Before Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots Played at Schaefer

Sunday night was the end of the 2023 season for the NFL as the Kansas City Chiefs became Super Bowl champions for the second year in a row.

While Kansas City fans rejoiced, football fans around the world lowered their heads and shed a tear for their respective teams. Another year is gone and fans are forced to wait for the next season to start.

As we say goodbye to another season, let’s take a walk down Memory Lane for the dedicated Patriots fans.

Before Gillette Stadium, there was Schaefer Stadium.

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Before Gillette Stadium

Finding a permanent home for the Boston Patriots was quite the journey.

In 1960 and 1961, they played at Boston University. Then they played at Harvard in 1962, and again in 1970.

From 1963 to 1969, they played at Fenway Park.

In 1971, the team officially became the New England Patriots and moved to a 60,764-seat stadium in Foxboro called Schaefer Stadium, named after Schaefer Brewing Company.

Later named Foxboro Stadium, it consisted of one-tier grandstands on both sides of the field, with seating areas extending beyond the end zones. It was composed of mainly bleachers, and eventually underwent a $10 million renovation when Robert Kraft bought the team in 1993.

But from the sounds of it, the stadium needed some help.

“My mom likes to tell me about going to Patriots games there when she was younger and how often the stadium flooded, leaving fans with water up to their ankles,” Fun 107’s Nancy Hall said.

The stadium served its purpose for 31 years before the team found its permanent home in the newly constructed Gillette Stadium.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and for the Patriots, it was quite the ride.