![\"Estadio](\"http:\/\/www.stadiumguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/capwell_top.jpg\")
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Club: Club Sport Emelec | Opening: 1945 | Capacity: 40,000 seats<\/p>\n
Estadio\u00a0Banco del Pacifico Capwell, also known as Estadio George Capwell, was built in the 1940s as the new home of Emelec, though the stadium opened on 21 October 1945 with a baseball match.<\/p>\n
The first football match at the stadium was played on 2 December of the same year with a match between Emelec and a selection of the Manta-Bahia region (5-4). The stadium was named after the founder the club, George Capwell.<\/p>\n
In 1947, Estadio Capwell hosted all games of the Copa America tournament that was held in Ecuador.<\/p>\n
In 1959, Emelec moved to the new Estadio Modelo, and by the late 1970s Estadio Capwell\u00a0had fallen into a state of disrepair. At various moments the club was close to selling the stadium\u00a0to real estate developers, but\u00a0fierce resistance of Emelec’s fans prevented\u00a0this.<\/p>\n
It took however until the early 1990s for a large redevelopment project to start, which was completed in 1991. The new stadium could hold 28,000 spectators.<\/p>\n
Estadio Capwell got further expanded in 1999 and 2006, but in the early 2010s the club started to make plans again for a larger redevelopment. Works started in 2015 and included the construction of a new main stand, four towers with suites in the corners, and a new exterior. The redevelopment was completed in early 2017.<\/p>\n
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