Ellis Park

Ellis Park, officially named Ellis Park Stadium, is a multi-purpose venue situated in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is chiefly utilized for association football and rugby matches, being the home ground of the South African national rugby team, the Springboks, and several football clubs.

Opened on 28 June 1928, it replaced the previous stadium, which had a significantly lower seating capacity. The current seating capacity of Ellis Park is approximately 62,567. The stadium was designed by multiple architects over the years and underwent considerable renovations leading up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, for which it was a primary venue.

Ellis Park is a category four stadium and is among the largest stadiums by capacity in Africa. It has hosted numerous significant sporting events, including matches of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. It was also one of the key venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosting five first-round matches, one second-round match, one quarter-final, and one semifinal. The stadium is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and is considered a historical landmark in South African sports. Ellis Park continues to host major international sporting events, contributing to Johannesburg's reputation as a global sports hub.

While the previous stadium was also officially named 'Ellis Park', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Ellis Park. Ellis Park is the name of the neighborhood the stadium was built on, on the border between the parishes of Doornfontein and Troyeville, which itself derives its name from the nearby Ellis Park World of Rugby (A World of Rugby Museum). This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Johannesburg used to simply call it Ellis Park ('the Park'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Ellis Park', which is usually anglicized to 'Ellis Park Stadium'. This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Ellis Park refers not to 'park' but to the original address of the stadium: Miller Street ('Street of Miller').

Ellis Park was first built in 1928 as a rugby union stadium, but it has since been used for a variety of sporting events, including football and concerts. It was named after JD Ellis, a Johannesburg city councillor who approved the use of the land for a stadium. The stadium was completely rebuilt in 1982, and it now has a seating capacity of 62,567. It was the main stadium for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which South Africa won. The final was held at Ellis Park, with Nelson Mandela famously presenting the trophy to the winning South African captain Francois Pienaar. It was also one of the stadiums used in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with five first-round matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final being played there.

Over the years, Ellis Park has seen many memorable moments in South African sport. Besides the 1995 Rugby World Cup, it also hosted the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, the 1996 African Cup of Nations, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. The stadium has also been the home ground for the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup, and the Lions in Super Rugby.

Despite its rich history, Ellis Park has also seen tragedy. In 2001, 43 people were killed in a stampede during a football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, one of the worst disasters in the history of South African sport. Since then, safety measures at the stadium have been greatly improved.

Today, Ellis Park stands as a symbol of South African sport, a place where history has been made and legends have been born. It is a place of triumph, tragedy, and above all, resilience. As South Africa continues to make its mark on the global sporting stage, Ellis Park remains at the heart of it all.

Ellis Park is an adequate sports facility, conveniently situated with good accessibility and enough room for future expansion. It is located in the Doornfontein neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to its location, it was originally known as 'Doornfontein Stadium'.

Since its inception, the objective of the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the owner of the stadium, was to have ownership of both the stadium and the surrounding terrains. Initially, a lease was made on municipal terrains, with a complete buy-out only happening later. The plans for the sports complex had been drawn as early as the late 1920s by a group of architects headed by Mr. A. H. Reid.

Driven by the club's president, Louis Luyt, the associates endured an increased fee to support the building costs for the new stadium, offered generous donations, and some even worked on the construction site during holidays or weekends. There was even a 'cement campaign', whereby large quantities of cement bags were offered to the club.

The construction officially started on 27 July 1927. Less than two years after, and at a cost of 60,000 pounds, on 28 June 1928 (a public holiday), a 35,000-capacity crowd filled the stadium for the inaugural match against the New Zealand All Blacks. Over the years, Ellis Park has been upgraded and expanded to accommodate a larger audience, and now has a seating capacity of 62,567.

'Ellis Park Stadium (1928)' (in English). Ellis Park Stadium. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2015. $url1

'Ellis Park (The Icon) – until 2003'. StadiumDB.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015. $url2

The Light of Ellis Park, Preface, Prime Books, 2003 (ISBN 972-8820-07-0) $url3

History of Ellis Park Stadium- A Century of Glory, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2003 (ISBN 989-554-099-X) $url4

History of Ellis Park Stadium- A Century of Glory, pp.84, Edition and Contents, S.A., 2003 (ISBN 989-554-099-X) $url5