Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm) in Cardiff is the national stadium of Wales and is primarily used for Rugby union and football. Until the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium is complete, the Millennium Stadium will be the largest football ground in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the Welsh Rugby Union.
History
The stadium was built in 1999 on the site of the old National Stadium, at Cardiff Arms Park. It was initially built for the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup, which Wales hosted. It hosted many of the matches, including the final.
The construction cost the WRU £126 million, which was considered remarkably low for a state-of-the-art stadium. This was funded by private investment, public funds from the UK National Lottery, the sale of debentures to supporters (which offered guaranteed tickets in exchange for an interest-free loan), and loans. The development left the WRU heavily in debt.
It was first used for a major event on the 26 June 1999, when Wales played South Africa in a friendly rugby match. Wales won the match : the first time they had ever beaten the Springboks.
Features
The all-seater stadium has capacity for 72,500 supporters and features a retractable roof (the first stadium in Europe to have such a feature, and the biggest in the world) to protect the playing surface from the elements.
- They say it has a sliding roof that they can slide all day
- we'll slide it back when Wales attack so God can watch us play
- Max Boyce
The stadium was slightly restricted in size due to its proximity to Cardiff Rugby Club's (and now Cardiff Blues') home, Cardiff Arms Park. Efforts were made by the WRU to persuade the rugby club to move to a new stadium, but these were unsuccessful; the stadium had to be completed with a break in its bowl structure. If an agreement can be reached in the future, it is likely that the stadium will be expanded.
In each of the stadium's bars, so-called "joy machines" can pour 12 pints in less than 20 seconds. (As an illustration of their efficiency, in a Wales-France match, 63,000 fans drank 77,184 pints of beer, almost double the 44,000 pints drunk by a similar number of fans at a game in Twickenham.)
The superstructure of the stadium is based around four 93 m masts, making it the tallest building in Wales.
Uses
As well as international rugby and football, the Millennium Stadium has hosted a variety of sports, including speedway and indoor cricket.
Since 2001, the stadium has hosted the following English football tournaments whilst England's national stadium, Wembley Stadium has been undergoing rebuilding (Wembley had hosted the Welsh rugby team during the building of their new ground):
These matches will stop being held in Cardiff after 2006 and efforts have been made to attract Cardiff City F.C. to use the stadium for their own home matches (which would provide much-needed income), but the Bluebirds are apparently determined to build their own stadium.
The stadium has also been used for a variety of musical events, possibly the most famous being the Manic Street Preachers concert held on Millennium Eve.
Looking to the future, the stadium will stage some matches of the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup. It is also proposed as one of the football venues for the 2012 Olympics if London's bid is successful.
See also
