Date: 18 May 2024 / League: Polish fifth tier
Final Score: 2-0 / Attendance: approx. 1,000
By the extraordinary standards of last season, 23/24 has been a little underwhelming in comparison – yeah, there’s been some great trips, but it’s fallen short of real humdingers. The month of May, however, has given me fresh hope that Poland’s fan scene hasn’t died on its arse, and I’ve had a string of bangers that have proved top-drawer. In that list, I include this trip to the memorably titled KSZO Ostrowiec Swietokrzyskie.
Having first visited during the lockdown era, I knew exactly what to expect: a cracking stadium but a town with few distractions. With this industrial city short of selling points, it was with welcome relief I found a convenient train connection that dropped me in the centre with just 90 minutes till kick-off.
As it turned out, this coincided nicely with the arrival of the away contingent. As the train pulled in, I found the 230 travelling fans already on the platform getting corralled by the police ahead of their escort to the ground. I don’t make a habit of tagging onto escorts, but with no local pub to trial this was a decent enough way to chalk off the minutes.
As for the ground itself, I’ve written about it before (for that, CLICK ME!), and I’m pleased to say it hasn’t changed a bit. Of its puzzle board of features, standout elements include a shadowy away pen in a rusting corner; a low-lying main stand with a commentary booth inside a corrugated steel shed; and two ends pathetically shielded from the elements by flimsy barrel-vaulted roofs.
A product of the 90s, for many years this 8,500-capacity stadiums was deemed one of the best in the country – in fact, such was its reputation it hosted four internationals between 1995 and 2005 (albeit against lowly opposition such as Estonia, New Zealand, Lithuania and San Marino), and two Super Cup matches pitting Poland’s champions against the domestic cup winners.
Onto the game, and that didn’t disappoint. Billed as a local derby, a bumper crowd of probably just under a 1,000 kept the noise level amped to max – great away support, but the night belonged to the home side thanks to a hardcore pyro show that swallowed the ground in an impenetrable fog.
This was a great match to experience even if the return journey was far from ideal. If getting there hadn’t been a problem, getting out was – with about four hours to kill after the final whistle, and no pub in sight, time inched by as I sat ordering hot dog after hot dog in a dormant petrol station. Frankly, I couldn’t have given a toss – what a night!
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