SHEFFIELD EAGLES are giving their fans a chance to check out the MEPS International Home Of Football Stadium before their mid-season move there.
The Championship side will groundshare with non-league football’s Sheffield FC, with whom they have close links and long-term plans to build a new shared 5,000-capacity stadium in the Meadowhead area south of the city centre.
The 2,000-plus MEPS Stadium, home to Sheffield FC since 2001, is in Dronfield, Derbyshire, eight miles south of the Steel City Stadium, where the Eagles have been based.
They say playing at Sheffield FC, who have completed a number of ground improvements, will cost less, create more revenue-generating opportunities, provide a preferred grass rather than artificial pitch and “significantly enhance the matchday experience for supporters”.
Sheffield FC are recognised as the world’s oldest team (they were formed in 1857) and play in Northern Counties East League Premier Division (level nine of the pyramid) with hopes of climbing higher.
Businessman Jeremy Levine is a director of both the Eagles and Sheffield FC, while Jon McClure, frontman of high-profile rock band Reverend and the Makers, recently took a stake in the latter and became chairman.
The Eagles said in a statement: “The move strengthens our alignment with Sheffield FC.
“There is growing momentum and political will behind a return to the city for Sheffield FC.
“And we believe this partnership represents the best opportunity for Sheffield Eagles to secure a long-term home in Sheffield, on the right playing surface and within a sustainable environment.”
The Eagles’ first match at the MEPS Stadium is against London Broncos on Sunday, May 24, but fans can visit this Saturday morning (May 9), from 9.30 to 11.30, by registering via the club website.
It’s a free event, with both board members and some players in attendance to answer questions and chat.
The Eagles have played at the current version of the Steel City Stadium since 2022 after a spell at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster.
The current version of the club, formed in late 1999, have also been based at the old Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield United Football Club’s Bramall Lane, Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park and Wakefield’s now DIY Kitchens Stadium as well as an earlier version of the Steel City Stadium, previously known as Olympic Legacy Park.