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{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Veterans Stadium
| nickname =
| image =
| caption = Aerial view of Veterans Stadium in 2002 with [[Citizens Bank Park]] under construction in the lower right
| location = 3501 South [[Broad Street (Philadelphia)|Broad Street]]<br>[[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
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| broke_ground = October 2, 1967
| built = 1967–1971
| opened =
| closed = September 28, 2003
| demolished = March 21, 2004
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The stadium proposed by Carpenter would have seated 45,000 fans but would be expandable to 60,000, and would have 15,000 parking spaces.<ref>{{cite news|title=Philadelphia On Verge of Losing Phils|first=Ralph|last=Bernstein|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eecVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6917,375861&dq=phillies&hl=en|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=March 1, 1959|page=2-C}}{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref>
The [[American League]]'s [[Philadelphia Athletics]]
===Financing===
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===Opening===
The stadium opened with a $3 million scoreboard complex that at the time was the most expensive ever installed.<ref name="Curtain Up On a Mod New Act">{{cite magazine |date=April 17, 1971 |title=Curtain Up On a Mod New Act|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1971/04/19/613064/curtain-up-on-a-mod-new-act|magazine=Sports Illustrated|publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=September 2, 2018}}</ref>
Prior to its opening, the stadium was blessed by Marine Corps chaplain veteran [[Francis W. Kelly|Francis "Father Foxhole" Kelly]].<ref name="PI">{{cite news |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Frank |title=Saga of Philly's 'Father Foxhole' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/420285223/ |access-date=21 September 2024 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=Apr 15, 2018 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
====Philadelphia Phillies====
The [[1971 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] played their first game at the stadium on April 10, 1971, beating the [[1971 Montreal Expos season|Montreal Expos]], 4–1, before an audience of 55,352. The first ball was dropped by helicopter to Phillies back-up catcher Mike Ryan.<ref name="Curtain Up On a Mod New Act"/>
[[Jim Bunning]], who was named to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1996, was the winning pitcher, and [[Bill Stoneman]] of the Expos took the loss. Entertainer [[Mike Douglas]], whose daily talk show was taped in Philadelphia, sang "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" before the game. The emcee for the opening ceremonies was [[Harry Kalas]], the new Phillies play-by-play announcer.
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====Philadelphia Eagles====
On September 26, 1971, the [[1971 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] played their first game at Veterans Stadium, hosting the [[1971 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]] in a game the Eagles lost 42–7. The first Eagles touchdown at the stadium, and the Eagles only points during the game, came from [[Al Nelson]]'s then-record 102-yard return of a missed field goal by [[Mike Clark (placekicker)|Mike Clark]] in the fourth quarter.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – September 26, 1971|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197109260phi.htm|work=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 15, 2019}}</ref>
===Stadium deterioriation===
As the stadium aged, its condition deteriorated. A hole in the wall allowed visiting teams' players to peep into the dressing room of the [[Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders|Eagles Cheerleaders]].<ref>{{
===Final games===
====Philadelphia Eagles====
The final Eagles game played at
====Philadelphia Phillies====
The final game ever played at the stadium was the afternoon of September 28, 2003, a 5–2 [[2003 Philadelphia Phillies season|Phillies]] loss to the [[2003 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]].<ref>{{cite web |title=September 28, 2003 Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200309280.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 13, 2009}}</ref>
The final win at the stadium was recorded by [[Greg Maddux]] of the Braves; the final loss at the stadium was recorded by the Phillies' [[Kevin Millwood]]. The final Phillies run was scored by [[Marlon Byrd]] in the bottom of the 3rd inning, and the final run altogether by the Braves' [[Andruw Jones]] on a double by [[Robert Fick]], who also had the last hit at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] while with the [[Detroit Tigers]] four years earlier in the top of the 5th.
The final hit at
The last publicly broadcast words uttered at
The following seasons, the Phillies played their first game at the newly constructed [[Citizens Bank Park]] on April 12, 2004.
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In the years following demolition, an apparent [[cancer cluster]] has emerged among several former Phillies players who played at Veterans Stadium who later developed [[glioblastoma]], a form of [[brain cancer]].<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/phillies/2013/07/22/darren-daulton-brain-cancer-philadelphia-phillies-tug-mcgraw/2574139/ Ex-Phillies wonder if stadium is to blame for players' brain cancer]</ref> Six former Phillies who played while the team called Veterans Stadium home have died of the cancer.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/media/cancer-deaths-former-phillies-players-investigated-siegel Brain cancer deaths of six former Phillies players must be investigated, says Dr. Siegel]</ref>
According to a 2013 analysis by ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', the [[brain cancer]] rate of Phillies players while the team was at Veterans Stadium was three times higher than that of the general population.<ref name="nyt2017">{{cite
==Seating capacity==
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==Playing surface==
[[File:VeteransStadium1981.jpg|thumb|Veterans Stadium during the [[Philadelphia Eagles|Eagles]]' [[1980 NFC Championship Game]] against the [[Dallas Cowboys]] on January 11, 1981]]
The field's surface, originally composed of [[AstroTurf]], contained many gaps and uneven patches. In several places, seams were clearly visible, giving it the nickname "Field of Seams". It perennially drew the ranking of the "NFL's worst field" in player surveys conducted by the [[NFL Players Association]] (NFLPA), and visiting players often fell prey to the treacherous conditions resulting in numerous contact and non-contact injuries.<ref>{{cite news |title=They Say the Vet Stadium Turf Is Hard as Concrete – Maybe That's Why Last Week It Was Treated Like Piece of Philly Highway|first=Ernest|last=Hooper|url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/122800/Sports/They_say_the_Vet_Stad.shtml|newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|date=December 28, 2009|access-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref> The NFLPA reportedly threatened to sue the city for the poor conditions, and many sports agents told the Eagles not to even consider signing or drafting their clients. The Eagles, for their part, complained to the city on numerous occasions about the conditions at the stadium. Baseball players also complained about the surface. It was much harder than other AstroTurf surfaces, and the shock of running on it often caused back pain.
Two of the most-publicized injuries blamed on the playing surface occurred exactly six years apart. On October 10, 1993, [[Chicago Bears]] wide receiver [[Wendell Davis (wide receiver)|Wendell Davis]] had his cleats caught in a seam while he planted to jump for an underthrown bomb from QB [[Jim Harbaugh]], tearing both of his [[patella]] [[tendon]]s and ending his career, barring a short-lived comeback attempt with the [[Indianapolis Colts]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bears – Yes, Bears – Gain First-Place Tie|first=Fred|last=Mitchell|url=
Long before Davis' and Irvin's injuries, [[Cleveland Browns]] standout defensive tackle [[Jerry Sherk]] contracted a near-fatal [[staph infection]] from the Veterans Stadium turf during a 1979 game. The infection forced him to miss 22 of the Browns' next 23 games and ended a run of nine and a half seasons in the Browns' starting lineup. Sherk never started again and retired in 1981.
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*On June 25, [[1971 Philadelphia Phillies season|1971]], [[Willie Stargell]] of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] hit the longest [[home run]] in stadium history in a 14–4 Pirates win over the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]].<ref>{{cite web |title=June 25, 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI197106250.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 3, 2009}}</ref> The spot where the ball landed was marked with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stargell's Star a Lasting Tribute; Blast is Marking Point for All Hitters|first=Ken|last=Mandel|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030625&content_id=391080&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|date=June 25, 2003|access-date=April 3, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120085814/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030625&content_id=391080&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|archive-date=January 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Blast From the Past; Stargell's Upper-Deck Home Run at Veterans Stadium in '71 Still Has Plenty of Clout|first=Frank|last=Fitzpatrick|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9O8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=6506,7184799&dq=stargell+star+vet+stadium|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=June 30, 2003|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> The star remained until the stadium's 2004 demolition.
*One of the most notable events in the stadium's history was Game 6 of the [[1980 World Series]] on October 21. In the game, the Phillies clinched their first world championship with a 4–1 victory over the [[Kansas City Royals]] in front of 65,838 fans. [[Tug McGraw]]'s series-ending strikeout of the Royals' [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]] was instrumental in their win.
*One of the most notable Eagles games at the stadium, which occurred less than three months after the Phillies won the 1980 World Series, was Eagles 20–7 victory over the [[Dallas Cowboys]] in the [[1980 NFC Championship Game]], played before 70,696 fans at the stadium on January 11, 1981.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – January 11, 1981|url=http://sandbox.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198101110phi.htm|work=[[Pro Football Reference]]|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=April 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715113519/http://sandbox.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198101110phi.htm|archive-date=July 15, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a psychological ploy, the Eagles chose to wear their white jerseys for their home game in order to force the Cowboys into their "unlucky" blue jerseys. At the end of the game, Philadelphia police circled the field with horses and dogs as they had done for the Phillies' World Series victory; despite the police presence, Eagles fans successfully rushed the field.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Eagles That Didn't Need Wings|first=Steve|last=Wulf|url=
*Veterans Stadium was host to the latest-finishing game in baseball history, a twinight double-header between the Phillies and [[San Diego Padres]] that started on July 2, 1993, at 5:05 pm and ended at 4:40 am the following morning. The two games were interrupted multiple times by rain showers. The Padres won the first game,<ref name=July21993/> and led in the second, but lost in a come-from-behind victory for the Phillies in the tenth inning on an [[Run batted in|RBI]] single by Phillies closing pitcher [[Mitch Williams]].<ref name=July21993>{{cite web |title=July 2, 1993 San Diego Padres at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199307022.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> The second game ended with an estimated 6,000 fans at the ballpark.<ref name=Westcott/>
*The Phillies clinched the [[National League Championship Series|NLCS]] at the stadium twice: the first in [[1983 National League Championship Series|1983]] over area-born [[Tommy Lasorda]] and the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], and the second in the [[1993 National League Championship Series|1993 NLCS]] over future divisional rivals the [[Atlanta Braves]]. The 1993 season was the last LCS under the two-division League format.
*The Phillies pitched two no-hit games at the stadium, the only nine-inning no-hitters in stadium history. Both were against the [[San Francisco Giants]]. [[Terry Mulholland]] pitched the first<ref>{{cite web|title=Mulholland Recalls Vet No-Hitter|first=Mike|last=Gennaria|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030819&content_id=488938&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|date=August 19, 2003|access-date=April 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120085857/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030819&content_id=488938&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi|archive-date=January 20, 2010}}</ref> on August 15, 1990, in a 6–0<ref>{{cite web |title=August 15, 1990 San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199008150.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> Phillies win.<ref>{{cite news |title=Phillies' Mulholland Pitches Season's 8th No-Hitter|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/16/sports/phillies-mulholland-pitches-season-s-8th-no-hitter.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 16, 1990|access-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref> [[Kevin Millwood]] pitched the second on April 27, 2003, and beat the Giants 1–0,<ref>{{cite web |title=April 27, 2003 San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI200304270.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> upstaging the [[Phillie Phanatic]]'s birthday promotion that afternoon. The [[Montréal Expos]]' [[Pascual Pérez (baseball)|Pascual Pérez]] pitched a five-inning<ref>{{cite web |title=September 24, 1988 Montreal Expos at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198809240.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> no-hitter shortened by rain on September 24, 1988. MLB changed its rules in 1991 to require that fully recognized no-hitters—past, present and future—be complete games of at least nine innings.<ref>{{cite news |title=Maris's Feat Finally Recognized 30 Years After Hitting 61 Homers|first=Murray|last=Chass|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/05/sports/baseball-maris-s-feat-finally-recognized-30-years-after-hitting-61-homers.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 5, 1991|access-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref>
*Another game that is well-remembered by Eagles fans was known as the "[[Body Bag Game]]", which took place on November 12, 1990, when the [[Washington Redskins]] visited the stadium for a ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' game. Eagles' head coach [[Buddy Ryan]] was quoted as saying that the Redskins' offense would "have to be carted off in body bags." The Eagles' number-one defense scored two touchdowns in a 28–14 Eagles win<ref>{{cite web |title=Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles – November 12th, 1990|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199011120phi.htm|work=[[Pro Football Reference]]|access-date=April 2, 2009}}</ref> in which the Eagles knocked nine players with the Redskins out of the game, including their first and second string quarterbacks.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-Bama Star Fades in Philly|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NIIIAAAAIBAJ&pg=5270,3789796&dq=eagles+redskins|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712001458/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NIIIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lTUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5270,3789796&dq=eagles+redskins|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 12, 2012|newspaper=[[Rome News-Tribune]]|date=November 13, 1990|access-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref> The Redskins were forced to finish the game using running back/returner [[Brian Mitchell (running back)|Brian Mitchell]], who would become an Eagles player over a decade later at [[quarterback]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Didinger|first1=Ray|last2=Lyons|first2=Robert S.|title=The Eagles Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yV7lvstPuqgC&q=%22Body+Bag+Game%22+eagles&pg=PA250|access-date=April 2, 2009|year=2005|publisher=[[Temple University Press]]|location=Philadelphia|isbn=1-59213-449-1|pages=250–251}}</ref>
*During the 1998 [[Army–Navy Game]], a serious accident occurred when a support rail collapsed and eight [[West Point]] cadets were
*From 1979 into 1981, Tom Garvey, a stadium parking lot supervisor, [[Vietnam War]] veteran and friend of Phillies and Eagles players,
==Other stadium events==
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The [[Liberty Bell Classic (baseball)|Liberty Bell Classic]], Philadelphia Division I college baseball tournament, was played at the stadium from its inception in 1992 through 2003. The original eight schools were:
*[[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Penn Quakers]])▼
*[[University of Delaware]] ([[Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens]])▼
*[[Saint Joseph's University]] ([[Saint Joseph's Hawks|the Hawks]])▼
*[[Drexel University]] ([[Drexel Dragons]])
*[[Villanova University]] ([[Villanova Wildcats]])▼
*[[Temple University]] ([[Temple Owls]])▼
*[[West Chester University of Pennsylvania]] ([[West Chester Golden Rams]])▼
*[[La Salle University]] ([[La Salle Explorers]])
▲*[[Saint Joseph's University]] ([[Saint Joseph's Hawks|the Hawks]])
▲*[[Temple University]] ([[Temple Owls]])
▲*[[University of Delaware]] ([[Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens]])
▲*[[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Penn Quakers]])
▲*[[Villanova University]] ([[Villanova Wildcats]])
In the first championship game in 1992, the University of Delaware defeated Villanova 6–2.<ref>{{cite web |title=At Bat in Our Community: Liberty Bell Classic|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/community/liberty_bell.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509145853/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/community/liberty_bell.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 9, 2007|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|access-date=April 27, 2009}}</ref>
The stadium hosted the 1998 [[Atlantic 10 Conference baseball tournament]], won by [[Fordham Rams baseball|Fordham]].<ref name=A10tourney>{{cite web |title=Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Record Book |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/atl10/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/Baseball_Records_thru2011.pdf |publisher=Atlantic 10 Conference |access-date=February 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619004417/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/atl10/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/Baseball_Records_thru2011.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2013 |page=15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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===Soccer===
The stadium was the home field for the [[Philadelphia Atoms]] and the [[Philadelphia Fury (1978–80)|Philadelphia Fury]], both [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] teams. The Fury drew 18,191 fans for their [[1978 North American Soccer League season|April 1, 1978, opener]] at the stadium which they lost 3–0 to the [[Washington Diplomats]]. The Fury averaged 8,279 per-match in [[1978 North American Soccer League season|1978 NASL]], 5,624 per-match in [[1979 North American Soccer League season|1979 NASL]], and 4,778 in the [[1980 North American Soccer League season|1980 NASL]] seasons. The club was moved to [[Montreal Manic|Montreal]] in [[1981 North American Soccer League season|1981 NASL]] season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Remembering the "Pseudo-Atoms" – The Philadelphia Fury, 1978–1980|first=Steve|last=Holroyd|url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/community/liberty_bell.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509145853/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/community/liberty_bell.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 9, 2007|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|access-date=April 27, 2009}}</ref>
The stadium hosted an exhibition match on August 2, 1991, between the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. National Team]] and English [[The Football League|professional soccer club]] [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.]] [[John Harkes]] played for Wednesday, the first American to play in the English [[Premier League]]. 44,261 fans saw the U.S. score two second-half goals to defeat Sheffield Wednesday 2–0.<ref>{{cite news|title=This May Be the Kick American Soccer Needs|url=http://www.businessweek.com/archives/1991/b323169.arc.htm|work=[[Business Week]]|date=September 16, 1991|access-date=April 13, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041201124236/http://www.businessweek.com/archives/1991/b323169.arc.htm|archive-date=December 1, 2004}}</ref>
Philadelphia established a bid committee to host matches for the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]] which was to be played in the United States. Phillies president [[Bill Giles (baseball)|Bill Giles]] was on the Philadelphia bid committee and hoped to use Veterans Stadium for games. In addition to the challenge of installing a natural grass field for the games, [[FIFA]] would have required the Phillies to vacate the stadium for a month to allow for sufficient preparation time prior to the matches. Giles could only offer 17-days.<ref>{{cite news |title=World Cup Bid Might Fall Short; Sites Needed for One Month|first=Mike|last=Jensen|url=http://articles.philly.com/1991-06-05/sports/25789634_1_tognoni-fifa-stadium-availability|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513010853/http://articles.philly.com/1991-06-05/sports/25789634_1_tognoni-fifa-stadium-availability|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 13, 2014|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=June 5, 1991|access-date=May 9, 2014|page=C01}}</ref> The nine venues eventually chosen to host matches were all stadiums that did not host baseball games.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; width:95%;" style="text-align:center"
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|-
| July 31, 1987
|-
| May 15, 1988 || rowspan=2|[[Pink Floyd]] || rowspan=2|– || rowspan=2|[[A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour]] || rowspan=2|88,010 / 95,800 || rowspan=2|$1,917,675 || rowspan=2|
|-
| May 16, 1988
|-
| July 9, 1989 || rowspan=2|[[The Who]] || rowspan=2|– || rowspan=2|[[The Who Tour 1989]] || rowspan=2|– || rowspan=2|– || rowspan=2|
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|-
| July 15, 1990
|-
|September 15, 1990
|[[MC Hammer]]
|[[After 7]]<br> [[Michel'le]]<br> [[Oaktown's 357|Oaktown's 3.5.7]]
|[[Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour]]
|
|
|
|-
| May 31, 1992 || rowspan=2|[[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] || rowspan=2|– || rowspan=2|[[We Can't Dance Tour]] || rowspan=2|97,774 / 97,774 || rowspan=2| $1,518,080 || rowspan=2|
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[[Category:Defunct soccer venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct sports venues in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Demolished sports venues in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States]]
| |||