The architects TTH and developer Ballast Wiltshire were both involved in the Stadium of Light development in Sunderland. The overall capacity was announced as 15,254. On 23 May 2000, the club was given the go-ahead for the redevelopment of Bloomfield Road. A unanimous vote by the resort's councillors sealed the fate of plans to replace the existing stadium with an £11 million state-of-the-art structure. In 2000 and 2001 respectively, the Spion Kop and West Stand were demolished to make way for the new stands. The Kop was closed after the 8 May visit of Colchester United. The pitch was moved slightly north and west to make room for expansion on the south and east sides of the ground in future years. On 7 August 2001, a pre-season friendly against Spanish side Athletic Bilbao was held at Bloomfield Road. The game ended 2–2. The West Stand was completed in the summer of 2002 and was officially opened on 6 August, with former "Seasiders" player Keith Walwyn the guest of honour for a friendly against Blackburn Rovers. Lord Pendry unveiled a plaque above the main entrance celebrating the Football Foundation's contribution to the new stadium. The South Stand, meanwhile, was granted a reprieve which meant it would re-open for visiting supporters for the forthcoming 2002–03 campaign. All matches would be all-ticket for visiting support. If a club requested more than the 1,500 allocation, Blackpool would open the East Paddock north section, thus allowing a further 1,000 away support. On 25 June 2003, fans were allowed into the ground to take a final look around the South and East stands before their demolition. Former "Pool" player Dave Durie was also in attendance. In July 2003, Bloomfield Road was granted a licence to hold marriage ceremonies. The stadium was used for two matches during the 2005 UEFA Women's Championship. Blackpool Rugby League Club used the stadium for their home matches in National League Two in the 2005 and 2006 seasons and since 2005 it has staged the annual National League Cup final. The stadium hosted a 2004–05 Victory Shield match between England under-16 team and Scotland under-16 team on 26 November 2004. On 22 September 2005, Bloomfield Road hosted its 2,000th Football League match. Brentford were the visitors for a game that ended goalless. On 11 October 2007, England under-16s drew 2–2 with Northern Ireland under-16s in a Victory Shield 2007-08 match at Bloomfield Road.