Poland President Continues To Fight For A New Stadium For Ruch Chorzów

22.08.2024 20:58

source: StadiumDB.com; author: Paulina Skóra

Chorzów's mayor, Szymon Michałek, has not given up on the fight for a new stadium for Ruch Chorzów. He sent a letter to Minister of Sport Sławomir Nitras requesting financial assistance from the State Treasury. The letter has already been signed by 80 notable figures, including Jerzy Owsiak, the founder of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.

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Funds for the construction of a new stadium in Chorzów were supposed to come from the state budget under the Program of Investments of Special Importance for Sports - 2023 Edition, amounting to PLN 103,939,024. Although Minister Sławomir Nitras stated a few weeks ago that the government would not support investments in infrastructure for football clubs, the city’s mayor continues to fight. Fans also want to do it, although many choose online entertainment as well, such as online betting, not only for matches in Polish leagues.

As reported by Dziennik Zachodni, the publication of the list of beneficiaries in October 2023 did not constitute a formal resolution. This list included Raków Częstochowa and Ruch Chorzów, among others. The program was supposed to guarantee funds for the construction of new stadiums. The Ministry also stated that no formal or substantive evaluation of applications had been made. The sports investment support program has not yet been fully resolved or signed by the current minister.

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Chorzów's mayor sent a letter to the minister, arguing that the new stadium on Cicha Street would serve all residents and not just be a sports venue. It would be widely accessible, rather than solely fulfilling commercial purposes. The mayor assured that Chorzów is seeking funding for this investment not only from state sources.

According to Dziennik Zachodni, the letter was signed by more than 80 figures from the world of sports and culture. The list is headed by Jerzy Owsiak, with other signatories including Marta Tadla (actress), Wojciech Kuczok (writer), Agata Sitko (powerlifter), Henryk Czich (musician from the band Universe), Błażej Jankowiak (director), and Wojciech Grzyb (a long-time star of Ruch Chorzów).

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I still hope I can meet with Minister Nitras. Whether the minister finds time for me – I don’t know, but we must remember one thing: Ruch Chorzów is a part of Polish history, a part of Polish football history, Silesian football history, the mayor said during his latest chat with residents.

He was also asked what would happen to the old grandstand of Ruch's stadium: My plan is to initially leave it where it stands. I’d like to start the construction of the stadium from the Bojowników Avenue side, so the grandstand can remain functional for as long as possible. However, the high costs of relocating the grandstand make such a move impossible, and few original parts of the main grandstand remain.

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