Stadion Miejski w Starachowicach – stadium description

The municipal stadium in Starachowice was built in 1961. Not accidentally, 11 hectares beside the Star truck factory, because it was the national manufacturer who financed necessary works. Fittingly, it was trucks that carried vast amounts of soil to create the landfill stands of what’s commonly known as “Star stadium”.

After opening the stadium became home to local football club, renamed Star (formerly Stal) to be local industry’s showcase. Reaching Polish Cup quarterfinal in 1966, the team was drawing crowds, forcing expansion of the embankments in 1971. By that time 11 rows of terracing were available and there are records of crowds nearing 20,000.

Popularity of the club peaked in 1979, when Star almost got promoted to the top flight, losing the promotion spot to famous Górnik Zabrze in the end. Just two years later the team was relegated, then again and eventually folded in 2005, following years of poor performances. It was then re-launched as an amateur side and continues to use the stadium.

The last major upgrade came in 2001, when the stadium hosted Poland’s Supercup game between Wisła Kraków and Polonia Warszawa. The event marked 75 years of football in Starachowice.