City Stadium, Penang

The City Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, and serves as the home stadium of the Penang state football team, Penang FA. The oldest built stadium still in use in Malaysia, it was built in 1932 by the British government.[2]

City Stadium
Stadium Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (Malay)
நகர விளையாட்டரங்கம் (Tamil)
City Stadium is located in central George Town, Penang
City Stadium
City Stadium
Location in George Town
Former namesPenang Island National Stadium
(1 October 1945–8 August 2003)
LocationGeorge Town, Penang, Malaysia
Coordinates5.4117°N 100.3145°E / 5.4117; 100.3145
OwnerPenang State Government
OperatorPenang Island City Council
Capacity20,000[1]
Field size110 m × 70 m (120 yd × 77 yd)
SurfaceGrass pitch
Track
Construction
Broke ground1 October 1945
Built1 June 1948
Opened1 September 1956
Renovated1953, 2018
Expanded1 May 1950
ArchitectBritish Government
Tenants
Penang FA (1945–present)

The stadium has a capacity of approximately 25,000 people and is now mainly used for football matches involving Penang FA, such as the Malaysian Super League.[3] It is also well-known for the vociferous home support, dubbed the "Keramat Roar".[4]

The stadium was the site where Mohd Faiz Subri, a Penang FA player, scored a physics-defying free kick goal during a Malaysian Super League match in 2016.[5] He was awarded the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award the following year for this particular effort.

History

Penang Island National Stadium (1945–2003)

Construction of the City Stadium commenced on 1 October 1945, just after the end of the Second World War. Upon completion in 1948, it was officially named the Penang Island National Stadium.

The stadium was expanded by the British government in 1950 and underwent further renovation in 1953.

City Stadium (2003–present)

The Penang Island National Stadium was eventually renamed the City Stadium in 2003. Another round of renovation works was conducted in the 2000s.

However, as George Town had already been densely developed, under the confined urban constraints the City Stadium could not be expanded further. The Penang FA had briefly moved to the Penang State Stadium in Batu Kawan on the mainland due to capacity concerns, but in 2011, the state football team then returned to the City Stadium. The Penang FA has been playing major football matches at the City Stadium ever since.

At present, the stadium can accommodate about 25,000 people, although its main gate has been reduced in size.

Notable matches

Exhibition matches

On 14 May 1975, the second exhibition match was played between the Malaysia League XI and Arsenal Football Club. The match ended in a 1–1 draw for both sides.[6][7][8]

The Penang FA also played an exhibition match against BSC Young Boys (Switzerland) which ended in a 1–1 draw on 25 January 1982.[9] Before that, on 12 January 1982, FC Bayern Munich II played versus Penang, which ended in a 1–0 win for the home side.[10]

FIFA Puskás Award

In 2017, a Penang FA player, Mohd Faiz Subri, made history as the first Asian to win the FIFA Puskás Award, an annual award given to the football player who was judged to have scored the best goal of the previous year.[5] Mohd Faiz Subri won the award for his physics-defying free kick on 16 February 2016 during the Malaysian Super League match in the City Stadium between Penang and Pahang, which the home team won 4-1.[11]

References
  1. "Malaysia – Penang FA Venue– Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. Bandaraya Stadium event
  3. "Rental". Official Portal of Penang Island City Council (MBPP). 9 October 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  4. "No simple main road - Community | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  5. FIFA.com. "The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 - Puskás Award - FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  6. Arsenal FC tour of South East Asia 1975-RSSSF
  7. "Walaupun Tanpa Fabregas, Wenger Janjikan Aksi Mengujakan" (in Malay). Mstar. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  8. Masa depan bolasepak M'sia makin cerah-Hamzah, Berita Harian at National Library Singapore.
  9. BSC Young Boys tour
  10. Bavarian All-Stars tour
  11. "Penang's Faiz Subri scores Roberto Carlos-esque wonder goal in Malaysia". ESPNFC.com. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
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