Mt Smart Stadium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mt Smart Stadium | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Beasley Avenue, Penrose, Auckland |
| Opened | |
| Closed | Open |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Owner | Auckland Regional Council |
| Operator | Auckland Regional Council |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | Unknown |
| Architect | Various |
| Former names | |
| Ericsson Stadium (1995-2006) | |
| Tenants | |
| New Zealand Warriors (NRL) (1995-Present) Counties Manukau (Air New Zealand Cup) (2006-Present) |
|
| Capacity | |
| 26,500 | |
Mt Smart Stadium, formerly Ericsson Stadium, is a stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. Built within the quarried remnants of the Mount Smart volcanic cone, it is located 10 kilometres south of the city centre, in the suburb of Penrose.
Contents |
[edit] History
The stadium hosted track and field events including the highly successful Pan Am series during the early 1980s as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1990 Commonwealth Games. It was where the New Zealand national soccer team (the All Whites) played all their home qualifying games for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This was the only occasion New Zealand has qualified for a FIFA World Cup and the event captured the imagination of the nation with large crowds packing the stadium.
[edit] Tenants
It currently serves as the home ground for the New Zealand Warriors of the Australian National Rugby League, and Counties Manukau Steelers, who play in the Air New Zealand Cup.
It is the former home of the Football Kingz of the Australian National Soccer League; however, its A-League successor, the New Zealand Knights, play on the other side of Waitemata Harbour at North Harbour Stadium.
The Athletics Ground (officially Mt Smart Stadium Number 2) hosts athletics meets, right down to Primary School Level. It also holds local rugby league matches, with the matches being held there going right up to Bartercard Cup level.
[edit] Music
Mt Smart Stadium is the Auckland venue of the Big Day Out music festival, and hosted the U2 Vertigo Tour in November 2006. The stadium has hosted many other large scale concerts before, including Queen and Micheal Jackson. The temporary North Stand is taken out over summer to allow room for the large stage required for the Big Day Out, and for the U2 concert was placed behind the South Stand as a second tier. The capacity of the stadium for concerts is roughly 42,000.
[edit] Recent developments
The Eastern Stand, built in 1995 for the Warriors' first season, was demolished at the conclusion of the 2003 National Rugby League season to make way for a new stand, with a roof, corporate and dining facilities, training facilites for the Warriors as well as offices for the team management, which was completed in late 2004. The new stand has raised ground capacity to an estimated 25,000.
In preparation for the U2 concerts, the North Stand was shifted to sit behind the South Stand, effectively doubling the size of the South Stand, leaving a hill at the North end. Stadium maps indicate that this shift may in fact be long term.
[edit] Naming Rights
As of 12 July 2006, the stadium reverted to its original name, Mt Smart Stadium. In a press release, the Auckland Regional Council, owners of the stadium stated they had considered other offers, but felt they did not suit. The Auckland Regional Council are not actively pursuing a replacement sponsor.
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, was also formerly known as Ericsson Stadium.
Categories: Athletics (track and field) venues | Auckland Volcanic Field | Buildings and structures in Auckland | Rugby league stadiums in New Zealand | Rugby union stadiums in New Zealand | Soccer venues in New Zealand | Sport in Auckland | Music venues in New Zealand | 1986 Commonwealth Games | Stadia of the Commonwealth Games | New Zealand Warriors
