City Stadium (Green Bay)
 City Stadium gate in 2019 | |
 | |
| Former names | East Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | N. Baird St. north of E. Walnut St. |
| Location | Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| Public transit |  Green Bay Metro |
| Owner | Green Bay East High School |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Tenants | |
| Green Bay Packers (NFL) (1925–1956) Green Bay East High School (Bay) (1925–present) | |
City Stadium is an American football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the north side of the Green Bay East High School property. It was the home of the Green Bay Packers of the NFL from 1925 through 1956. Renovated and downsized, City Stadium remains the home to the adjacent Green Bay East High School athletic teams. Prior to 1925, the Packers played home games at nearby Hagemeister Park (the site of East High School itself) and Bellevue Park.[1]
History
The
Although City Stadium was the Packers' official home field, in 1933—during the worst of the Great Depression—they began to play part of their home schedule in Milwaukee. After holding one contest at Borchert Field in 1933, the Packers played two or three home games each year in Milwaukee, at State Fair Park in West Allis from 1934 to 1951 and at Marquette Stadium in 1952. The games were moved to County Stadium after it opened in 1953. The practice continued through 1994, after which they were again based solely in Green Bay.[1]
.jpg)
While its playing surface was consistently praised, by the 1950s the stadium was seen as too small and inadequate, even after expansion, which was limited by both natural and man-made factors, including both East High to the south and the East River on its north and east edges. The leaders of the NFL, including George Halas, gave the Packer board an ultimatum—build a new stadium or move to Milwaukee full-time.
The residents of Green Bay responded by approving (70.3%) a bond issue in April 1956 to build a new City Stadium,[2] which opened the following year, as "old" City Stadium became a high school field. The new stadium was renamed Lambeau Field in August 1965, after the death of team founder Curly Lambeau.
After the Packers
In recent years, ornamental fencing and monuments to the history of the field have been erected. Before the 2008 renovations, it was often referred to as East Stadium or Old City Stadium.
The 100th Green Bay East–West football game was played at City Stadium in 2005, with approximately 8,000 people attending the historic event. As an observance of the 50th anniversary of the opening of Lambeau Field, the Packers held practice at City Stadium on July 31, 2007.
In the summer of 2008, City Stadium was renovated with a new press box, new bleachers on the home side of the field, and two new football goal posts.[3] Much of the structure had dated to the 1960s and become unsafe. The field received artificial turf in 2017.[3] The only remaining part of the original venue is the equipment shed at the northwest corner of the facility.
In addition to football, the field has hosted soccer matches. Until 2004, the Green Bay East and Green Bay Preble soccer programs shared the field for their home games. It is also a part of the City Walk section of the Packers Heritage Trail.
References
- ^ a b "Other Homes of the Packers, 1919-94". Packers.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
- ^ "Bay votes a big 'yes' on stadium". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. April 4, 1956. p. 17–part 2.
- ^ a b "Green Bay East's City Stadium to get synthetic turf". Press Gazette Media. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
External links
Media related to City Stadium (Green Bay) at Wikimedia Commons
