Date: 25 July 2024 / League: Polish ninth tier (I think!)
Final Score: 1-0 / Attendance: approx. 150
Experience
It’s not unusual now to bump into Brits (and other nationalities, for that matter) at Legia or Polonia, but while Warsaw is experiencing a surge in football tourism, few visitors look beyond the capital’s two best-known clubs.
More fool them. True, Warsaw doesn’t offer the same footballing riches shared by Europe’s other high-profile capitals, but that’s not to say it’s an absolute desert. Peer just beyond the city limits, and the stadium afficionado will find a small haul of smashers in satellite towns such as Blonie (CLICK ME!), Konstancin (CLICK ME!), and, of course, the magical planet of Otwock.
Costing not that much more than a tenner to reach by Uber from central Warsaw, the home of Start Otwock is, for me, one of Poland’s best-kept secrets. But if that’s the good news, then the bad news is that it won’t be for long. Yep, the bulldozers are rolling in – and actually, they have already. Set to be turned into a multipurpose athletics / football venue, the away pen has already been knocked down, but for the time being the rest of the ground remains.
That means, in essence, two side stands: one, a covered tribune where most fans gather, and then, opposite, an open stand that attracts a few hardcore boozers and the team’s Ultras.
On this occasion, that meant twenty lads who massed in the farthest corner to share shots and tip back lagers while breaking into the occasional song. After satisfying themselves that I wasn’t undercover police, I was handed a couple of beers and allowed to roam around snapping pictures.
I don’t have much more to add that I haven’t said before (for my previous visit to Start Otwock, CLICK ME!), but what I will say is that I’ll miss this ground when it finally goes. How long that will be, I’ve no idea, but judging by the cranes looming overhead, and the amount of industrial hardware being massed behind the goals, the serious work isn’t far away. Another one bites the dust.
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