Estadio San Martin de Porres

Estadio San Martín de Porres is a multi-purpose stadium in Lima, Peru. It is currently used by the football club Sporting Cristal and Club Deportivo San Martín. The stadium's maximum capacity is 20,000, however the southern stand is not opened because it borders the Rimac River making its capacity 18,000. The stadium was built in the 1970s and Sporting Cristal did not use it often in the following decades. It was used by second division teams and district teams of San Martín de Porres. In 1995, Sporting Cristal rented the stadium from the Instituto Peruano del Deporte and renovated the stadium. From that point on, the stadium has been used by Sporting Cristal as its home ground except against Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes. For these high-risk games, Cristal move their home games to the Estadio Nacional. Another first division club that uses this stadium is Club Deportivo San Martín.

History

When opened the stadium he used regularly to parties in the second professional and the Premier League of Lima. But the club Sporting Cristal would play several matches in that scenario at the beginning of the 1970s.

Again the Sporting Cristal first team returned to play some matches in such a scenario between 1979 and 1983. The field never had fame or recognition as one in good conditions for the practice of professional football, as the neglect of the authorities did this field remain in squalid conditions. The field used to be nearly without a single strand of grass, without wiring of safety, alternates or toilets seats. It was for this reason that during the years 1984 and 1994 Estadio San Martin only housed the professional second and meetings of the San Martin football district, and in some cases not hosted soccer matches.

In the mid-1995, Sporting Cristal signed an agreement with the Instituto Peruano de Deportes which it leased the stadium and the club could all the improvements that were needed. With an investment of more than $200,000, filled parking lots, the galleries were painted and installed a security wiring, were built new bathrooms, dressing rooms and benches for substitutes. For its part, the playing field was imported with Netherlands grass that became it, according to the press of that time, the best pitch of the Peru for the practice of football.

Sunday 24 September 1995 11:30 a.m., the stadium reopened its doors to a Peruvian professional championship game between Sporting Cristal, local and champion at that time, and the Cienciano club Cusco. The home team won by six goals to nil. A full house is the memory of that morning of football in which the renewed stadium hosted a team and supporters who had the wanting for the field. On Wednesday September 27 1995 Sporting Cristal returned to play, that time against Deportivo Municipal, winning by three goals to one.

The stadium had a total capacity of 16,000 spectators in its four galleries. However, the South overlooks the cliff of the River Rimac. This is not open to the public, in practice the stadium's capacity is 15,000 spectators. This lack of a popular forum was that the stadium could not host meetings of high risk where you can find two large swollen rivals. But from the year 2010, parties of the so-called classics against Alianza Lima and Universitario de Deportes began to be played once more. This was because of a mesh of protection being placed in the East Gallery, so that the visiting team supporters can sit.

Sporting Cristal has played in these scenario international matches in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Merconorte. In the mid-2000s the venue was named to be the home of first division expansion side Club San Martin. Also friendly matches in early 2011 were called the "evening Celestes", where the fans went in masses into the afternoon at a true "blue party".

Sections

• West Gallery (5,000 spectators)
• East Gallery (5,000 spectators)
• North Grand Stand (5,000 spectators)
• South End (3,000 spectators)

International Matches

References