectators. By this time the south west corner, which stood between the main stand and the horseshoe, had been completed. The interest from potential corporate clients had been so high that Pickering pressed the board to go the full distance with the stadium, raising the final initial costs of completing the stadium to £22 million. Work was still in progress on the remaining corner on the opening day, leaving Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to jokingly ask Taylor Woodrow contract manager Ross Walters, "Haven't you been paid yet?" An overture to the opening ceremony came two weeks later, on 4 August 1997, with the first ever…