Crew Stadium

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="002285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The World of Sports Venues</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The World of Sports Venues"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Arrow.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrowhead Stadium"><U>Arrowhead Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Cardinal.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cardinal Stadium"><U>Cardinal Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Gil.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gilette Stadium"><U>Gilette Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Cotton.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cotton Bowl"><U>Cotton Bowl</U></A>   |   <B>Crew Stadium</B>   |   <A HREF="Giant.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Giants Stadium"><U>Giants Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="InvescoF.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INVESCO Field Mile High"><U>INVESCO Field @ Mile High</U></A>   |   <A HREF="RFK.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RFK Memorial Stadium"><U>RFK Memorial Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="RoseB.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rose Bowl"><U>Rose Bowl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spartan Stadium"><U>Spartan Stadium</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="001d2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thecrew.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thecrew.com"><U><IMG SRC="Crew.gif" border=0 width="75" height="90" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Seating Chart</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Crew Stadium</I></div> <div> Address: 1 Black & Gold Boulevard</div> <div>                  Columbus, OH  43211</div> <bR> <div> Team: Columbus Crew</div> <bR> <div> Year Opened: 1999</div> <bR> <div> Capacity: 22,555</div> <bR> <div> Although it had long been the vision of soccer enthusiasts around the country, Columbus Crew Stadium has a shorter history than most might think. </div> <bR> <div> Constructed in a scant nine months and one day, the first major league stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States houses only one tenant, Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew. Perhaps more than that, the 22,555-seat facility is also the most extravagant monument to the progress of soccer in the U.S. </div> <bR> <div> Since opening on May 15, 1999, when the hometown Crew downed the New England Revolution 2-0 before a sellout crowd of 24,741, Crew Stadium's impact on soccer in the United States has been recognized around the globe. The new facility sparked a new interest amongst soccer fans in Central Ohio, as Crew fans showed up in number to support their Crew. Their loyalty would be evidenced by the fact that Columbus (Major League Soccer's smallest market), finished the regular season with the league's highest average home attendance of 17,696. </div> <bR> <div> Before there was Crew Stadium, the Crew made historic Ohio Stadium their home.  Realizing that The Crew's days at the Horseshoe were numbered due to the facility's outsized seating capacity and downsized field width, team officials made the search for a suitable venue a top priority. </div> <bR> <div> Continuing to play at Ohio Stadium would not be an option in 1999, because of plans to renovate the stadium that were passed in 1997, not making the stadium useable during that summer.  The Crew looked in Dublin for a place to make a stadium, but the city turned them down.  They finally went to the Ohio Exposition Commission.  The commission gave the Crew approval to lease land for the site of the new stadium.  Ground broke for the stadium August 14, 1998.  </div> <div> Source: thecrew.com</div> </td> </tr></table></body>