COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Crew plans to open to full capacity for its final home match ever at Historic Crew Stadium.
What You Need To Know
- The final home match at Historic Crew Stadium will be June 19
- It was the soccer-specific stadium in MLS when it opened (1999)
- Tickets for the final match go on sale Friday
- The June 19 match will be the first hosted by the Crew without capacity limits since March 1, 2020
The match against Chicago Fire FC will take place Saturday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday.
“The ability to open Historic Crew Stadium to full-capacity crowds for our final match allows us to give our storied venue a proper send-off,” Columbus Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a statement.
This is the Crew’s first home game without capacity restrictions since March 1, 2020, the first match of last season. Like sports teams across the state of Ohio, the Crew adopted a limited-seating capacity plan in accordance with public health orders. Most of those orders ended Wednesday.
A massive occasion.
All of us, together at Historic Crew Stadium 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.#Crew96
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) June 2, 2021
There will be no social distancing or mask requirements for the game on June 19, though the club reminds fans they may still wear a mask if they feel more comfortable doing so. The Crew also announced that tailgating will be allowed in the stadium’s general parking lot.
The venue will remain cashless and all tickets will remain digital.
“After an immensely challenging year for our community battling the pandemic, we are thrilled to be able to celebrate this momentous occasion by welcoming back large groups of our loyal supporters to what has been our home the past 22 years,” according to Bezbatchenko. “We look forward to seeing everyone dressed in Black & Gold while chanting, cheering and celebrating with us at Historic Crew Stadium later this month.”
Historic Crew Stadium, previously known as Mapfre Stadium, opened in 1999. It was the first soccer-specific stadium in the MLS, according to the Crew. During its more than two decades of service, the stadium hosted hundreds of Crew and MLS matches, including three MLS Cup matches (2001, 2015 and 2020) and two MLS All-Star Games.
The stadium has hosted international competitions over the years. Some of those include:
- Four FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage matches (2003)
- 10 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016)
- Two SheBelieves Cup matches (2018)
Crew will move into its new stadium— currently named New Crew Stadium — in July. Additional details about the new stadium and upcoming matches are available at CrewStadium.com.
