Football Park, Cricket field in West Lakes, South Australia
Football Park is an oval Australian rules football ground in West Lakes, Adelaide, with a central rectangular pitch marked by white boundary lines and a low white fence along the far edge. Behind the fence, multi-tiered spectator stands with blue seating curve around the field, and tall white lighting towers rise above the stands. A rectangular video board and a yellow sign reading "15" sit above the stands on the left.
Ground was broken in 1971 on swampland at West Lakes so the SANFL could leave Adelaide Oval, then controlled by the South Australian Cricket Association. The first match, Central District v North Adelaide, was played on 4 May 1974. The record crowd of 66,897 saw Sturt beat Port Adelaide in the 1976 SANFL Grand Final. Adelaide and Port Adelaide played their last home games there in 2013, and the grandstands were demolished in 2018–2019.
Football Park was long the SANFL's headquarters, hosting its finals and grand finals for nearly 40 years, and from 1991 to 2013 it was the AFL home ground of Adelaide and Port Adelaide, known as AAMI Stadium from 2002. The record crowd of 66,897 came to the 1976 SANFL Grand Final, when Sturt beat Port Adelaide; police put the real figure nearer 80,000, and spectators were let onto the field between the boundary line and the fence to prevent a crush. The ground also staged rock concerts by acts such as ABBA, U2, the Rolling Stones and Elton John, who played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on 21 November 1986.
The venue is accessible by public transport connecting to West Lakes, and parking areas are available nearby. Visitors should check ahead for event schedules to plan their arrival appropriately.
The record crowd of 66,897 came in the 1976 SANFL Grand Final, when Sturt beat Port Adelaide; police believed closer to 80,000 were inside, and spectators were let onto the field between the boundary line and the fence to prevent a crush. The ground also hosted World Series Cricket in the late 1970s and day-night McDonald's Cup games from 1983 to 1988.
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