Veterans Stadium Philadelphia Veterans Stadium ( informally called " The Vet " ) was a professional - sports , multi - purpose stadium , located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue , in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . The listed seating capacities , in 1971 , were 62 , 000 seats , for football and 56 , 371 , for baseball . It housed the NFL ' s Philadelphia Eagles , from 1971 to 2002 and the National League ' s Philadelphia Phillies baseball team , from 1971 to 2003 . The 1976 and 1996 Major League Baseball All - Star Game s were held at the venue . The Vet also hosted the annual Army - Navy football game seventeen times , first in 1976 and last in 2001 . In addition to professional baseball and football , the stadium hosted other amateur and professional sports , large entertainment events and other civic affairs . History . Inception , design and construction . As early as 1959 , Phillies owner Bob Carpenter proposed building a new ballpark for the Phillies on adjacent to the Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill , New Jersey . The Phillies ' then - home , Connie Mack Stadium , was starting to show its age ( it had been built in 1909 ) and did not have sufficient parking . Also , at the time alcohol was banned at sporting events in Pennsylvania , but was legal in New Jersey . The proposed ballpark would have seated 45 , 000 fans , been expandable to 60 , 000 , and would have had 15 , 000 parking spaces . The American League ' s Philadelphia Athletics had moved to Kansas City , Missouri after the 1954 season , and Philadelphians weren ' t about to lose another professional sports franchise . In 1964 , Philadelphia voters approved a US $ 25 - million - bond issue for a new stadium to serve as the home of both the Eagles ( who played at the University of Pennsylvania ' s Franklin Field ) and the Phillies . Because of cost overrun s , the voters had to go to the polls again in 1967 to approve another $ 13 million . At a total cost of $ 50 million , it was one of the most - expensive ballparks to date . The stadium was named by the Philadelphia City Council , in 1968 , for the veteran s of all wars . As early as December 1969 , the Phillies expected that they would play the first month of the 1970 season at Connie Mack Stadium before moving to the new venue . However , the opening was delayed a year because of a combination of bad weather and cost overruns . The stadium ' s design was nearly circular , and was known as an " octorad " design , which attempted to facilitate both football and baseball . Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego had been similarly designed . As was the case with other cities where this dual approach was tried ( other examples include RFK Stadium in Washington , D . C . ; Shea Stadium in New York City , the Astrodome in Houston ; Atlanta - Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta ; Busch Memorial Stadium in St . Louis ; Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati ; and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh ) , the fundamentally different sizes and shapes of the playing fields made the stadium inadequate to the needs of either sport . First game . The Phillies played their first game at the stadium on Saturday , April 10 , 1971 , beating the Montreal Expos , 4 – 1 , before an audience of 55 , 352 . Jim Bunning ( named to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996 ) was the winning pitcher while Bill Stoneman 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 newly arrived Harry Kalas . Boots Day opened the game by grounding out to Bunning . Larry Bowa had the stadium ' s first hit and Don Money slugged the first home run . Final games . The final football game played at the Vet was the Eagles ' 27 – 10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game on January 19 , 2003 . The Eagles moved into Lincoln Financial Field in August 2003 . The final game ever played at the stadium was the afternoon of September 28 , 2003 , during which the Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves . However , the ceremony that followed pulled at the heartstrings of the sellout crowd . Both Paul Owens , a former general manager , and Tug McGraw , a former pitcher , made their final public appearances at the park that day ; later that winter both men died . The last publicly broadcast words uttered in the park were by Harry Kalas — a veteran announcer who helped open the facility on April 10 , 1971 — who paraphrased his trademark home run call : " And now , Veterans Stadium is like a 3 - 1 pitch to Jim Thome or Mike Schmidt . " It ' s on a looooooong drive . . . IT ' S OUTTA HERE ! ! ! " " The team moved into Citizens Bank Park in 2004 , with the first game being played there on April 12 , 2004 . Demolition and commemoration . On March 21 , 2004 , the 32 - year - old stadium was imploded in a record - setting 62 seconds . Frank Bardonaro , President of Philadelphia - based AmQuip Crane Rental Company pressed the " charge " button and then he and Nick Peetros , project manager for Driscoll / Hunt Construction Company simultaneously pressed the plunger to trigger the implosion while Greg Luzinski and the Phillie Phanatic , the Phillies ' mascot , pressed an imaginary plunger for the fans . A parking lot for the current sporting facilities was constructed in 2004 and 2005 at the site . On June 6 , 2005 , the anniversary of World War II ' s D - Day , a plaque and monument to commemorate the spot where the stadium stood and a memorial for all veterans was dedicated by the Phillies before their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks . On September 28 , 2005 , the second anniversary of the stadium ' s final game , a historical marker commemorating where the ballpark once stood was dedicated . In April 2006 , granite spaces marking the former locations of home plate , the pitcher ' s mound , and the three bases for baseball , as well as the goalpost placements for football , were added in Western Parking Lot U . Stadium features . The stadium was a complicated structure with its seating layered in seven separate levels . The lowest , or " 100 Level " , extended only part way around the structure , between roughly the 25 - yard lines for football games and near the two dugouts for baseball . The " 200 Level " comprised field - level boxes , and the " 300 Level " housed what were labeled " Terrace Boxes " . These three levels collectively made up the " Lower Stands " . The " 400 Level " was reserved for the press and dignitaries ; the upper level began with " 500 Level " ( or " loge boxes " ) , the " 600 Level " ( upper reserved , or individual seats ) , and finally , the 700 Level ( general admission for baseball ) . Originally , the seats were in shades of brown , terra cotta , orange and yellow , to look like an autumn day , but in 1995 and 1996 , blue seats replaced the fall - hued ones . At one time , the stadium could seat over 71 , 000 people for football , but restructuring in the late 1980s brought capacity down to around 66 , 000 . The stadium was harshly criticized by baseball purists . Even by multi - purpose - stadium standards , the upper deck was exceptionally high , and many of the seats in that area were so far from the field that it was difficult to see the game without binoculars . Like most of its contemporaries , foul territory was quite roomy . Approximately 70 percent of the seats were in foul territory , adding to the stadium ' s cavernous feel . There was no dirt in the infield except for sliding pits around the bases . In the autumn , the football markings were clearly visible in the spacious outfield area . Although the stadium ' s size enabled the Phillies to shatter previous attendance records , during the years the Phillies were not doing as well even crowds of 35 , 000 looked sparse . The stadium had been known for providing both the Eagles and the Phillies with great home - field advantage . In particular , the acoustics greatly enhanced the crowd noise on the field , making it nearly impossible for opposing teams to hear one another . 700 Level . The " 700 Level " was well known for being home to the rowdiest fans at Philadelphia Eagles games , and to a lesser extent , Philadelphia Phillies games . In his book " If Football ' s a Religion , Why Don ' t We Have a Prayer ? " , Jereé Longman described the 700 Level as having a reputation for " hostile taunting , fighting , public urination and general strangeness . " Due to an improvement in facilities , there is no equivalent in either Lincoln Financial Field or Citizens Bank Park . The name has also been the inspiration for websites relating to Philadelphia sports , as well as a weekly " Letters to the Editor " section in the Sunday Sports pages of " The Philadelphia Inquirer " . Playing surface . 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 , and visiting players often fell prey to the treacherous conditions resulting in numerous injuries . 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 , Bears receiver Wendell Davis had his cleat get caught in a seam while running a simple pass route . He tore both of his patella tendon s , ending his career . On October 10 , 1999 , Michael Irvin suffered a neck injury that led to his premature retirement . ( The previously winless Eagles rallied from a 10 – 0 deficit and won 13 – 10 . ) . In 2001 , the original AstroTurf was eventually replaced by a new surface , NexTurf . It was far softer , and reportedly much easier on the knees . However , the city crew that installed the new turf reportedly did not install it properly , resulting in seams being visible in several places . The first football game on the new turf was scheduled to take place on August 13 , 2001 , when the Eagles were to play the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game . However , Ravens coach Brian Billick refused to let the Ravens take the field for warm - ups when he discovered a trench around an area where third base was covered up by a NexTurf cutout . City crews unsuccessfully tried to fix the problem , forcing the game to be canceled . Later , players from both teams reported that they sank into the turf in locations near the infield cutouts . Team president Joe Banner was irate after the game , calling the stadium ' s conditions " absolutely unacceptable " and " an embarrassment to the city of Philadelphia . " City officials , however , promised that the stadium would be suitable for play when the regular season started . The problem was caused by heavy rain over the weekend prior to the game , which made the dirt in the sliding pits and pitcher ' s mound so soft that the cutouts covering them in the football configuration became mushy and uneven . Even when new dirt was shoveled on top , it quickly became just as saturated as the old dirt . The problem was solved by using asphalt hot mix , which allowed for a solid , level playing surface , but required a jackhammer for removal whenever the stadium was converted from football back to baseball ( between August and October of each year ) . Fans . Fans who attended games in the stadium for a football game gained a reputation of being among the most vociferous in sports , especially those in the notorious 700 Level , the highest seating level in the stadium prior to the erection of luxury skyboxes behind that seating area . The stadium became famous for the rowdiness of Eagles fans , although it was not the site of the incident in which fans booed Santa Claus during a halftime show . ( The Santa Claus incident occurred on December 15 , 1968 , at Franklin Field , the Eagles ' home stadium at the time . ) One of the more well - known examples of the fans ' behavior was during the 1989 season at a follow - up game to what many called the " Bounty Bowl " . On Thanksgiving Day , November 23 , 1989 , the Eagles had beaten the Cowboys at Texas Stadium , 27 - 0 . In that game , Cowboys placekicker Luis Zendejas suffered a concussion during a rough block by linebacker Jessie Small after a kickoff . After the game , Cowboys rookie head coach Jimmy Johnson commented that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan instituted a bounty on Zendejas and Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman . Two weeks later , on December 10 , they played the rematch dubbed " Bounty Bowl II " at the stadium which the Eagles won 20 - 10 . The stadium seats were covered with snow in the stands . The volatile mix of beer , the " bounty " and the intense hatred for " America ' s Team " ( who were 1 – 15 that season ) led to fans throwing snowballs at Dallas players and coaches . Beer sales were banned after that incident for two games . A similar incident in 1995 at Giants Stadium during a nationally telecast San Diego Chargers – New York Giants game led the NFL to rule that seating areas must be cleared of snow within a certain time period before kickoff . The Eagles fans ' behavior during a " Monday Night Football " loss to the San Francisco 49ers in 1997 and a 34 - 0 loss to Dallas a year later was such that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge , Seamus McCaffrey , to the stadium on game days to deal with fans removed from the stands . Two years later , fans threw D - Cell batteries at St . Louis Cardinals outfielder J . D . Drew after he spurned the Phillies ' offer to play with them , and wound up going back into the draft and picked by the Cardinals . Other events at Veterans Stadium . Amateur baseball . The 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 : In the first championship game in 1992 , Delaware defeated Villanova 6 - 2 . The stadium hosted the 1998 Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament , won by Fordham . Minor League baseball . In November 1987 , the new owners of the Phillies AAA franchise , the Maine Guides , considered playing the 1988 season at the Vet because Lackawanna County Stadium would not be ready until the 1989 season . The team would have had to play 12 : 35pm day games when the Phillies had night games scheduled at the Vet . Ownership elected to remain in Old Orchard Beach for 1988 , renamed the club the ' Maine Phillies ' , and moved to Moosic , PA in 1989 as the Scranton / Wilkes - Barre Red Barons . The Eastern League Trenton Thunder played two home games at the stadium in April 1994 . The Thunder beat the Canton - Akron Indians , 10 to 9 , in front of 483 fans on April 20 , 1994 , and won 9 to 3 on April 21 . Future Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy was in the booth for the Thunder during these two games . Soccer . The stadium was the home field for the Philadelphia Atoms and the Philadelphia Fury , both North American Soccer League teams . The Fury drew 18 , 191 fans for their 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 NASL , 5 , 624 per - match in 1979 NASL , and 4 , 778 in the 1980 NASL seasons . The club was moved to Montreal in 1981 NASL season . The stadium hosted an exhibition match on August 2 , 1991 , between the U . S . National Team and English professional soccer club Sheffield Wednesday . 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 Wednesday 2 to 0 . Philadelphia established a bid committee to host matches for the 1994 World Cup which was to be played in the United States . Phillies president 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 . Of the nine venues eventually chosen to host matches , not one was home to a professional baseball club . High school football . Veterans Stadium hosted Philadelphia ' s City Title high - school football championship game from 1973 to 1977 and in 1979 . The series was suspended in 1980 . With the entry of the Philadelphia Catholic League into what is now PIAA District XII ( which was formed when the Public League joined the PIAA in 2002 ) , the " City Title Game " was restored in 2008 . Professional wrestling . The only professional wrestling event held in Veterans Stadium was National Wrestling Alliance / Jim Crockett Promotions " Great American Bash " on July 1 , 1986 , with an attendance of 10 , 900 . The event was the start of a 14 city stop summer tour . Concerts . The stadium has hosted many stadium concerts , by famous artists of many different genres . Other events . The venue also played host to religious events including annual Jehovah ' s Witnesses conventions and a Billy Graham crusade in 1992 .