Ali Sami Yen Stadium
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| Ali Sami Yen Stadium | |
| Full name | Ali Sami Yen Stadium |
| Nickname | Hell |
| Built | 1943 |
| Opened | 1964 |
| Capacity | 25,500 |
| Home of | Galatasaray SK |
| Pitch size | 105 x 68 m |
Ali Sami Yen Stadium is home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen. With a capacity of 25,000 seats, Ali Sami Yen stadium is situated in the center of Istanbul, in Mecidiyeköy.
In 1940, the main stadium of Taksim Square was destroyed, and the teams from Istanbul's Beyoğlu quarter had to find a new stadium to play in. Galatasaray Sports Club decided to build a big, modern stadium and construction began in 1943. Because it was a difficult period, during World War II, they made finally a stadium with small stands which opened in 1945. But building continued on the site and the stadium was finished in 1964.
Ali Sami Yen stadium was inaugurated on December 14th, 1964 with a friendly game between Turkey and Bulgaria. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during this opening match: in one of the stands many people fell onto the first floor causing numerous injuries. Spotlights were added to the stadium in 1965, and games began to be played there at night (the lighting system was renovated in 1993). The stadium is made of 2 identical lateral stands, partially covered by a roof: the Numarali stand (where the cameras are) and the Kapali stand, where the most fanatical fans stay. The two other stands, behind the goals, are the Yeni Açik, with 2 floors, and the Eski Açik, with the giant scoreboard.
In the past, games were played with more than 40,000 spectators in this stadium, which is nicknamed "Hell" by Galatasaray's supporters because of its intimidating atmosphere and the enthusiastic support of the fans who often make mass use of torches, smoke, drums, flags and giant posters to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams. Ali Sami Yen is important for Galatasaray because it has seen many victories against renowned European football clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven.
It is located in Mecidiyekoy, one of the most crowded parts of Istanbul, surrounded by urban development. In recent years, there have been many proposals to demolish the current stadium and build a new stadium on the same site, but this is impossible due to problems of space. Today, Galatasaray is planning to build a new stadium in another quarter of Istanbul, Seyrantepe, whose name was changed to Aslantepe ("Lion Hill"), after Galatasaray bought the ground. The idea is to realize a stadium on the model of the ArenA in Amsterdam, and complete it in 16 months. The building of the new stadium will start January 2007. The new stadium will have a capacity of 52,500 making it the biggest stadium in Turkey, owned by a club. It will also feature a moving ground and a hydraulic dome at the top that can close in case of rain or snow . There are also plans for shopping mall and residential units construction in the Aslantepe Project.
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[edit] Matches and tickets
Some parts of the stadium, around 7,000-8,000 seats, is sold in the form of season tickets. Average number of fans on a game runs around 19,000, while the stadium has a capacity of 25,500.
[edit] Stands
The cheapest seats are found in the Yeni Açik ("new open") stand, behind one of the goals. The best atmosphere in the stadium is in the Kapali ("covered") stand, where the most fanatical fans congregate. For more comfort to watch the game, the Numarali ("numbered") stand is best -- but this is also the most expensive stand. And the stadium's most modern section is the recently rebuilt Eski Açik ("old open") stand.
[edit] Access
Access to Ali Sami Yen is not very difficult, as the stadium is not far from a popular place for tourists: Taksim Square. There is a metro station near the stadium, as well as a station for several bus lines: the station's name is Mecidiyeköy or Sisli/Mecidiyeköy.
