The Columbus Crew's new ownership is making sure there are no more fiery scoreboard incidents again.
On Friday, the club announced a multimillion-dollar upgrade of the Crew Stadium video display, including a brand new main scoreboard on the stadium's south side that will be double the size (66 ft. by 17 ft.) of the one that
caught fire and delayed the start of a league match on April 27, 2013
.
"It was fairly obvious that replacing the existing video board at the stadium was a top priority of Precourt Sports Ventures for improving the fan experience,” Crew owner Anthony Precourt said in a club statement. “In addition to winning soccer matches and trophies, delivering a professional, high-quality and exciting experience at Crew matches is paramount to our success as an organization."
The installation of the new video boards, including 42-foot "ribbon" displays along east and west sides of the stadium, are scheduled to be completed before Crew Stadium hosts its first home game on March 22 vs. the Philadelphia Union.
But it's not just the video assets getting a facelift. The bench seating on the east side of the stadium is being replaced by individual chair-back seating. And the lower concourse is being doubled in size on both the east and west sides to help with fan congestion.
Crew Stadium is the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS, opening its doors in May 1999.
