Stadion Miejski w Białej Podlaskiej – stadium description

When was the first stadium on Piłsudskiego Street in Biała Podlaska built?

The old stadium on Piłsudskiego Street in Biała Podlaska was built in 1976, in connection with the organisation of the voivodship harvest festival. The facility had stands on both sides of the pitch and an athletics track, which had been badly neglected over time. One of the highlights of its first years was the local AZS match against Legia Warszawa in the Polish Cup (1977/78). A year later, the team fell one point short of promotion to the second division. Since 2006, the venue has hosted women's Ekstraliga matches involving AZS PSW Biała Podlaska.

How did the construction of the new football stadium in Biała Podlaska happen?

In 2016, an interesting, ambitious vision for a new football stadium in Biała Podlaska was presented. The new arena was to be built on the site of the existing facility on Piłsudskiego Street. The stadium was ultimately to have stands on all sides of the pitch that could accommodate 7,800 spectators. However, the design was to be implemented in stages, with the main stand on the eastern side to be built first.

The tender for the construction of the new stand was launched in June 2017, but due to problems in finding a contractor, the deal was not signed until a year later, after the city council allocated additional funds. S-Sport became the main contractor and the project was worth PLN 39.5 million. Almost from the very beginning, however, the construction had significant delays, and there were also problems with paying subcontractors. For this reason, the city terminated the contract with S-Sport in December 2018.

The company left behind a completely dug-up stadium, unable to host any matches. Questions arose about the future of the entire project. In the end, it was decided to radically reduce the plans. At the beginning of 2021, a new vision was made public, according to which only one covered stand would be built next to the pitch, on the west side.

In July 2021, the contractor for the new stand, PNB, was selected. The value of the agreement was PLN 16.54 million (including the more than PLN 7 million already spent, the cost of the new stadium amounted to a total of around PLN 24 million). At the same time, the construction of a new indoor sports hall in the vicinity of the stadium was also ordered.

Work on the new stand went smoothly this time and after about a year the facility was ready for the opening. Meanwhile, for more than four years, MKS Podlasie had, out of necessity, played its matches on the pitches of the Państwowa Szkoła Wyższa (State University of Applied Sciences), Szkoła Trenerów PZPN (Polish Football Association Coaches School), an artificial pitch on Piłsudskiego Street, and also in nearby Piszczac.

When was the new stadium on Piłsudskiego Street in Biała Podlaska commissioned?

The first league match in the new stadium was played on August 13, 2022 against Wieczysta Kraków. The meeting, which ended in a 1:1 draw against a team with former national team members, was quite an event. The grand opening, however, is planned for September 4, when a friendly match between MKS Podlasie and a team from the PZPN Coaches School is to be held, with former representatives and other celebrities in attendance.

What does the new MKS Podlasie stadium look like?

The new stadium has one covered stand, located on the west side of the pitch. There is also a modest visitors' section on the opposite side. The facility is also equipped with floodlights. The capacity is approximately 1,200 spectators. It is possible that the stadium will be extended in the future.