Korona Kielce 2-3 Jagiellonia Bialystok, Sunday 13th August 2017

Korona Kielce 2-3 Jagiellonia Bialystok (Ekstraklasa, att. 9,460)

Welcome to ....

I have broken the back of the Ekstraklasa; visiting the Kolporter Arena means I've been to more than half of the stadiums.  This one is quite impressive.  Essentially, it's two tiered all round, including the corners, with the roof suspended above.  There’s no protection at the back for the upper tier but  I'm visiting in August when it's sunny.  When the wind blows and the rain sheets in, maybe folk go downstairs?

The home end.

This is the thing.  Behind each goal virtually no one, save for the odd wheelchair-bound supporter and their friends, sits downstairs.  The ultras are upstairs behind one goal and even that wasn't capacity.  I was soon to find out why though: all the better for firing toilet rolls at the pitch.  Ahhh, one thing I miss about football in the 80s.  But I’ve never seen it to the scale at Kielce.  Was today special?

Buenos Aires, 1978.

The side stands were busy in both tiers.  I tried to get a ticket towards the centre in the upper tier but none were available, so I had to make do in the wing.  Second half, I went for a wander and tried out all kinds of views

I made it early to Kielce, five hours before kick-off.   After an hour this appeared a grave mistake. Kielce was dead on a Sunday.  The long straight pedestrianized high street which begins/ends at the station was devoid of open shops.  As I looked around I accidentally came across the town museum.  It was mildly arresting and the captions have been translated to English but I wasn't surprised I was the only visitor.  However, if you want to see the pelvic bone of a woolly mammoth found in Kielce in 1912…

Anyone for chess?

Then I made it to the main square (‘rynek’) and they'd only gone to the bother of having live music on a stage.  Shame there was barely anyone around, but I took an outdoor pew at a restaurant and had a €2.50 spaghetti bolognese (and a beer).  A couple of hours later I looked up to see how much busier Rynek was. Kielce had woken up.

From Rynek there's a direct road straight to the stadium, about 10 minutes away.  I got there a couple of hours before kick-off,  which I would say is about right for Poland given the rigmarole for tickets.  It probably takes about 5 minutes per person even if they are already a member.  What do they do?  I handed over my passport and after a few minutes got my ticket.  39 Zloty (£8).

The queue later on.

I walked the circumference of the stadium, including a couple of training pitches, and found myself back at the ticket queue.  By now it was huge.  There was no way many of these would see kick –off.  I know the feeling.

My ticket was for the opposite side of the stadium but it seems everyone (apart from the visitors) goes in through one set of turnstiles before walking around the concourse.  I purchased two beers and found my seat.  It would be strangely calming sitting in the right place without worrying about being moved on.

Welcome to ...(II)

This was probably the first match I've ever seen between two teams whose colours are red and yellow.  The only English team I can think of who have these colours is Melchester Rovers and I think they've folded.  Today, the hoops of Jagiellonia were replaced by a white kit to play the stripes of Korona.  Red and yellow stripes versus hoops would have been a vision to savour.

Despite Bialystok being the opposite corner of Poland, Jagiellonia still managed to bring 150 for a Sunday 6pm kick-off.  On holiday?  Overnight supporters coach? Cos there was no way they were getting back by public transport.  They were in the top corner, opposite and left of the home end.

Jagiellonia fans, second half.

The match was eventful.  Korona had plenty of possession but Jagiellonia always looked superior in attack.  0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2.  The winner in the last minute was a real sickener for Korona.  They just had a goal disallowed for offside, before being hit on the break.  However, they were to be done by a bit of bad luck as the right winger’s cross took a deflection which beat the keeper who’d edged off his line in anticipation. Mind, Korona also missed a penalty with the last kick of the first half with the score at one-all, so they can muse about what might have been.

The net before kick-off.

To end my match, I had a klobasa (sausage) and by the time I reached the station really needed the loo.  Were the two somehow connected?

The Damage:

PLZ 39 ent

PLZ 10 klobasa

PLZ 7 beer (x2)

Free prog

= PLZ 63

Kolporter panarama from my seat

Kolporter panorama from the lower tier.

Kolporter panorama with home end on left.

Kolporter Arena.

Looking towards the away corner.

The stadium and practice pitches.

Stadium plan.

Behind the away end.

There's no missing the club shop.

Enter here.

Gratuitous shot of mascot and friend.  Nice.  (The sponsor.)

Bridge into the stadium.

The clean-up process begins.

This took ages.

And just as it would get cleared up, another toilet roll would be launched.

The teams line up.

Match action.

The view from the top of the lower tier.

The mascot.

Pushchair in the family area; a 1st for me.

Family section.

Sunset over Stadion Kielce.

Full-time.

A distraught Korona player.

Welcome to ....(III)

Jagiellonia fans salute their heroes.