Euro 2012

In Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw people are happy that thanks to Euro 2012 they will have a modern stadium for 40 thousands of spectators.

At the same time, activists of the Lech, Lechia and Silesia clubs are worried and wonder what to do so as not to make the tribunes empty during the top league matches.

A 40-thousandth facility occupied in the middle looks pretty gloomily. It will be better if all seats of the 15-thousandth stadium are occupied with spectators – said Michael Lipczyński, marketing director of Lech. In the last season Ruch Chorzow played at the Silesian Stadium.

Over 40 thousands of people watched the match only with Górnik Zabrze, others had lower results.

Will the tribunes of new stadiums after Euro 2012 be occupied at all during the matches of Lech, Lechia or Silesia?

Fans have to be brought up

For now, the teams are not watched by crowds. Lech had a very good turnout in Poznan, but for the time of modernization it moved to Wronki. A recent hit with the Vistula Team was watched by one thousands of fans! The club admitted that the move to Wronki affect Lech badly and the fashion of Lech in large part will need to be built from scratch.

- It’s big challenge to occupy a 40-thousand stadium – said Lipczyński. – Fans have to be brought up, otherwise they would not come, even if we had a beautiful stadium, or they will appear only when the team reaches very good results. However, when the team starts losing, then they do not come again. This situation cannot happen- states Poznan club’s marketing director, who will face filling of the stadium at first, because the facility in the Bulgarska street is to be open in summer 2010.

Michael Lipczyński says – In order to succeed, is the most important thing is the sport success. The team almost always should strive for the highest goals and play in European competitions. The second element is security, which, at the Lech stadium has been provided for eight years. In fact, after Euro, clubs will no longer compete only with each other, but their competitors will be cinemas, theaters. The idea is that man, having a certain amount of money, should decide to come and spend it at the stadium.

From Fiat 126p to Ferrari

Wroclaw dreams that in spring 2011 Poland will play with Brazil or Silesia with Manchester. However, the fashion in Silesia is just being created, but the process has stopped, because the team plays irregularly. Fans are not able to fill the stadium which can accommodate 9 thousands of people. The stadium was not occupied even on the Poland – Slovenia match inaugurating the eliminations for the world championships.

According to the plan, the club owner Zygmunt Solorz will invest a lot of money in Silesia until the end of 2011. But the authorities of Wroclaw are already pushing on big transfers. They are afraid that the stadium in Maslice will be almost empty during the matches.

- The investment in Silesia must begin before the facility will be opened, because later it may be too late. Were it not for the stadium, the city would not commit itself so much in Silesia and the club would have probably still played in the first league – notes Michael Janicki, director of the city council and a member of the supervisory board in Silesia.

In order that the new stadium be profitable, the matches of Silesia should be watched by about 18 thousands of spectators, which is more than two times than now! – This number is a minimum. We would be just a little bit happy – points Janicki. – Filling the whole the stadium with fans will be difficult, but our opportunity is that there has not been such facilities in Poland yet. Our fans take Ferrari instead of Fiat 126p – Janicki laughs.

SMG World, American consortium will probably ensure that the stadium be alive. It is the only consortium which took part in the tender for the so-called facility operator. The company would rent retail spaces, restaurants and organize music concerts at the stadium. Wrocław authorities estimate that due to the activity of the operator, SMG World will earn 25 millions PLN per year. For comparison, the profit from the facility from Oporowski, where Silesia plays now – amounts to about 300 thousands PLN per year.

Janicki: – As early as in the next year, you will have the opportunity to buy a season ticket and reserve a place at the new facility. We are planning a presentation of the stadium for fans like developers for their clients. Every viewer will sit on one chair to see the view on the sports field.

Gdańsk not afraid of the stadium

The biggest optimists are Lechia Gdańsk. – In order that a lot of people come to the stadium we do not have to fight for the Polish championship and European cups – says Maciej Turnowiecki, chief executive of the club: – Knowing the specificity of fans from Gdansk, who are supporters of Lechia electrifies the atmosphere on tribunes and the play of the team with a full involvement, regardless of the place occupied by our team. Today, in principle, we have a panoply of fans on every match without advertisements.

Turnowiecki believes that the club will reach an average of 30 thousands of spectators per match without any problems. He explains that fans in Gdansk, will finally have good access to the stadium and an adequate number of parking spaces.

Recently, the club has signed a marketing and advertising agreement with the company Sportfive. A German potentate is to pay 80 millions of PLN to Lechia, but only on condition that the club plays at the Baltic Arena. Sportfive wants to manage the new facility in Gdansk, and together with the club managers with is lobbing strongly in the city authoritiesy. The head of the Polish Sportfive, Andrew Placzyński announced that for the opening of the facility there will play Juventus Turyn, which has a similar agreement with his company as Lechia.

Photos of the current stadiums buildings: