Come July 28, London's most prominent music, and exhibition venue will be transformed into a 15,000-seater indoor volleyball venue for London Olympics 2012. Situated in West London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Earls Court will host both men's and women's volleyball matches during London Olympics 2012. Paralympic Volleyball matches will be hosted in ExCel. Although Earls Court has a massive seating arrangement of thousands of spectators, it will be augmented by a temporary seating arrangement in a ground floor bowl to encourage more spectators. The centre of attraction - the Volleyball court will be placed in the centre of the arena. As the venue is located in inner London, new urban audiences will get an opportunity to watch this stunning game of volleyball as some of world's best teams compete for the gold, silver and bronze in this court. Interestingly, Earls Court also hosted boxing preliminaries, gymnastics, weightlifting and wrestling events during 1948 Olympics.
Fast Facts
Sport Events Indoor Volleyball
Location Earls Court is in West London, close to the Victoria and Albert, Science and Natural History Museums
New or Existing Existing
Permanent or Temporary Permanent
Number of Events 2 Events
Earls Court - The Construction
Earls Court is the largest venue for exhibitions in Central London. It was established in 1937, with a huge exhibited space of 40,000 square meters. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West Brompton. Earls Court was surprisingly, a rural waste ground before the construction of these two railway stations. An entrepreneur called John Robinson Whitley converted it into a venue for entertainment. Gradually, the architect C. Howard Crane redesigned it to meet the requirements of a great show hall and surpass the nearby Olympia exhibition hall. Finally, on 1 September, 1937, Earls Court was opened for the public, with Chocolate and Confectionery, as their first exhibition, followed by the Motor show and Commercial Vehicle show! And now, Earls Court is proudly hosting the Olympic Games!
During The Games
The breathtaking games of volleyball are scheduled for 16 days beginning on 28 July 2012 until 12 August 2012. There will be 12 teams, 288 athletes and 76 volleyball matches. Three sessions of volleyball will be played each day. Both the men's and women's volleyball competitions will begin with a preliminary phase. The eight best teams from this phase will qualify for the knockout phase and the teams that will win the semi-finals will finally compete for the gold. It is expected that during these 16 days approximately 620,000 spectators will visit Earls Court to applaud the game of volleyball. Temporary partitions at the back of the venue will provide facilities for athletes, technical officials and the media.
After The Games
After the London Olympics 2012, the future of this iconic venue remains uncertain as
the new owner of the site has plans to transform the area into a rambling residential site.
How To Reach The Venue
From central London, spectators can reach the Earls Court via London Underground. The venue is served by local bus services having low floors and equipped with audio visual information for public convenience. There is one wheelchair space per bus. Disabled spectators who are UK Blue Badge holders or members of an equivalent national scheme can register the parking in advance as it will be limited in number. It is preferable not to drive as there will be no public parking or drop-off areas near Earls Court during the Olympics. Though Earls Court 1 is the main venue for the games, Earls Court 2 will also be utilized. A spectator entry plaza at the West Brompton side of Earls Court will also be of great help.
Some Interesting Facts About Earls Court
Wondering where volleyball would be hosted during London Olympics 2012? Read the article to update yourself with the events that will take place at the Earls Court during London Olympics 2012.
Earls Court
- Surprisingly, once Earls Court was a rural area, bounded by greenery and market gardens all around.
- The owners of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre have proposals to close the venue and reconstruct the site by 2020 for office and residential buildings.
- Some notable personalities who lived near earls Court were Howard Carter, Dame Ellen Terry, Sir William Orpen, Benjamin Britten to name a few.
Conclusion
To conclude, Earls Court is definitely best suited to host the game of volleyball, which is one of the few sports that generate so much vigour and zest among players and spectators. Earls Court has efficient transport connectivity and it is suitable for presenting the expeditious game of volleyball. Olympic Games at Earls Court will not only enhance local business, but will also increase employment opportunities. Local people can also get involved in the game by registering themselves as Games-time volunteers. After all, Olympics 2012 is termed as 'Everyone's Games'!
To conclude, Earls Court is definitely best suited to host the game of volleyball, which is one of the few sports that generate so much vigour and zest among players and spectators. Earls Court has efficient transport connectivity and it is suitable for presenting the expeditious game of volleyball. Olympic Games at Earls Court will not only enhance local business, but will also increase employment opportunities. Local people can also get involved in the game by registering themselves as Games-time volunteers. After all, Olympics 2012 is termed as 'Everyone's Games'!