Rob Ford Stadium Explained

Stadium Name:Rob Ford Stadium
Location:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Pushpin Map:Canada Toronto#Canada Ontario#Canada
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Toronto##Location in Ontario##Location in Canada
Nickname:Centennial Park Stadium
Built:1975
Opened:1975
Renovated:2010
Owner:City of Toronto
Operator:Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation
Surface:Artificial turf
Former Names:Centennial Park Stadium (1975–2024)
Seating Capacity:2,200
Scoreboard:Yes
Tenants:Serbian White Eagles (2006–present)
FC Ukraine United (2006–present)
Etobicoke Eagles (2009–present)
GTA Grizzlies (2015–present)
Toronto Supra Portuguese (2001–2007)
Toronto Lynx (2002–2017)
Toronto Lady Lynx (1997–2015)
Toronto Atomic FC (2015–2017)

Rob Ford Stadium (formerly Centennial Park Stadium) is a 2,200-seat stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is primarily used for soccer, track and field, football and occasionally for kabaddi. The park is also used for the ROPSSAA football finals and the PSAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) on the first Monday of May for an annual Track and Field Meet.

It is located within Centennial Park in Etobicoke, just south of Toronto Pearson International Airport and near the intersection of Rathburn Road and Renforth Drive. It was built in 1975. The stadium hosted the first edition of Veteran Athletes Championships in 1975[1] as well.

The stadium hosted the closing ceremony of the 1976 Summer Paralympics and some of the sporting events.

The stadium has seating in a grandstand on the west side and a small scoreboard on the north end of the field.

The stadium is home to the Toronto Lynx soccer clubs (men's and ladies'). It hosts the Relay For Life in Toronto West event each June, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. The stadium hosted the CPSL/CSL Championship finals in 1998, 2010, 2011, and 2014.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Name

The stadium was originally named for Centennial Park, which it is located in and opened during Canada's centennial year of 1967; the stadium was opened in 1975, eight years after the centennial.

In 2017, there were calls and support for the stadium to be renamed after former mayor Rob Ford[6] as Rob Ford Memorial Stadium,[7] but city council voted down the motion 11 to 24 on October 4, 2017.[8] In 2023, amid the re-imagining of the park through the Centennial Park Master Plan that was also approved in 2021, city council again considered a motion to rename the stadium after Ford, this time passing 17 to 6.[9] [10]

The stadium was officially renamed Rob Ford Stadium on May 28, 2024.[11] The first game played on the re-named stadium was a Canadian Soccer League encounter between Serbian White Eagles FC and Spanish Future Stars on May 31, 2024.[12]

References

  1. Web site: 1975 WMA News Archives. www.shaggysphotos.com. 2019-11-29. 2022-01-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127115152/https://www.shaggysphotos.com/WMA-Events/1975-WMA-News-Archives. dead.
  2. Web site: Voyageurs Soccer Talk. Glover. Robin. www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. 2016-11-27.
  3. Web site: October 30, 2010 CSL--Final preview (from CSL website). www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. 2016-11-27.
  4. Web site: October 26, 2011 CSL--preview of CSL Final (from CSL website). www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. 2016-11-27.
  5. Web site: October 25, 2012 CSL--pregame article on CSL Final (from CSL website). www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. 2016-11-27.
  6. Web site: Toronto mayor backs renaming stadium after Rob Ford .
  7. Web site: Rider . David . 28 September 2017 . 'Rob Ford Memorial Stadium' proposal triggers groans, gratitude . Toronto Star.
  8. News: No 'Rob Ford Memorial Stadium' in Toronto after council rejects renaming proposal The Star . 2018-10-19 . thestar.com . en.
  9. Web site: 15 December 2023 . City council votes to rename stadium at Centennial Park after late mayor Rob Ford CityNews Toronto . 2023-12-15 . toronto.citynews.ca.
  10. Web site: Toronto council votes to rename Etobicoke stadium after Rob Ford - Toronto Globalnews.ca . 2023-12-15 . Global News . en-US.
  11. News: Tsekouras. Phil. Stadium in Etobicoke officially renamed in honour of Rob Ford . . 28 May 2024 . 28 May 2024 . en.
  12. Web site: Vujcic . Djuradj . 31 May 2024 . Eagles Count to Twelve: A Dozen Goals at Rob Ford Stadium . 5 June 2024 . serbianwhiteeagles.ca.

See also