King George V Park
Encyclopedia
King George V Park is a soccer-specific stadium
in St. John's, Newfoundland
, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake
in downtown St. John's
. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium
of Newfoundland
. The stadium played host to the 1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship
.
In 2005 construction began on a major renovation involving widening and lengthening the field surface, installing an underground irrigation system, constructing new locker room facilities as well as expanding the bleacher seating. In 2006, the natural grass playing surface was replaced with a FieldTurf
pitch and additional seating was added to bring the total capacity at King George V Park to 10,000.
The most famous game played at King George V was on September 14, 1985 when over 13,000 people witnessed Canada
's 2-1 victory over Honduras
, which qualified the Canadians for their first World Cup (Mexico, 1986). It was a momentous occasion and is still considered to be the high point of Canadian soccer history.
In 2008, KGV played host to the Challenge Cup
and the Jubilee Trophy.
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 St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake
Quidi Vidi Lake
Quidi Vidi Lake is a mile long body of water located at the east end of the city of St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The lake has a long history of hosting sporting events, with the most renowned being the annual Royal St. John's Regatta, said to be the oldest continuous sporting event still held...
in downtown St. John's
Downtown St. John's
Downtown St. John's is the historic core and central business district of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Located north of St. John's harbour, it is the business, entertainment, and tourism centre with office buildings, hotels, restaurants, and other services.The historic boundaries...
. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium
National stadium
Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
. The stadium played host to the 1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship
1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship
The FIFA U-16 World Championship 1987 was held in the cities of Toronto, Saint John, Montreal, and St. John's in Canada between 12 July and 25 July 1987...
.
In 2005 construction began on a major renovation involving widening and lengthening the field surface, installing an underground irrigation system, constructing new locker room facilities as well as expanding the bleacher seating. In 2006, the natural grass playing surface was replaced with a FieldTurf
FieldTurf
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...
pitch and additional seating was added to bring the total capacity at King George V Park to 10,000.
The most famous game played at King George V was on September 14, 1985 when over 13,000 people witnessed 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...
's 2-1 victory over Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
, which qualified the Canadians for their first World Cup (Mexico, 1986). It was a momentous occasion and is still considered to be the high point of Canadian soccer history.
In 2008, KGV played host to the Challenge Cup
Canadian National Challenge Cup 2008
-Alberta:The ASA hosts a Senior Men's Challenge Trophy from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1 in Calgary. Winner goes to Nationals. The Alberta Major Soccer League teams are:* Calgary Callies FC* Calgary Dinos Major* Calgary Villains Elite FC* Lethbridge FC...
and the Jubilee Trophy.