Date: 21 October 2023 / League: Polish top flight
Final Score: 4-0 / Attendance: 39,583
Experience
I’ve done Slask a thousand times and more it feels like, most recently with England back at the tail-end of summer. That time, all I needed was 20-minutes inside the ground before deciding to head back to enjoy the boozy embrace of the Old Town’s many pubs – I don’t like this stadium, so for me to stick around I demand something special.
Strangely though, whilst I view this as a characterless bowl, bangers aren’t unknown – at the start of the year, the match against Lech Poznan came with one of the most epic displays of pyro I think I’ll ever live to see (for that, CLICK ME!). Then, back in 2019, Slask versus Legia produced another classic with both ends resembling steaming volcanoes (for more, CLICK ME!).
Last night’s game was too bad, either – usually just a quarter full, Saturday night saw a rare full-house checking in to watch table toppers Slask take on Polish football royalty, Legia Warsaw. Missing out on a regular ticket, I put this game to the back of my mind and only applied for press accreditation about ten-minutes before the cut-off at noon on Friday. Surprisingly, an hour later I found my application approved. Okay then, I figured, I’ll do Slask if I must.
The day didn’t start well. Breaking down for two-hours, the late arrival of my train scuppered my plans for a traditional pre-match curry (though did, at least, allow for plenty of ciders in the train’s dining wagon), whilst my customary issues with Uber meant it wasn’t till kick-off that I took my place by the pitch.
I needn’t have worried – as decent as the first-half was in terms of decibel count, it wasn’t till the second that the evening took its turn. Following a quick Slask goal just after the restart, both sets put preparations for their shows into motion – Legia’s ultras changing into their murder kits under a large chequered banner, and Slask’s doing the same beneath a giant jersey.
It was Legia that launched their display first though, with their cheese-wedge sector transformed under a tricolour of flags and coordinated pyro. With the smoke from their demonstration drifting across the pitch, it was difficult to see what Slask had up their sleeve – a huge coat-of-arms that was hoisted inch by inch in front of their end.
Curiously, all the off-the-pitch events coincided with an avalanche of goals. Scoring three more times in the space of seven or so minutes, Slask put the game beyond doubt in a brief crazy spell. Credit where it’s due though – this collapse served to only galvanise the 3,400 visiting fans. Deafening stuff.
All in all, a solid evening out. Not the all-time classic I had envisaged, but an entertaining night that again proved that no matter how dull a ground may look, it’s ultimately the fans that determine the atmosphere.
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