General San Martín Stadium
Estadio General San Martín
View of the stadium in 1974
AddressAvenida Champagnat and Alvarado
Mar del Plata
Argentina
OwnerLiga Marplatense de Fútbol
Capacity22,000
Field size105 x 70 m
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened4 May 1952
Renovated1969 [1]
Closed1996 (1996)
Demolished1996
Tenants

The Estadio General San Martín was a stadium located in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Owned by Liga Marplatense de Fútbol (the local football league), it was inaugurated in 1952 being the main venue in the city. Most of the most important matches of Mar del Plata football league were hosted there, as well as some friendly matches of the Argentina national football team.[2][3] Brazilian team Santos FC (with his superstar Pelé) played four matches at the stadium.[2][1]

When Estadio José María Minella was inaugurated for the 1978 FIFA World Cup it consolidated as the main venue in Mar del Plata while General San Martín was losing importance. The stadium finally closed its doors and was demolished in 1996. A supermarket chain was built on the land previously occupied by Estadio San Martín.[4]

History

Inaugurated on May 4, 1952 with a tournament between local teams plus Independiente, the stadium was built with mostly wooden grandstands. Later, all the wood structures would be replaced by concrete stands.[4]

During its existence, the stadium hosted the most important matches of the local League, the first editions of Torneos de Verano (summer tournaments organized in the city since 1968). The stadium was also host for the home matches by local clubs Aldosivi, Alvarado, San Lorenzo, Kimberley, and Círculo Deportivo de Otamendi in the old National Championships and their qualifying tournaments.[4]

Main entrance to the stadium. The two columns with the statues engraved were preserved after the venue was demolished

In its four decades of life, General San Martín received the most important Argentine and foreign clubs and even the Argentina national team. The stadium hosted the first Italian team to visit Mar del Plata, Cagliari, which beat 3–1 a local combined in 1966.[5] One year later, Brazilian team Santos with superstar Pelé played at General San Martín a friendly match vs a local combined,[1] won by Santos 4–0. Four days later Santos beat River Plate by the same score. The match had a record attendance.[2] The third match played by Pelé was the Intercontinental Champions' Supercup, a competition contested by the past winners of the Intercontinental Cup,[6][7] vs Argentine side Racing, which won 2–1.[8]

In 1970 Santos and Pelé returned to Mar del Plata to play a friendly vs Boca Juniors.[1][2] The match, ended 2–2,[9] set a new record with $14,143,000 in tickets sold. Former F1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio awarded Pelé a placque in recognition for his 1,000 goals scored.[2] That same year, local club Kimberley thrashed Independiente 5–0 in the 1970 Campeonato Nacional.[5][10]

A plaque located in the old entrance recalls that Diego Armando Maradona scored his first two official goals there, in a match between his team at the time, Argentinos Juniors, and San Lorenzo de Mar del Plata, on 14 November 1976.[11][4] The Argentina national football team also played some friendly matches at General San Martín Stadium between 1968 and 1977.[3][4]

After the inauguration of José María Minella Stadium, General San Martín was losing importance, until its owner decided to sell it, being finally demolished in June 1996.[5] A hypermarket and a freight company are currently located on the stadium grounds. The old entrance remains standing, with the traditional statues of two players, and a commemorative plaque.

Notable matches

Note: in the case of the Argentina national team, matches vs club teams are not included.

Maradona scoring his first official goal at General San Martín, November 1976
Date Team 1 Score Team 2 Competition
4 Jul 1966Argentina Mar del Plata
1–3
Italy CagliariFriendly
15 Jan 1967Argentina Mar del Plata
0–4
Brazil SantosFriendly
19 Jan 1967Argentina River Plate
0–4
Brazil SantosFriendly
17 Dec 1968 Argentina
1–0
 PolandFriendly
22 Dec 1968 Argentina
1–1
 YugoslaviaFriendly
29 Nov 1969Argentina Racing
2–1
Brazil SantosIntercontinental Supercup
16 Jan 1970Argentina Boca Juniors
2–2
Brazil SantosFriendly
1 Nov 1970Argentina Kimberley
5–0
Argentina Independiente1970 Nacional
13 Jan 1971 Argentina
2–0
 FranceFriendly
14 Nov 1976Argentina San Lorenzo (Mdp)
2–5
Argentina Argentinos Juniors1976 Nacional [n 1]
Notes
  1. ↑ In that match, Diego Maradona scored his two first official goals.[2][11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "ESTADIO GENERAL SAN MARTIN" at Fotos Viejas de Mar del Plata, 25 Oct 2016
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pelé en Mar del Plata: el primer partido como padre, un abrazo con Fangio y la noticia más hermosa on La Capital (Mar del Plata), 29 Dec 2022
  3. 1 2 ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM ARCHIVE by Osvaldo Gorgazzi and Ricardo Gorosito at the RSSSF
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Estadios desaparecidos – General San Martín de Mar del Plata by Adrián Redi at Estadios de Argentina, 9 May 2019
  5. 1 2 3 Hace 15 años demolían el estadio San Martín by Raúl Ramírez at La Capital, 8 Jun 2011
  6. ↑ Las copas olvidadas, Clarín, 7 Sep 2006
  7. ↑ Las competiciones oficiales de Conmebol on Conmebol website, 19 Aug 2015
  8. ↑ Supercopa 1969 by Osvaldo Gorgazzi, José L. Pierrend and Martín Tabeira on the RSSSF
  9. ↑ Boca Juniors 2 - 2 Santos at Historia de Boca website
  10. ↑ Argentina - First Level 1970 at the RSSSF
  11. 1 2 Así fue el primer gol de Diego Maradona en Primera División on ESPN, 25 Nov 2020
  12. ↑ Campeonato Metropolitano 1976 (Metropolitan Championship) at the RSSSF
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