Stadion im. Braci Czachorów

Capacity8 840
Country Poland
CityRadom
ClubsRKS Radomiak Radom
Inauguration 30/07/2023
Floodlights 1600 lux
Construction 2017–2023
Cost PLN 150 M ($37.5 M)
Contractor Rosa-Bud, Maxto / Betonox

Advertisement

Stadion Braci Czachorów – stadium description

How did Radomiak previous stadium look like?

You can see a presentation of the old Stadion im. Braci Czachorów on a separate subpage

The old stadium on Struga Street was built in the inter-war period. After World War II, it was hosted by Radomiak Radom and the stadium underwent modernisations. The facility witnessed, among others, Radomiak's performances in the then First League in the 1984/85 season, as well as three friendly matches of the Polish national team in the 1990s. In 2010, the stadium was named after the Czachor brothers. The facility had a gravel track and could accommodate around 6,000 spectators. Its distinctive feature was the announcer's box in the west stand, known as the 'gołębnik' ('pigeon house').

How did the construction of Radomiak new stadium come about?

How did the concept of a new stadium for Radomiak develop?

Plans to build a new stadium for Radomiak date back to the early 2000s. In 2006, the first concept for the redevelopment of the stadium at Struga Street was created. However, the concept was soon abandoned and consideration was given to building a stadium in another location. The choice fell on the Koniówka district, where an entire sports and leisure centre with a stadium capable of holding up to 20,000 spectators was to be built. The complex was planned for Euro 2012, as one of the training centres.

Ultimately, nothing came of the plans to build the centre in Koniówka, and the idea of rebuilding the facility on Struga Street was revived. The new plan was to find a private partner who would help finance the investment, in return making a profit from the new facility. The new stadium was now to be exclusively for football; there was talk of additional commercial functions and the construction of a new sports hall.

Despite finding willing investors, the public-private partnership project got bogged down in administrative procedures. The city then turned to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism for funding to build the indoor arena. In 2012, a competition was held for its architectural concept, which was won by the studio APA Czech-Duliński-Wróbel. The vision also included a preliminary outline of the stadium and became the basis for the final concept of the entire complex.

Meanwhile, between 2010 and 2012, the MOSiR stadium at Narutowicza Street in Radom was rebuilt. Meanwhile, Radomiak fans, seeing an impasse over a stadium for their club, founded the 'Stadium for Radomiak' initiative in 2012 and started collecting signatures for a petition to the city authorities.

When were the key decisions on the construction of Radomiak new stadium made?

In December 2014, Radosław Witkowski, who was an ardent supporter of the stadium construction, became the new mayor of Radom. After changing the concept so that the facilities would avoid the disputed land after the would-be sports complex with a hall and swimming pool, in March 2015 the new mayor announced the construction of the Radom Sports Centre (Radomskie Centrum Sportu) on Struga Street, which was to include a new stadium and hall. The preparation of the functional-utility programme was handled by Estudio Lamela from Warsaw.

How did the construction of Radomiak new stadium proceed?

A detailed account of the construction of Radomiak new stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

When did the construction of Radom Sports Centre start?

In October 2015, the construction of the Radom Sports Centre was tendered, which was won by Rosa-Bud in partnership with Maxto. The contract amount was PLN 110 million. The last match at the old stadium was held on April 9 2016, and on May 4 of the same year the groundbreaking ceremony was held in with the participation of, among others, the mayor of the city.

In the following months, demolition of the old stadium was carried out and construction of the new arena began. After the closure of the old facility, Radomiak football players moved to the recently rebuilt stadium on Narutowicza Street.

According to the original plans, the new hall was to be ready in the second half of July 2018 and the stadium two months later. The stadium was ultimately intended to hold 15,000 spectators, but in the first stage only the construction of stands along the pitch was planned. Initially, the capacity was to be 5,500 spectators, but after the north stand was extended to the full length of the pitch, the planned capacity increased to around 8,500 spectators and, with the addition of the corners, to 8,840 spectators. The final concept for the stadium was presented on September 26, 2016.

The architectural concept of Radomiak new stadium can be viewed on a separate subpage

When did the actual construction of Radomiak stadium begin?

The construction of the stadium faced problems from the beginning. Planning permission was only granted in April 2017. On May 15, 2017, a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was held for the second time, this time for the stadium itself (work on the hall was already progressing).

Why was the contract with the first contractor for the Radomiak stadium broken?

Due to delays, an addendum was signed in June 2018, according to which the hall was to be commissioned in November 2018 and the stadium in February 2019. When, at the beginning of 2019, the contractor asked for another extension of the deadline, as well as an additional PLN 23 million, MOSiR cancelled the contract. An inventory carried out subsequently revealed a number of irregularities.

Who completed the construction of the Radomiak stadium?

A tender to complete the works was issued in May 2019, but no interested party came forward at the first deadline. In the second tender, the consortium of Erekta Budownictwo/Interiors Karolina Pawlak won, but when the contract was due to be signed in November, the consortium withdrew from the project. The contract, amounting to more than PLN 82 million, was finally signed on January 16, 2020 with the second bidder, Betonox.

Why were the newly constructed stands dismantled during the construction of the Radomiak stadium?

The new contractor was given one year to complete the construction. Meanwhile, in May 2020, it turned out that the north stand had been built without proper foundations. A decision was made to partially demolish the prefabricated structure erected so far, then a new retaining wall had to be erected, piling and foundations improved. This resulted in a significant increase in costs and an extended completion date. In the summer of 2021, it became apparent that the south stand also required similar work.

Meanwhile, in 2021 Radomiak, whose temporary stay at the stadium on Narutowicza Street was significantly extended, were promoted to the top-flight division for the second time in their history.

When did the first phase of the new Radomiak stadium come to an end?

In December 2021, the new sports and entertainment hall was commissioned. At the time, the completion of the first stage of the stadium was planned for the end of 2022, but in June 2022 the deadline was extended by another six months. The work was finally completed in the summer of 2023.

When was the new Radomiak stadium inaugurated?

The inauguration of the stadium took place on July 30, 2023. On the opening day, a football tournament for children was organised at the facility and the stadium was open to the public for tours. The first official match in the new stadium took place on August 5, 2023, when Radomiak faced Cracovia in the 3rd round of the Ekstraklasa (0:1).

How much did the new Radomiak stadium cost?

The final cost of the first phase of the stadium was around PLN 150 million, with the construction of the arena costing a further PLN 115 million. The construction of the arena managed to obtain PLN 35.7 million in funding from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, with the rest of the expenditure having to be borne by the city.

When will the new Radomiak stadium be fully completed?

Construction of the missing stands behind the goals began in May 2024, with the contractor being Betonox, the same company that completed Phase I of the stadium's construction. The work is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2026 at the latest. The new stands will close the building's structure into one unit and increase the stadium's capacity to nearly 14,500 spectators. The realization of the second stage, which is expected to cost nearly PLN 40 million, is made possible thanks to funding from the government's Polski Ład program in the amount of PLN 30 million.

The contract with Betonox does not include the stadium's elevation, which is to be built as part of a separate task. A tender for the elevation is expected to be issued later in 2024.

What does the new Radomiak stadium look like?

Radomiak's new stadium has two single-level stands along the pitch after the completion of the first phase of construction. The facility was built partly on the site of the old Czachor Brothers stadium, although the pitch was moved a piece to the north and rotated 90 degrees. The new stadium does not have an athletics track and has a typical football layout.

The capacity of the new stands is 8,840 spectators and the pitch is equipped with a heating system. The target capacity of the stadium is about 14,500 spectators, with further two stands to be built behind the goals to enclose the structure as a single unit.

The main stand with boxes and VIP seats is located on the south side, and on the outside it is adjacent to the circular building of the new 5,600-seat arena, with which the stadium forms the Radom Sports Centre.

Both stands are covered, and on the edge of the roof there are low masts carrying LED floodlights. The roof sheathing is partly made of white membrane and partly of transparent polycarbonate. The auditorium is equipped with plastic folding seats in white and green, which on the north stand form the inscription 'Radomiak'. Two screens are placed in the corners.

The new Radomiak stadium, like its predecessor, is named after the Czachor brothers.

Advertisement

Pictures