Swangard Stadium

Location	3883 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Coordinates	49°13′51″N 123°01′17″W / 49.23083°N 123.02139°W / 49.23083; -123.02139Coordinates: 49°13′51″N 123°01′17″W / 49.23083°N 123.02139°W / 49.23083; -123.02139
Opened	1969
Owner	City of Burnaby
Surface	Natural grass
Capacity	5,288[1]
Field dimensions	115x75 yds (soccer) 150x65 yds (Canadian football)
Tenants
Vancouver 86ers (1987-2000), Whitecaps (2001-present): (CSL) (1987-1992), (APSL) (1993-1996), (USL) (1997-2009), (NASL) (2010) Simon Fraser University Clan (1969-present)

Swangard Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. Primarily used for soccer, football, and athletics, the standium is home to the Simon Fraser Clan football team and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL. It opened on April 26, 1969,^[1] and has a capacity of 5,288.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Soccer 2.1 Vancouver Whitecaps 2.2 International events 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

In 1969, Vancouver Sun sports journalist Erwin Swangard raised nearly $1 million for the construction of an athletic stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia.^[2][3] Vancouver Premier W. A. C. Bennett officially named the stadium after Swangard at its opening on April 26, 1969.^[4] Swangard was not present on the day of the opening, however, having been sent to start a newspaper in Nigeria.^[5]

[edit] Soccer

[edit] Vancouver Whitecaps

The city of Vancouver launched a professional soccer team in 1986, named the Vancouver 86ers (now known as the Whitecaps). The Canadian Socer League (CSL) club began playing in 1987 and made Swangard Stadium their home pitch. The stadium will serve its last season as the Whitecaps' home in 2010, as the club will join Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2011. They have plans to move to a new larger soccer-specific home at the Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium and will play at BC Place Stadium until its completion, as Swangard does not meet MLS standards.

[edit] International events

The stadium's capacity was temporarily increased to 10,000 for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In the past, it has hosted home games for the Canadian men's and women's soccer teams in Olympic and World Cup qualifying. In some cases, crowds in excess of 10,000 have witnessed games, with many of the fans standing. Swangard has also been the host stadium of the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• City of Burnaby's information on the stadium
• Information from Vancouver Whitecaps Official Site
• photos @ worldstadiums.com

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