15 years ago tomorrow... How time has flown. 15 years ago today the name Stadium of Light was revealed (still not sure mind) and then the big game to reveal the new ground, which i expect many of you lot were there. Decent game or ****e, anything stand out in your old memories from the day? First impressions and all that. You get the drift.
Was working in Venice, couldnt get the time off. Never mind life goes on, was led to believe the match itself was no classic.
I was there and it was so strange seeing an all seater stadium when i walked in, there were no numbers on the seats and i was in the right hand side of the east stand about row 20 and the helicopter landed just as i sat down. It was a great atmosphere as well.
My memory is walking away from the ground that evening, knowing we had signed somebody special in SKP. Although he didn't score and the game finished 0-0, you could just tell he was something a bit special. Great memories
I still hate the name of the stadium..It should have been called Wearmouth Stadium after the colliery on which it was built..
Isnt the"light" part of the stadium of light from the 1st miners safety lamp invented by Dr. William Reid Clanny, of Sunderland, 20th May 1813. It was 1st used at Herrington mill pit in 1815, Wearmouth pit did not open until 1835 and that is why, I believe/have heard, its called the Stadium of Light.
I dont thinits that bad tbh. Benficas is religious and its the area of the stadium, Luz its just us idiots (the English) that call it the stadium of light. ours is historic to mining in the area and the 1st safety lamp was invented by a resident (davy lamp and the stephenson one were invented 2-3 years later, and the davy lamp was not even a lamp as such it was a scientific tool for finding firedamp, which could cause explosions, stephensons was a mixture of the 2). I just think calling it craas is very short sighted.
It's all about opinions mate..And I felt so strongly about it at the time that I, along with many others, protested outside of the ground when they named it this..I have not changed my opinion over the years and would still love to see the name changed..
I'm not overly keen on it either, sounds like a copied name. Don't think my dad was over happy about it either, after spending over 30 years below the friggin place, with white finger, and coal dust on the chest.
I like the name TBH. Calling it the Wearmouth sounds a bit parochial to me. Could have been worse, mind, with sponsorship being all the rage e.g. Sports Direct Arena, Emirates Stadium, Cellnet Riverside Stadium, etc.
a bit off topic, but which stadium was the first to be named after it's sponsor or whatever? At the moment I'm thinking reebok, rioch but am prob wrong.
and in reply to the origional question - I wasn't there. think it was my first year at university. But I do remember coming back for the first time from uni and been picked up and driven around the (as yet uncompleted) stadium by my best mate and his mam and I almost pissed my pants
