The stadium was completed in 1997 and replaced Derby County's previous stadium, the Baseball Ground. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on July 18, with a friendly against Sampdoria following on August 4. The first competitive league match to be played there was against Wimbledon. The floodlights failed part way through the match and it had to be abandoned. Plans to build the stadium were revealed only 18 months before the beginning of Derby's first season there. The original plan had been for the Baseball Ground to be rebuilt with a 26,000-seat capacity, but in February 1996 it was announced that Derby would be relocating instead.