Gornik Leczna v Lechia Gdansk, Monday 25th July 2016

Gornik Leczna v Lechia Gdansk

Welcome to....Leczna!

I am aware time is beginning to be against me. Although it’s 3 hours to kick off, I’m in Lublin – a city about 15 miles from Leczna. Luckily, there’s a direct bus (no railway station in Leczna, a town of 20,000) at 16:55. The KO is 6pm and I’ve done my research, Stadion Leczna will be one of the first buildings I see in town. I can’t miss it.

Small but perfectly formed.

Nor could I miss the bus, as it happens. Cos it didn’t arrive – least not at the place advised me by tourist info. I gave it 5 or so minutes then went for my back up plan, a taxi from the rank around the corner. Now, I’ll admit it, I’m not used to riding in cabs, or negotiating. My tip? Have an idea of what you’re prepared to offer and stick to it. As long as it’s reasonable, one taxi driver will take the bait.

I asked how much (bear in mind his English was on a standing with my Polish) and he said 70. I offered 50. Did he mean 70? I offered 50 again. ‘Ok’.

The ticket office...awash with customers.  Or not.

So he drove me to Leczna. I’m pleased I didn’t carry out my other option, cycling there. The route out of Lublin was somewhat convoluted, while the road verged on motorway in parts, possibly even was. Certainly, I’d have dreaded the lack of space between me and any passing traffic. I don’t want to die in Poland, or anywhere else for that matter.

Top of the terrace.

Still, the journey took longer than expected, due to being stuck behind a tractor. I felt guilt and gave him 70 anyway (actually, 74 – I think he knew what he was doing, claiming to have no more change). He was also probably a little confused: why would some foreigner want to be driven 15 miles to an empty football stadium?

Yes, there was no-one about. Not a single person. Absolutely nothing to suggest there might be a match on, or that there had been one on. Being a Monday night, I considered the KO might be 20:30, but, even so, you’d expect to see movement at the stadium. I walked on – was it being played elsewhere in Leczna?

The view from the bus (back).

No. It wasn’t being played elsewhere in Leczna. Within 400m I’d seen everything Leczna had. In no particular order, a cemetery, a tidy, modern football stadium, a bus station and a Lidl. I bought 2 bottles of Perlenbacher, a baguette and some smoked salmon and sat down for an evening meal I could have had in Peckham (cos we have a Lidl there, too). Then I caught a bus back – for 3 zloty (60 pence).

Reminds me, I never did have a walk around it.

Later internet research showed the match HAD been switched – to LUBLIN, where I’d set out from. Godammit. (Tho’ Soccerway still showed the game as having been played at Stadion Leczna, so what more could I have done?) Courtesy of a Leczna message board and google translate, the jist seems to be that Leczna can’t afford to keep doing what they’re doing in the Ekstraklasa (surviving on crowds of 4-5000 in their 7,500 stadium) and thus they’re attempting to expand by taking their wares down the road to the big city, in the hope of bigger crowds (despite the fact Lublin already has its own team, currently in the second tier). Comparisons with Wimbledon/MK Dons can’t be far away as some loyal supporters would rather stay in Leczna than see a probable merger with Motor Lublin, even if it meant 3rd tier football.

The entrance to Majdanek concentration camp.

Oh, and as for ‘Arena Lublin’ where the game was held; it’s a 10 minute walk from the train station. And was the game a success for Leczna? Well, they lost 1-2 in front of 3,500, but I’m sure their owners would say it’s early days…

ps, the trip wasn’t an entire waste. Lublin is a glorious city, replete with castle, old town and Majdanek concentration camp, where I spent 5 hours today. There is such a thing as perspective.

Lublin Castle