By the 1980s, Burnden Park, which at its peak had held up to 60,000 spectators, was becoming increasingly dilapidated, and a section of terracing was sold off for redevelopment as a supermarket to help pay off the club's rising debts.

The lead consultant/architect of the project was Lobb Sports, while local firm Bradshaw Gass & Hope acted as planning supervisors and quantity surveyors.

The stadium was opened in 1997 by John Prescott, a Labour Party politician, who was the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time.

When the stadium was named after long-time team sponsor Reebok in 1997, fans considered the title impersonal and believed that too much emphasis was being placed on financial considerations.

That opposition lessened considerably after the stadium was built, as fans grew accustomed to the name and were bolstered by Reebok's status as a local company.

[20] The stadium also hosted the UK Open Darts Championship, boxing matches with local boxer Amir Khan and in 2011 Premiership rugby union, when Sale Sharks lost to London Irish.

The venue's Premier Suite is home to the UK's leading amateur mixed martial arts event, Full Contact Contender.

[30] Bolton Wanderers unveiled a bronze statue of their most famous player, Nat Lofthouse (1925–2011), prior to a game against Queens Park Rangers on 24 August 2013.

The statue, which cost £100,000 and funded via the generosity of public donations and sponsors, is situated near to the south-west corner of the stadium and was officially revealed by club owner Eddie Davies in a special ceremony.

[36] The stadium's West Stand lies about 200 metres from Horwich Parkway railway station situated between Lostock and Blackrod on the Manchester to Preston Line.