Balboa Stadium

Built in 1914, Balboa Stadium is located behind San Diego High School and was the San Diego Chargers' home from 1961-66. A high school field with concrete slab seats, Balboa Stadium witnessed the Chargers' glory years, which featured such players as John Hadl, Lance Alworth and Ernie Ladd, and hosted the 1961, 1963, and 1965 American Football League championship games, as well as the 1961, 1962, and 1963 AFL All-Star games. In their six seasons here, head coach Sid Gillman's club finished with a combined record of 28-12-2, winning four Western Division titles and one league crown. In 1967, the team left Balboa for new San Diego Stadium in Mission Valley, where the club's glory slowed and the titles stopped (although they did win several American Football Conference Western Division titles) until they won the AFC championship after the 1994 season. The stadium also hosted local amateur and professional baseball contests in the period prior to the establishment of the Pacific Coast League Padres in 1936.

Related Topics:
San Diego - San Diego Chargers - John Hadl - Lance Alworth - Ernie Ladd - American Football League - AFL All-Star games - Sid Gillman - San Diego Stadium - American Football Conference - Baseball - Pacific Coast League

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Today the stadium, with a much smaller seating capacity than at the time it housed the Chargers, is used for local high school sporting and other events.

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