In Campo Grande, a very old sports space in Lisbon, Benfica experienced great moments of glory.
It was in this field that many footballers who strengthened Benfica's mystique in the 1930s and 1940s held their farewell parties. In late 1939, the president of the Board was summoned to the Ministry of Public Works, where Engineer Duarte Pacheco informed him that the three clubs in Lisbon - Benfica, Belenenses, and Sporting - would have to abandon their fields to move to Monsanto Forest Park, where the Lisbon City Council (CML) would build three stadiums.
The minister added that Benfica would be the first club affected due to highway construction.
Meanwhile, in contact with the CML, Benfica's management was informed that the Club would be temporarily installed at Campo Grande, leased for a monthly rent of 600$00 (an amount that Benfica managed to reduce to 550$00). As usual, Benfica had little money to carry out the necessary adaptations in a sports space that had long been inactive and had never had great conditions. After fighting for fair compensation due to its involuntary departure from Amoreiras, Benfica's management managed to increase it from 600 to 800 contos (note that the Estádio das Amoreiras represented an investment of 2,000 contos over 15 years of use).
The CML committed to paying 400 contos at the time of the deed and the remainder as soon as possible, but never exceeding the year 1940. The city council also committed to giving priority to Benfica in choosing the field in Monsanto Park. Benfica received 800 contos as compensation to abandon the Estádio das Amoreiras but had to pay debts (still related to the loans for its construction), leaving them with only 500. Therefore, large-scale construction was out of the question, instead focusing on providing the stadium with acceptable conditions. With limited available land and scarce resources, there was no room for a grand project. It was necessary to balance the need for space remodeling with the available funds.
The Beginning of the Works
The Campo Grande had been deactivated since 1937, after being abandoned by Sporting, which rented the Lumiar stadium (now Estádio José Alvalade, subjected to major works in 1946 and 1955) that year.
In 1913, José de Alvalade, in dispute with Sporting, from which he would later distance himself in 1916, decided to expand the "Stadium of Lisbon" (inaugurated on 28/06/1914), demolishing the Sporting field's grandstand (located further north and known as Sítio das Mouras at that time, but when reactivated in the 1930s, it was called Lumiar-A) to obtain materials for the new construction, rendering the field unusable. This action did not please the leaders of the Sporting club, but since Sporting did not own the space, which belonged to Viscount de Alvalade, José de Alvalade's grandfather, they were forced to accept the decision.
The Sporting Directorate then decided to negotiate with the landlord of the space where the Lisboa FC field was located, surpassing the latter club's proposal. Sporting thus moved to Campo Grande, making improvements to the location and leading to the extinction of Lisboa FC, which, without a field, was forced to join SC Império (owner of the Palhavã field), forming the Império Lisboa Clube. Under Sporting's authority, the venue (inaugurated on 01/04/1917, in a match against Benfica resulting in a 0-0 draw) became known as Campo Grande 412, and later, after the May 28th Revolution in 1926, which established the Military Dictatorship and later the Estado Novo, Campo Grande was designated Campo 28 de maio.
Sporting used this sports space for 20 years. In 1937, they leased the Estádio do Lumiar (formerly Stadium de Lisboa), abandoning Campo Grande. Therefore, when Benfica started the reconstruction works at Campo Grande, it had been deactivated for 3 years. During this period (1940/41), the Club used three stadiums to host opponents in Regional and National matches: 1 game at Salésias (Belenenses), 1 game at Lumiar-A (Unidos FC), and 13 games at Estádio do Lumiar (Sporting CP). Meanwhile, Benfica managed to erect wooden stands around the field—a task that seemed impossible.
Campo Grande causes amazement
On 05/10/1941, when it was inaugurated, Campo Grande caused astonishment. How was it possible to build a stadium like that in a space abandoned by Sporting, allegedly due to the lack of conditions? Moreover, Campo Grande was even better than the Estádio do Lumiar, where Sporting had moved four years earlier! In the inaugural match, Benfica defeated Sporting by 3-2. The Club also managed to rent an adjacent space, inaugurating a Gray Athletics Track on 01/12/1946. The complex was also equipped with a Basketball Court.
From the initial 2 hectares in 1941, Benfica expanded to 5 rented hectares in 1946. However, a sense of precariousness always loomed over Campo Grande, dubbed the "Wooden Resort." Some fans complained that the stadium generated costly expenses, requiring substantial investments (1,227,410$70 between 1940 and 1944) when the land wasn't even theirs. In March 1944, having reserved money for conservation works on the stands, which were in a state of great degradation, Benfica was informed by the Lisbon City Council (CML) that the Municipality was exploring new lands for the Club's relocation. Consequently, it was decided not to spend the money on Campo Grande's conservation since its temporary use didn't warrant such investments.
Following some uncertainty from the CML, which proposed lands unsuitable for the Club due to being too expensive, having topography unfit for a sports field, or being too small (as in the case of the space offered on Avenida Alferes Malheiro - today Avenida do Brasil - later occupied by LNEC), Benfica finally received a proposal to return to the Benfica area in 1946. There were some lands near Quinta da Luz under consideration. However, the Club stayed at Campo Grande for a few more years, conducting small (yet sometimes expensive) conservation works. Finally, on 18/04/1954, the top-tier team played its last game at Campo Grande against Atlético CP, as part of the "Pro-Stadium" festivity, an initiative aimed at raising funds for the new sports park (initially called Estádio de Carnide before adopting the Luz epithet).
There were no shortages of major victories either: 12-2 against FC Porto (07/02/1943), 7-2 against Sporting (28/04/1946), 13-1 against Sanjoanense (27/04/1947) - still today the best result in the National Championship - and 9-0 against V. Setúbal (07/02/1954), all in the First Division National Championship. Equally notable were the farewell parties: Valadas (01/12/44), Albino (13/05/45), Gaspar Pinto (08/09/46), Martins (31/08/47), Espírito Santo (08/12/1949), Julinho (10/06/1953), and Moreira (08/12/1953).
The Latin Cup
It was during the stay at Campo Grande that Benfica won one of the most emblematic trophies in its history: the Latin Cup at Estádio Nacional (1949/50). Besides this, there were several successes during this period, notably 4 National Championships and 6 Portuguese Cups. At Campo Grande, Benfica achieved remarkable records, including 21 consecutive victories and 47 games without defeat (only 2 draws). After the top-tier football left the premises, Benfica continued to use the space for training, matches in other categories, and other sports, bidding farewell to Campo Grande only in 1971—after 30 years of use (for official matches in the top tier for only 13 seasons).
The decisive factor for the definitive departure was the council's justification that it would be necessary to open an access avenue to Sporting's field. It turned out to be a clever maneuver, as the old Campo Grande would serve, for 26 years (!), as the football field for the Alvalade club. A building, called the Pavilion, was constructed on the former field. Presently, the area is occupied by a parking lot, north of Campo Grande Metro Station in Lisbon.
Campo Grande has gone down in history as one of the oldest sports spaces in the city, used almost continuously between 1912 and 1997 (by Benfica between 1940 and 1971). It witnessed great moments of glory for Benfica between 1941 and 1954, a time when some players would arrive late at the field due to traffic congestion while traveling by tram on game days amid crowds of spectators. They had to rush to the dressing rooms!
It was during the stay at Campo Grande that Benfica won, at the National Stadium (1949/50), one of the most emblematic trophies in its history: the Latin Cup.
Estádio do Campo Grande - Characteristics
Name Campo Grande
Location At the north end of Campo 28 de Maio (Campo Grande, 412), near Estrada de Telheiras and south of Estádio do Lumiar
Possession Dates From 1940 to 1972
Current Situation Parking lot, north of the Campo Grande Metro Station
Type of Ownership Club Property
Approximate Value Land leased by CML for a monthly rent ranging from 550$00 (1940/41) to 1,300$00 (between 1944 and 1971). Costs of refurbishing the pitch and building stands, between 1940 and 1944: 1,227,410$70
Inauguration Date and 1st Game 05/10/1941, friendly match against Sporting (W 3-2)
Date of Last Game 18/04/1954, friendly match against Atlético CP
Other Facilities Basketball Court and Athletics Track
Reason for Abandonment Deterioration, lack of facilities for members, and limited space for the club's sports and association growth
Top Matches
| Date | Result | Notes |
|
07/02/1943 |
12 - SL Benfica |
Great victory in the National Championship |
|
28/04/1946 |
7 - SL Benfica |
Expressive result in the National Championship |
|
27/04/1947 |
13 - SL Benfica |
Biggest victory in the National Championship |
|
07/02/1954 |
9 - SL Benfica |
Great result |
