Prairie View A&M University Panthers v Grambling State University Tigers

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Southwestern Athletic Conference

State Fair Classic

Saturday 26th September 2015

Kick off 16.00

Prairie View A&M University Panthers 54 Grambling State University Tigers 70, attendance 51,328

@ The Cotton Bowl Stadium

3750 Cotton Bowl Plaza,

Dallas, TX 75210

$28 admission (including entrance to Texas State Fair)

Programme free, 24 pages.

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The State Fair Classic is held annually at the neutral venue 92,100 capacity Cotton Bowl, a stadium that is seldom used as no team is now based here.

The stadium was opened in 1930, as Fair Park Stadium, and has been expanded four times, the latest being in 2008, when the seating was increased from 68,252 by completing the encircling of the upper tier.

It was home to Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1971 in the NFL and has also hosted soccer in both the NASL and MLS, as well as games in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1993 and the FIFA World Cup in 1994.

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F.C. Dallas v New York City F.C.

Major League Soccer

Saturday 12th September 2015

Kick off 19.30 Actual 19.38

F.C. Dallas 2 New York City F.C. 1, attendance 16,937

45′ 1-0 T. Akindele

45+4′ 2-0 Michel

70′ 2-1 P. Mullins (pen)

@ Toyota Stadium

9200 World Cup Way,

Frisco, TX 75034

Admission $38

Programme free, 4 pages

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Toyota Stadium cost $80 million to build and was opened on August 6th 2005 taking on the name of its current sponsor in September 2013 and has a capacity of 20,295.

When arriving at the ground, which is a fair drag north of Dallas, there was a long queue to get into the car park right next to the stadium, despite it being $20 for the privilege, but across the road, no more than 50 yards away it was free to park. Just shows that people really are lazy, or have money to burn. Probably the former.

When  arriving here in Dallas, my plan was to get a season ticket here and when FC Dallas were away visit other stadiums. However, having endured a game sat amongst some of the least knowledgable football supporters you could ever come across, then this might be my only time I ever bother to visit here.

There  was the loudmouth sat a few rows back giving a commentary to his mate, which was bad enough, especially as he hadn’t got much idea about the game, before the real clincher came when it was announced that a Dallas player had been awarded a yellow card, prompting a number of idiots to stand up and give a round of applause and whooping “go Dallas “! What an embarrassment.

I will probably have to get used to getting up and down in my seat as constant streams of late comers arrive well into the game and then having found their seat, come straight back out to go and get food and drink, before then missing the last 10 minutes of the half to go and get yet another drink and hot dog and repeating this action at least once more in the second half. Why on earth has the stadium been built with the seats facing the pitch ?  A vast majority of the crowd have certainly not come to see any of the sport on offer, especially if it gets in the way of eating and drinking, followed by more eating and drinking.

As for the match. Very poor standard, despite Pirlo, Lampard and Villa in action for the visitors, although all three were substituted. Both sides would struggle in League Two in England on this showing.

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Match day visits to sporting stadia