Ivor Wynne Stadium: reflecting on 84 years

Dec 3, 2012 | Sports

By Ustad Khaira and Luke Vermeer

The final game at Ivor Wynne Stadium versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. PHOTO BY LUKE VERMEER

After decades of memories, entertaining football fans in Hamilton, the Tiger-Cats are preparing for a new home. Ivor Wynne stadium, opened in 1928 as Civic Stadium and home to the Tiger-Cats for 62 years, has hosted its last event.

Demolition on the approximately 30,000 seat venue begins this month, with construction on Hamilton’s new facility expected to be completed in time for the 2014 CFL season.

“There’s something to the aesthetic of having an old, somewhat rusty in places stadium. But I’m definitely going to welcome a new place with a locker room that has fully functioning showers,” said Tiger-Cats offensive lineman Peter Dyakowski. “I feel bad for the raccoons, they’re not going to have a place to live, the squirrels that nest in our weight room, but I guess you have to make progress sometimes.”

The new stadium will seat 22,500 fans, less than the capacity of Ivor Wynne Stadium, but will provide players and visitors modern amenities.

The $120 million stadium will be flipped, the field running north to south, built on the same ground in the middle of a residential neighborhood, that Hamilton legends have played on for most of the last century. There will be the option to add temporary seating behind each end zone, should an opportunity to host a Grey Cup arise.

For the 2013 CFL season the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will play their home games at Alumni Stadium at the University of Guelph.

 

http://youtu.be/MJn9iqgrYAA