Balboa Stadium
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| Balboa Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Diego, California |
| Built | 1914 |
| Opened | |
| Owner | City of San Diego |
| Operator | San Diego Unified School District |
| Surface | artificial turf |
| Former names | |
| City Stadium | |
| Tenants | |
| San Diego High School San Diego Pumitas |
|
| Capacity | |
Built in 1914, Balboa Stadium is located behind San Diego High School and was the San Diego Chargers' home from 1961-66. A high school field with concrete slab seats, Balboa Stadium witnessed the Chargers' glory years, which featured such players as John Hadl, Lance Alworth and Ernie Ladd, and hosted the 1961, 1963, and 1965 American Football League championship games, as well as the 1961, 1962, and 1963 AFL All-Star games. In their six seasons here, head coach Sid Gillman's club finished with a combined record of 28-12-2, winning four Western Division titles and one league crown. In 1967, the team left Balboa for new San Diego Stadium (now Qualcomm Stadium) in Mission Valley, where the club's glory slowed and the titles stopped (although they did win several American Football Conference Western Division titles) until they won the AFC championship after the 1994 season. The stadium also hosted local amateur and professional baseball contests in the period prior to the establishment of the Pacific Coast League Padres in 1936.
The stadium had a seating capacity of 34,000. Today the capacity has been significantly reduced.
On September 19, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson spoke in front of over 50,000 people in Balboa Stadium in support of the creation of the League of Nations. This was the first presidential speech to use an electronic voice amplification system. This system was invented by Edwin S. Pridham and Peter L. Jensen. They called their invention the "Magnavox" ("Great Voice") moving coil device. The two would go on to found the Magnavox company.[1]
The NCAA football Harbor Bowl was held there from 1947 to 1949. The San Diego East-West Christmas Classic was held here in 1921 and 1922.
The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Neil Young have performed at Balboa Stadium.
[edit] Current Use
Today the stadium has a much smaller seating capacity than at the time it housed the Chargers. The stadium is home to the San Diego Pumitas minor league soccer club of the National Premier Soccer League as well as being used for local high school sporting and other events. The stadium is owned by the city of San Diego and leased to the San Diego Unified School District, which is responsible for its maintenance. An article in the San Diego Union-Tribune from November 27, 2006 highlighted the state of disrepair the stadium is in. The field is covered in artificial turf installed in 2001 that is torn and rippling, and the track surrounding the field has some dangerous depressions that could cause injury.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ When the President Spoke at Balboa Stadium by Gerald A. Shepherd; The Journal of San Diego History Spring 1986, Volume 32, Number 2[1]
- ^ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061127/news_1m27balboa.html
| Preceded by Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 1960 |
Home of the San Diego Chargers 1961–1966 |
Succeeded by San Diego Stadium 1967–present |
| Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | ||||||||||||||||
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| Current Stadiums in the NPSL Western Division |
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Northern: University Soccer Stadium (Chico Rooks) | Woodside High School (Redwood City Ruckus) | PAL Stadium (San Jose Frogs) | Cosumnes River College (Sacramento Knights) | Salinas High School (Salinas Valley Samba) | Ernie Nevers Field (Sonoma County Sol) |
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