Stadion Polonii Bytom – design description

How did the design for a new, intimate Polonia Bytom stadium originate?

After the failure of the redevelopment of Stadion im. Edwarda Szymkowiaka, which had been planned since 2014 (a deal was signed with the contractor in 2018, but after dismantling some elements of the stadium, including the seats and the roof, the company carrying out the investment withdrew from the contract at the end of the year), the facility was left in ruins and Polonia Bytom moved to Stadion Szombierek Bytom.

In 2020, plans emerged for a new, intimate stadium to be built just to the west of the Edward Szymkowiak Stadium. The venue was ultimately to be used for a football academy, but until the main stadium was rebuilt (which seems a distant prospect), it was to become home to Polonia Bytom's first team as well. A three-storey club building was also part of the project.

What will the new Polonia Bytom Stadium be like?

Although, at the time the plans were drawn up, Polonia were in the third division (fourth tier), the facility will meet the requirements for matches in the second division, and with a small investment it will also be possible to adapt it for first division matches.

The new football stadium will have a pitch with artificial turf on a north-south axis. It will have modest stands for 2,220 spectators. Four floodlight masts, fitted with LED spotlights, will stand in the corners.

Behind the southern goal, a three-storey club building will be erected to house, among other things, changing rooms, a modest museum, a cafeteria, rooms for the football academy, senior team, e-sports section and administration.

When will the new Polonia Bytom stadium be built?

You can see coverage of the construction of the new Polonia Bytom stadium on a separate subpage

The tender for the construction in the design-and-build formula was announced on December 30, 2020. The contract with the main contractor, Tamex Obiekty Sportowe SA, was signed on June 10, 2021, with a contract value of PLN 30.478 million. During the first six months, work on the design documentation was underway and construction work began on February 7, 2022.

The contract covered the first phase of construction, which was to include a new pitch, one stand and a club building. On August 23, 2023, the first training sessions took place at the new facility. The first match and the actual inauguration of the new arena took place on September 2, 2023, when Polonia Bytom faced Pogoń Siedlce (1:1) in a 2 Liga (third division) game.

The second phase of construction remains to be completed, which is expected to include the construction of the second (west) stand and the finishing of the upper floors of the club building. On February 29, 2024, a tender for these tasks was announced. The city has set aside PLN 18.5 million in the budget for this purpose. The investment could be completed in 2025.