Swangard Stadium facts for kids
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| Location | 3883 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC, Canada |
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| Coordinates | 49°13′51″N 123°01′17″W / 49.23083°N 123.02139°W |
| Owner | City of Burnaby |
| Capacity | 5,288 |
| Field size | 115x75 yds (soccer) 150x65 yds (Canadian football) |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Opened | 1969 |
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| Vancouver Whitecaps (soccer, 1987–2010) Simon Fraser University Clan (football, 1969–2007, 2014–2015) Vancouver Riptide (ultimate frisbee, 2013–2017) TSS FC Rovers (men's soccer, 2017–present) TSS FC Rovers Women (women's soccer, 2017–present) |
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Swangard Stadium is a sports field in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. It is used for many different sports like soccer, rugby, football, and track and field.
The stadium was once home to the Simon Fraser Clan football team. It also hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team for many years. Swangard Stadium first opened on April 26, 1969. It can hold 5,288 people.
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History of Swangard Stadium
In 1969, a sports writer named Erwin Swangard helped raise almost $1 million. This money was used to build a new sports stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia.
The leader of BC, W. A. C. Bennett, officially named the stadium after Swangard. This happened at the opening ceremony on April 26, 1969. Erwin Swangard himself was not there that day. He had been sent to start a newspaper in Nigeria.
Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer Team
The city of Vancouver started a professional soccer team in 1986. They were first called the Vancouver 86ers, but later became the Whitecaps. This team began playing in 1987 and made Swangard Stadium their home field.
The Whitecaps played their last season at Swangard in 2010. In 2011, the team moved to a bigger league called Major League Soccer (MLS). Swangard Stadium was not big enough for MLS games. There were plans to make Swangard bigger, but they did not happen. The Whitecaps now play at BC Place Stadium.
International Sports Events
Swangard Stadium has hosted big international sports events. For example, its seating was temporarily increased to 10,000 for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. This is a major soccer tournament for players under 20 years old.
The stadium has also hosted games for Canada's national men's and women's soccer teams. These games were part of Olympic and World Cup qualifying matches. Sometimes, more than 10,000 fans have come to watch these exciting games. Swangard was also the host stadium for the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship.
Other Sports and Activities
In 2013, the Vancouver Riptide team started playing at Swangard Stadium. They were a professional ultimate frisbee team. However, they stopped playing there at the end of the 2017 season.
In June 2014, the Simon Fraser Clan football team announced they would play their home games at Swangard. They played there for the 2014 season. The team later moved back to their campus in 2016. Swangard Stadium is also often used for track and field events in the Lower Mainland area.
In March 2015, the first national championship for Quidditch Canada was held at Swangard Stadium. This is a sport inspired by the Harry Potter books.
The TSS FC Rovers men's soccer team also plays their home games at Swangard Stadium. They started playing there in 2017. The TSS FC Rovers Women's Team also uses the stadium as their home field. They also began playing there in 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Estadio Swangard para niños
