Peoples’ Team Preparing To Make History

13 January 2009

In just 10 days time Santos have the privilege of playing in the first ever match at the Cape Town World Cup Stadium when they face Ajax Cape Town.

The match kicks off at 16H00 and is part of a City of Cape Town Soccer Festival which will include a live performance from top Mother City band, Freshly Ground, as well as the official blessing of the field and opening of the ground.

Gates open at 14H00 and tickets start at a very reasonable R30.

Hosted by the City of Cape Town, 20 000 tickets will be sold for the Cape Town Stadium Soccer Festival.

Tickets are available at all Computicket outlets only and cost from R30 to R50, while parking tickets at the stadium can be purchased at a price of R20, though it should be noted that only 3 000 of these will be available on a first come, first serve basis. No tickets will be available for sale at the stadium.

Fans are urged to move quickly and get down to their nearest Computicket outlet to make sure they are part of this historic event with only 25 percent of tickets still available.

The City of Cape Town will also be laying on a FREE shuttle service from the Civic Centre in Hertzog Boulevard to the stadium and back, and all you need to do to use the facility is present your match tickets.

A Helpline has been set up for those who require further information on the event and can be reached on 021 487 6800.



Stadium features:

The R4.5-billion multi-purpose stadium has 'green' features to help save water and energy and to be environmentally friendly. A report by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism found that the Cape Town Stadium meets high standards of environmental protection and sustainability.

Water from the stadium roof and pitch is pumped into ponds on the Green Point Common for later use.

Work on the stadium started in March 2007 with Murray & Roberts and WBHO undertaking the construction, GMP Architects of Germany and two local firms, Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects undertaking the design as part of a multi-disciplinary professional team managing the project.

The stadium bowl has a façade of woven fibreglass and is a spectacular sight when lit up at night.

The roof is like an uneven, horizontal bicycle wheel with its outer compression ring resting on 72 columns. It is held in tension by cables and an inner compression ring, covered with safety glass panes and a fabric ceiling. The design is unique to a South African stadium. Spectators are covered, but the pitch is open.

Despite its seating capacity of 68 000 for World Cup matches (55 000 thereafter) the stadium offers excellent views from every seat as well as an intimate atmosphere with spectators close to the pitch action. The venue can be evacuated in just 15 minutes should the need arise.

QUICK STADIUM FACTS

- 96,000 cubic metres of concrete were used

- The roof has a total weight of 4,700 tons

- Some 9,000 glass panels were used to cover 37,000 square metres of roof

- 500 toilets and 360 urinals

- 115 entry turnstiles

- 16 lifts

- More than 2,500 workers were employed on site during construction, and almost 1,200 artisans received training from the contractors