Bellissimomare Stadium
Bellissimomare Stadium is a 190,000 seat football (soccer) arena featuring a ticketed plaza capable of accomodating 1.5 million spectators who watch the game on projection screens outside the stadium and frequent chances to win a pass to enter the stadium and see the game from a field level suite.
History
Construction & Envisioning of Muglu Stadium: 1962-1973
Bellissimomare Stadium was envisioned by a group of high school students in the capital city of Bellissimomare in Sayaffallah as a place where the national team could play and more people would be able to see the game. Prior to this envisioning the Sayaffallan National Football Team composed of players from the 20 clubs making up the Sayaffalan Royal League played in a small arena that only members of the Sayaffallan Royal League (SRL) could attend along with their friends, families and specific guests with the games televised nationally for all to see. These high school students began stealing cars in the capital and reselling them on the black market for a higher markup, their profits while illegally sparked a national conversation on the merits of a stadium exclusively for the Sayaffallan National Football Team to play.
In 1962 the Muglu family of the famous and recognizable Muglu and Sons Pharmacy decided that it would be a good business decision to buy some land and attempt to build a stadium worthy of the Sayaffallan National Football Team so in the summer of 62 the Muglus teamed up with the Sayaffallan Royal League which agreed to bear 60% of the costs in exchange for unlimited usage rights of the stadium and the construction began immediately. By 1966 the stadium was completed and hosted the Sayaffallan Royal Football Cup as its first in stadium game. The stadium was built to accommodate over 120,000 people and over 60,000 spectators in the plaza outside. The stadium field was built over the top of a 6.2 million gallon aquarium allowing for the field to be rolled up during concerts and events so that the sharks in the tank underneath could be seen visibly.
1972 Muglu Stadium was generation significant cash revenues for both the Muglu family and also the SRL and it was decided to change the field from its roll-up state to a field that could be projected using high strength laser projection over the top of the glass thus allowing players and spectators to see the beautiful fish and sharks and marine life in the tank below but also allowing for players to play the game the same way they had been. The renovations were completed in six months time and was first debuted during the opening game for the Bellissimomare Hammerheads and for the opening game the tank was changed out to just hammerhead sharks the official symbol of the home team which could be seen prominently shilloutted during the entirety of the game.
Tragedy of 1974
During the Sayaffallan Royal Football Cup in 1974 the glass over the tank on the playing field level broke sending 26 players hurtling down a 30 foot drop and through the outer glass of the tank and into the shark enclosure. The players were not attacked by the sharks but they quickly were unable to swim to safety as the upper part of the tank contained no ledges but instead straight vertical walls leading up to the playing field some 30 feet above. Ropes were quickly extended by field personnel but found to be too short for the players to grasp, by the time emergency personnel arrived 12 players had succumbed to the cold temperatures of the water and drowned while the remaining 14 players were rescued.
The aftermath of the tragedy caught deep mourning for several weeks after it happened with flowers and tributes being placed against the gates of the stadium while a formal funeral was held in private for the families and then in public at the stadium for the public which filled the stands to capacity as the names were read off. The tragedy led to a government investigation headed up by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health both who declared the stadium to be off limits until the end of their investigation. The tanks were drained and the marine wildlife were relocated to a marine sanctuary off the shore of the Bay of Crowns.
The conclusions cited that the glass was insufficiently thick and was not supported adequately and that the absence of ladders on either side of the walls in periodic intervals made rescue difficult for those who fell in. The stadium was fined an undisclosed but substantial amount of money and was required to pay for the education of all of the children of those who passed away as well as a monthly stipend for the duration of the lives of the parents and spouses of the players to cover basic living expenses. The stadium was closed for the 1975 season to undergo renovations and in 1976 the stadium was reopened and the tanks refilled and new safety features were added including sufficient nets and ropes necessary in the event of an emergency.
The SRL mulled talks in 1975 of withdrawing from usage of the stadium but by mid-year they decided to continue usage so long as the stadium implemented significant mitigation of ongoing risks and worked to ensure the safety of its players at all times. A group of 30 players refused to play any games held within the stadium but later retracted their statement after being given an extensive tour of safety features and precautions installed during the renovation period. These players who objected later apologized for their objection and instead issued a new statement citing the new features and their willingness to play for the sake of the game and its survival in Sayaffallah.
1999 Renovations
In 1999 the Stadium was formally bought by the SRL from the Muglu family and renamed Bellissimomare Stadium and increased the seats to 190,000 and the plaza to accommodate 1.5 million with digital projection screens installed in the walls of the stadium on the exterior. In addition to this the tank was renovated to feature a large luxury restaurant with the reinforced glass and steel under the playing field as a safety measure. This large luxury restaurant allowed fans to see the game by looking directly up and seeing the players running directly overhead but also by viewing television monitors built directly into the table at each of the seats situated around the table giving spectators the option of either looking up or looking down while they ate to see the game as well as large television screens on the wall of the restaurant covering the game and other sports events happening simultaneously. The addition of the luxury restaurant also included an underground museum adjacent to the restaurant showcasing the history of the game and competition within Sayaffallah, the museum extends from its underground position up 4 floors with an exit conveniently located on a sky concourse near the home field section of stands.
The 1999 renovations also included the installation of security boxes in the plaza itself that could be activated in the event of an emergency situation and the creation of a large outdoor performance space for concerts and film screenings that could be held simultaneously during the game. The outdoor plaza was also gated and became a ticketed space by which spectators could actively participate in the game festivities outside of the stadium. The aquarium itself was expanded to a full size aquarium stretching past the playing field and going up 5 floors along the north and south exterior walls removing a section of stands on the north and south end making large aquarium displays visible to the crowd and players extending up 5 floors. The aquarium now featured exhibits of penguins and marine mammals from around the world and became a new attraction available complimentary with a game ticket but also available outside of game days for the general public to come and view on their own.
1999 saw the installation of a full service subway stop directly outside the perimeter of the plaza at the security screening station so as to provide added convenience for spectators arriving for the game. Also a special underground parking lot was created for players to be able to park and drive directly to the stadium itself after passing a vehicle security screen on arrival. These new features added up to over 2.6 billion in valuation and increased the amount of ticket sales possible. One specific area that became popular in games was the newly added field suites allowing spectators to watch the game from special suites built onto the periphery of the playing field in areas typically occupied by security and event staff.
2010 Renovations
In 2010 renovations again took place as the field was removed and reinstalled with the ability to be placed on rollers and rolled outdoors for practices and to allow for quick change in the event of a major conference or special feature. Additionally for all home games and championships the field was given a translucent option allowing for the restaurant below and through the clear floor of the restaurant the fish and sharks to be seen. The stadium also saw the addition of a heliport on the northeastern end and the installation of a full museum of sports and athletic art being built and opened the same year. The stadium was given an exterior face lift with a cascading waterfall flowing down the south wall into a large reflecting pool in which gondolas took people with VIP passes across the full length of the reflecting pool (approximately 3.2 miles in length) to the VIP parking areas to retrieve their vehicles or simply join the VIP parking lot festivities. The VIP parking lots were given a facelift as well with large outdoor cooking stations all along the edge of the parking lot and the creation of a 50 seat luxury restaurant on the edge of a lake installed at the parking lots area as well.
2010 renovations also saw the stadium increasing the number of luxury seats with in-game dining options to over 75% of the seats in the stadium allowing spectators to order food from a formal menu while they watched the game. Additionally due to prior incidents of extreme disorderly behavior in prior games a total alcohol ban was implemented in all spaces except for the restaurant under the field in which guests would be able to have drinks at a premium rate. The 2010 renovations also featured the construction of a hotel with rooms facing in towards the field allowing people to be able to watch the game from their room balcony. A total of 600 rooms were built in this hotel and a large indoor/outdoor multipurpose water park was built on the other side of the hotel allowing for additional activities both during game day and also on non game days.
