Teddy Stadium 5.4

The Teddy Stadium is a sports stadium in Jerusalem, Israel. Four football teams currently use the stadium: Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem, and Beitar Nordia Jerusalem.The stadium is named for long-time Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who was in office during the time of its construction and was one of its prominent advocates.HistoryFor Beitar, the stadium was a major upgrade after years of playing at the YMCA Stadium, nicknamed "The Sandbox". In the first stage, only the west and east sides of the stadium were built, giving it a capacity of 14,000. In 1999, work was finished on a north side that increased capacity to 21,600.The stadium itself is one of the newest in Israel and one of the few that are close to meeting all European standards. It is accessible to the disabled, has modern bathrooms, and has ample concession stands, a combination that is very difficult to find in many Israeli stadiums. The stadium has 5,000 parking spots on its premises, and is connected to the Malha Mall and its parking facilities by a pedestrian bridge.The stadium is located at the terminus of the Begin Expressway and just past the Malha Train Station, which ensures convenient road and rail access to the rest of Israel.