Nottingham Arena

Last updated

Nottingham Arena
Motorpoint Arena logo.svg
Motorpoint Arena, Bolero Sqiare (geograph 7427266).jpg
Nottingham Arena
Full nameNottingham Arena
Former namesTrent FM Arena (2008–2011)
Capital FM Arena (2011–2015)
AddressBolero Square
The Lace Market
Nottingham NG1 1LA
England
Location National Ice Centre
Coordinates 52°57′10″N1°8′22″W / 52.95278°N 1.13944°W / 52.95278; -1.13944
Owner Nottingham City Council
OperatorNottingham Ice Centre Ltd
Capacity 10,000 without standing room (15,865 with standing room)
Construction
Broke groundAugust 1998
Built1998–2000
Opened1 April 2000 (2000-04-01)
Expanded2011
ArchitectFaulknerBrowns [1]
Project managerGleeds
Structural engineer Ove Arup [ citation needed ]
Services engineerOve Arup [ citation needed ]
Main contractors John Laing Group [2]
Tenants
Nottingham Panthers (2000–present)
Website
Venue Website

Nottingham Arena (known for sponsorship reasons as the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham) [3] is a multi-use indoor arena, part of the National Ice Centre in the Lace Market district of Nottingham, England. The National Ice Centre and Nottingham Arena were opened by Olympic gold medalist Jayne Torvill on 1 April 2000. The arena is the biggest live entertainment venue in the East Midlands. [4]

Contents

History

Background

The arena is part of the National Ice Centre which was constructed on the site of the former Nottingham Ice Stadium. The ice stadium opened in 1939 and was showing its age, so, in September 1995, plans were announced to replace the Ice Stadium. Plans for the new ice rink, supported by the British Olympic Association, were unveiled in October 1996.

Construction

Several buildings were demolished to make way for the new ice centre; this included an Art Deco warehouse and "The Old Cricket Players" pub, which was initially spared but closed a few years later and replaced with apartments. The former Ice Stadium closed in March 2000, and by May 2000 was described as "nearly demolished", with four skip loads of demolition rubble being removed from the site every day. [5] [6]

During excavation for the new building in July 1998 a rare 1,100-year-old Saxon jug was found, which is on display at the Nottingham Castle Museum. A 19th-century graveyard was also found under the car park, from which the bodies were then exhumed. [7]

Opening

The arena, under 2011-15 signage, viewed from Southwell Road (2013) Nottingham, NG3 - Southwell Road (geograph 3308373).jpg
The arena, under 2011–15 signage, viewed from Southwell Road (2013)

On 1 April 2000, the National Ice Centre was officially opened by Olympic gold medalist Jayne Torvill. [8] The second phase of the project — the family rink — was scheduled to be completed by May–June 2001, but opened early on 7 April 2001. [9] [10] The National Ice Centre was the first twin Olympic-sized ice rink in the United Kingdom. The final cost of the project was £43 million. [9] The arena was inaugurated by English band, Simply Red on 29 April 2000. [11]

By 2002, the arena was not as popular as planned. The venue posted an operating loss of £1 million in its first year. Concert promoters would often have acts skip Nottingham in favour of Sheffield and Birmingham. [3] HM The Queen visited the National Ice Centre and adjoined arena on 31 July 2002. [8]

In 2007, former radio station Trent FM purchased naming rights for four years, becoming the Trent FM Arena Nottingham. [12] When Trent FM was bought by Global Radio, the naming rights were assigned to Capital FM, and the arena now became known as Capital FM Arena Nottingham. [13] In 2011,[ citation needed ] the arena installed a draping system, reducing the capacity to 4,000 for intimate shows. The arena's overall capacity was also expanded from 9,000 to 10,000.

Despite the average event ticket price rising almost £5 from the year before (to £37.22), in the 2012–13 season the arena made a £200,000 "operating deficit", with a 9% drop in attendance at the arena, and a 6% fall in the number of events held. [14]

Events

Inside the NIC Arena before the 2007 EIHL Play Off Final Nottingham Panthers vs Cardiff Devils April 2011.jpg
Inside the NIC Arena before the 2007 EIHL Play Off Final

The Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team plays their home games at the Arena. [15]

Little Mix hold the record for the largest concert at the arena, with an audience of 15,685. [16] Westlife has performed the most at the arena, with 22 shows between 2001 and 2019. As of 2014 the arena has hosted artists and events including Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, The 1975, One Direction, The X Factor Tour, Strictly Come Dancing Live! and We Will Rock You: 10th Anniversary Tour , as well as conferences, galas and balls, including Nottingham Trent University’s Graduation Ball. On 17 November 2012, the arena hosted the fight between Nottingham boxer Carl Froch and Yusaf Mack, with Froch retaining his IBF super-middleweight world title. [17]

The Arena was the site of the 2023 IIHF World Championship Division I Group A ice hockey tournament. Nottingham saw Great Britain win all 5 round-robin games to be promoted back into the top division.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham</span> City and council area in Nottinghamshire, England

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located 110 miles (180 km) north-west of London, 33 miles (53 km) south-east of Sheffield and 45 miles (72 km) north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham is the legendary home of Robin Hood and to the lace-making, bicycle and tobacco industries. The city is also the county town of Nottinghamshire and the settlement was granted its city charter in 1897, as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Nottingham is a tourist destination; in 2018, the city received the second-highest number of overnight visitors in the Midlands and the highest number in the East Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elite Ice Hockey League</span> Ice hockey league in the United Kingdom, formed in 2003

The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Panthers</span> Ice hockey club in Nottingham, England

The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Their main team sponsor is the Nottingham Building Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheffield Arena</span> Arena in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayne Torvill</span> English ice skater (born 1957)

Jayne Torvill, OBE is a British professional ice dancer and former competitor. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics, becoming one of the oldest figure skating Olympic medalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Dean</span> English ice dancer (born 1958)

Christopher Colin Dean, OBE is a British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill. They also won a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torvill and Dean</span> English ice skating duo

Torvill and Dean are English ice dancers and former British, European, Olympic, and World champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Ice Centre</span> Ice rink in Nottingham

The National Ice Centre (NIC) is located in Nottingham, England. It is situated just east of the city centre, close to the historic Lace Market area. The NIC was the first twin Olympic-sized ice pad facility in the UK, "heralding a new era in the development of ice skating". Incorporating the Nottingham Arena, the NIC is a combined live entertainment and leisure venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham city centre</span>

Nottingham city centre is the cultural, commercial, financial and historical heart of Nottingham, England, and represents the central area of the Greater Nottingham conurbation.

<i>Dancing on Ice</i> British ice skating competition series

Dancing on Ice is a British television series currently presented by Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby. Former hosts include Phillip Schofield, who hosted from 2006 to 2023, and Christine Bleakley, who hosted in Willoughby's absence from 2012 to 2014. The series features celebrities and their professional partners figure skating in front of a panel of judges. The series, broadcast on ITV, started on 14 January 2006 and initially ended on 9 March 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Ice Stadium</span>

The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England from 1939 to 2000. It had a seating capacity of 2800 for Ice hockey games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Froch</span> English boxer

Carl Martin Froch, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2014, and has since worked as a boxing analyst and commentator. He held multiple super-middleweight world championships, including the World Boxing Council (WBC) title twice between 2008 and 2011, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title from 2012 to 2015, and the World Boxing Association (WBA) title from 2013 to 2015. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles between 2004 and 2008, and won the Lonsdale Belt in 2006. As an amateur, in the middleweight division, Froch won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships, and the ABA title twice.

The history of the original Nottingham Panthers between 1939 and 1960 covers the history of the Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team from the initial attempts to establish the club in 1939 and the team's first season in 1946 to the closure of the Panthers in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Coomes</span> English ice dancer

Penny Coomes is a former English competitive ice dancer who represented Great Britain. With partner Nicholas Buckland, she is the 2014 European Figure Skating Championships bronze medalist and has won six other international medals. They are also five-time British national champions, and have competed three times at the Winter Olympics, in 2010, 2014 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Buckland</span> English ice dancer

Nicholas "Nick" Buckland is a former English competitive ice dancer who represented Great Britain. With partner Penny Coomes, he is the 2014 European bronze medalist and has won six other international medals. They are also five-time British national champions, and they have also competed three-times at the Winter Olympics in 2010, 2014 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Nottingham</span>

Nottingham is home to several high-profile sports clubs. These include two notable Football League clubs in the shape of Nottingham Forest which, along with Liverpool, is one of only two clubs in England to have won consecutive European Cups and Notts County which is the oldest professional football club in the world. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is a top level county cricket club, whilst both the National Ice Centre and the National Watersports Centre are also located in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice hockey arena</span>

An ice hockey arena is a sport venue in which an ice hockey competition is held. Alternatively it is used for other sports such as broomball, ringette and rink bandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardier Incentro AT6/5</span>

The Bombardier Incentro AT6/5 is a 100% low floor tram used by Nottingham Express Transit (NET) in Nottingham, England. It is a variant of Bombardier Transportation's Incentro design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varsity Series (Nottingham)</span>

The Varsity Series, or the Charity Varsity Series, comprises a number of sports events pitching Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham against each other in a university rivalry. It has been organised for the benefit of charity since 2004. The university that wins the most events is declared winner. One point and half a point are awarded for winning and drawing an event, respectively. The two institutions are based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom and the rivalry is contested in a variety of sports, although ice hockey is seen as the premier event and is the second most attended university ice hockey match outside of North America, selling out the 7,500-seat National Ice Centre since 2009. The winner takes home the Varsity Trophy, which they hold until the conclusion of the following year's series. The University of Nottingham currently leads Nottingham Trent in total series wins by 8-4 since 2004, one series has been drawn, in 2011. The University of Nottingham has won the last 5 series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital (radio network)</span> British radio network

Capital is a network of twelve independent contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom, broadcasting a mix of local and networked programming. Ten of the stations are owned and operated by Global Media & Entertainment, while the other two are owned and operated under separate franchise agreements.

References

  1. ↑ "National Ice Centre, Nottingham". Building. 27 April 2001. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "National Ice Centre". Architects Journal. 11 May 2000. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Nottingham's Arena turns ten years old". Nottingham Post. Local World. 26 March 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Disney on Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham". motorpointarenanottingham.com. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  5. ↑ Brunton, John (29 March 2000). "Centre Stage: Torvill to open ice complex". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 22 December 2013.(subscription required)
  6. ↑ Brunton, John (15 May 2000). "It's gone but not forgotten". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 22 December 2013.(subscription required)
  7. ↑ Catlow, Claire (2 May 2018). "How Nottingham's £43m ice stadium took shape – 20 years ago". nottinghampost. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Venue Information: Capital FM Arena Nottingham". The Gig Cartel. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  9. 1 2 "About the NIC". Archived from the original on 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Brunton, John (28 March 2000). "PROMOTERS HOPE TO ATTRACT A GALAXY OF TOP STAR NAMES TO PULL IN THE CROWDS AT THE CITY'S NEW ICE STADIUM". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 22 December 2013.(subscription required)
  11. ↑ Brunton, John (30 March 2000). "The heat is on at centre". Nottingham Evening Post. Retrieved 22 December 2013.(subscription required)
  12. ↑ Sillis, Ben (11 April 2008). "Trent FM arena sponsorship deal". MediaWeek. Haymarket Media Group. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Arena to get new name as part of radio station launch". Nottingham Post . Local World. 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "National Ice Centre & Capital FM Arena Nottingham Annual Review 2012/13". Issuu. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  15. ↑ "The History of the Nottingham Panthers". panthers.co.uk.
  16. ↑ "Current Boxscore". Billboard . Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Unbelievable" home crowd witness Carl Froch masterclass at Nottingham's Capital Arena, 19 November 2012
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.