RUST BOWL
Inside rotting abandoned stadium as big as Wembley with surprising West Ham link that’s been left to decay
FANS filled the stands, footballers wowed on the pitch and architects were applauded for their innovative design.
But the glory days are long over for the Shah Alam Stadium in Selangor, Malaysia, and it has now fallen into a state of disrepair.
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The 80,372-capacity ground has been the official home of Selangor FC since 1994, but the only sign of life is the birds that fly overhead.
The Red Giants have been kicked to the curb after years of complex renovations have forced it to close repeatedly over the last decade.
It used to be Malaysia's largest stadium, before it was dethroned by the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Shah Alam, modelled on Croatia's Hajduk Split Stadium, finally opened in 1994 after four years of construction.
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Dundee United took on Selangor during the first-ever match and former footie ace was the first player to hit the back of a net in the state-of-the-art stadium.
The midfielder, who is now West Ham United's assistant manager, has become part of Shah Alam's legacy after his goal in the 56th minute.
Other football greats went on to grace the pitch at Selangor FC's home ground in 1998 for FIFA's World Cup Qualifiers.
The Shah Alam - which is as big as London's Wembley - had also hosted the Under-20 FIFA World Cup a year earlier.
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Bon Jovi even rocked the stadium for their concert debut in Malaysia in May 1995.
But despite being a major landmark in Selangor and brimming with history, the Shah Alam has now been abandoned and left to rot.
Consisting of six levels that each boast semi-enclosed spaces, the work of Malaysian architect Hijjaz Kasturi has drastically decayed.
The stadium was constructed with the latest technology at the time and became renowned for its eye-catching frame structure.
This is said to be the longest free-standing arc in the world.
But the polycarbonate roof is now a shell of its former self and is littered with cracks as well as broken and missing panels.
This has allowed the elements to wreak havoc on the field, stands, seating and equipment that was left behind.
The 105m x 68m pitch has now yellowed and withered after years of neglect, while fallen roof panels have left huge dents in it.
Seating which previously accommodated over 80,000 spectators are now scuffed and dirty, while heaps of rubbish are dumped nearby.
Turnstiles which thousands of footie fans previously stormed through and former ticket kiosks eerily remain largely intact.
But they still haven't been able to escape the effects of the lack of maintenance, as the formerly vibrant paint is now faded and peeling.
The main entrance to the stadium, where VIPs once entered for events and matches, now resembles a barren car park.
The only remnants of its former use as a football ground are the rusty goalposts and blank scoreboards which still stand.
But luckily, the indoor toilet facilities seem to have been spared and appear to remain in good shape.
The Shah Alam, which also boasts a go-kart racing circuit, was given a £596,000 facelift in 2011, funded by the Selangor government.
Renovations included an upgraded lighting system, roof repairs, new grass for the pitch, revamped dressing rooms and new seating.
Another £421,000 was spent in 2014 to replace more than 500 roof tiles, fixing damages to the field and repairing two generator sets.
But the lick of paint hasn't stopped it from being repeatedly closed for maintenance work since December 2015.
The field and the soil beneath was replaced with "cow grass" in March 2016 as another renovation got underway.
But Selangor and Kedah managed to sneak in a Malaysia Super League (MSL) match that year on April 5.
The team have since been forced to play their home games at the 25,000-capacity MBPJ Stadium in Petaling Jaya.
The Shah Alam Stadium then shut its doors again in early 2020 to undergo major renovation and rebuild work.
It was scheduled to reopen in 2022 - but structural defects, rotting components and the leaking polycarbonate roof have delayed it.
Officials in Selangor even considered demolishing the Shah Alam and rebuilding a smaller stadium as it was plagued with problems.
Building experts estimated it would need at least another £140million in improvements to make it modern and more importantly safe.
The government is planning to redevelop the sports complex, although it remains unclear if the original stadium will be knocked down.
They are set to add a hotel, parks and recreation areas around the site to bolster tourism at its formerly record-busting stadium.
Shah Alam's successor has huge shoes to fill - although it is set to be drastically smaller and will only fit 35,000 fans.
We previously told how the iconic Olympic park in Athens, Greece, has been abandoned and is now crumbling.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The country spent an eyewatering £8billion to bring the international sporting event back to its birthplace - yet the facilities have been left to rot after the extravagant homecoming.
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