Zaglebie Lubin 2-2 Jagiellonia Bialystok, Friday 2nd August 2019

Zaglebie Lubin 2-2 Jagiellonia Bialystok, Ekstraklasa, att. 4,003 (Stadion Zaglebia Lubin)

Welcome to ....

Trying to work out what was 'doable' when setting off from Jablonec Nad Nisou in the Czech Republic on a Friday morning, I hit on Zaglebie Lubin in Poland.  A couple of trains through the Czech/Polish border hills to Wroclaw before dropping my bags off and getting a direct train to Lubin.  I thus arrived in Lubin a couple of hours before kick-off, but with the return journey at 22:45, catching the last train out of dodge would mean missing the last few minutes of the match.  So, rather than have a wander through the town centre, I first of all walked to the stadium, mainly to assess how quickly I could make the return leg.

Welcome to (II)...Lubin railway station.

The new stadium, built on the site of the old one, is the last building in town.  In fact, so aloof is it from everywhere else, it's not only the wrong side of the railway track, it's the wrong side of the dual carriageway - a fact I initially found to my cost.  And then, once you get there, it is so devoid of anything surrounding it, it was like (No) Pride Park in Derby when it first opened, a wasteland of concrete and rubble.

Found it!  Now all I have to do is...

On one side appeared to be a shanty town.  Perhaps these dilapidated buildings link back to the previous stadium?  One of two still look used as bars but they were little more than shacks with a picnic table outside.

Walking around the stadium, I was surprised to see half of it surrounded by a fence, which kept you even further away and meant an unnecessary longer walk around the circumference.  But on the other side is the real gold for Zaglebie: their academy.  Several football pitches and a massive building for their HQ.  Does it double as accommodation for their youth players, I wonder?

Lubin shanty town.

A ticket booth was open on this, the Main Stand, side.  I considered my options and went for a 35 zloty ticket on the other side.  Unbeknownst to me, that's where most people chose to sit this evening, maybe as it's the side closest to town?  The home end behind the goal to its left was sparse, though a band of loyal, loud ultras made themselves be heard during the game.

I still had time to wander back towards a park and watch the skaters/BMXers and read my Private Eye, before heading back.  Beer and kielbasa bought (the latter being more of a Frankfurter variety today), I took my seat, near the halfway line.

The walk to the park...a bridge within a bridge.

While it was busy around me, the rest of the stadium struggled.  I may have even won the 'guess the crowd' competition, as I was under by 3.  But with 4,003 there, I bet one or two others guessed similarly.  The visitors, Jagiellonia Bialystok, hadn't brought many - but it's the other side of Poland.  However, they could still be heard during lulls in the home noise.  But, really, will this small provincial town ever see it's 16,000 capacity stadium full?  Not since it opened in 2009, but maybe it will if they ever repeat their winning of the league (Ekstaklasa) in 1991 and 2007.

A sparse stadium awaits the teams.

It was entertaining stuff tonite, as Jagiellonia, looking the better side, as befitting recent history, took a two goal lead.  Zaglebie looked dead and buried - the second was conceded just after they'd made a substitution.  What hope now?  Well, in the 71st and 78th minutes, innocuous right wing crosses met with the same goalden result.  The first saw a looping header find the far top corner.  The scorer couldn't repeat that in a 100 efforts.  Then, a low cross was ignored by the defence and a Lubin player trotted in to sidefoot it on the half volley into the bottom corner.  Nonchalant.

Not one of the goals.  Least I don't think so.

The crowd was really buzzing now, eager for a winner, but I'd done my calculations; I had to leave in the 87th minute.  I couldn't afford to miss the last train to Wroclaw.  Everything went to plan.  I made the train - and Zaglebie and Jagiellonia failed to grab a winner.  Phew.

The Damage:
PLZ 35 ent
PLZ 14 kielbasa
PLZ 8 (Tyskie, x2)
= PLZ 65

The Tunes:
Bladerunner OST (Vangelis)
Blind (The Sundays)
Versions (Spring Heel Jack)
Guilty of Love (Unloved)
Lady's Bridge (Richard Hawley)
free CD (East India Youth)
Polymer (Plaid)

Stayed at:
Cinnamon Hostel, Wroclaw (£12)

Stadion Zaglebia Lubin panorama

This way...

The way in.

This way or that?

Imagine what COULD be done with the stadium surrounds?

The main entrance.  If you can get there.

It certainly stands out.

Wasteland concrete pre-dating the new stadium?

The training pitches.

Stadion Zaglebia Lubin

Outside the stadium.

One of many ticket booths.

More shanty town inaction.

Dinner time!

The teams finish their meet 'n' greet.

Zaglebie ultras.

The mascot mingling.

The away end.

Looking towards the away end.

As above!

Drummers and cheerleader in the home end.

It's a family affair at Zaglebie.

Full time (well, it is for me).

Back where it all began...the railway station.

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.