Laugardalsvöllur
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| Location |
Laugardalur IS-104 Reykjavík, Iceland |
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| Coordinates | 64°08′36.9″N 21°52′44.2″W / 64.143583°N 21.878944°WCoordinates: 64°08′36.9″N 21°52′44.2″W / 64.143583°N 21.878944°W |
| Capacity | 9,800 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1949 |
| Opened | 17 June 1959 |
| Renovated | 1970, 1997 and 2007 |
| Tenants | |
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Iceland men's national football team Iceland women's national football team Iceland U21 Iceland U19 Knattspyrnufélagið Fram (temporary) |
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Laugardalsvöllur is Iceland's national football stadium and the home venue for the Iceland national football team. It is in Reykjavík and seats 9,800 with a total capacity of 15,000.
The idea of building a sport venue in Laugardalur, along with some other entertainment facilities, dates back to 1871. At that time, the population of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, was only about 2,000. Laugardalur was also nearly 3 km (1.9 mi) away from residential areas. Little came out of this proposal the next 60 years or so.
In 1943, the town council set up the Laugardalsnefnd committee. Its task was to make proposals and ideas for the area. The committee then delivered the result later, which included building a new football stadium and a new swimming pool (Laugardalslaug).
Construction of the field started in 1949 and lasted until sowing for the grass itself started in 1952. A year later in 1953, construction of a new stand started. The stand had a capacity of 4,000 when completed later.
The first match was played on Laugardalsvöllur in 1957 when the Iceland men's national football team played against Norway, two years before the official opening, 17 June 1959. A few years later, the stand was renovated and expanded, starting from 1965 to 1970.
Under the new stand there was opened a track-and-field facility, which operated until 2007, although there has always been all-weather running track around the pitch (upgraded in 1992). Later the year 1992, floodlights were inaugurated for the match against Greece.
In 1997, another new stand was built against the old stand, across the pitch. Constructions started a year earlier. It has a capacity of 3,500. At the same time, the old stand was relieved by matching it with the new stand by seating capacity.
Big renovation and expansion of the old stand started in 2005. After the completion in 2007, the stadium has a capacity of 9,800. Additional capacity can be added by bringing in two temporary stands seating 1,500 each, giving the stadium a maximum capacity of 15,000 but after the new requirements of FIFA for national football stadiums, this addition method has been forbidden. No major renovations or expansions have occurred since the year 2007.
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Wikipedia