BMO Field
Encyclopedia
BMO Field is a Canadian
soccer stadium
located in Exhibition Place
in the city of Toronto
. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. It opened on April 28, 2007 with a 1-0 loss by home side Toronto FC
against the Kansas City Wizards.
The stadium is accessible by public transport via the Exhibition GO Train station, the 509 Harbourfront
and the 511 Bathurst streetcar lines
, as well as the 29 Dufferin and 193 Exhibition Rocket bus routes. Parking is also available within walking distance to the stadium.
The stadium is known as the National Soccer Stadium for international FIFA
matches. It hosted matches for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
, including the final. It also hosted the MLS Cup 2010
on November 21, 2010.
, former home of the Toronto Argonauts
and Toronto Blue Jays
, which lost its permanent tenants with the opening of SkyDome (Rogers Centre
since 2005) in 1989 and was demolished in 1999.
The stadium was part of Canada's successful bid to host the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
. The original plan was for the site to be located at York University
, with the university contributing $
15 million toward the cost of the new stadium. However, the university was forced to back out in May 2005. The eventual site was moved to the location of demolished Exhibition Stadium and then-existing Sports Hall of Fame
building.
On May 11, 2006, Major League Soccer
announced that Toronto FC
would join the league as its thirteenth (and first Canada
-based) team in 2007. The league considers soccer-specific stadiums to be a critical part of its strategy; MLS commissioner Don Garber
has been adamant that expansion teams must have plans for a soccer-specific stadium
in place to be granted a franchise. These facilities are thought to improve overall crowd atmosphere (because they are smaller than stadiums built primarily for NFL
football
or CFL
football
), and may allow teams to control most revenues generated by their facilities.
On August 31, 2006, the Toronto Star
reported that BMO Financial Group
purchased the naming rights
to the stadium, known then as the National Soccer Stadium. BMO is the stock ticker symbol
of the Bank of Montreal, whose operational headquarters are in Toronto, despite its Montreal
name (though the bank still has its legal corporate headquarters in the namesake city). The symbol is often pronounced "BEE-moe", as are references to the bank itself. On September 20, 2006, stadium webcam viewers watched as a banner was raised on the West Grandstand renaming the stadium "BMO Field". The name was later announced on the team's official website. It was referred to under the National Soccer Stadium name in official references to the FIFA U-20 World Cup, as non-FIFA-supporting sponsors are not permitted references.
The grand opening celebration took place on May 12, 2007. MLS commissioner Garber has declared that the 2008 All-Star Game
would take place at BMO Field. The hosting rights to the 2010 MLS Cup
was also later awarded.
The only music concert thus far at BMO Field was performed by classic rock group Genesis
on September 7, 2007.
The 2008 MLS All Star game was held at BMO Field on July 24, 2008 versus West Ham United F.C.
of the English Premier League.
In 2009, the Toronto Nationals
of Major League Lacrosse
began playing their home games at BMO Field. The team moved over to Lamport Stadium
for 2010 and have since moved to Hamilton in 2011.
On July 18, 2009, BMO Field had its first alcohol suspension, due to an incident that occurred on May 21, 2008 regarding alcohol consumption by a minor
.
In November 2009, it became public that the owners of the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
were in discussions with the City of Toronto over the possibility of moving from the Rogers Centre
to BMO Field, potentially as early as the 2010 CFL season
. The CFL agreed to study the feasibility of the Argos playing at BMO Field, which was built too short to fit a full length CFL field. According the MLSE chief operating officer Tom Anselmi, without significant renovations BMO Field could only fit a 100-yard field with 15-yard endzones or a 110-yard field with 10-yard endzones, which is 20-yards short of the standard 110-yard field and 20-yard endzones. On December 16, 2009, the Argonauts officially abandoned the idea following receipt of the CFL study, which stated that "Canadian football could not be played there in its current state." As of 2010, Toronto FC are contemplating the possibility of expanding the facility. BMO Field could accommodate an additional 8000 spectators without making fundamental changes to the existing facility, increasing the ground's total capacity upwards of 30,000.
During the 2010 MLS Cup, the Colorado Rapids
defeated FC Dallas
2–1.
win over home side Toronto FC in the stadium opener on April 28, 2007. The first ever Toronto FC goal at the stadium was Danny Dichio's first-half strike against Chicago Fire on May 12, 2007 (also his club's first ever MLS
goal).
The first goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came at the official opening on May 11, 2007, in an U-20 friendly between Canada and Argentina
. David Edgar
scored a penalty in a 2-1 defeat for Canada, just four minutes after Alejandro Gomez had scored the first ever international goal at the stadium.
Costa Rica
's Victor Núñez
scored the first ever senior international goal in a 1-1 friendly draw with hosts Canada
on September 12, 2007, just minutes before Dwayne De Rosario
scored Canada's first senior goal at the stadium.
The first Toronto FC
goal scored by a Canadian at BMO Field was in a June 25, 2007 friendly against Aston Villa
of the English Premier League. Andrea Lombardo scored an equalizer at BMO Field's south end to make it 2-2 before Aston Villa ran out 4-2 winners. The first MLS
goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came when Miguel Cañizalez
scored for Toronto FC in the second minute of their 2-1 defeat to Columbus Crew
on September 22, 2007, snapping an 824-minute MLS goalless streak.
On May 19, 2007, Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno
scored his 108th MLS goal on a penalty kick for D.C. United
in their 2-1 win over Toronto FC at BMO Field, tying him for the all-time league lead with Jason Kreis
. Moreno has since taken sole ownership of the record.
On May 22, 2009 Merrick Thomson
, of the Toronto Nationals
, scored the first MLL
goal at BMO Field in a 15-11 win for the Nationals in their home opener.
On August 7, 2009 Gabe Gala
, of Toronto FC, scored the second ever goal by a Canadian against the Spanish giants Real Madrid
in an exhibition match at BMO Field, which Real Madrid won 5-1. Julian de Guzman
scored the first goal when he scored the winner playing in La Liga against Real Madrid.
's Toronto Maple Leafs
and the National Basketball Association
's Toronto Raptors
. In addition, MLSE contributed towards the cost of the building of the stadium. With a total costs of $62.9 million ($72 million including land), contributions came from multiple sources. MLSE contributed $8 million towards the construction of the stadium and $10 million towards securing the naming rights of the stadium, which they later resold to the Bank of Montreal
for $27 million over 10 years. The Canadian Federal Government contributed $27 million, with Ontario's government adding an additional $8 million. Toronto paid $9.8 million and has the ownership of the stadium. (All figures are in Canadian dollar
s.)
rather than a natural grass pitch, which had attracted some criticism. However in 2009, Toronto City Council
voted to approve installation of a permanent, natural grass surface beginning in 2010, after MLSE promised to cover all costs of installing and maintaining the surface. Previously, a temporary grass turf was laid in August 2009 for an international friendly against Real Madrid
, which was later donated to a local public school stadium.
The seats are entirely red with the exception of a design on each of the main stands. On the east side, the design is a large maple leaf while on the lower west stand the design spells out "TORONTO", and has a portion of the Toronto FC logo. The south stand has "BMO" spelled out.
Field of play dimensions are 75 yards wide × 115 yards long or 68 m wide × 105 m long, meeting FIFA standards.
A variety of Kentucky Bluegrass was installed in the spring of 2010, along with a state of the art drainage system and heating system in the field. The first game on natural grass was Toronto FC's home debut on April 15, 2010 vs. the expansion Philadelphia Union.
in front of 22,453 fans.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soccer stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
located in Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
in the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. It opened on April 28, 2007 with a 1-0 loss by home side Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
against the Kansas City Wizards.
The stadium is accessible by public transport via the Exhibition GO Train station, the 509 Harbourfront
509 Harbourfront
509 Harbourfront is a streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission.-History:The Harbourfront LRT, originally designated 604 Harbourfront, began service in 1990...
and the 511 Bathurst streetcar lines
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , and is the largest such system in the Americas in terms of ridership, number of cars, and track length. The network is concentrated primarily in downtown and in...
, as well as the 29 Dufferin and 193 Exhibition Rocket bus routes. Parking is also available within walking distance to the stadium.
The stadium is known as the National Soccer Stadium for international FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
matches. It hosted matches for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
, including the final. It also hosted the MLS Cup 2010
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
on November 21, 2010.
History
BMO Field is the fifth stadium to be located at its exact location at Exhibition Place. The most recent was Exhibition StadiumExhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
, former home of the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, which lost its permanent tenants with the opening of SkyDome (Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
since 2005) in 1989 and was demolished in 1999.
The stadium was part of Canada's successful bid to host the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
. The original plan was for the site to be located at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, with the university contributing $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
15 million toward the cost of the new stadium. However, the university was forced to back out in May 2005. The eventual site was moved to the location of demolished Exhibition Stadium and then-existing Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
building.
On May 11, 2006, Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
announced that Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
would join the league as its thirteenth (and first Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based) team in 2007. The league considers soccer-specific stadiums to be a critical part of its strategy; MLS commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
has been adamant that expansion teams must have plans for a soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
in place to be granted a franchise. These facilities are thought to improve overall crowd atmosphere (because they are smaller than stadiums built primarily for NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
or CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
), and may allow teams to control most revenues generated by their facilities.
On August 31, 2006, the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reported that BMO Financial Group
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
purchased the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the stadium, known then as the National Soccer Stadium. BMO is the stock ticker symbol
Ticker symbol
A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a short abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. "Ticker symbol" refers to the symbols that were printed on the ticker...
of the Bank of Montreal, whose operational headquarters are in Toronto, despite its Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
name (though the bank still has its legal corporate headquarters in the namesake city). The symbol is often pronounced "BEE-moe", as are references to the bank itself. On September 20, 2006, stadium webcam viewers watched as a banner was raised on the West Grandstand renaming the stadium "BMO Field". The name was later announced on the team's official website. It was referred to under the National Soccer Stadium name in official references to the FIFA U-20 World Cup, as non-FIFA-supporting sponsors are not permitted references.
The grand opening celebration took place on May 12, 2007. MLS commissioner Garber has declared that the 2008 All-Star Game
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
would take place at BMO Field. The hosting rights to the 2010 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
was also later awarded.
The only music concert thus far at BMO Field was performed by classic rock group Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
on September 7, 2007.
The 2008 MLS All Star game was held at BMO Field on July 24, 2008 versus West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
of the English Premier League.
In 2009, the Toronto Nationals
Toronto Nationals
The Hamilton Nationals are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the 2009 season from Toronto, Ontario as the Toronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history...
of Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
began playing their home games at BMO Field. The team moved over to Lamport Stadium
Lamport Stadium
Allan A. Lamport Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium on King Street West in the Liberty Village neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is used mostly for soccer. It was built in 1974 on the site of the notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women, opened in the fall of 1975 and holds 9,600...
for 2010 and have since moved to Hamilton in 2011.
On July 18, 2009, BMO Field had its first alcohol suspension, due to an incident that occurred on May 21, 2008 regarding alcohol consumption by a minor
Legal drinking age
Laws about the legal drinking age cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different to the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have...
.
In November 2009, it became public that the owners of the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
were in discussions with the City of Toronto over the possibility of moving from the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
to BMO Field, potentially as early as the 2010 CFL season
2010 CFL season
The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28...
. The CFL agreed to study the feasibility of the Argos playing at BMO Field, which was built too short to fit a full length CFL field. According the MLSE chief operating officer Tom Anselmi, without significant renovations BMO Field could only fit a 100-yard field with 15-yard endzones or a 110-yard field with 10-yard endzones, which is 20-yards short of the standard 110-yard field and 20-yard endzones. On December 16, 2009, the Argonauts officially abandoned the idea following receipt of the CFL study, which stated that "Canadian football could not be played there in its current state." As of 2010, Toronto FC are contemplating the possibility of expanding the facility. BMO Field could accommodate an additional 8000 spectators without making fundamental changes to the existing facility, increasing the ground's total capacity upwards of 30,000.
During the 2010 MLS Cup, the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
defeated FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
2–1.
Historic goals
The first goal at BMO Field was scored by Eddie Johnson for Kansas City Wizards in a 1-0 Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
win over home side Toronto FC in the stadium opener on April 28, 2007. The first ever Toronto FC goal at the stadium was Danny Dichio's first-half strike against Chicago Fire on May 12, 2007 (also his club's first ever MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
goal).
The first goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came at the official opening on May 11, 2007, in an U-20 friendly between Canada and Argentina
Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
. David Edgar
David Edgar (footballer)
David Edward Edgar is a Canadian football player who currently plays for Championship side Burnley. He can play as a centre back, right back, left back or defensive midfielder.-Early life:Edgar was born to Eddie Edgar and Christine Edgar...
scored a penalty in a 2-1 defeat for Canada, just four minutes after Alejandro Gomez had scored the first ever international goal at the stadium.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
's Victor Núñez
Victor Núñez
Víctor Núñez Rodríguez is a Costa Rican professional football player who currently plays for Club Sport Herediano in the Primera Division de Costa Rica.-Personal:...
scored the first ever senior international goal in a 1-1 friendly draw with hosts Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
on September 12, 2007, just minutes before Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
scored Canada's first senior goal at the stadium.
The first Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
goal scored by a Canadian at BMO Field was in a June 25, 2007 friendly against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
of the English Premier League. Andrea Lombardo scored an equalizer at BMO Field's south end to make it 2-2 before Aston Villa ran out 4-2 winners. The first MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
goal at BMO Field scored by a Canadian came when Miguel Cañizalez
Miguel Cañizalez
Miguel Cañizalez-Smith is a Salvadoran-Canadian professional soccer player currently playing for Fortuna Köln in Germany....
scored for Toronto FC in the second minute of their 2-1 defeat to Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
on September 22, 2007, snapping an 824-minute MLS goalless streak.
On May 19, 2007, Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side....
scored his 108th MLS goal on a penalty kick for D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in their 2-1 win over Toronto FC at BMO Field, tying him for the all-time league lead with Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer....
. Moreno has since taken sole ownership of the record.
On May 22, 2009 Merrick Thomson
Merrick Thomson
Merrick Thomson is a former lacrosse player from Hamilton, Ontario. He played the attack position for the Hamilton Nationals of Major League Lacrosse and for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League.-College career:...
, of the Toronto Nationals
Toronto Nationals
The Hamilton Nationals are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They began play in the 2009 season from Toronto, Ontario as the Toronto Nationals, becoming the first-ever Canadian team in MLL history...
, scored the first MLL
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
goal at BMO Field in a 15-11 win for the Nationals in their home opener.
On August 7, 2009 Gabe Gala
Gabe Gala
Gabriel "Gabe" Gala is a Nigerian-born Canadian soccer player who last played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He now currently plays for Mississauga Eagles FC of the Canadian Soccer League.-Youth:...
, of Toronto FC, scored the second ever goal by a Canadian against the Spanish giants Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in an exhibition match at BMO Field, which Real Madrid won 5-1. Julian de Guzman
Julian de Guzmán
Julian de Guzman is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.Previously, he played for Deportivo de La Coruña, and was the first Canadian to play in the Spanish La Liga...
scored the first goal when he scored the winner playing in La Liga against Real Madrid.
Management, ownership and funding
Toronto FC is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), owners of the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
. In addition, MLSE contributed towards the cost of the building of the stadium. With a total costs of $62.9 million ($72 million including land), contributions came from multiple sources. MLSE contributed $8 million towards the construction of the stadium and $10 million towards securing the naming rights of the stadium, which they later resold to the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
for $27 million over 10 years. The Canadian Federal Government contributed $27 million, with Ontario's government adding an additional $8 million. Toronto paid $9.8 million and has the ownership of the stadium. (All figures are in Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s.)
Stadium specifics
BMO Field originally used FieldTurfFieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
rather than a natural grass pitch, which had attracted some criticism. However in 2009, Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
voted to approve installation of a permanent, natural grass surface beginning in 2010, after MLSE promised to cover all costs of installing and maintaining the surface. Previously, a temporary grass turf was laid in August 2009 for an international friendly against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, which was later donated to a local public school stadium.
The seats are entirely red with the exception of a design on each of the main stands. On the east side, the design is a large maple leaf while on the lower west stand the design spells out "TORONTO", and has a portion of the Toronto FC logo. The south stand has "BMO" spelled out.
Field of play dimensions are 75 yards wide × 115 yards long or 68 m wide × 105 m long, meeting FIFA standards.
A variety of Kentucky Bluegrass was installed in the spring of 2010, along with a state of the art drainage system and heating system in the field. The first game on natural grass was Toronto FC's home debut on April 15, 2010 vs. the expansion Philadelphia Union.
Attendance records
The largest attendance overall at the stadium was on April 13, 2011 for a regular season MLS game when Toronto FC hosted the Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
in front of 22,453 fans.
MLS
| Season | Season Average | Highest gate | Lowest gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2007 Major League Soccer season The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C..... |
20,130 | 20,522 | 19,123 |
| 2008 2008 Major League Soccer season The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:... |
20,120 | 20,461 | 19,657 |
| 2009 2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:... |
20,344 | 20,902 | 19,843 |
| 2010 2010 Major League Soccer season The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... |
20,453 | 22,108 | 18,394 |
| 2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
20,267 | 22,453 | 16,313 |
External links
- BMOField.com
- Release of Naming Rights Sale
- BMO Field Construction Photos
- Soccer stadium Web site, including construction webcam
- Video Tour of BMO Field
- Cathal Kelly. "FC or TFC ... the fans will decide". Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, 5 Apr 2007.