Estadio G.E.B.A.

Estadio GEBA

Aerial view of the stadium, c. 1935
Full name	Estadio Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires
Location	Av. Marcelino Freyre 3831 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Coordinates	34°34′3.96″S 58°25′7.78″W / 34.5677667°S 58.4188278°W / -34.5677667; -58.4188278
Owner	Gimnasia y Esgrima (BA)
Capacity	12,000
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	1902 (1902)
Renovated	1935

The Estadio GEBA is a multi-use stadium in the Palermo neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Owned by Club Gimnasia y Esgrima, the stadium is located on the "Sede Jorge Newbery",^[1][2] one of the three facilities of the club. Its current capacity is 12,000 spectators.^[3]

The stadium was the main football venue during the 1900s and 1910s, having held matches of the Argentina national team and some club matches during that period. The football team of the club (that played in Primera División from 1911 to 1917) also used the stadium for its home games. After the arson of 1916, the stadium was for a time used mainly for rugby union matches. Nowadays, Estadio GEBA is used for music concerts, having hosted a large number of artist performing there.^[4]

History

The stadium the day it was inaugurated, 1902

During its first years of existence, the club used facilities such as Sociedad Rural Argentina's venue in Palermo, where athletics competition were held. In 1900 the Municipality of Buenos Aires gave in concession to the club a land that had been used by the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway (BA&RR). On October 12, 1902, Gimnasia y Esgrima inaugurated its field, built on that land. The field was also known as "Maldonado" due to its proximity to the homonymous stream.^[5]

GEBA football team of 1912

The football team of the club affiliated to the Association (AFA) in 1906, promoting to Primera División in 1910. The stadium was a frequent venue for the squad during its years in Primera, from 1911 to 1917, the year the club disaffiliated from the Association. The GEBA stadium also hosted athletic competitions and rugby union matches, being often used by athletic teams of the University of Buenos Aires.^[5]

The Argentina national football team played in GEBA on September 13, 1908, for the Copa Newton v. Uruguay. That match has a historic relevance for being the first time Argentine wore the light blue and white striped jersey, which would be the definitive uniform up to present days.^[6] The stadium also hosted the matches where River Plate beat Racing Club by 2–1 before promoting to Primera División for the first time.^[7] In 1911, defunct team Alumni played its last game at GEBA on November 26, 1911, when the team beat Porteño by 2–1 winning its 10th. Primera División title.^[8] The club would not play any official match again, being dissolved two years later.^[9][10]

Due to the small dimensions of the field, spectators often placed under a BA&RR viaduct to watch the matches held in GEBA. The club took advantage of that and built a grandstand just below the viaduct, that was inaugurated in 1909 during a Copa Lipton match between Argentina and Uruguay national teams. Nevertheless, in 1910 the BA&RR dismantled the viaduct to move the tracks. It allowed the club to expand the lateral grandstand of the venue. the stadium was completely refurbished to held the football matches of "Juegos Deportivos del Centenario", sport competitions in commemoration of the Argentince Centennial. A grandstand was built on the side next to the railway. On the side next to Río de la Plata, another one was built while the official grandstand was located on the Maldonado stream side. It consisted in a two-floor wooden structure, similar to the existing in the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.^[5]

The crowd setting fire to the grandstands after the match v. Uruguay was suspended, July 1916

The refurbished stadium hosted two matches of Copa Centenario Revolución de Mayo held in 1910 and considered a predecessor of current Copa América. In 1910, English club Swindon Town played in GEBA some matches during their tour on Argentina where the team also played San Isidro, Estudiantes de Buenos Aires and the Argentina national team.^[11] Legendary team Alumni played its last official game (the 1911 championship playoff vs. Porteño) at Gimnasia y Esgrima before being dissolved that same year.^[12] Even one of the Superclásico editions was played at GEBA, on May 9, 1915 for the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club.

GEBA also hosted all games of the first Copa America, held in Buenos Aires in 1916.^[13] The final between Argentina and Uruguay was attended by more than 40,000 spectators that largely excedeed the capacity of the venue, calculated in 10,000. Because of that, the match had to be suspended. In disagreement with the decision, the angry crowd set fire to the stadium. The match had to be reprogrammed for the next day in the Racing Club stadium. The arson caused a large inactivity for the venue, which would not be reopened until 1918. The club did not rebuilt the fired grandstands, replacing them with a running track^[5]

The Argentina national team played its last game at GEBA on October 19, 1919, when the squad won the Copa Premier Honor Argentino after thrashing Uruguay by 6–1,^[14] During the 1920s, the venue was still one of the biggest in Argentina, hosting some Primera División matches of both associations, AFA and AAmF. A match between AFA and AAmF was played at GEBA on December 9, 1924, as an attempt to reunificate both associations, although it would not be carried out until 1926. The attendance was higher than expected, largely surpassing the capacity of the field. That was the last football match held in GEBA.^[5]

From 1925 on, the stadium mainly hosted rugby union matches. During 45 years it would be the most frequent venue for that sport, with the Argentina national team playing there its international games.

In the middle 1930s, the stadium was completely refurbished, building new concrete grandstands. In 1951, GEBA and Ferro Carril Oeste were the stadiums of the first South American Rugby Championship held in Buenos Aires.^[15]

After the 1960s, the Argentina national rugby team started using larger stadiums,^[16] such as Ferro Carril Oeste or Vélez Sársfield. Nevertheless, the Estadio GEBA would continue hosting rugby union matches on some occasions, such as the 1993 South American Championship^[17] and some friendly matches that same year.^[18]

Music concerts

Queen + Adam Lambert stage at GEBA during their 2014–2015 tour

The club usually rents two of its facilities for concerts and events, being the Jorge Newbery facility the most used for those purposes. Many international artists touring on Argentina have played at Estadio GEBA.^[4] A list of artists performing there includes:

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Estadio GEBA.