Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lions Going Old School
I completely missed this when it was announced BC Place was getting a new retractable roof after the Vancouver Olympics are over. It means the Lions won't have their home stadium in 2010 meaning games will be played at the old Empire Stadium. I didn't think that place existed anymore. How many people does it sit? What type of shape is the field in? I'm thinking the game day experience at Empire Stadium will be a little less than what you might normally find it in Vancouver. Can't wait for that first rainy Saturday night game where it finishes 6-4.
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7 comments:
Mitch...ole Empire stadium was torn down. Right now it's just a nice grassy field. what it sounds like construction won't be done during the season. There is a really cool video on youtube about the new roof.
If construction is going to be done during the season the team will probably have to play at the most beautiful stadium in Canada, Swangard Stadium.
Kim. That is what I thought until I read this from the Winnipeg Sun's Kirk Penton.
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The Alouettes still have the best defence in the league when it comes to yardage and points allowed, but they've surrendered nearly 1,100 yards and 80 points in their last two games ... If the Argos fail to beat the Eskimos in Edmonton Friday, it will mark the second straight year a team from the East Division failed to record a single win against the West. Hamilton was 0-8 against its West counterparts last season ... In case you missed it last week, the B.C. Lions will play their home games outdoors next season at the old Empire Stadium site while B.C. Place has a retractable roof installed.
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I agree with you on Swangard Stadium. It is a gorgeous facility tucked away in Burnaby. I had the opportunity to do a couple of games from there when I did the p x p for the Rams including a rather humourous night when the SFU sports information officer chewed me out for saying Luca Congi's name wrong. He was rather embarassed when I showed him the roster had the name "Lucas Congi" on it and not Luca. The little self-righteous prick never did apologize for that. In fact, I don't think he wandered near our broadcast location again. Thanks Kim!
Penton has to be wrong in that statement. Maybe they put some temporary seats up at Swangard or at Thunderbird Stadium on the UBC campus but I don't think there is anything even resembling a football stadium at the place where Empire Stadium once stood.
Mitch, I did a google seach and found that there are rublings in Van City as far back as June stating that PavCo, the PNE, and the Lions may erect temporary seating at the Empire Stadium site....
The Empire Stadium site is a pair of soccer fields in a bowl-like area. The plan is to create a 30,000 seat temporary stadium there using the temporary seating from the Olympic venues. It's right next to the PNE and has tons of parking.
Swangard is the home of the Whitecaps, and it's too small to construct more than a few thousand bleachers there. The biggest thing is there's no parking.
definitely going to play at commonwealth stadium in 2010. they plan on putting up roughly 25000 temp seats.
sorry. its empire not commonwealth. but it is going there.
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