Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
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| Percival Molson Memorial Stadium | |
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| Location | Montreal, Quebec |
| Opened | Oct. 22, 1915 |
| Owner | McGill University |
| Surface | FieldTurf installed in 2004 |
| Construction cost | $100,000 (approx.) |
| Architect | Percy Erskine Nobbs |
| Tenants | Montreal Alouettes (regular season) (CFL) (1997-present) Montreal Alouettes (CFL) (1947-1967) McGill Redmen (CIS) |
| Capacity | Canadian football: 20,202 |
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium is a stadium owned by McGill University and is the home of the Montreal Alouettes and the McGill Redmen.
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[edit] History
Prior to World War I, McGill University authorised construction of a new stadium on the slope of Mount Royal, at the corner of University and Pine. On July 5, 1917, Captain Percival Molson, a McGill University alumnus and sports star who had been instrumental in getting the stadium plan approved, was killed in action in France. His will left $75,000 to the university to help pay most of the total costs for the construction of the stadium. Other individual donors whose generosity built and renovated the stadium were William C. Macdonald, John W. McConnell. When it was officially opened on October 25, 1919, the Board of Governors of the university named it in honour of this fallen soldier.
The Montreal Alouettes have played most of their home games at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, located on the campus of McGill University, since November 1997. They typically play their last home regular season game and any playoff games at Olympic Stadium. The stadium is also home of the Selwyn House Gryphons and the McGill Redmen football team. It was the home of the CFL Montreal Alouettes from 1947–1967. The only Grey Cup game to have been played at Molson Stadium was in 1931. It also served as a venue for field hockey during the 1976 Summer Olympics. It seats 20,000, and is always sold out for Alouettes games.
The stadium was built during a time when title sponsorship of sporting venues was not the norm. Nonetheless, the Alouettes' decision to return to the venue was problematic because the team was being sponsored by Molson Breweries competitor Labatt's. Eventually, the team was forced to change sponsors, and is now sponsored by Molson.
[edit] Renovation
Molson Stadium will be renovated with its Phase II of the reconstruction. Phase II will add a maximum total of 5,000 seats (as per city by-laws), including some seating in the south-east corner and a roughly 3,000-seat upper deck added to the main south grandstand. The team expects to complete the expansion before the 2009 season.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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