Empire Stadium

EMPIRE STADIUM…
FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS IT WAS OUR “FIELD OF DREAMS”…
IT OPENED IN 1954 AS VANCOUVER HOSTED THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES…
AND AS A RESULT…IT BECAME THE SITE OF THE “MIRACLE MILE”…
THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY…TWO MEN HAD MANAGED TO RUN A MILE IN UNDER 4 MINUTES…
ON AUGUST 31ST 1957 ELVIS PLAYED THERE…
IT WAS ONLY 1 OF 3 CONCERTS IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER…WHICH WAS HELD OUTSIDE OF THE U.S…
ON AUGUST 22ND 1964…THE BEATLES HIT TOWN…
ON THAT NIGHT…THE MOST EXPENSIVE SEAT IN THE HOUSE WENT FOR A STAGERING $5.25…
WHEN THE BAND HIT THE STAGE…THE 20 THOUSAND FANS WENT NUTS…
MANAGER BRIAN EPTEIN WAS SO CONCERNED…HE DEMANDED RED ROBINSON GO OUT…STOP THE SHOW AND TRY TO SETTLE DOWN THE CROWD…
BUT WHEN ROBINSON WALKED OUT…JOHN LENNON TOLD HIM IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS TO…QUOTE…”GET THE “F” OFF THE STAGE”
THE SHOW LASTED A MERE 27 MINUTES…
BUT FOR FOOTBALL FANS…
EMPIRE STADIUM BECAME HOME FOR THE B.C. LIONS…
THIS CITY’S FIRST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISE…
A FRANCHISE THAT HAS GIVEN US…
JOE KAPP…WILLIE FLEMING…JIM YOUNG…LEON BRIGHT…MERV FERNANDEZ…DOUG FLUTIE…DARREN FLUTIE…AND GEROY SIMON…
JUST TO NAME A FEW…
IN 1955…EMPIRE STADIUM HOSTED ITS FIRST GREY CUP GAME…
THE FIRST EVER PLAYED WEST OF TORONTO…
IN ALL…EMPIRE WITNESSED 7 CFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES…
WITHOUT IT…THERE WERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO…VANCOUVER WHITECAPS…
NO SOCCER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP…IN 1979…
AND NO MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER…IN 2011…
BUT THE REAL VALUE OF EMPIRE STADIUM CAN ONLY BE MEASURED IN THE MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE…
ON SUNDAY AT THE NEW “EMPIRE FIELD”…ALL THOSE MEMORIES WILL RETURN…
LIKE THE MAN SAID…”THIS FIELD…THIS GAME…IT’S A PART OF OUR PAST…PEOPLE WILL COME…PEOPLE WILL MOST DEFINITELY COME”…