Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commonwealth Stadium | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | 11000 Stadium Road PO Box 2359 Edmonton, AB T5J 2R7 |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Renovated | 2001 |
| Owner | City of Edmonton |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $20.9 million (CAD) Reconstruction Cost: $22.17 million (CAD) |
| Tenants | |
| Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) Canadian Soccer Edmonton Drillers (NASL) 1979-81 |
|
| Seats | |
| 60,081 | |
Commonwealth Stadium is a venue located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. Built in 1978 to host the Commonwealth Games, the stadium seats 65 000. The 2002 Grey Cup drew the largest crowd in stadium history, 62,531.
The stadium is the largest in permanent capacity in Canada and one of the few major facilities in that country to have a natural grass playing surface. As such, Commonwealth Stadium often plays host to international soccer matches and tournaments, and is the home field for Canada's men's and women's national soccer teams. In rugby union, the stadium has hosted Churchill Cup matches and hosted some 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup matches, including the final.
It is served by Stadium Station along the LRT (201) line and the Stadium Transit Centre (served by routes 2, 120 and 127) adjacent to the LRT Station
According to the Eskimos web site, the stadium currently has the largest and most advanced video screen jumbotron in the world. It measures 40' by 24' and with a 16:9 picture format.
The stadium has hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the 1983 Universiade Summer Games, the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, the final match of the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in 2002 and the Heritage Classic outdoor NHL hockey game in 2003. The CFL Grey Cup game has been played at Commonwealth Stadium on three occasions: in 1984, 1997, and 2002. It has also hosted many concerts, including U2, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and the Rolling Stones.
Commonweath is expected to replace its grass surface with FieldTurf for the 2007 CFL season, or in the near future[citation needed]. This will not necessarily affect its status as the home field for the national soccer teams, since FieldTurf and some similar surfaces are approved by FIFA for all competitive matches except for the finals of the FIFA World Cup.
[edit] Reference
- Esks.com - Commonwealth Stadium facts & figures
[edit] See also
| Current stadiums in the Canadian Football League |
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| Western Division | Eastern Division | |
|---|---|---|
| BC Place Stadium | Commonwealth Stadium | McMahon Stadium | Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field | Canad Inns Stadium | Ivor Wynne Stadium | Olympic Stadium | Percival Molson Stadium | Rogers Centre | |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Canadian football venues | Rugby union stadiums in Canada | Sport in Edmonton | Outdoor ice hockey venues in Canada | Athletics (track and field) venues | Soccer venues in Canada | Sports venues in Alberta | National Hockey League venues | Buildings and structures in Edmonton | National stadiums
