With clear Perspex panels and symmetrically designed stands, the City of Coventry Stadium looks magnificent! It is an abode to Championship Club Coventry City. It is located outside London (approximately 140km north of London), in the centre of Midlands, England. The City of Coventry Stadium will host the football matches at London Olympics, 2012. It will be a Live Site venue, with a big screen installed at Coventry Transport Museum in the city centre. The stadium was built by Laing O'Rourke, and owned by Coventry City Council, with the Football Club having a lease agreement to use the stadium. Experts like Lord Coe (chairman of the London 2012 Organizing Committee), Daniel Gidney (chief executive of the Ricoh Arena), Hugh Robertson (Minister for Sport and the Olympics) admit that the monumental City of Coventry Stadium is the ideal venue to host Olympic football matches and build up the spirit of the game.
Fast Facts
Sport Events Football
Location The Stadium is situated close to the city centre of Coventry in the Midlands
New or Existing Existing
Permanent or Temporary Permanent
Number of Events 2 Events
City of Coventry Stadium - The Construction
The stadium was constructed in 2005 and is conventionally designed like other stadiums in the country. It has a seating capacity of 33,000 spectators. Beautifully exhibited stands give a delightful feel to the players and spectators. The stadium has an exhibition centre attached on its western side. One can also find the logo of the stadium sponsors on the top of the stand. A Police Control box is also located in one of these stands.
There are a number of clear Perspex panels located in the roof at the South end of the stadium, including a large strip of Perspex around the stadium. Such an arrangement encourages sufficient natural light to enter the stadium, which helps flourishing the grass pitch. There is also a large video screen type scoreboard located in one corner of the stadium between the South and Tesco East Stands to give a better view of the results to the cheering spectators.
During The Games
Twelve football matches will be hosted at the City of Coventry Stadium during the London Olympic Games 2012, including the women's bronze medal match. The matches are scheduled to be held from 25 July 2012 until 9 August 2012.
After The Games
Since it's already an existing sports venue, after the Games, the stadium will continue to host Coventry City matches.
How To Reach
City of Coventry Stadium, being located outside of London, can be reached by public transport and park-and-ride sites serving the stadium. The spectators can use the London 2012 spectator journey planner to find the best way to get to Coventry during the games. Transport staff and volunteers will be present to assist people in finding the right directions. Some parking slots will also be reserved for the disabled spectators. During the matches, commuting back and forth might become very tedious. To help people out, London 2012 is aiming for all spectators to travel to events by public transport, the transport arrangements for accessing the stadium, and areas around the stadium, will be different. Car parking within the stadium will be restricted and off-site parking and shuttle service will be introduced from Coventry City center during the matches.
Some Interesting Facts About The City Of Coventry Stadium
Eagerly waiting for the Olympic football matches 2012? Read this article to explore more about City of Coventry Stadium and upcoming football events to be held there.
City Of Coventry Stadium
- The City of Coventry Stadium was initially built for a state-of-the-art 45,000 capacity with a retractable roof and a multi-purpose ground (a pitch that could slide out to disclose the hard floor for concerts). However, the plan didn’t materialize.
- On 28 July 2011, a bronze statue of Jimmy Hill, an English association football personality was displayed at the entrance to the stadium.
Conclusion
Without exaggeration, the City of Coventry stadium is a masterpiece and a right blend of engineering and aesthetics. Little details like modern fittings, lighting, the big scoreboard and the huge ground give way to memorable experiences ahead. Its prime location and architecture will encourage many more events and spectators to flock in.
Without exaggeration, the City of Coventry stadium is a masterpiece and a right blend of engineering and aesthetics. Little details like modern fittings, lighting, the big scoreboard and the huge ground give way to memorable experiences ahead. Its prime location and architecture will encourage many more events and spectators to flock in.