City councilors have decided to allocate 500,000 PLN from the city's budget to create the design documentation for the modernization of the pitch at Olimpia Elbląg Stadium.

Pitch comes first

Elbląg Mayor Michał Missan announced that work on Agrykola Street 8 could begin next year. He also mentioned further meetings with the club's management and supporters’ association, who have long demanded a complete renovation of Olimpia Elbląg's stadium. "We know that these are enormous costs, and the city of Elbląg may not be able to afford them all at once, but we are open to doing it in stages. The first stage will be the pitch. And then we’re waiting for the stands, as each one really needs to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch," said Mateusz Kosiński, representing the Supporters’ Association, as quoted by Radio Olsztyn. The entire investment is expected to be completed within five years.

A few days ago, MP Andrzej Śliwka commented on the situation, discussing the fans' demands for a new stadium during an interview with Radio Olsztyn: Looking at the city's financial situation, from a five-year perspective, I see no reason why funds couldn't be found in this and upcoming budgets to fully cover the construction of a new stadium for Elbląg, he said. Fans interested in stadiums worldwide will surely be intrigued by the offer from one of the best betting sites in Bangladesh, 1xbet promo code offering various of bonuses.

© Olimpia Elbląg

Long-standing demands for renovation

On September 7, a friendly match took place between Olimpia Elbląg and Zagłębie Sosnowiec. Before the game, a march and protest were held in front of the City Hall building. A new stadium for Elbląg – chanted the fans. We want a stadium that we won’t be ashamed of when visitors come because right now, it's embarrassing. [...] I've been a supporter of Olimpia since 1971. Our pitch was once envied by Arka Gdynia and Lechia Gdańsk. Now, this stadium is in ruins, fans told Radio Olsztyn. Around 500 fans participated in the march, including supporters from Zagłębie Sosnowiec and Legia Warsaw, which ended at Olimpia stadium.

The current Olimpia stadium was inaugurated in the 1951/1952 season, replacing a pre-World War II field. Its golden era was during the 1970s and 1980s, when Olimpia Elbląg played in Poland's second division. The record attendance came in three matches between 1976 and 1977, with a crowd of 12,000. However, in the 1990s, political and economic changes brought financial and organizational difficulties to the club. The withdrawal of key sponsors led to a significant decline in the stadium's infrastructure. Facing severe financial problems, the club decided to municipalize the stadium and hand it over to the city. The lack of funds for consistent renovations resulted in the stadium falling into disrepair.

The first major renovation came in 2011, with the construction of a covered stand next to the club building. In 2014, another covered stand was added, increasing the stadium's capacity by 900 seats. In 2017, the club building was thoroughly renovated, and in 2018, lighting was installed. However, this is far from sufficient, and fans have been demanding a new stadium for years.