Stadium
When the club was founded, it had no stadium. There were several football grounds in Sarajevo, but other clubs didn't want to allow Željezničar to use it. So they used military training pitch called Egzercir. It wasn't actually a football ground. However, it was the closest thing they could get and it will be remembered as a club's first pitch. It was placed in part of the city known as Čengić Vila. In 1932. new ground was prepared in Pofalići (yet another part of Sarajevo), close to railway station. It wasn't much better than the last one, but it was built by the club and because of that it had a special meaning.
After the World War II, Željezničar played on Stadion "6. april" on Marijin Dvor (there is a building now behind Secondary school of technical sciences) until June 18, 1950. Authorities planned to build a street, so the club made another move to military stadium in Skenderija. Club staff was tired of all that moving and they decided to build its own stadium in Grbavica (also part of the city). Friends, supporters, members of the club and even military, all helped in construction. Stadium was officially opened on September 13, 1951. with the second league match between Željezničar and Šibenik. Željezničar won 4–1.
Ever since, Grbavica is the place of joy and sorrow for the club and its supporters. Symbolically, old railway was passing over the hill behind the stadium, and every time it would sound its whistle to salute the present masses. Stadium had a small stands on the East and South side, while the wooden stands with the roof were on the West side. Because of the reconstruction, Željezničar moved again in 1968 to city Koševo Stadium. They played there until April 25, 1976 and even won its only Yugoslav title in 1972 playing there.
Grbavica was opened again that year, and in the '80s modern northern stands were built. Unfortunately, war began in 1992 and Željezničar yet again needed to play on Koševo Stadium until May 2, 1996 when it came back to Grbavica. Wooden stands burned up during the war, but project for new modern stadium is prepared and waiting for financial back-up.
Before the war, stadium capacity was more than 20,000, but now it officially has 8,898 seated places, but some 8,000 more can fill the unseated parts of the stadium.
Read more about this topic: FK Željezničar Sarajevo
Famous quotes containing the word stadium:
“It’s no accident that of all the monuments left of the Greco- Roman culture the biggest is the ballpark, the Colosseum, the Yankee Stadium of ancient times.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)
“The final upshot of thinking is the exercise of volition, and of this thought no longer forms a part; but belief is only a stadium of mental action, an effect upon our nature due to thought, which will influence future thinking.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)