Stadium
The Dinamo stadium was completed in 1976, after 10 years of construction. A large group of architects, under the supervision of famous Georgian specialist Gia Kurdiani, worked on the project.
Before that, in place of the new Dinamo stadium, there was a smaller stadium with a maximum capacity of 35 000. The demand for a new and bigger stadium had increased due to the successful performance of Dinamo Tbilisi. This was the Communist time, when every problem had to be solved by the USSR supreme government body. The leader and the first secretary of Georgian Communist Party Eduard Shevardnadze was able to persuade Official Moscow, that Georgia needed bigger and better stadium for home matches. By the time stadium was built, it took the third place with its capacity in Soviet Union. It could fit 78 000 supporters and fulfill every standards and requirements of Soviet Football Federation as well as UEFA.
The first official match played after stadium was built occurred on September 29, 1976. This was UEFA cup's 1/32 final match between Dinamo Tbilisi and Cardiff City, Wales. The opening game ended successfully for Dinamo, score 3:0.
Even though stadium's maximum capacity was 78 000, Georgian football fans can remember matches with more accommodation. For instance, in 1979 Dinamo was hosting one of the best British teams – Liverpool. The first round was played in England with the score 2:1 Liverpool won. So the pressure was high on the second game. Stadium was attended by 110 000 people and their support played important role in winning. Dinamo beat Liverpool 3:0 and qualified in 1/8 final. In Soviet Union Dinamo stadium is record keeper of the average attendance of 45 000.
The record attendance was repeated in 1995 for Georgia vs. Germany. The football clubs Spartak Moscow (Russia) and Dinamo Kiev (Ukraine) often played their autumn international matches in the stadium.
Hundreds of Georgian, Russian, European and even South American stars played in Tbilisi Dinamo stadium. In 1985 the stadium hosted the qualifying stage of the Juniors World Cup. Taffarel and Muller played for the Brazilian national team.
In 1995 the stadium was renamed Boris Paichadze National Stadium after a major Georgian international footballer.
The National stadium was the home base of the Georgian National team for several years. Georgians played unforgettable matches against Wales 5:0 and Poland 3:0.
Holding lit torches, 80,000 fans came in 1981 to congratulate the team on their European Cup Winners Cup triumph.
As an architectural building the National Stadium is estimated as one of the best in Georgia. Nearly all of the seats in second circle are covered. In official games under UEFA regulations the stadium can fit only 22 000 supporters on individual seats. Because of that reason Sport organization "Dinamo" is reconstructing "Dinamo" Stadium.
The reconstruction of the Stadium is completed and it fulfills all the standards of UEFA and FIFA, it now can fit 78 000 football fans.
Read more about this topic: FC Dinamo Tbilisi
Famous quotes containing the word stadium:
“The final upshot of thinking is the exercise of volition, and of this thought no longer forms a part; but belief is only a stadium of mental action, an effect upon our nature due to thought, which will influence future thinking.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)
“It’s no accident that of all the monuments left of the Greco- Roman culture the biggest is the ballpark, the Colosseum, the Yankee Stadium of ancient times.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)