Knights Stadium (Melbourne)

Knights Stadium
Somers Street
Former names	Melbourne Croatia Sports Centre
Location	Sunshine North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates	37°45′44″S 144°50′43″E / 37.762208°S 144.845397°E / -37.762208; 144.845397Coordinates: 37°45′44″S 144°50′43″E / 37.762208°S 144.845397°E / -37.762208; 144.845397
Opened	1989
Owner	Melbourne Croatia Social Club
Operator	Melbourne Croatia Social Club
Surface	Grass
Capacity	15,000
Tenants
Melbourne Knights

Knights Stadium is an Australian association football stadium in Sunshine North, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest venue in Victoria used only for soccer matches.

Built in 1989, it is used by the Melbourne Knights as a home ground in the Victorian Premier League, and previously in the National Soccer League. The Knights were one of only a handful of clubs in the National Soccer League to actually own their home ground.

The land at Somers Street, which had been a Village drive through cinema, was bought and developed largely through donations and volunteer work from the local Croatian community. The idea was that if 1000 people each donated $300 that would equal $300,000, more than enough to purchase the land.

The stadium holds approximately 15,000 people. It consists of a seated main stand (the Mark Viduka Stand) which has a capacity of 4,000 and open standing-room terracing around the rest of the stadium. The largest crowd at the stadium came in 2000 at a National Soccer League match between the Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne, it drew a crowd of 11,500.

The Stadium complex covers around 12 acres (49,000 m²). It has 3 pitches, including the main pitch. The complex also contains the Melbourne Croatia club room and the 'Batcave' (a bar under the stadium). The facility has its own car park with 1,200 spaces.

The stadium is also home to the Melbourne Croatia Social Club, which currently owns the stadium with the Melbourne Knights serving as tenants. This came about in 2006 when the Melbourne Knights and Melbourne Croatia Social Club separated and become two separate legal entities.

The beginning of 2008 saw Knights Stadium facilities receive its most significant face-lift since the grandstand was first built with the main pitch being re-laid, as well as renovations on both the grandstand and terraces.

In the 2009 season the stadium's name was changed from Knights Stadium to Mansion Stadium, after online betting giant Mansion88 became the club's major sponsor and bought the naming rights to the stadium. This was a temporary naming deal for the 2009 season. Their sponsorship deal has since ended and the name then returned to that of Knights Stadium.

External links

• Knights Stadium (Melbourne) at Austadiums
• Melbourne Knights