The Shah Alam Stadium, located in the Malaysian city of the same name, was demolished to pave the way for a new facility this week. Local media circulated video footage of the demolition, which rapidly went viral on social media. Built 30 years ago, the stadium was once among the largest in the world, with a capacity of 80,000 spectators, but was deemed structurally unsound in 2020.
The Malaysian government plans to build a new, multi-purpose stadium on the site within a year, though with a reduced capacity of 45,000, costing RM787 million (£123 million). Construction of the original Shah Alam Stadium began on January 1, 1990, and it was officially opened on July 16, 1994. It served as the home stadium for the national team throughout its lifetime.
On July 29, 2008, an exhibition match was held between the Malaysia Select team and Chelsea, which concluded with a 2–0 victory for the English side, thanks to goals from Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole. Additionally, on July 13, 2011, fellow Premier League club Arsenal faced a Malaysia XI team as part of their Asia Tour, while Tottenham took a trip there as recently as 2015.
It’s the end of an era
For over 25 years, the stadium served as the home of the Selangor FA football team, known as the