Deano Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Does Katowice still host speedway? In League or International format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 No. Rico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Thanks, I read it has become their national football stadium, but was unaware speedway was given the boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 It has always been their national football stadium. And their national speedway stadium, too! A couple of days ago I saw a few minutes of the Poland vs Colombia match (where the Colombian goalkeeper scored a freak goal) and the speedway track was clearly visible around the outside of the football pitch. It can still be used for speedway at any time, and in fact was used for a GP only a few years back. However, attendances for speedway at Chorzow (Kattowice) are not good enough for such a huge stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 And huge it certainly is. When I saw Nielsen win a world title there, somebody told me the capacity is 120,000, though in the UK health and safety would probably cut that by half. Would that we had regular speedway stadia like that, though sadly we would struggle to fill them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champion Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 And huge it certainly is. When I saw Nielsen win a world title there, somebody told me the capacity is 120,000 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The capacity was around 100.000 when it was built in 1956, and the record of 120.000 was beaten in 1963, but after radical modernization in the 90's the capacity is around 45.000-50.000. And it's Chorzow, not Katowice. Gorny Slask is a great agglomeration including over a dozen big cities, where one city border on another city. Chorzow or Katowice are one of them. As far as I know Chorzow has never hosted any league speedway. It has only hosted world championships, or various domestic individual & team meetings. Katowice hosted speedway but it was before World War II and shortly after it. The nearest cities still hosting speedway are Rybnik (1st division this season) and Swietochlowice (withdrawn from any league meetings a few years ago). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM Posted June 3, 2006 Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 To be fair, it's near both Chorzow and Katowice, Champion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted June 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2006 Didn't realise Poland had teams open and close just like our own, Pol's seem pretty passionate about their speedway. I wish when our speedway teams move on, the track would remain in order for it to return! It annoys me when the first thing they do is tarmac over them. Lets hope speedway does return eventually, to the city, on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paragon Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 When we went a few years ago for the GP, the Grandstand wasn't finished & our seats were fold up chairs put down on the concrete. Which was ok until a very drunken Pole fell forward & took out 3 rows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazzman Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 It has always been their national football stadium. And their national speedway stadium, too! A couple of days ago I saw a few minutes of the Poland vs Colombia match (where the Colombian goalkeeper scored a freak goal) and the speedway track was clearly visible around the outside of the football pitch. It can still be used for speedway at any time, and in fact was used for a GP only a few years back. However, attendances for speedway at Chorzow (Kattowice) are not good enough for such a huge stadium. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I noticed the Speedway track around the outside, I also seen the freak goal. It all looked bad for Poland#s World Cup bid but they just beat Croatia in a pre-season friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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