Ellis Park Stadium facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ellis Park

Emirates Airline Park
Ellis Park Stadium in July 2009
Full name	Ellis Park Stadium
Former names	Coca-Cola Park (2008–12)
Location	47 N. Park Lane Doornfontein, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, 2028
Coordinates	26°11′51″S 28°3′39″E / 26.19750°S 28.06083°E / -26.19750; 28.06083
Owner	City of Johannesburg, Orlando Pirates, Interza Lesego, Ellis Park Stadium (Pty) Ltd
Operator	Ellis Park World of Sport
Capacity	62,567 (Rugby union and Soccer) 55,686 (2010 FIFA World Cup)
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1927; 98 years ago (1927)
Built	1927-1928
Opened	June 1928; 97 years ago (1928-06)
Renovated	1982
Expanded	2009
Construction cost	R 40 Million
Tenants
Lions (1996–present) Golden Lions

Ellis Park Stadium (also known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a famous sports stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is mainly used for rugby union and soccer games. The stadium hosted the exciting final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which South Africa's national team, the Springboks, won.

When it was upgraded in 1982, Ellis Park became the most modern stadium in the country. It could hold almost 60,000 people. Today, it's a busy place for both soccer and rugby. It also hosts other big events like outdoor concerts. Rugby has been played here for most of its history. The only time rugby wasn't played at Ellis Park was in 1980 and 1981, when the stadium was being rebuilt.

The stadium was named after J. D. Ellis. He helped make the land available for the stadium to be built. For a few years, from 2008 to 2012, it was called Coca-Cola Park because of a sponsorship deal.

Many important soccer games have been played at Ellis Park. Famous teams like Brazil, Manchester United, and Arsenal have all played here. Ellis Park Stadium is part of a big sports area in Johannesburg. Nearby are Johannesburg Stadium (for athletics), Standard Bank Arena, Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Ellis Park is the home ground for these teams:

• Lions (who were called Cats until 2006), playing in the United Rugby Championship.
• Golden Lions, who play in the Currie Cup domestic rugby competition.

In the past, Cricket matches were also held at the stadium. Ellis Park hosted six important Test matches between 1948 and 1954. However, it hasn't been used for top-level cricket since the New Wanderers Stadium opened in 1956. Now, it's mainly used for rugby and soccer.

History of Ellis Park Stadium

In 1889, the Transvaal Rugby Football Union (now called the Golden Lions Rugby Union) was formed. They started playing games at the Wanderers Club's stadium. This area is where Johannesburg Park Station is today. But there were disagreements between rugby clubs and the Wanderers Club, which wanted the field for cricket. So, the rugby union had to find a new home.

In 1927, they found a new spot in Doornfontein. It was an area with a quarry and garbage dumps. The Transvaal Rugby Football Union talked to J. D. Ellis from the Johannesburg City Council. He helped make 13 acres (about 52,600 square meters) of land available. The final agreement was signed on October 10, 1927.

The stadium was built very quickly, in just eight months. In June 1928, the first international rugby match was played there against the All Blacks from New Zealand. This was the start of Ellis Park, which became famous around the world for rugby. Huge crowds came to watch, sometimes as many as 95,000 people for a match against the British and Irish Lions in 1955.

Ellis Park also hosted cricket matches for a while. From 1947 to 1956, many cricket games were played there, including matches against New Zealand. But after 1956, cricket moved to its new home at the Wanderers.

In 1969, the rugby union decided the stadium needed to be updated. So, in 1979, the old Ellis Park was taken down. While the new stadium was being built, games were played at the Wanderers. The new stadium was managed by a trust. By 1987, the stadium's debt was paid off, and more suites were added.

In 2005, Ellis Park became the first stadium in South Africa to be owned by a company with mostly black ownership. The Golden Lions Rugby Football Union handed over the management to a new group. This group included Orlando Pirates, Interza Lesego, and Ellis Park Stadium (Pty) Ltd.

On January 17, 2007, during a soccer match, strong winds blew advertising boards onto the field. A linesman and three players were hit. The game was stopped later because of heavy rain and lightning.

Ellis Park Stadium Disaster (2001)

On April 11, 2001, a very sad event happened during a soccer game between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. A large crowd pushed forward, and 43 people lost their lives. This event is known as the Ellis Park Stadium disaster and was the biggest of its kind in South Africa.

Concerts at Ellis Park

Ellis Park Stadium has also been a popular place for music concerts.

On January 12, 1985, it hosted the "Concert in the Park." Many artists performed to raise money for Operation Hunger, a charity in South Africa.

Some famous international artists who have performed at the stadium include:

Whitney Houston's concert was even recorded and released as a video. A year later, Roxette's concert was also recorded and released.

Major Sporting Events

1995 Rugby World Cup Matches

In 1995, South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The final match was held at Ellis Park on June 24. A crowd of 65,000 people watched as South Africa beat New Zealand 15–12 in extra time. It was a truly memorable victory for the Springboks!

Date	Team 1	Result	Team 2	Round	Attendance
27 May 1995	Ireland	19–43	New Zealand	Pool C	38,000
31 May 1995	New Zealand	34–9	Wales	Pool C	38,000
4 June 1995	Ireland	24–23	Wales	Pool C	35,000
10 June 1995	South Africa	42–14	Western Samoa	Quarter-finals	52,000
24 June 1995	South Africa	15–12 (aet)	New Zealand	Final	65,000

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Matches

Ellis Park was also one of the stadiums used for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. This was a big soccer tournament held before the World Cup.

Date	Time (SAST)	Team 1	Result	Team 2	Round	Attendance
14 June 2009	16:00	South Africa	0–0	Iraq	Group A	48,837
18 June 2009	20:30	Egypt	1–0	Italy	Group B	52,150
20 June 2009	20:30	Iraq	0–0	New Zealand	Group A	23,295
25 June 2009	20:30	Brazil	1–0	South Africa	Semi-finals	48,049
28 June 2009	20.30	United States	2–3	Brazil	Final	52,291

2010 FIFA World Cup Matches

Warm-ups before the Brazil vs North Korea match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ellis Park was an important venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It hosted five group games, one second-round game, and one quarter-final match. For the World Cup, the stadium's capacity was increased by 5,000 seats, bringing it to 62,000. Other areas, like the Presidential suite, were also updated. New hospitality rooms and changing rooms were added. All these renovations cost R500 million and were finished in June 2008, two years before the World Cup began.

Date	Time (SAST)	Team 1	Result	Team 2	Round	Attendance
12 June 2010	16:00	Argentina	1–0	Nigeria	Group B	55,686
15 June 2010	20:30	Brazil	2–1	North Korea	Group G	54,331
18 June 2010	16:00	Slovenia	2–2	United States	Group C	45,573
21 June 2010	20:30	Spain	2–0	Honduras	Group H	54,386
24 June 2010	16:00	Slovakia	3–2	Italy	Group F	53,412
28 June 2010	20:30	Brazil	3–0	Chile	Round of 16	54,096
3 July 2010	20:30	Paraguay	0–1	Spain	Quarter-finals	55,359

See also

In Spanish: Estadio Ellis Park para niños

• List of rugby union stadiums by capacity
• List of stadiums in South Africa
• List of Test cricket grounds
• Lists of stadiums
• Ellis Park Stadium Disaster
• Orlando Pirates FC
• Johannesburg Stadium
• Soccer City