Image via @RuchChorzow1920 on Twitter
Writing about stadiums is not particularly thrilling to read a lot of the time, so why write this article? Quite frankly, it seems too momentous an occasion not to.
The last time Stadion Śląski hosted an Ekstraklasa game was pre-renovation, in 2009, when Ruch Chorzów beat ŁKS Łódź 2-0. Since then, the stadium has undergone a troubled but ultimately impressive eight-year renovation, and was most recently the scene for Poland’s play-off to get into the 2022 World Cup.
There had been hopes that with Ruch’s return to the Ekstraklasa that Stadion Śląski would again host matches, but it has taken until the 13th round of fixtures to make this a reality, with Ruch having played in Gliwice for the season so far.
If there was ever a match for the occasion, tonight looks likely to be it. Ruch will host Śląsk Wrocław, the current league leaders and by far the early favourites to mount a proper title challenge to the expected two-way battle between Raków Częstochowa and Legia Warszawa.
It’s hard to properly articulate why this is such a big deal, other than the fact that besides the old Stadion Dziesięciolecia (since replaced by Stadion Narodowy) it’s one of the stadiums that stretches back through all ages of Polish sport, not solely football. I suppose to compare to an English example it would be a bit like when Tottenham played at Wembley for a while, but this still doesn’t really do it justice.
I think in my opinion it’s just fantastic to see these great cathedrals of sport, with all the grandeur and history associated with them, used week-in week-out as Ruch hope to for the rest of the season. That stadiums like Stadion Śląski sit unused for great portions of the year is a real shame, and I’m sure that tonight’s fixture will live up to the billing from a standpoint of spectacle regardless of the result.
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