Cape Town is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has hosted large-scale international events. Just like the FIFA World Cup back in 2010! Built for the World Cup, it also became the home of Premier Soccer League clubs Ajax Cape Town and Cape Town City. But that stadium is known as the Cape Town Stadium. We’re going back a little further, to when it was known as Green Point Stadium. The 18,000-seater stadium replaced part of the Metropolitan Golf Club.
The multi-purpose stadium was used for soccer, (football for you fans!) as well as concerts. And big concerts at that, with stars such as: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Def Leppard, U2, and many more gracing the stage! Just before the World Cup, the stadium was demolished to make room for the stadium which sits there proudly today: the Cape Town Stadium. Out with the old and in with the new!
Shea Stadium (Queens, New York, USA)
The great Shea Stadium has seen some great moments. One such moment was in August 1965, when 55,000 screaming fans were clambering over one another awaiting the Beatles’ concert at Shea. It was also home to the New York Mets, for a staggering 45 seasons! When it was built in the 60s, it was the first brand new stadium to be opened in New York City since 1923. Named after attorney William A. Shea, he is forever remembered as the man who made sure Major League Baseball would return to New York City.
The stadium, which hosted both baseball and football games, was opened in 1964. In a symbolic ceremony, Shea in fact opened the players “baptizing” the Mets players with bottles of water on the field! Shea Stadium wasn’t just any regular stadium, with 21 escalators, four restaurants, 54 restrooms and a massive scoreboard! Its circular shape allowed room for two rotating stands, which fit 10,000 people. Many years later, the Mets, or the “Miracle Mets” as they were known at one stage, played their last game in the old stadium. Over the course of 2009, Shea Stadium was deconstructed, and the Mets moved to the $850 million Citi Field stadium.
Boothferry Park (Hull, England)
Alright, we’re not going to beat around the bush with this one – Boothferry Park wasn’t exactly state of the art. It wasn’t a state of the anything, apart from well, a state. Formerly the home ground of Hull City A.F.C (between 1946 and 2002 to be exact), Boothferry was more about character than looks. It’s about personality folks!
Holding an intimate crowd of 16,000, it was, in fact, something of a landmark for Hull, particularly the light towers which reached up into the sky. From the colorless stadium to the light grey, gloomy skies which England is so well known for (don’t scoff Brits, you know it!), you could say they were going for a minimalist look. After Hull City’s departure to the Kingston Communications Stadium in 2002, well, it seems that Boothferry Park was left behind. As a football stadium, the venue closed in 2002, before being taken over by a supermarket. But even the supermarket tenants couldn’t keep people coming back. So, in 2011, Boothferry Park’s demolition was complete.
Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, Michigan, USA)
Situated on a massive 127 acres, the Pontiac Silverdome was a shining beacon for sports and entertainment when it opened in 1975. When it was built, its fiberglass fabric roof was held up by air pressure – the first use of this particular architectural technique in a major stadium! Seating 82,000 + fans, it was the largest stadium in the NFL (and it held this title for over 20 years until thee FedExField opened in D.C. in 1997! Famously known as the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, it also housed the Detroit Pistons. As well as hosting numerous sporting events, the Silverdome was a regular concert venue, hosting Elvis Presley, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, KISS, The Rolling Stones, The Jacksons, Bruce Springsteen, and the E Street band, U2, Madonna and Metallica among many others.
Nansen Ski Jump (Milan, New Hampshire, USA)
Nicknamed “The Sleeping Giant” (among other names!), the Nansen Ski Jump was the pride and joy of Milan in New Hampshire. No no, not Milan in Italy, the fashion capital of the wold! Milan, which is a town of around 1,000 residents located in the US is really, a speck on the map! At the time when it was constructed (and we’re going back to 1936), Milan was the talk of the town (not to mention entire region), and was the largest ski jump in the eastern United States.
It attracted all East Coast Olympians who would train at Nansen. But as quickly as it was elevated to high status, it quickly came down a er… slippery slope and straight into disregard. By 1988, the jump was out of use and left as a gigantic concrete structure. More recently, there have been some efforts to restore the jump to its former glory, but it seems that it’s going to remain idle for a while – that is until the state gets funding to make Nansen great again!