Clarke Stadium is a multipurpose stadium located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The stadium was originally built for Canadian football. Over the years different sports have been played at the site.
Clarke Park | |
 Clarke Stadium with Commonwealth Stadium in the background | |
 Interactive map of Clarke Stadium | |
| Location | 11000 Stadium Road NW, Edmonton, Alberta |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°33′26″N 113°28′42″W / 53.55722°N 113.47833°W |
| Owner | City of Edmonton |
| Capacity | |
| Surface |
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| Public transit |    Stadium station |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1938 |
| Renovated | 2001, 2013 |
Cost | CA$7,000[9] ($149,273 in 2025 dollars[10]) |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/clarke-stadium | |
History
editThe stadium was originally built in 1938, and named for Joseph Clarke, the mayor of Edmonton. It was built on land deeded to the city for the purpose of constructing public sports fields by the federal government (Prime Minister Mackenzie King was a personal friend of Clarke). The original Clarke Stadium accommodated approximately 20,000 fans in the spartan conditions consistent with its era. The seating area consisted of two grandstands on opposing sidelines. Some end-zone stands were added years later.[when?] The stadium hosted the Edmonton Eskimos (now Elks) of the Western Interprovincial Football Union/Canadian Football League from 1949 to 1978.[citation needed] In the 1960s and 1970s, the stadium sold Knothole Gang tickets for 25 cents per game.[13]
In 1979, the Eskimos moved to Commonwealth Stadium, which had been built adjacent to Clarke Stadium in preparation for the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Clarke Stadium was used for local and minor league sporting events after the departure of the football team.[citation needed]
The Edmonton Elks scheduled a preseason game a Clarke Stadium versus the Calgary Stampeders on May 29, 2026, to due to a 2026 FIFA World Cup exhibition game held at Commonwealth Stadium.[14] This was the first time since 1978 that the stadium hosted a professional football game.[15]
Remodelling
editThe facility was almost completely demolished on June 1, 2000, and rebuilt as a 'secondary' stadium for events of the 2001 World Championships in Athletics hosted in Edmonton. It was redesigned with approximately 1,200 seats in a single grandstand. The original grass playing surface was also replaced with artificial turf to allow for greater usage as part of the facility upgrade. The stadium is currently used for university, minor and intramural sports. Clarke Park, as the remodelled stadium is often known, is also used for concerts and other events. Including the playing surface, the capacity of the stadium grounds can exceed 6,000 for concerts and non-sporting events.
Soccer
editThe Edmonton Drillers of the 1970s and the Edmonton Aviators of 2004 both attempted to draw crowds to the much larger Commonwealth Stadium before moving to Clarke Stadium when they were unable to fill Commonwealth or turn a profit. In both cases, the move to Clarke Stadium was followed closely by the team folding.
The Edmonton Brick Men of the 1980s and 1990s also played at the stadium but played most matches at John Ducey Park, which was primarily a baseball diamond.
FC Edmonton began playing their North American Soccer League home games at Clarke Stadium with the 2012 season. In May 2013, construction was completed to expand the stadium's capacity to 5,000, using temporary seating.[16][4][5] In August 2013, NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson and representatives of FC Edmonton met with officials of the City of Edmonton to discuss the installation of artificial turf, as the final step in converting the facility into a more soccer-specific stadium, while still allowing for other use. The conversion of the turf was completed in time for the 2014 season.[17][18] The stadium was further renovated in advance of the 2019 CPL season, with seating increased to 5,148 and the block of temporary stands from 2013 removed in favour of permanent seating, with stands now added behind both goals along with pitch side tables beside both teams dugouts.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 Payne, Michael. "Edmonton's Stadium Legacy". City of Edmonton. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Stadium Profile". FC Edmonton. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Canada - FC Edmonton - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- 1 2 Robb, Trevor (May 20, 2013). "FC Edmonton signs deal with The Score to broadcast six live Eddies games". Edmonton Examiner.com.
- 1 2 FC Edmonton. "Clarke Stadium Stands Update". FC Edmonton. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- 1 2 "'To the next level': FC Edmonton's Clarke Stadium ready for Canadian Premier League". December 13, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ↑ Jones, Terry (May 13, 2019). "Canadian Premier League soccer not relegating itself from early expansion plans". Edmonton Sun. Postmedia Network. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "CANADA'S MEN'S RUGBY TEAM RETURNS TO EDMONTON TO KICK OFF WORLD RUGBY NATIONS CUP 2026". Rugby Canada. April 2, 2026. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "History of Edmonton". Retrieved January 23, 2009.[dead link]
- ↑ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021., table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 8, 2024. and table 18-10-0005-01 "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Clarke Stadium". City of Edmonton. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ Hagen, Jefferson (June 14, 2018). "Griffins soccer teams head for new pitch at Clarke Stadium for 2018 Canada West season". MacEwan Griffins. MacEwan University. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Terry (November 20, 2018). "Man Behind Curtain Steps Into Spotlight". Edmonton Journal. p. B1.
- ↑ Ellingson, Craig (February 19, 2026). "Elks to stage May preseason game against Stampeders at Clarke Stadium". CTV News. Bell Media. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Edmonton Elks playing at Clarke Stadium". CBC Radio. Edmonton AM with Tara McCarthy. May 29, 2026. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ Greatest Boom Ever.com. "City to assess need for mid-sized soccer stadium". Greatest Boom Ever.com.
- ↑ FC Edmonton. "FC Edmonton Update on Clarke Stadium Revival". FC Edmonton. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ↑ Sandor, Steven (August 18, 2013). "NASL commish Peterson to meet with Edmonton officials Monday about Clarke's football lines". the11ca.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013.