Full name Estadio San Mamés Operator Athletic Bilbao Surface Grass Capacity 40,000 Closed 5 June 2013 Owner Athletic Bilbao | Location Bilbao, Spain Field size 105 x 68 m Built 20 January 1913 Opened 21 August 1913 Demolished 6 June 2013 Architect Manuel Maria de Smith | |
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Similar Mestalla Stadium, Camp Nou, Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao, Estadio Riazor, Estadio Benito Villamarín | ||
San Mamés Stadium (Spanish: Estadio San Mamés [esˈtaðjo sam maˈmes]; also known as La Catedral [la kateˈðɾal], "The Cathedral"), was a football stadium in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain. The stadium was the home of Athletic Bilbao, known as Los Leones de San Mamés-Bilboko lehoiak (The Lions of San Mamés). They are known as Los Leones because their stadium was built near a church called San Mamés (Saint Mammes). Mammes was an early Christian, according to legend, who was thrown to the lions by the Romans.
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The club's new stadium, of the same name, was inaugurated on 16 September 2013.
History
Opened in 1913, it was Spain's oldest built stadium before its demolition (the oldest playing field being El Molinón) a distinction that together with its religious heritage has granted it the nickname, La Catedral (The Cathedral). San Mamés could seat almost forty thousand people and was renowned for the unique and boisterous atmosphere its crowds of devoted and loyal fans create on match-days.
The stadium was almost entirely rebuilt to host matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In March 2006, a project was approved to replace the stadium with a new and larger version, thereby increasing the stadium capacity to 53,000. The New San Mamés Stadium is built on the former site of the Bilbao International Trade Fair, adjacent to the current stadium. Construction began in April 2010, and after it was three quarters completed, Athletic Club moved into their new home and the original San Mamés was demolished.
AC/DC's final concert of their Black Ice World Tour was held in the stadium, on 28 June 2010.
The iconic arch over the main stand of the stadium (which originally supported its roof) was preserved in the demolition and moved in several pieces to the club's training ground, Lezama, where it was installed at the side of the pitch used by the reserves and women's team.
1982 FIFA World Cup
The stadium was one of the venues of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and held the following matches: