Stade Vélodrome
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 Stade Vélodrome entrance |
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| Full name | Stade Vélodrome |
|---|---|
| Location | Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France |
| Coordinates | 43°16′11″N 5°23′45″E / 43.26972°N 5.39583°ECoordinates: 43°16′11″N 5°23′45″E / 43.26972°N 5.39583°E |
| Built | 1937 |
| Opened | June 1937 |
| Renovated | 1984 and 1998 |
| Owner | City of Marseille |
| Surface | Grass |
| Architect | Henri Ploquin |
| Capacity | 60,013 |
| Tenants | |
| Olympique de Marseille | |
The Stade Vélodrome is a 60,013 capacity stadium in Marseille, France. It is the home ground of top French football club Olympique de Marseille and was also a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It is the largest club football ground in France. The stadium is also used regularly by the French rugby union team.
The record attendance for a club game at the Stade Vélodrome was of 58,897, for a UEFA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in 2004. The stadium also featured as a Football World Cup venue when the 1938 finals were held in France. The first ever match to be played was between Marseille and Torino in 1937. There are plans to increase the capacity to 80,000 and build a roof to cover all four stands, plans that are contingent on a possible sale of the Football Club. The stadium was used for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
The French rugby union team started an impressive run of victories at the stadium in the early 2000s. In November 2000 they defeated the All Blacks 42 to 33, the following year defeating Australia by one point. In 2002 one match was played there again, a win over the Springboks, which was followed by a win over England in 2003. However, their run of luck was broken in 2004, when they lost 14 to 24 to Argentina. The venue will also be used by France in November 2009 when the French play the New Zealand All Blacks.[1] France are not the only rugby team to have used the Vélodrome in recent years. On April 18, 2009, Toulon took their home fixture in the Top 14 against Toulouse to the Vélodrome, drawing 57,039[2] to see a 14–6 Toulon win that played a key role in the Toulonnais' successful fight against relegation in the 2008–09 season.[3]
[edit] 1938 FIFA World Cup matches
| Date | Time (CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938-06-05 | 17:00 | Italy | 2-1 (a.e.t.) | Norway | First Round | 18,000 |
| 1938-06-16 | 18:00 | Italy | 2-1 | Brazil | Semi Finals | 30,000 |
[edit] 1998 FIFA World Cup matches
| Date | Time (CET) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-12 | 21:00 | France | 3-0 | South Africa | Group C | 55,077 |
| 1998-06-15 | 14:30 | England | 2-0 | Tunisia | Group G | 54,587 |
| 1998-06-23 | 21:00 | Brazil | 1-2 | Norway | Group A | 55,000 |
| 1998-06-27 | 16:00 | Italy | 1-0 | Norway | Round of 16 | 55,000 |
| 1998-07-04 | 16:00 | Netherlands | 2-1 | Argentina | Quarter Finals | 55,000 |
| 1998-07-07 | 21:00 | Brazil | 1-1 (4-2 pen.) | Netherlands | Semi Finals | 54,000 |
[edit] References and external links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stade Vélodrome |
- ^ "France v New Zealand All Blacks". http://www.ticketbooth.org.uk/rugby-tickets/games/France-New-Zealand-rugby-tickets.php. Retrieved on 2009-05-13.
- ^ "Top 14, 23e Journée : Toulon - Toulouse" (in French). L'Équipe. 2009-04-18. http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/RugbyFicheMatch7445.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.
- ^ "Boudjellal savoure" (in French). L'Équipe. 2009-04-18. http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/20090418_201441_boudjellal-savoure.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.
- Stadium page on official club website (in French)
- Destination Marseille - rugbyworldcup.com
