Summary Premier League stadiums have undergone significant renovations to boost capacity amidst PSR rules.
Obtaining tickets at smaller Premier League stadiums like Vitality Stadium can be challenging.
AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium holds the record for the smallest Premier League stadium.
A lot of Premier League grounds have been significantly renovated in recent years, with Anfield now boasting a capacity of over 61,000 and the Etihad Stadium set to have a capacity of over 60,000 following the completion of the North Stand redevelopment. Stadium development has become popular for Premier League owners as they look to increase revenue streams in the age of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Obtaining tickets at grounds like Anfield and the Etihad Stadium is hard enough, but it is even harder when trying to get a seat inside smaller stadiums. This includes AFC Bournemouth, who currently have the smallest stadium in the top-flight. The Vitality Stadium has a capacity of 11,307. Here is a closer look at the top 10 smallest grounds in the history of the Premier League.
Top 10 Smallest Stadiums in Premier League History Rank Team Stadium Name Years Capacity 1 AFC Bournemouth Vitality Stadium 2015-2020, 2022-Current 11,307 2 Luton Town Kenilworth Road 2023-2024 12,056 3 Oldham Athletic Boundary Park 1992-1994 13,513 4 Southampton The Dell 1992-2001 15,200 5 Swindon Town County Ground 1993-1994 15,728 6 Blackpool Bloomfield Road 2010-2011 16,220 7 Brentford GTech Community Stadium 2021-2025 17,250 8 Derby County Baseball Ground 1996-1997 18,300 9 QPR MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium 1992-1996, 2011-2013, 2014-2015 18,439 10 Swansea City The Swansea.com Stadium 2011-2018 21,088
10 The Swansea.com Stadium
21,088
Swansea City spent seven years in the Premier League after being promoted to the top-flight in 2011. They enjoyed ninth and eighth-placed finishes in their first four seasons and were praised for their possession-based style of play. Their home ground, the Swansea.com Stadium, formerly known as Liberty Stadium, has a capacity of just over 21,000. It is also the home stadium for the Ospreys, a Welsh Rugby Union team who were founded in 2003 and play in the United Rugby Championship.
When the Swans were promoted to the top-flight in 2011, the stadium became the first Welsh ground to host Premier League matches. It is the third-largest ground in the country, behind the Cardiff City Stadium and the Millennium Stadium.
9 MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium
18,439
The MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium, more commonly known as Loftus Road, has been Queens Park Rangers’ home ground since 1917. QPR spent the first four seasons of the Premier League at Loftus Road, finishing fifth in the inaugural campaign. They were eventually relegated in 1996 and didn’t return to the top-flight until 2011.
There were still Premier League matches played at Loftus Road despite QPR’s absence, though. Due to a redevelopment project at Craven Cottage, Fulham played two seasons in the top division at Loftus Road. QPR returned to the Premier League in 2011 and spent two campaigns alongside the country’s elite clubs before they dropped to the second tier again. Finally, they spent a single season in the Premier League in the 2014/15 campaign. QPR finished bottom of the table, though, and have not returned since.
8 Baseball Ground
18,300
As you can probably tell by the name of this stadium, it was originally used for a different sport. From 1890 until 1898, Derby Baseball Club played at this stadium, but Derby County FC became the primary tenants from 1895 onwards. The Rams were promoted to the Premier League in 1996 and finished 12th in their first campaign.
The 1996/97 season was Derby’s last at the Baseball Ground, as the new Pride Park Stadium was set to officially open in the summer of 1997. Arsenal were the visitors on the final day of the campaign as the Derby supporters waved goodbye to the 18,300-capacity stadium. The club’s reserves played at the Baseball Ground until 2003, but it was then finally demolished.
7 Gtech Community Stadium
17,250
Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium opened in 2020, and the Bees were promoted to the Premier League for the first time a year later. With a capacity of 17,250, it is currently the second-smallest stadium in the English top-flight. Despite this, Thomas Frank’s side are continuing to defy the odds and sit 11th at the halfway point in the 2024/25 season. In their first three Premier League campaigns, the Bees achieved 13th, ninth and 16th-placed finishes.
Despite the stadium’s small capacity in comparison to other Premier League grounds, it has still held big events. This includes four matches at the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022. Most notably, the ground hosted the quarter-final between Germany and Austria, which saw just over 16,000 fans in attendance.
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6 Bloomfield Road
16,220
Blackpool only spent one season in the Premier League under Ian Holloway. They won promotion via the play-offs in 2010, and, despite a spirited campaign, they were relegated back to the Championship on the final day of the 2010/11 season. In 2010, a temporary stand was erected on the east side of Bloomfield Road. This stand can hold just over 5,000 fans and remains temporary today. It is hoped that it will be fully completed and become permanent by 2026.
Since their brief stint in the Premier League, the Tangerines have dropped down the leagues. In fact, in 2016 they were relegated to League Two under the controversial Oyston ownership. Their ownership of the club ended in 2019. Blackpool were promoted back to the Championship in 2021 but have since returned to the third tier.
5 County Ground
15,728
The overall capacity of Swindon Town’s County Ground is 15,728. This has been the case since the mid-1990s, as redevelopment has been halted due to the club’s on-field struggles. Since Swindon’s relegation from the Premier League in 1994, they have dropped to League Two and are currently in a relegation battle at the bottom of the division.
Previously, the land where the stadium sits was owned by Swindon Borough Council. However, in March 2023, the club bought the ground for £2.3 million, with the supporters holding a 50% stake. As a result, there is increased optimism that the ground can be redeveloped and improved now that the club are not restricted by paying rent to the council.
4 The Dell
15,200
The Dell was Southampton’s home ground from 1898 until 2001. In the mid-1990s, the club’s board were looking into the feasibility of building a new stadium as the Dell was quickly falling behind modern standards. At the end of the 1998/1999 season, it was announced that Southampton were moving away from The Dell, but it wasn’t until 2001 that the switch to a new home was finalised.
On the pitch, the Saints had narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League on multiple occasions, finishing 18th and 17th twice each. Southampton moved out of The Dell at the end of the 2000/01 season, finishing 10th in the table. The final game at the ground was against Brighton and Hove Albion in a friendly on 26th May 2001.
3 Boundary Park
13,513
Oldham Athletic spent two seasons in the Premier League in the early 1990s. Boundary Park was the smallest ground in the division during the 1992/93 campaign. It wasn’t until AFC Bournemouth’s promotion in 2015 that Oldham’s record of having the smallest Premier League stadium in history was beaten.
Before the Latics’ promotion to the Premier League in 1992, the pitch at Boundary Park was artificial. However, they were forced to have the artifical turf removed for top-flight matches to comply with the league’s rules. Since relegation from the Premier League, Oldham have had multiple relegations and currently play in the National League – the fifth tier of English football.
2 Kenilworth Road
12,056
Luton Town enjoyed a remarkable rise from non-league to the Premier League in 10 years, securing promotion to the top-flight with a penalty shootout victory against Coventry City at Wembley Stadium in 2023. The Hatters played their first two league matches away from home to allow extra time for the club to finalise the ground improvements at Kenilworth Road.
They spent £10 million on improving the infrastructure, including the rebuilding of the Bobbers Stand, which increased the capacity from 10,356 to just over 12,000. Without the capacity increase of this stand, Kenilworth Road would have been the smallest stadium in Premier League history.
Against all odds, Luton nearly survived in the Premier League but were ultimately hampered by injuries. They finished 18th, six points behind Nottingham Forest, and instantly returned to the Championship.
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1 Vitality Stadium
11,307
AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium is the smallest stadium in Premier League history. They were first promoted from the Championship in 2015 and enjoyed five successful seasons in the top-flight before they were relegated in 2020. The Cherries returned in 2022 and have established themselves as one of the most well-run clubs in the division. Under the management of Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth finished 12th last season and are currently in the top-half, looking to secure a spot in the European places.
Due to the club’s rapid progress on the pitch, the club have been looking to build a new stadium since 2017. In January 2024, owner Bill Foley announced that they were planning to build a new ground