Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi
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| Location | La Plata, Argentina |
|---|---|
| Owner | Estudiantes de La Plata |
| Capacity | 23,000 |
| Field size | 105 x 68 |
| Surface | turf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 25 December 1907 |
| Renovated | 2014-2015 |
| Demolished | 2004-2005 |
| Tenants | |
| Estudiantes de La Plata | |
Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi is a football stadium in La Plata, Argentina. It is the home field of Estudiantes de La Plata.
The stadium, named after Jorge Luis Hirschi, who served as Estudiantes' president between 1927 and 1932, is located on 1st Avenue between 55th and 57th Streets, and thus is also known as 1 y 57. It was formally inaugurated on 25 December 1907. The arena was the venue where Estudiantes obtained the 1913 amateur league title, and where fans enjoyed los profesores ("the professors"), the famous 1930s offensive line of Lauri-Scopelli-Zozaya-Ferreyra-Guayta.
In 1937, a new lighting system was installed, and the stadium became the first major venue in Argentina to host night games.
In its initial incarnation (1907 to 2005) the stadium held up to 28,000 people, mostly standing-room, even though security measures would reduce its actual capacity to about 22,000. Its relatively meager size made Estudiantes use Boca Juniors' Bombonera stadium for its Copa Libertadores games.
The wooden stands behind the goal-lines were standing-room only. The south-west stands were sitting-room, being separated from 1st Avenue by a row of linden (tilia) trees. The opposite (north-east) side was roofed and used to have the best seating arrangements.
The noisiest Estudiantes fans occupied the north-west (55th Street) popular, while visiting fans were directed to the opposite popular on 57th Street, near a technical high school.
Police would cut off traffic on 1st Avenue both before and after the games.
The stadium was home to three Argentine champion teams (1967, 1982 Metropolitano, and 1983 Nacional).
In September 2005, the stadium was closed down for league games because of new safety regulations that forbid wooden stands. Even though a judicial restraining order exempted Estudiantes from the prohibition, the La Plata city government refused to comply.
This situation started a rift between the club and mayor Julio Alak.
When a modern stadium was built for the city of La Plata, both Estudiantes and Gimnasia decided against relocating their home games. Immediately after the closure, Estudiantes requested permission for upgrading its stadium to no less than 20,000 seats plus 15,000 standing room, but the mayor refused, insisting that the new stadium should be used.
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