Arch Tracker

Loftus Versfeld Stadium

8 de diciembre de 2009 | By: admin
Permanent link.

ChuckAitch

Located in Pretoria, South Africa, Loftus Versfeld Stadium has a capacity of 51,762 seats and is considered an all seater venue, recently hosted the 2009 Currie Cup Final. To qualify for selection as a first and second round venue the floodlights, sound system and scoreboard at Loftus Versfeld were upgraded and designated media areas were constructed in the lower level of the west stand. Loftus is the homeground of the Sundowns Football Club, one of South Africa’s premiere professional clubs. Since 1977 Loftus Versfeld has undergone many renovations and its four major stands have been completely rebuilt.

The stadium was named after Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, the founder of organized sports in Pretoria. Through the years the stadium has undergone various name changes as sponsors came and went, though locals have always referred to the stadium as Loftus Versfeld. From 11 June 1998 to 4 February 2003 the stadium was officially named Minolta Loftus after Minolta had become the stadium’s name sponsor. Sponsorship was taken over by security giant Securicor, who announced the name Securicor Loftus on 5 February 2003. On the 1st of September 2005 the renaming process went full circle when cellular provider Vodacom, taking over sponsorship from Securicor, renamed the stadium back to the original Loftus Versfeld.

The site of the stadium was first used for sports in 1906, and the field was simply called the Eastern Sports Ground. The first concrete structure was erected there by the City Council in 1923. The original structure could only accommodate 2000 spectators, and did not have proper sports facilities.

In 1928, mostly because of the All Blacks tour to South Africa that year, the Pretoria sub-union made a large profit which they used to erect changing rooms and toilets.

Legio09

When Mr Loftus Versfeld died suddenly in May 1932 the Pretoria sub-union renamed the Eastern Sports Ground after him as a tribute to a man that had done so much to develop sport in the area. The stadium has been known as Loftus Versfeld Stadium ever since. It has been upgraded on several occasions, most recently in 1984, when the Northern Pavilion received an upgrade.