‘Freezing benches and porta-potties’ – How Foxboro Stadium’s 1994 World Cup chaos built $230bn empire
Gillette Stadium is hosting seven matches in the 2026 World Cup, which gets underway in exactly 30 days.
Built in 2002, the home of the New England Patriots was constructed next to Foxboro Stadium — turning a muddy parking lot into the greatest NFL dynasty of all time.
In the 1960s and early 70s, the then Boston Patriots were doing the franchise equivalent of couch surfing, playing at Fenway Park, Nickerson Field, Alumni Stadium, Harvard Stadium and temporary homes.
The AFL-AFL merger in 1970 saw a minimum requirement for a 50,000-seater home, which no stadium in the Boston area could satisfy — a major reason behind several failures at launching pro football teams over the decades, including the Redskins heading to D.C. in 1936.
In a trend that continues today, neither the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the town of Foxborough contributed to the cost which led to a frugal attempt to just satisfy the league.
Despite running $200,000 over budget, a total cost of $7.1 million was a massive bargain even at the time.
Schaefer Stadium, which later earned the nickname ‘Shaver Stadium’ after owner Victor Kiam’s Remington razor commercials, was just good enough to get by but suffered from major problems.
Built on a bare bones design with few amenities, the plumbing wasn’t up to scratch and sewage erupted from the restrooms during its first game in 1971.
Porta-potties were added to the permanent facilities and became a full-time fixture for the stadium’s entire life.
There were no luxury boxes and most of the seats lacked backs with aluminum benches that often froze in New England winters.
Fans were forced to bring, or rent, cushions. Thankfully they did enjoy great sight lines that the likes of Fenway couldn’t provide.
Rain was also an issue as the unpaved parking lot often turned into a muddy bog, which then fed into U.S. Route 1 and inevitable delays.
All of this didn’t stop the World Cup heading to New England in 1994. The stands were rearranged to help fit a regulation soccer field, but everything else stayed the same.
A summer tournament avoided most of the major issues and Foxborough will forever be the location of Argentine soccer icon Diego Maradona‘s last World Cup appearance and goal.
The 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 1996 and 1999 MLS Cups, and the first ever Women’s United Soccer Association Founders Cup were also held at what was by now an incredibly out of date stadium.
A capacity over just over 60,000 made it one of the league’s smallest and fans had barely any protection.
The team had grand ambitions, but needed a man with the vision –and dollars — to see it through.
How did Robert Kraft become Patriots owner?
With relatively modest wealth compared to the billionaire club that is NFL owners, the Sullivan Family had lost money promoting the Jackson Victory Tour in 1984, with the Pats’ stadium put up as collateral to secure a $12.5 million loan.
The team wouldn’t make enough to service the debt despite making Super Bowl XX in 1985 and the family sold a controlling stake to Kiam in 1989.
Foxboro Stadium went into bankruptcy and was bought by Boston paper mogul Robert Kraft in 1988.
Kiam and Sullivan tried to sell the team to interests in Jacksonville, but Kraft refused to let them break an ironclad lease that extended until 2021.
The frustrated owner was forced to sell the team to James Orthwein in 1992. He tried to move the franchise to his hometown of St. Louis, but once again met opposition from Kraft.
Orthwein put the team on the market with potential new owners obligated to discuss the lease with Kraft. The billionaire decided to skip that part and bought the Patriots himself, along with a neighboring parcel of land and the Bay State Raceway.
He built Gillette Stadium on the raceway property after failed bids to relocate to Hartford, Connecticut, and South Boston failed.
Foxboro was slated to be demolished in December 2001, but instead clung on for Tom Brady‘s first season as a starter and a postseason run that included hosting the notorious ‘Tuck Rule Game‘ against the Oakland Raiders.
That overturned fumble call on Brady was the start of the claims of bias from officials in favor of Bill Belichick‘s dynasty.
After 31 seasons, the arena became a parking lot and was ultimately turned into the Patriot Place shopping center.
Kraft took a muddy mess and built the foundation of one of the greatest teams in sports history.
His work didn’t just benefit New England as the mogul helped broker the end of the lockout in 2011 and played a decisive role in brokering the massive TV deals that made the NFL a $230 billion behemoth.
Fans from all over the world will now head to the rebranded Boston Stadium this summer walking over memories of a true American success story.
All 104 games at the 2026 World Cup this summer will be live on talkSPORT, talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT app
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