Women’s football has today kicked off the London 2012 Olympics, although the opening ceremony and main events are still two days away. Most probably assume that London is the sole focus of the Olympics this year, however venues across the whole of the UK are playing a part in the games. Here is our quick at-a-glance guide to the key venues outside London;
St. James Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
Event: Football
Dates: Women’s Football – July 31, August 3rd
Men’s Football – July 26, 29, August 1, 4th
Facts and Stats
• St. James Park has been the home to the Newcastle United Football team since 1892.
• Newcastle’s most famous modern day player is Alan Shearer, world renowned striker who on joining his boyhood club in 1996 cost a then world-record fee of 15.9 million GBP.
• St. James Park has capacity to seat 52,409 persons.
• The name is not to be confused with St James Park, the royal park in Westminster, London.
• St James Park also hosts charity matches, rock concerts and reality TV auditions such as X Factor and Big Brother.
• St James Park
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Event: Football
Dates: Women’s Football – July 25, 28, 31, August 3rd
Men’s Football – July 26, August 1, 4, 10th.
Facts and Stats
• Located along the banks of the River Taft in the Welsh capital of Cardiff.
• Millennium Stadium has a seating capacity of 74,500.
• Home of the Wales National Rugby Union Team as well as the National Football Team.
• First fully retractable stadium roof in the United Kingdom and second in Europe.
• Originally built for the 1999 Rigby World Cup.
• The Millennium Stadium will kick the 2012 Olympics off by holding the very first event.
Hadleigh Farm, Benfleet, Essex
Event: Mountain Biking
Dates: August 11, 12th
Facts and Stats
• Hadleigh Farm is located in the Essex Countryside and will host both the Olympic and Paralympic events.
• This venue covers 550 Acres and is owned by the Salvation Army and run as an educational working farm.
• During the 2012 Games, Hadleigh Farm will erect grandstands to hold 3,000 patrons.
• Hadleigh Farm course is 5 km in length.
• If you are interested in viewing this event, gates open 2.5 hours prior to start of competition.
Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland
Event: Football
Dates: Women’s Football – July 25, 28, August 3rd
Men’s Football – July 26, August 1st
Facts and Stats
• Hampden Park is home to the Scotland National Football Team.
• The European Champions Club has given this stadium a 5 stars ranking.
• In addition to plenty of concessions and facilities this stadium is also home to London 2012 store.
• The current site opened in 1903 and was, at the time, the world’s largest stadium with a capacity of 100,000.
• The European record for attendance at an international football match is still held by Hampden Park, when in 1937, 149,415 spectators attended a Scotland v England match.
Box Hill, Surrey
Event: Road Cycling
Dates: Women’s Road Cycling – July 29, August 1st
Men’s Road Cycling – July 28, August 1st
Facts and Stats
• Box Hill is a summit in Surrey England.
• This summit is approximately 30 km south west of London.
• A large portion of the Box Hill is owned by the National Trust.
• The village of Box Hill is located about half way up the Eastern Side of the Summit.
• There will be numerous viewing areas during the 2012 Games including Dormouse Drive, Butterfly Bend, Straw Belle, Donkey Green. Spectators with tickets to Donkey Green will also have access to Straw Belle Slope.
Old Trafford, Greater Manchester
Event: Football
Dates: Women’s Football – July 31, August 6th
Men’s Football – July 26, 29, August 1, 7th
• Facts and Stats
Old Trafford is home to Manchester United Football Club.
• This stadium was nicknamed the “The Theatre of Dreams” by Bobby Charlton.
• Old Trafford has the capacity to seat 76,000 patrons.
• This is the 3rd largest venue at the 2012 Games.
• Old Trafford first opened in 1910.
• The stadium was bombed extensively during World War II, causing the club to relocate for 8 years.
• Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the longest serving mainstream football managers in the world, clocking up over 25 years managing Manchester United.
Weymouth & Portland, Dorset
Event: Sailing
Dates: July 29- August 11th, Medal events take place during August 5-11th
Facts and Stats
• The waters around Weymouth Bay are world class sailing destinations.
• The Royal Yachting Association has voted this area of Dorset Bay as some of the best Sailing waters in Northern Europe.
• During the Olympic Games of 2012 Weymouth Beach will also host a Live Site where visitors can watch all the sporting events on two gigantic television screens.
• The Live Site will be large enough to hold up to 15 thousand patrons.
• Next to the Live Site there will be a sporting arena, sporting enthusiasts can try their hand at many different sports like football, volleyball, rugby, bowling and sailing.
As part of our focus on the London Olympics we have also blogged about the 10 must-see London attractions, 10 best shopping locations in London, 10 Cultural things to do in London and 10 Totally free things to do in London. Enjoy!
City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry
Event: Football
Dates: Women’s Football – July 25, 28, 31, August 3, 6, 9. Medals Ceremony is August 9th.
Men’s Football – July 26, 29, August 1, 4, 7, 10, 11. Medals Ceremony is August 11th.
Facts and Stats
• City of Coventry Stadium is a 32,609 seat stadium with a 6,000 sq. meter exhibit hall and onsite casino.
• 132 Footballers will compete at this stadium during the 2012 Olympics.
• More than 260,000 tickets have been put up for sale for Football during the games.
• Usually known as the Ricoh Arena, the venue which is home to Coventry City Football Club, will be renamed for the duration of the Olympics.
• The stadium will also host the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
