ONE of the world's most famous stadiums went under the hammer yesterday as hundreds of rugby union fans bid for the contents of Cardiff Arms Park.
Among the items on sale at the auction were whole sections of the pitch, seating, flagpoles, lighting to generators, turnstiles and even the changing rooms.
More than 3,000 lots were on offer, providing fans with a once in a lifetime chance to buy memorabilia and at the same time provide a massive cash boost to Welsh rugby. Money raised from the auction will be ploughed back into the grassroots of the game in the Principality.
The Arms Park, the home of Welsh rugby for over 100 years, is being demolished and replaced with a new £114 million stadium to be built in time to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup finals.
Some of the most coveted items in the sale were sections of the hallowed turf, graced by some of rugby's best players.
Fans paid £200 for a five-yard strip. Other items included the red plastic seats which went for £20 each, and the electricity generators which raised almost £40,000.
Cardiff businessman Giovanni Malacrimo paid more than £1,000 for the contents of the ground's president's suite, including carpets, wood panelling and curtains, which he plans to recreate in one of his city centre restaurants.
