This legendary stadium, which regained color in summer 2023 thanks to an unprecedented partnership, has witnessed the history of French sport. And it will now be a witness to the history of disabled sports… A look back at the fascinating history of this emblematic stadium through unusual facts, which you were most likely unaware of!
It is a historic stadium which recently celebrated its 104th anniversary, since it was built in 1919! Thanks to a partnership with Asics, the Pershing stadium is now entering a new era, with renovated infrastructure and the development of meeting places for sports practice and the reception of disabled sports.
Immerse yourself in the past of this monument to French sport which has been given a second lease of life thanks to this partnership.
An American heritage
The history of Pershing Stadium begins in 1919, during the Interallied Games in Paris. This was the year when the YMCA sports department, for Young Men’s Christian Association or Christian Unions of Young People, decided to build this stadium on land offered by the French government. Opened in June 1919 with an initial capacity of 10,000 spectators, the stadium would expand rapidly, seating up to 30,000 people in 1922. A historic basketball match between the United States and France was played on this sacred ground during the Interallied Games of 1919.
The YMCAs later donated the stadium to the American Expeditionary Force, led by General John Pershing during World War I. As a sign of gratitude and friendship towards the United States for their invaluable assistance, France decided to name the stadium after the general. To this day, he remains the only general, alongside George Washington (posthumously in 1976) and Ulysses S. Grant, to have obtained the rank of General of the Armies.
One of the sites of the 1924 Paris Games
Pershing Stadium has been the scene of international sporting events, including the 1924 Summer Olympics. It was chosen as a competition venue, where many matches took place. Among them, the quarter-final of June 1, 1924, between Sweden and Egypt. The Swedes triumphed with an impressive score of 5 goals to 0.
The 1922 Women’s World Games
In 1922, Pershing Stadium hosted the Women’s World Games, organized under the patronage of the newspaper “L’Auto,” the leading sports daily of the time. On August 22, 1922, this historic venue was the scene of exceptional performances, with no fewer than 18 women’s world records set or broken in athletics.
Stade Pershing has also written memorable chapters in the history of French football. On May 5, 1921, in a match between France and England, the French team achieved its first victory against the English, although it was only against the amateur team. Other historic matches took place on these grounds, including the final of the French Football Cup on May 7, 1922, which pitted Red Star against Stade Rennes. Red Star won their second consecutive title in this same stadium.
Rugby at Pershing
The stadium has also been the setting for rugby matches. In 1924, during the Five Nations Tournament (today the Six Nations Tournament), the first of ten matches between France and Scotland saw the French win by a score of 12 to 10. Nine years later Later, in 1933, the stadium hosted the very first rugby league match in France, a demonstration between the England and Australia national teams. Despite the freezing cold of December 31, around 20,000 spectators attended this historic event, seeing England win 63 to 13. However, this foray into rugby union caused a rift with the French Rugby Union Federation , which banned the use of the stadium for all rugby union clubs.
End of an era
The 1960s marked the end of an era for Pershing Stadium. The original enclosure was destroyed. Today, this multi-sport complex includes a football stadium, a basketball court, a volleyball court, two handball courts, two baseball and softball fields, as well as a six-meter athletics track. corridors around the football stadium.
The emergence of baseball in France
One of the baseball fields is now the home of the PUC (Paris Université Club), which has seen great sporting moments. The French Baseball Challenge in 2013 and the European Baseball Cup in 2015 made the stadium part of the history of this sport in France. Today, the PUC plays in the first division of the French Baseball Championship, thus contributing to the growth of this discipline in France. A renewal to come
2023-11-22 18:35:53
#Pershing #Stadium #sports #monument #woods
