*** Welcome to piglix ***

Nikos Goumas Stadium

Nikos Goumas Stadium
Former names AEK's home ground
Location Nea Filadelfeia, Athens, Greece
Coordinates 38°2′13.01″N 23°44′28.89″E / 38.0369472°N 23.7413583°E / 38.0369472; 23.7413583
Owner AEK
Operator AEK
Capacity 27,729
Surface Grass
Scoreboard Yes
Construction
Broke ground 1928
Built 1930
Renovated 1998
Expanded 1979
Closed May 2003
Demolished May 2003
Tenants
AEK Athens (1930–1985, 1987–2003)
Greece national football team

Nikos Goumas (Greek: Νίκος Γκούμας ) was a multi-purpose stadium in Nea Filadelfeia, a northwestern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of AEK Athens F.C..

The stadium was named "AEK's home ground" (Greek: Γήπεδο ΑΕΚ) but was also known as "Nea Filadelfeia Stadium" (Greek: Στάδιο Νέας Φιλαδέλφειας).

In the early 90s it was officially named "Nikos Goumas Stadium" after former club president Nikos Goumas, who contributed to its building and later upgrading.

In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfeia that was originally set aside for refugee housing was donated as a training ground for the refugees. AEK Athens F.C. began using the ground as training ground (albeit unofficially) and by 1930 the property was signed over to the club.

The stadium was finished in 1929 and was officially opened in 1930. The first home game, in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiacos which ended in a 2-2 draw. The stadium had a horseshoe shape (with stands in three of its four sides) and its capacity was 24,729.

In 1979 chairman Loukas Barlos started building the double-tiered south stand, the addition of which made it the largest stadium in Athens at the time as its capacity was over 35,000 after the construction of this new stand. This stand, and particularly its lower tier known as "Skepasti" (meaning "roofed"), and became the new home of the AEK ultras who until then resided in the opposite "Gate 21" stand.

In 1998, AEK Athens F.C. decided to install 27,729 seats, thereby reducing the stadium's capacity from 35,000 to 24,000 (not including the press and VIP stands).


...
Wikipedia

...