FCBARCELONA.CAT

22.09.2007 22:38

Happy birthday Camp Nou!

Vanessa Forns

FC Barcelona celebrated the Camp Nou’s 50th birthday on Saturday night with a festival full of music, light and colour, all of which was received with emotion and enthusiasm by the fans.

An hour before kick-off, the fans were treated to a 50th anniversary celebration for the Camp Nou. The Club also unveiled the plans for the remodelling of the stadium, which will be undertaken by the architectural firm Foster + Partners. One of the highlights of the evening was when the video introducing the project was shown on the video scoreboards.

Golden anniversary

The festival began with 50 gold coloured balloons, each one bearing a date from 1957 to 2007, sliding down the third tier until they reached the pitch. Meanwhile, the video scoreboards showed some of the more than 3,000 goals that have been scored in the stadium over these fifty years.

A trip down memory lane

Then, a tribute was paid to the Barça squad of 1957. The stadium anthem was played and, just as happened fifty years ago, Mr Manel Vic read out the names of that legendary team.

The surviving members of that squad were on the pitch to receive the applause of the Camp Nou fans once again in the company of current team captain Carles Puyol. Speaking on behalf of the team of 1957, an emotional Antoni Ramallets told the fans: “I’d like to thank you for the supports we’ve always received from the best fans in the world”. The players that have sadly died over the course of these fifty years were also remembered.

The players

The Camp Nou has seen many players come and go over fifty years. The names of each and every one of them were written on a giant globe held up by an acrobat and paraded around the stadium accompanied by the song ‘Temps era temps' by Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manel Serrat. Meanwhile, the video scoreboards showed some of the most important moments from the past: presentations of players, goals, concerts, title celebrations etc. The atmosphere was fantastic!

The end of a wonderful festival

Another magical night in the Camp Nou was rounded off with a spectacle featuring percussion and fireworks, dominated by the Barça colours and the red and yellow of the Catalan flag.