| Pancretan Stadium |
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All
photographs featured on this page are presented in smaller size.
You may enlarge any of them and see it in full size by simply clicking on it. |
| Capacity: 25,780 (seated) |
| Location: |
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The stadium is located in Heraklion (also: Iraklio), on the
island of Crete. Heraklion has an international airport, but you may
also get there by boat from Piraeus. The stadium is located in Lido,
3 km west of the city centre. To get there, start off the Hanioporta
(i.e. Gate of Hania) at the Venetian walls. Follow 62 Martyron Avenue
that leads to Hania. As you exit the city you will come to an overpass,
where there are roadsigns pointing right towards the sea and the Pancretan
Stadium.
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| Built in: 2004 |
| Record attendance: 27,950 (Ergotelis FC vs Olympiacos CFP - on 20/2/2005) |
| Home of: Ergotelis FC (Superleague) |
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More
data: The city of Heraklion is the capital of the island of Crete
(in Greek: Kriti). Hence the stadium's name in Greek is Pankritio
Stadio, meaning "stadium of the whole Crete". The building
of the Pancretan Stadium is a very old story, as its construction
began in the 1980s. The 2004 Olympic Games proved to be the golden
opportunity for the Pancretan, as the Athens Organising Committee
named it as one of the venues of the football tournament.
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As a result, works recommenced in late 2001 and were concluded in
2004. The architectural study
was conducted by "Vassilis Floudas and associates", while
the stadium's construction
was carried out by a joint venture led by J&P-Avax S.A. at a cost
of about € 50 million. The Pancretan Stadium was
inaugurated on 31 March 2004, when it hosted an international friendly
match between the National Teams of Greece and Switzerland. All photos
on this page were shot on 4 July 2004, during the IAAF Super Grand
Prix Tsiklitiria.
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The stadium is actually part of a sports complex. A training ground
with an 8-lane athletics track, Lido
Indoor Hall, and a swimming pool are located right next to the
Pancretan Stadium. The sports complex is served by approximately 700
parking spaces.
It is pretty clear that the stadium's design does not claim any prizes for its originality. It has been characterised as "old-fashioned" or just plain "boring". One should not forget, however, that it is based on plans of the 1980s. What is more, even this outcome is a leap forward for Cretan football, if one considers what kind of sports venues existed on the island until 2004. It is owned by the Public Properties Company and operated by the Municipality of Heraklion. |
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