TT Pro League - Stadiums

Stadiums

Until the early 1980s, the national team held its home matches in Queen's Park Oval, generally thought of as the most picturesque and largest of the old cricket grounds in the West Indies. The cricket ground is the country's oldest stadium and has hosted several domestic football league matches. After renovation in preparation of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the ground can now hold 25,000 spectators. However, with the construction of the National Stadium in 1980, the national team and several domestic teams had a new football stadium. The stadium is now the largest in the country with a capacity of 27,000 and serves as home to Defence Force and St. Ann's Rangers.

In 1996, Marvin Lee Stadium was built in Macoya and is housed together with the Dr. João Havelange Centre of Excellence. It served as the home to former member of the Pro League, Joe Public, and holds approximately 6,000. In 2005, Jack Warner proposed that Marvin Lee Stadium install an artificial playing surface, citing that it would bring more credibility to the region. Two years later, through a developmental grant from FIFA, Joe Public became the first Caribbean club to install astroturf, reportedly costing in excess of TT$8 million. Low-profile games, such as international friendlies against other islands in the Caribbean, are also played at the stadium.

However, it was not until 2001, with Trinidad and Tobago awarded the FIFA U-17 World Championship, more football specific stadiums were needed. With the assistance of Mansour Ramsaran, four new stadiums were constructed for the event – Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, and Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet. In addition, the National Stadium, renamed in honour of Hasely Crawford, underwent major renovation for the competition to expand the capacity to 27,000 and would hold a semi-final, third place, and final matches.

Caledonia AIA now call Larry Gomes Stadium home, whereas Manny Ramjohn Stadium is the venue of W Connection. With the admission of Tobago United into the league in 2003, the Tobago Boys played their home games in Dwight Yorke Stadium until they withdrew from the league in 2010. Until 2006, Ato Boldon Stadium had only one tenant South Starworld Strikers, however with the Strikers withdrawing from the league the stadium now serves as the home to Central FC and Police. With the additions of Palo Seco Velodrome and Sangre Grande Regional Complex, home of former club United Petrotrin and North East Stars, respectively, Pro League teams have played in eight football stadiums with capacities ranging from 6,000 to 27,000.