 Veterans
Stadium
Philadelphia, PA
It was called one of the worst stadiums in the NFL during its time
and few fans and players are sad that Veterans Stadium is now only
a memory. After
playing at an aging and deteriorating Connie Mack Stadium/Shibe
Park, along with the Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) and at Franklin
Field, the Eagles along with the Phillies wanted new stadiums
built. By 1961, both the Phillies and Eagles had planned to be
playing in a new multipurpose stadium. However 1961 came and went
because of disputes over where the stadium should be built. In
November 1964, a referendum was approved by voters to
build a stadium. By 1966, two locations for a new stadium were
still being debated while the cost of construction rose. On
October 2, 1967 ground was broken for a new stadium in south
Philadelphia. Named Veteran Stadium, the facility was completed in
just under four years. The Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) played the
first game ever at Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971.
Being a multipurpose stadium, the Philadelphia
Eagles played their first regular season game at Veterans Stadium
on September 26, 1971 against the Dallas Cowboys. When it opened,
Veterans Stadium was one of the NFL's largest stadiums with over
62,000 multicolored seats circling the Astroturf field. In order
for the stadium to be converted from baseball to football,
rollaway seats were used. The seats used for football, were rolled
underneath the stands behind the outfield wall when the stadium
was in baseball configuration. Very few changes took place at
Veterans Stadium during its existence. Between 1985 and 1987, 89
luxury Penthouse suites were built atop the stadium. In the 1990s
two new video boards replaced the original scoreboard and all the
multicolored seats were replaced by
 blue seats prior to the start
of the 1996 baseball season. For many years Veterans Stadium was
known for its terrible Astroturf. After the 2000 NFL
season, the Astroturf was removed and replaced with NexTurf, a
thick plastic grass. In the late 1990s, both the Eagles and
Phillies wanted new stadiums. Construction on the Eagles new
stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, began in 2001. The Eagles played
their last game at Veterans Stadium on January 19, 2003. Veterans
Stadium closed in October 2003 and was
demolished on March 21, 2004. It is now a parking lot for the
sports complex.
|
|
|
|
FACTS & FIGURES |
-Tenant: Philadelphia Eagles
-Capacity: 65,352
-Surface: Astroturf
-Opened: September 26, 1971 (NFL)
-Closed: January 19, 2003 (NFL)
-Other Names: None
-Cost:
$45 Million
-Architect:
Hugh, Stubbins, and Associates
-Demolished: March 21, 2004 - Parking for Lincoln Financial
Field
|
|
|
 |
|
Eagles
Tickets |
|
Lincoln Financial Field
Poster
Sizes Vary, Framed or Unframed |
|
