Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar

Last updated

Victoria Stadium
Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar).jpg
Aerial view of Victoria Stadium.
Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar
Location Gibraltar
Coordinates 36°8′57.68″N5°21′1.23″W / 36.1493556°N 5.3503417°W / 36.1493556; -5.3503417
Owner Gibraltar Football Association (2017–Present)
OperatorGibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority (GSLA)
Capacity 5,000
Surface Artificial turf
Construction
Opened1926 (British Military use only) 1970 (Incl. Civilian Use)
Renovated1991; 2023 (Expected)
Tenants
Gibraltar national football team
All Gibraltar football clubs
Gibraltar national rugby union team (2013–2018)

Victoria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but also hosts the annual Gibraltar Music Festival. It is located close to Gibraltar Airport just off Winston Churchill Avenue. It was named after the wife of Gibraltarian philanthropist John Mackintosh.

Contents

Despite initial plans to replace the stadium in the 2010s, the Gibraltar Football Association purchased the stadium from the Government of Gibraltar in April 2017 in order to improve and renovate it. [1] The redevelopment of the stadium is due to start in 2023, with the national team announcing they will play UEFA and FIFA games in Faro, Portugal. [2] [3]

History

View of the Victoria Stadium's West stand Victoria Stadium-west stands.JPG
View of the Victoria Stadium's West stand

Victoria Stadium was constructed at the foot of the Rock of Gibraltar and next to Gibraltar Airport in the North District. [4] It was first opened in 1926 as a British military sports ground. [5] In 1970, the stadium was rebuilt by the Royal Engineers as a sports ground for use by both the military forces and the civilian population of Gibraltar. [6] In 1991, the Government of Gibraltar financed improvements of Victoria Stadium's pitch and athletics track. [7]

The construction of the stadium was controversial as it was built on the disputed isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain. [4] When the Gibraltar Football Association applied for membership of UEFA in 2007, Spanish-led opposition caused FIFA officials to look at the wording of the Treaty of Utrecht which ceded Gibraltar to the United Kingdom in 1713. In it, they claimed that there was a loophole in the treaty which they claimed violated FIFA regulations in that the national stadium had to be built on undisputed land. As Victoria Stadium was built on the isthmus which was not mentioned in the Treaty of Utrecht but ceded later and this fact was pointed out to UEFA members, Gibraltar's application was voted by UEFA's member associations to be rejected. [4] Only the Home Nations of England, Wales and Scotland voted in favour of them joining. [4]

Football

Victoria Stadium during the 2014 Rock Cup Final Visita Platini Gibraltar Rock Cup 2014 10 (13967075189).jpg
Victoria Stadium during the 2014 Rock Cup Final

Victoria Stadium is mostly used for Association Football matches. All clubs in the Gibraltar Football League play their matches at Victoria Stadium. [8] As such, it is also used to host the Final of the Rock Cup. [9] Prior to membership of FIFA, it had been used as the Gibraltar national football team's home ground for unofficial internationals.

Following the Gibraltar Football Association's admittance as a full member of UEFA in May 2013, UEFA vetoed Gibraltar using Victoria Stadium as their home ground as it did not meet UEFA standards and as the Government of Gibraltar owned it. As a result of this lack of ownership, the Gibraltar Football Association did not have the power to improve it. [10] This was owing to the fact that Victoria Stadium did not meet UEFA standards for international matches, which meant that the Gibraltar national football team was obliged to play their "home" matches in UEFA and FIFA qualifying tournaments at Estádio Algarve in Faro, Portugal however they were permitted to play friendly matches there. [10] The Government of Gibraltar and the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo stated that they were not going to spend Gibraltarian taxpayer's money on renovating the stadium without the site having UEFA approval stating "It would have been the worst possible bargain for the people of Gibraltar to have pursued the GSD’s approach of putting taxpayer’s money into Victoria against the wishes of UEFA at the time". [11]

Victoria Stadium did meet the UEFA criteria as a Category 2 Stadium [12] for UEFA intercontinental club matches such as UEFA Champions League games with an example of this being when Lincoln Red Imps used it to host their 2016–17 UEFA Champions League match against Scottish team Celtic. [13] However, in 2017, UEFA stated that Victoria Stadium could not be used for all of Gibraltar's representatives in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League during the 2017–18 season. This was owing to an increase in the number of Gibraltarian representatives in the competitions and due to failing a UEFA pitch inspection. [14]

The Gibraltar Football Association proposed to build the Europa Point Stadium to replace the Victoria Stadium as Gibraltar's national stadium. [15] Owing to opposition, the Europa Point Stadium plans were scrapped by the Government of Gibraltar. An alternative plan for replacement of Victoria Stadium was put forward for a new stadium to be built at Lathbury Barracks however the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society opposed this citing that the Ministry of Defence would have to give up land that had been designated by the European Union Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation for the proposed site. [16] In April 2017, the Gibraltar Football Association announced its purchase of the stadium in order to redevelop it into a UEFA Category 4 stadium at a cost of £16.5 million given to the GFA by UEFA and FIFA. [1] The proposed new stadium sites at Lathbury and Europa Point would be developed into multi-sports facilities by the Government of Gibraltar. [17] The GFA announced it would invest £15 million into the stadium after purchasing it owing to grants from UEFA and FIFA. [17] As a result of the GFA's purchase of Victoria Stadium, UEFA dropped their objections to the stadium providing works to expand the stadium to 8,000 capacity were complete by 2018 then they would be permitted to use the stadium for their home games in UEFA sanctioned international competition matches. [18] In January 2018, it was announced that due to the Gibraltar Music Festival being held at the stadium that year, football games in August and September would be played at Lathbury Barracks. [19]

Other sports

The ground has also hosted cricket matches since 1993. Victoria Stadium hosted its first cricket match when Marylebone Cricket Club visited Gibraltar in 1993 between Gibraltar and the MCC. [20] It has also been used by the Gibraltar national rugby union team. [21] Victoria Stadium has an Olympic standard 400-metre-six lane athletics track surrounding it and is used to host athletics meets. [22] [23] In 2019, following the redevelopments, Victoria Stadium was used as the main stadium as Gibraltar host the 2019 Island Games. [24] Since 2013, the stadium has annually hosted the Gibraltar Darts Trophy as part of the PDC's European Tour.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Estádio Algarve</span> Football stadium in Faro/Loulé, Portugal

The Estádio Algarve is an association football stadium located between Faro and Loulé municipalities, in the Algarve region of Portugal. The stadium has a capacity of 30,305 and was purposely built for the UEFA Euro 2004 championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibraltar national football team</span> Mens national association football team representing Gibraltar

The Gibraltar men's national football team represents Gibraltar in international football competitions, and is controlled by the Gibraltar Football Association. Gibraltar applied for full Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) membership and was accepted by the UEFA Congress in May 2013. It can therefore compete in the UEFA European Championship starting with the 2016 tournament for which the team competed in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D. On 13 May 2016 Gibraltar became a member of FIFA at the governing body's 66th Congress which was held in Mexico City. Gibraltar is the second smallest UEFA member in terms of population and the smallest in terms of area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Red Imps F.C.</span> Football club in Gibraltar

Lincoln Red Imps Football Club is a professional association football club from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar National League, and share Victoria Stadium with all other clubs in the territory. They are the country's record champion with 27 league titles, including fourteen consecutive titles between 2003 and 2016, and in 2014 were the first team to represent Gibraltar in the UEFA Champions League's qualifying stage. In August 2021, Lincoln became the first club from Gibraltar to ever reach the group stages of a European club competition after defeating the Latvian champions Riga FC in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Joseph's F.C.</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

St Joseph's Football Club, created in 1912, is an association football club based in Gibraltar. It currently plays in the Gibraltar Football League. The club also has two Futsal teams and more than 10 youth teams. In 2013, they established links as a feeder club to Real Balompédica Linense. The club was granted an official UEFA licence in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glacis United F.C.</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

Glacis United Football Club is a professional football club from Gibraltar, founded in 1965 and a member of the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA). The club share the Victoria Stadium with all other teams in the territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Gibraltar</span>

Football has been a popular part of sport in Gibraltar since its introduction by British military personnel in the 19th century. The Gibraltar Football Association, founded in 1895, is one of the ten oldest active football associations in the world.

Sport plays a prominent role in Gibraltarian life. The range of sports practiced in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar is wide and varied in comparison to its size of less than 7 square kilometres. The Government of Gibraltar promotes sport within Gibraltar and supports many local sports associations financially. Gibraltar also competes in international sporting events, having competed in the Commonwealth Games since 1958, and in the biennial Island Games, which it hosted in 1995 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europa F.C.</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

Europa FC is a professional football club from Gibraltar, that competes in the Gibraltar National League. As with all other clubs in the territory, Europa FC currently shares the Victoria Stadium on Winston Churchill Avenue. The club also operates a women's team which competes in the Gibraltar Women's Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibraltar national football team results</span>

The Gibraltar national football team is the representative association football team of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Its governing body is the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) and it competes as a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Organised football has been played in Gibraltar since the 19th century. The GFA first applied for UEFA membership in 1997 which was rejected, as UEFA would only allow membership for applicants recognised as sovereign states by the United Nations. They were unsuccessful in their second application in 2007 when only three of UEFA's 52 associations voted in their favour. In October 2012, they reapplied for membership which was granted in March 2013. Before 2018 the team's home ground, Victoria Stadium, did not meet UEFA's standards for competitive internationals, although it could be used for international friendlies. Gibraltar's first full international was played at the Estádio Algarve, located between Faro and Loulé, Portugal, which Gibraltar used as their home stadium for competitive matches between 2014 and 2018, and again from 2023.

The Gibraltar Women's Football League is the top level amateur women's football championship of Gibraltar. Due to the lack of resources available for women's football, the league has been contested by five teams since 2021, and the league is treated as a development competition. This status means that, as of the 2021 season, clubs are ineligible to enter the UEFA Women's Champions League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.C. Bruno's Magpies</span> Association football club in Gibraltar

FC Bruno's Magpies, also known as FCB Magpies in UEFA competition, is a football team from Gibraltar. They play in the Gibraltar National League and the Rock Cup.

The first match of the 2016 Rock Cup was played 10 January 2016. The competition will be a single-leg knockout tournament. The first round will be contested between second division teams, with premier division teams joining in the second round.

The 2016–17 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 118th season of the national amateur and semi-professional football league in Gibraltar since its establishment - the highest level of football in Gibraltar. The league was contested by ten clubs, the top eight clubs from last season and two promoted clubs from 2015–16 Gibraltar Second Division. Lincoln Red Imps were the reigning champions, sealing a record 22nd title last season. The season began on 21 September 2016 and ended on 22 May 2017. Europa won the title, ending Lincoln's 14 title run and winning their first title since 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Gibraltar Premier Division</span> Football league season

The 2017–18 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 119th season of the top-tier national football league in Gibraltar, as well as the fifth season since the Gibraltar Football Association joined UEFA in 2013. The league was contested by ten clubs. It began on 26 September 2017 and ended on 3 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Gibraltar v Slovakia football match</span> Football match

The international friendly between the Gibraltar and Slovakia national football teams on 19 November 2013 was the first official match played by Gibraltar after joining the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It took place at the Estádio Algarve in Faro/Loulé, Portugal with 350 fans in attendance. The Gibraltar Football Association chose to play at the Estádio Algarve as this would be the stadium the team would use for competitive matches as their only venue the Victoria Stadium was not eligible to. The game ended in a 0–0 draw which was seen as an upset with Slovakia being heavy favourites to defeat UEFA's newest members. Gibraltar defender Danny Higginbotham received the man of the match award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division</span> Football league season

The 2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 120th season of the top-tier state football league in Gibraltar, as well as the sixth season since the Gibraltar Football Association joined UEFA in 2013. The league was contested by ten clubs, and began on 13 August 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 Gibraltar National League</span> Football league season

The 2019–20 Gibraltar National League season is the first season of the new Gibraltar National League in Gibraltar, and the 121st season of football on the territory overall. The league was announced in June 2018 when the Gibraltar Football Association decided to merge the Gibraltar Premier Division and Gibraltar Second Division at the conclusion of the 2018–19 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europa Sports Park</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar

Europa Sports Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar; it was previously a Ministry of Defence cricket pitch. In 2019 it hosted the Island Games opening ceremony and will also host the annual Gibraltar Music Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Gibraltar Football League</span> Football league season

The 2022–23 Gibraltar Football League season is the fourth season of the Gibraltar Football League in Gibraltar, and the 124th season of football on the territory overall. The league is due to kick off in Autumn 2022. Lincoln Red Imps are the reigning champions, winning their second title in April 2022. Due to the league's fall down the UEFA coefficient rankings, this season only 2 teams will qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The 2022–23 Gibraltar Intermediate League is the fifth season of under-23 football in Gibraltar, after reforms to reserve team football in June 2018. The league will be contested by 11 teams - ten under-23 sides of the Gibraltar Football League clubs plus Hound Dogs.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gibraltar to host international matches on home soil by 2018". Daily Times. Agence France-Presse. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Mulligan, Richard (24 March 2023). "Gibraltar's new stadium backed by planning commission". Portugal Resident. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Bruxo, Michael (13 October 2022). "Gibraltar to play Euro 2024 home matches in Faro". Portugal Resident. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "A rock in defence". The Slow Journalism Magazine. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Maya Mahadevan (21 August 2016). "20 most beautiful football stadiums in the world". Yahoo News. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Colonial Office (1972). Gibraltar: Report. HM Stationery Office. pp. 34–37.
  7. ↑ "International standard facilities promised for Victoria Stadium". Panorama. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  8. ↑ 20 Jun (20 June 2016). "Celtic's Champions League opener 'will not worry Brendan Rodgers'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "Lincoln Wins Rock Cup". Your Gibraltar TV. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Six things you didn't know about Gibraltar's national football team". Metro. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "GSD's stadium plan was 'worst possible bargain' for Gib, Picardo says". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  12. ↑ "Gibraltar FA Welcomes Victoria Stadium Upgrades But Stresses Improvements Won't Turn It into A Cat 3 Venue". Your Gibraltar TV. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Celtic to receive 960 tickets as Red Imps clash stays in Gibraltar". STV. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  14. ↑ Duggan, Joe (13 April 2017). "UEFA bans Gibraltar football teams from playing European ties at Victoria Stadium". Gibraltar News Olive Press. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  15. ↑ Doyle, Paul (23 May 2013). "Gibraltar set to be new kids on the Rock as Uefa votes on its future". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "GONHS expresses concern over Lathbury Barracks stadium". GBC. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Gibraltar Football Association to purchase Victoria Stadium to develop as national stadium". GBC. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "Gibraltar to 'come home' with 8,000-seater stadium deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  19. ↑ Ignacio, Stephen (17 January 2018). "GFA and Govt set to finalise agreement on Victoria Stadium soon". Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Marylebone Cricket Club in Gibraltar 1993–94". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 19 April 2017.(subscription required)
  21. ↑ "Gibraltar v Finland; Victoria Stadium; Gibraltar 22–17 Finland". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  22. ↑ wladmin (3 November 2015). "Victoria Stadium – Gibraltar". White Line Services. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  23. ↑ "Summer athletics at Victoria Stadium". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  24. ↑ "Stadium sale triggers 'unprecedented' investment in sport". Gibraltar Chronicle. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.