Stanford Stadium Has Become Simply Another Fixer-Upper : Soccer: FIFA wants to see plenty of improvements before World Cup next year.
So you want to play host to a World Cup soccer game?
You want to be part of the world’s largest single sporting event, want a piece of the money and the worldwide exposure?
The glitz and glamour, eh?
Be prepared for rejection, international scrutiny and a checkbook-clearing list of “upgrades” that will send you running to architects and contractors. Then you write checks to the sod suppliers, the seating manufacturers and the pennant and ribbon company.
In the end, you may be told with a sniff that “you’ll do,” but there is the nagging feeling you’re still not good enough.
Who needs the grief? Apparently some communities thought about the worldwide television audience of more than 1 billion for the 1990 World Cup in Italy and got in line for World Cup ’94.
More than 27 U.S. cities and stadiums around the country bid to host World Cup games and other events and suffered through a two-year selection process. In March of 1992 nine sites were selected: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, East Rutherford, N.J.; Foxboro, Mass.; Palo Alto, Pasadena, Orlando, Fla., and Washington.
Columbus, Ohio, Denver and Phoenix are designated as alternate venues, should any of the nine not be ready for play on time.
The selection was the easy part. Now the stadiums have to submit to the humbling process of being told by FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, exactly what their imperfections are.
Officials at Stanford Stadium are getting an earful.
FIFA has toured the venues several times and subjected them to its white-glove test. Imagine the managers of nine of this country’s most famous stadiums standing by sheepishly waiting for approval from a group of FIFA officials. It’s an ongoing process, and the inspections will take on a more fervent tone as the deadline approaches.
D Day is in March, 120 days before the June 17 opening match at Chicago. Before then, each stadium will endure a small “opening day” of its own.
For Foxboro Stadium, Soldier Field, RFK Stadium and the Pontiac Silverdome, the dress rehearsal comes in June, when they play host to the United States, Brazil, England and Germany in the U.S. Cup tournament.
Stanford, as befitting its status as the venue getting the latest start on its face lift, will play host to one of the last big blasts--the United States against Germany, host country against the defending champions, on Dec. 18.
But will it be ready? This is FIFA’s burning question.
Built in 1921, Stanford Stadium is a classically proportioned, old- fashioned, leather helmet, American college football bowl. Its ambience on crisp fall Saturdays is matched by only a handful of stadiums. But this is lost on FIFA, which believes football is played with a round ball and never, ever, while wearing a helmet.
To them, Stanford Stadium is an aging, hulking mess whose misty memories hold nothing. Compared to the newly built stadiums in Italy--which the Italian government obligingly went into debt to build--Stanford Stadium is an eyesore.
John Davis, Stanford’s director of facilities, shrugs when the long list of FIFA gripes are repeated.
“We know what they think of it,” he said. “The stadium is what it is. It’s 72 years old. It shows its age. It’s a great old American football stadium. We like it as it is, we really do. I know it looks pretty dumpy. We will do everything we can to meet the requirements of FIFA, but it’s not a space-age place. You can’t make it into something it’s not.”
Last week, a group of European and South American sportswriters toured six of the nine venues and got a look at the stadiums and support facilities. As they were ushered into an empty Stanford Stadium, its dingy wooden seats looked all the more faded against a brilliant blue sky. Jaws dropped and eyebrows raised.
Sergio di Cesare, a respected soccer writer with La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Milan-based sports daily, said the age of the stadium took him by surprise.
“My first impression was that it seemed to be abandoned. I was amazed that the seating was made of wood. This was a surprise. But, you know, these are small matters. The game is on the field. I don’t think the success of the World Cup rests on such stupid things.”
And to think that Stanford had to beat out Candlestick Park to be exposed to this abuse.
From the start of the bidding, FIFA made it clear that it preferred Candlestick Park to Stanford. It liked the setting by the water. It liked its easy access to San Francisco International Airport. It really liked San Francisco’s many luxury hotels and its excellent restaurants.
Palo Alto pales as a tourist destination. The Gateway to the Silicon Valley is close to an airport--San Jose. And a recent delegation in town to tour the stadium stayed in lovely Milpitas.
So why was Stanford Stadium chosen? Baseball and money.
Candlestick Park was not available for the necessary block of time because of the commitment to the Giants.
Stanford, with its 86,000 seats, was not a bad second choice. It is the World Cup’s second-largest stadium, behind the Rose Bowl. Ticket sales are the largest single source of revenue for the organizing committee; thus Stanford Stadium’s few warts began to disappear in a shower of dollar signs.
To Peter Bridgewater, the ebullient venue executive director, whatever problems FIFA and the journalists see will all be gone by the deadline.
“This is a wonderful venue,” Bridgewater said. “I think we will have one of the most secure venues as far as being able to control hooligans. We have a huge fan base. (Stanford hosted seven Olympic soccer games in 1984 and drew more than 465,000 fans.) People will support the games here. We will sell out. What else can we do?”
Most of the objectionable points, such as the wooden seats and locker room upgrade, are scheduled to be corrected before the Stanford football season. Bridgewater points to other, more cosmetic aids that will help make the stadium’s overall presence more appealing.
Overall cost? Approximately $5.4 million.
Ultimately, the bottom line becomes the field itself, which will have no trouble meeting FIFA specifications. The rest may be merely vanity.
“In Italy, everything was perfect,” di Cesare of La Gazzetta said. “Beautiful new stadiums. But it has been remembered so far as one of the worst World Cups in history because the performance of the players was awful. So, you see, in the end, nothing matters but the feet of the players and the ball.”
Remaking the Stadium
An estimated $5.4 million in improvements are scheduled for Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto before World Cup soccer competition begins in June of 1994, though some close to the project say that figure is lower than the actual cost will be. The World Cup is expected to pay about $4 million, Stanford about $1.4 million. FIFA, the world governing body of soccer, has expressed concern that the extensive modifications, which have not yet begun, will bring the stadium only to minimum standards once complete. All work must be finished by 120 days before games begin. Among the changes:
(1) Field: To be rebuilt to eliminate 16-inch crown; high jump apron, runways for pole vault and long jump, and shotput and discus rings will be eliminated. To be completed after 1994 football season. (2) Track: Curb around inside will be eliminated; on top of the outer retaining wall will be a five-foot chain link or plexiglass fence around perimeter. (3) Seating: FIFA prefers stadiums that have seats with backs; Stanford has bleachers, most made of wood. Wood bleachers will be replaced by aluminum bleachers. Five front rows around most of field will be covered with canvas as a protective buffer between the retaining wall and seats. Capacity will be reduced from about 86,000 to about 82,000. (4) Preferred Seating: Seats in the sections in front of press box down to the field will be built with backrests. For VIPs, including FIFA officials and sponsors. This seating area is expected to be separated from bleacher seating by a plexiglass wall. (5) Press Box: Top level will be for broadcasting, middle level will have new cantilevered rows of seating built for VIPs, bottom level will be a Cup staging area. The cantilevered seating area will seat 200. Media will be located in seating to the south of the press box. Also: Locker rooms must be refurbished. Possible other improvements include temporary lighting, even though no night games are scheduled; elevated walkway from parking lot to stadium for VIPs, large video screen at the north end of stadium, and various visual enhancements throughout.
