[2] Ewood Park was officially opened in April 1882 and during the 1880s staged football, athletics and some form of greyhound racing (not oval).
In 1893, Blackburn Rovers bought the freehold of the ground for £2500,[3] but came close to disaster soon after when part of a stand collapsed under the weight of a 20,000 strong crowd for the visit of Everton.
In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with a paddock for 9,320 in front with changing rooms and offices underneath, cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street.
The club took the opportunity to redevelop this section of the stand with executive boxes and glass-fronted lounge overlooking the ground.
After selling Walkersteel to British Steel Corporation for £330 million, Jack Walker decided to buy Blackburn Rovers and set about changing Ewood Park to one of the most advanced grounds in the country.
[13] The new Ewood Park was officially opened in November 1995 which Blackburn Rovers marked the occasion with a 7–0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Furthermore, the stand is home to the Premier Suite and Jack's Kitchen which form part of the club's hospitality packages in partnership with multinational corporation Sodexo.
[citation needed] The rear of the stand is also home to a memorial garden and a statue of Jack Walker entitled "Rovers' Greatest Supporter".
The home supporters ticket office and "Blues" cafe bar is situated in the lower reaches of the stand.
From here ground tours were led by former Rovers player, Ronnie Clayton (1934–2010) until his death in October 2010; it was renamed in his honour less than a year later.
The stand is home to the "Strikers Lounge" where members of the club's junior membership scheme "Team Rovers" congregate before and after matches.
The material for the new roof and terracing was provided by local steel firm, Walkersteel, owned by the man who was soon to buy the club, Jack Walker.
At the corner of the stand is a giant TV screen showing features, teamsheets and other live games on a match day.
The stand houses the club's education department which attracts youngsters from the surrounding areas for football-based activities in the classroom.
Behind the stand is the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre which provides facilities for community coaching, football leagues and soccer schools.
Fernhurst Mill, which stood to the rear of the former Darwen End terrace, was demolished to make way for the new stand as well as a new car park to serve the stadium.
[15] Though primarily the home ground for Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park has seen other usage, including hosting the 1941 Football League War Cup Final Replay.