Introduction
A football stadium, also known as a football field or a football pitch, is an area made of grass, more commonly known as turf, where association football is played. If you are a football fanatic, and even if you are not, visiting a football stadium is one of those things that should be in your bucket list. These stadiums provide a taste of the local culture, the raw passion and eagerness of the local fans is well worth it. Some of the most stunning and mind blowing stadiums can be found around the world.
History
The word football basically refers to games that are played on foot and it is often assumed to be originated from the medieval Europe. But there is no convincing evidence for this explanation. However, the football that is played in modern times has its origins in England, which is why a large number of stadiums are found there. Prior to the Hillsborough Disaster (also known as the Taylor Report) in 1989, football stadiums were designed so that all or some spectators had to stand to view the event. But after this deadly disaster in which 96 people were killed and 766 got injured due to lack of police control, ‘all-seater” stadiums are preferred and designed so that all spectators are seated during the event.
Features
Each stadium has a rectangular shaped pitch, the longer sides of the field known as touch lines, and goal lines present on the opposing sides of the stadium. Not all stadiums are of the same size, the preferred size being 105m by 68m, or have the same capacity to hold spectators. The seating capacity, which is the maximum number of people that the stadium can house, varies. Some football stadiums can only accommodate 40,000 spectators, which is the minimum capacity essential for a stadium to host the final matches of FIFA World Cup. Some of the most popular stadiums over the world include:
- Estadio Azteca in Mexico is the largest stadium for football and the fifth largest stadium in the world. It can accommodate about 114,600 spectators.
- The Azadi Stadium, in Tehran can hold about 100,000 spectators and is the fifth biggest football stadium in the world.
- Camp Nou, sometimes mistakenly called as Nou Camp in English, is a stadium in Barcelona, Spain and has the capacity to hold 99,354 people. It is the largest stadium in Europe and in terms of capacity, the eleventh largest in the world.
- Wembly Stadium in London, England, is the second largest stadium in England with a 90,000 capacity and serves as England’s national stadium.
Tips and comments
This is all there is to know about football stadiums. They give you a feel of the local culture and help you become a part of the passion that the local natives carry for football in their hearts. And there is nothing like the exciting atmosphere that surrounds and envelops the stadiums and make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. The game produces so much fervor in the audiences that these stadiums are brought to life.
