Stadium
Before Swansea Town was established, children would play football on waste ground in which a plant, called "vetch" (a type of legume – not a cabbage as popularly misbelieved in most of south Wales) was grown. The site was owned by Swansea Gaslight Company in 1912, but was deemed surplus to requirements at the Gas Company. So Swansea Town moved in when they were established in 1912. The ground originally held 12,000, but hit its peak attendance of 32,786 in an 1967 FA cup Fifth Round against Arsenal. The last league goal ever scored at the Vetch was scored by Adrian Forbes, on 30 April 2005, as Swansea beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0.
With a rapidly deteriorating Vetch Field, Swansea looked to relocate. As Swansea and the Ospreys did not have the capital to invest in a new stadium, the Swansea City Council and a developer-led consortia submitted a proposal for a sustainable 'bowl' venue for 20,520 seats on a site to the west of the river on the site of the Morfa Stadium, which the Council owned. It was funded by a 355,000 ft retail park on land to the east of the river. The final value of the development being in excess of £50m. On 23 July 2005, The Liberty Stadium was officially opened as Swansea faced Fulham in a friendly game.
The Liberty Stadium capacity was 20,532 though has been increased to 20,700 and the highest attendance recorded is now 20,605 against Liverpool on 13 May 2012 beating the previous record against Chelsea. The stadium has also hosted three Welsh international football matches; the first being a 0–0 draw with Bulgaria in 2006, the second a 2–1 defeat to Georgia in 2008 and a 2–0 win over Switzerland on 7 October 2011. The first international goal to be scored at the Liberty Stadium was a 25-yard effort from Welsh international Jason Koumas.
On 1 July 2012, it was widely reported in national media that Swansea City FC were beginning the planning phase for expanding the Liberty Stadium by approximately 12,000 seats. This plan would be conditional on a successful second season in the Premier League and may cost up to £15,000,000, the increase would result in a capacity of approximately 32,000 seats.
Read more about this topic: Swansea City A.F.C.
Famous quotes containing the word stadium:
“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)
“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)