|
BRITISH
COLUMBIA LIONS |
|
| EMPIRE
STADIUM (1954-82) |
BC PLACE
(1982-Present) |
| Capacity:
32,375 |
Capacity:
59,478 |
Attendance
Records:
| Information
not currently available. |
|
Attendance
Records:
| Regular
Season: |
59,478 |
| - Oct
11, 1985 |
Winnipeg 31,
BC 10 |
| Playoffs: |
59,478 |
| - Nov
17, 1985 |
Winnipeg 22,
BC 42 (Western Final) |
| Grey
Cup: |
59,621 |
| - Nov
30, 1986 |
Hamilton 39,
Edmonton 15 |
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| Click on images
for a larger view. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
Another
view of |
|
Interior
shot of BC |
| |
Empire
Stadium, circa |
|
Place* |
| |
1970. |
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| |
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|
*
Thanks to Brian Klassen. |
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| British Columbia
gained worldwide attention when the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth
Games were held in Vancouver. Empire Stadium was built specifically
for the Games. The stadium was the site of the historic Miracle Mile
- one of the biggest sport stories of the ddecade. |
| In 1954, the
BC Lions football club became the newest professional team in the province.
Hydroplaning and marathon swimming were two other popular professional
sports. In amateur competition, the Eilers women’s basketball squad
dominated at the national level. The Penticton Vees won the 1955
world amateur hockey championship. |
| Television
came to BC in the 1950s. The new medium had a big impact on sports.
In 1954, CBC televised the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
Controversy raged over the issue of Sunday sports. In 1957, Vancouver
residents voted in favor of allowing sports on Sundays. |
from BALLPARKS
© 1996,1997,1998,1999,2000 by Munsey & Suppes:
Former Tenants:
BC Lions (CFL) 1954-1982; Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL) |
Other Facts:
Opened: 1954
Surface: Grass
Capacity:
32,375
Population
Base: 2,500,000 |
| Empire Stadium
was completed in the summer of 1954 for the British Empire Games. It had
25,000 seats of which 10,000 were under cover, as well as additional facilities
for 10,000 standing room. There was ample room for expansion to increase
the capacity by completing the oval. |
| Alex B Findlater
of Surrey, B.C. States: "Near the end of it's reign, Empire Stadium seated
37,000 and had artificial grass, being the first stadium in Canada to do
so. It was during its tenure the largest stadium in Canada in the 1950s
and 60s before the covered and half covered stadiums came into being." |
| On June 19,
1999 Krammerhead wrote: You have a comment by Alex Findlater of Surrey
that states that near the end of empire stadiums reign it seated 37,000.
This is untrue. Empire stadium seated 32,375 at its largest size. This
information comes from a whitecaps soccer magazine. |
| Last Updated
4/25/00 |
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