Stadion Miejski in Kraków
Encyclopedia
Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana is a football-specific stadium
in Kraków
, Poland
. It is currently used as home ground by Wisła Kraków. The stadium holds 33,268 spectators and was built in 1953. Currently it is under redevelopment and is a reserve venue for the Euro 2012 in Poland
and Ukraine
. The address of the stadium is Kraków, ul. Reymonta 22.
left only rubble of the ground. In 1922 Wisła moved to a new stadium in the same area. This one survived the World War II
, but couldn't cope with post-war popularity of football.
track with a football pitch inside. New stands were created on artificial hills. There were two of them on both sides of the pitch- each crescent-shaped. At the ends columns were raised. The stadium could then accept around 35,000 fans.
were installed, on four independent masts on the edges of the pitch. The new investment copes UEFA
's requirements for stadium artificial lighting. In 2003 Wisła already had an under-soil heating system, first ever to be installed in Poland
. Its construction was a consequence of problems with hosting UEFA Cup
home games with Lazio in February 2003. Early in 2004 a new - temporary covered stand was raised at the North side of the stadium (behind Northern goal). Its capacity reached 1,000 seats and it had a steel construction. Its erection was forced by PZPN's requirement for each stadium of the Orange Ekstraklasa to have at least 1,000 covered seats.
The construction couldn't start because of insufficient funds and problems with land ownership. The site where the stadium is located was given back to the municipal authorities by its former user- the Police in 2004. After that the construction finally started.
digging the first shovel. For navigating and organisational reasons the Stand was called simply "Sektor E" as A and B are placed on the Main Stand, C is the East and D was the temporary North Stand. Therefore, E is simply the next letter in the alphabet. The Stand, divided into 5 sections (from E1 to E5, 32 rows each), can hold 5,497 (5,690 were planned, but some seats were removed as a buffer section between home and away fans). First supporters entered the stand when it was half-finished in August 2005, for the game against Panathinaikos in Champions League qualifiers. Stand's cost was estimated at 34mln PLN. In the end, this number was exceeded by 3mln.
So far the construction isn't fully finished, the space underneath the terrace still has to be filled with catering facilities, club offices and health facilities inside. Those will be used by the club's officials and players. In August 2007 turnstiles and passageways through the stand were opened. Before, fans had to get around the stand to enter it.
The away fans are seated in part of this stand.
In June 2007 the club announced its will to create a football pub in this stand after all works are done.
Unfortunately the E Stand became known for design errors. The construction company found over 100 errors of different kind, which became a big issue in the club's policy towards the city of Kraków, which gave away the designing to Wojciech Obtułowicz without any competition or bidding procedures. In fact, after two stands being almost completed, the architect still remains without any contract for the design.
symbol created of blue, red and white seats. Cost at 35mln PLN. Inauguration (first fans allowed in the unfinished building) of this stand is planned for the Wisla-Lech fixture on September 1, 2007.
requires. The stand will have 32 rows of seats just as South and North ones, but above the normal seats there will be a row of VIP boxes which will make this Stand slightly higher than the ones behind the goals and will have an equal height to the East Stand. The roof construction of both East and West Stands will carry the new floodlighting system, current masts will be removed.
with capacity of some 40 000 seats, however it was dropped due to high antagonism of the city's club supporters. The planned site was near both clubs'c current grounds, in the Cichy Kącik area.
requirements with a capacity around 30,000. Its cost was set at some 120mln PLN. The cost was described as too high and the proposition was dropped.
for host stadiums. Final design should be known by the end of May 2008. The city authorities are considering installing a permanent roof over the whole stadium and pitch to help the city compete for the place in the list of host cities. Capacity of the stadium is now planned at least 33,680.
. After the team having drawn the first game away 2:2, crowds were flocking to see Wisła fight with the Bhoys on September 29. The media and fans present at the game say of approximately 45 000 spectators, however the precise number is unknown. This game (won 2:0) holds the stadium's record of attendance. Later on there were several games when number of fans exceeded official capacity, but none of them brought as many supporters.
Biggest crowds of the season summary:
and the next loss in the league after that took place on 11 November 2006 when GKS Bełchatów won 4:2. This game settled the number of matches without a loss at 73, beating the former Polish record of Legia Warszawa
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Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is currently used as home ground by Wisła Kraków. The stadium holds 33,268 spectators and was built in 1953. Currently it is under redevelopment and is a reserve venue for the Euro 2012 in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The address of the stadium is Kraków, ul. Reymonta 22.
Previous grounds of Wisła Kraków
The current stadium is 3rd home of the Wisła Kraków team. The first was about 500 m away from the current location in the Oleandry area and it burned down in 1914, inaugurated with a 3:2 win over Czarni Lwów. That stadium was never finished and the World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
left only rubble of the ground. In 1922 Wisła moved to a new stadium in the same area. This one survived the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but couldn't cope with post-war popularity of football.
Current stadium
This is why in 1953 the club moved to a new ground. It was located just next to the former one, in the same sports and leisure complex. It was a recently finished speedwayMotorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
track with a football pitch inside. New stands were created on artificial hills. There were two of them on both sides of the pitch- each crescent-shaped. At the ends columns were raised. The stadium could then accept around 35,000 fans.
The '80s
The stadium was never enlarged. However some changes took place- the main stand was redeveloped and its capacity dropped significantly- sections in the middle of the pitch have simply been removed, the remaining sections have been changed to concrete-construction stand. The opposite stand was also slightly reduced by cutting off "edges" of the crescent- making it rectangular.The Golden Era
Not an official name of the period. It refers to the club take-over by Polish millionaire Bogusław Cupiał that took place in late 1990s. The club started investing in improving the ground. First the empty spot in the main stand was filled with a VIP section. Later- plastic seats were installed in the whole stadium, making it one of the first all-seater stadiums in Poland with total capacity of the two existing stands reaching around 9,500 seats. In 2002 the stadium floodlightsFloodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
were installed, on four independent masts on the edges of the pitch. The new investment copes UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's requirements for stadium artificial lighting. In 2003 Wisła already had an under-soil heating system, first ever to be installed in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Its construction was a consequence of problems with hosting UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
home games with Lazio in February 2003. Early in 2004 a new - temporary covered stand was raised at the North side of the stadium (behind Northern goal). Its capacity reached 1,000 seats and it had a steel construction. Its erection was forced by PZPN's requirement for each stadium of the Orange Ekstraklasa to have at least 1,000 covered seats.
Stadium redevelopment
Since the club take-over the new stadium issue was raised. In 1997 Kraków's well known architect presented a design of future Wisła Kraków stadium. Its capacity was set at 25,500 seats with cost set at 92mln PLN. However it took years to start construction. Until 2004, when the construction of the South Stand started, the concept changed several times with key features remaining the same. Most of the discussion was devoted to corners, which in the final version were decided to be left with only the floodlight masts. Four detached stands with a pavilon for the media in one corner, behind the floodlight mast.The construction couldn't start because of insufficient funds and problems with land ownership. The site where the stadium is located was given back to the municipal authorities by its former user- the Police in 2004. After that the construction finally started.
South Stand
Before this investment the place was empty with only some 500 temporary guest section existing. Construction on the site started in November 2004 with striker Maciej ŻurawskiMaciej Zurawski
Maciej Żurawski is a Polish footballer. Żurawski has appeared 72 times and scored 17 goals for Poland. He has also scored 121 goals in Polish Ekstraklasa and has been the top league goalscorer twice.- Wisła Kraków :...
digging the first shovel. For navigating and organisational reasons the Stand was called simply "Sektor E" as A and B are placed on the Main Stand, C is the East and D was the temporary North Stand. Therefore, E is simply the next letter in the alphabet. The Stand, divided into 5 sections (from E1 to E5, 32 rows each), can hold 5,497 (5,690 were planned, but some seats were removed as a buffer section between home and away fans). First supporters entered the stand when it was half-finished in August 2005, for the game against Panathinaikos in Champions League qualifiers. Stand's cost was estimated at 34mln PLN. In the end, this number was exceeded by 3mln.
So far the construction isn't fully finished, the space underneath the terrace still has to be filled with catering facilities, club offices and health facilities inside. Those will be used by the club's officials and players. In August 2007 turnstiles and passageways through the stand were opened. Before, fans had to get around the stand to enter it.
The away fans are seated in part of this stand.
In June 2007 the club announced its will to create a football pub in this stand after all works are done.
Unfortunately the E Stand became known for design errors. The construction company found over 100 errors of different kind, which became a big issue in the club's policy towards the city of Kraków, which gave away the designing to Wojciech Obtułowicz without any competition or bidding procedures. In fact, after two stands being almost completed, the architect still remains without any contract for the design.
North Stand
Construction on this part of the stadium, which will be similar to the existing South Stand, started in 2006 and will be definitively finished June 30, 2008. It holds 5,690 seats which in Spring 2008 will become the new official fanatic section. Especially for the supporters, the middle sections have a white starWhite Star
The White Star is a fictional, cruiser class combat spacecraft type in the science fiction television series Babylon 5.- Depiction :The White Star-class was designed and built through a collaborative effort between the Minbari religious caste and the Vorlon Empire...
symbol created of blue, red and white seats. Cost at 35mln PLN. Inauguration (first fans allowed in the unfinished building) of this stand is planned for the Wisla-Lech fixture on September 1, 2007.
East Stand
Photo shows the current hill construction with two historical columns, new East Stand is to be built soon with construction on current stand's demolition starting in late Autumn 2007. The plan hasn't got sufficient funding granted yet, so it is uncertain. Detailed project of this stand is under-way and so is the cost estimation. Most probably it will have similar construction to the South and North stands, but will be slightly larger (40 rows of seats instead of 32). It is supposed to hold up to 8,000 fans. Its cost is estimated at some 75mln PLN. Final design should be known at the end of the year 2007.West Stand
Main Stand- will be built as the last one. The current stand will be demolished and a new steel and concrete construction will be raised. The work commencement date is yet to be declared, the construction will end in 2010, just as UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
requires. The stand will have 32 rows of seats just as South and North ones, but above the normal seats there will be a row of VIP boxes which will make this Stand slightly higher than the ones behind the goals and will have an equal height to the East Stand. The roof construction of both East and West Stands will carry the new floodlighting system, current masts will be removed.
Media building
A special building is planned for the media, to hold press conferences, player presentations, etc. It will be located in the South-western corner of the stadium. Cost was estimated at some 5mln PLN, but the only bidding company set their estimates at 12mln. This proposition was accepted. Construction has big delays, started on September 3, 2007, to end in mid-December 2007.Corners
With one corner being used for the media building, the other three will be used to increase capacity of the stadium to the minimum set by UEFA. This will be the last part of the construction process. Each corner stand will have 1,600 seats and will be fitted to the existing stands.Joint stadium
In 1999 there was an idea of a joint stadium for Wisła and CracoviaCracovia
Cracovia is the Latin name for the Polish city of Kraków .The name may also refer to:* Cracovia , a sports club;* Cracovia vodka.* Cracovia White Eagles, a football club in AustraliaSee also:* Cracovian calculus...
with capacity of some 40 000 seats, however it was dropped due to high antagonism of the city's club supporters. The planned site was near both clubs'c current grounds, in the Cichy Kącik area.
HOK Sport proposition
The world-famous HOK Sport company visited the stadium site in 2001 and estimated it could design a stadium fulfilling UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
requirements with a capacity around 30,000. Its cost was set at some 120mln PLN. The cost was described as too high and the proposition was dropped.
Euro 2012
Kraków is a reserve city for the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Wisła Stadium is the planned venue in the city, its design will probably change to match all requirements set by UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
for host stadiums. Final design should be known by the end of May 2008. The city authorities are considering installing a permanent roof over the whole stadium and pitch to help the city compete for the place in the list of host cities. Capacity of the stadium is now planned at least 33,680.
Attendance
The capacity was enough for most games, but was several times exceeded. In 1976 Wisła Kraków was playing Celtic Glasgow in UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. After the team having drawn the first game away 2:2, crowds were flocking to see Wisła fight with the Bhoys on September 29. The media and fans present at the game say of approximately 45 000 spectators, however the precise number is unknown. This game (won 2:0) holds the stadium's record of attendance. Later on there were several games when number of fans exceeded official capacity, but none of them brought as many supporters.
Biggest crowds of the season summary:
- 2010/2011: 24:000 (Wisła Kraków 0:2 Polonia Warszawa, Ekstraklasa, 29.05.2011)
- 2008/2009: 15,600 (Wisła Kraków 2:0 Śląsk Wrocław, Ekstraklasa, 30.05.2009)
- 2007/2008: 21,000 (Wisła Kraków 1:0 Legia Warszawa, Ekstraklasa, 28.10.2007)
- 2006/2007: 15,000 (Wisła Kraków 3:0 Cracovia, Ekstraklasa, 28.10.2006)
- 2005/2006: 14,000 (Wisła Kraków 0:0 Legia Warszawa, Ekstraklasa, 27.11.2005)
- 2004/2005: 12,000 (Wisła Kraków 0:2 Real Madrid, Champions League qualifiers, 11.08.2004)
- 2003/2004: 9,500 (Wisła Kraków 0:1 Anderlecht Brussels, Champions League qualifiers, 26.08.2003)
- 2002/2003: 10,000 (Wisła Kraków 1:1 FC Schalke 04, UEFA Cup 3rd round, 28.11.2002)
- 2001/2002: 10,000 (Wisła Kraków 4:1 Polonia Warszawa, Ekstraklasa, 19.04.2002)
- 2000/2001: 10,000 (Wisła Kraków 1:2 Pogoń Szczecin, Ekstraklasa, 19.08.2000)
- 1999/2000: 10,000 (Wisła Kraków 1:1 Legia Warszawa, Ekstraklasa, 07.11.1999)
Football
Worth noticing, Wisła holds the all-time record for European football of home games without a loss in a row. On 16 September 2001 Wisła lost to KSZO Ostrowiec ŚwiętokrzyskiKSZO Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski
KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski is a Polish football club based in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Poland. It was founded on August 11, 1929.In 1995, after several decades in lower league football, mainly the third division, KSZO for the first time promoted to the second division of the Polish football league...
and the next loss in the league after that took place on 11 November 2006 when GKS Bełchatów won 4:2. This game settled the number of matches without a loss at 73, beating the former Polish record of Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...
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