Wednesday 23 February 2011

SK DFO Pardubice; Czech Republic

I looked in at this ground on Monday 25th October 2010, I didn't have to search for it, it was right next to the ice hockey rink where I was buying a ticket for a game that evening!

It is a former home of the local side, FK AS Pardubice, who now play elsewhere in the town & are a Czech regional fourth division side.

It is the current home of the womens team SK DFO Pardubice.

When we wander round this ground it will be easy to see why it is not used for senior mens football anymore, but it is a delightful wreck, in parts!



From the main road you see the ground, through this car park.



The current occupants, the womens' side, have these posters advertising their games, around the town. I ididn't realise it wasn't used by the main mens side in the city, so I didn't take a 'close up' snap of their crest from the bilboards.



At the entrance to the approach above was this memorial.



I don't know whether this SK Pardubice is connected with either of the current clubs I've mentioned.



I couldn't find a way into the ground so walked round the back of the grandstand, at the other end of it, there was an open way into the ground, as it wasn't fenced off, beyond this door.



Which appears to be the headquarters of the local cycling club.



Walking in front of the main stand now, we are going up to this far corner of the ground, the aforementioned car park the other side of the fence. From this spot we shall start our tour.



This path is in front of the main stand.



To our right there is a raised open stand behind the goal. note how far away we are from the touchline on this side.



You get a clearer idea here, looking toward one of the dugouts, with the old open stand on the far side.



Still under the main stand, these doors must lead through to the changing rooms.



By the pitch now, we look over the halfway line.



Turning round we see one of the dugouts, & for the first time, see some of the large stand along this side.



Here we see the tunnel area, & seating up above. Sadly I could find no way to gain access up there.



Moving back, across the pitch, we get a full view of it here.



And as we can't climb up there we now look a bit more closely, from the pitch, moving from left to right, across the stand:







Looking beyond the stand, we can spot the other dugout, & that it appears to be open, with no area for fans, behind the other goal.



Presumably this stadium also one staged athletics, judging by the distance from stand to pitch.



Back under the stand, we continue to walk along...



Which leads to the outer part of the fencing behind the goal, so we are now 'outside' the ground.



This is what we see, bhind the goal, from over the top of the mesh.



From this angle we clearly see that we are outside, looking toward the stand.



So we retace our steps to get back 'inside', & here is a 'cornerflag' shot, over the pitch, to the other stand.



Just grassed, no standing behind this goal.



Through the goal we see the next stand.



To the right, the large main one.



Already at the next corner.



Behind us is a scoreboard.



Here we see where it is placed, again it is a fair distance from the pitch, when in the stand.



The stand has two sections, either side of the small raised roof area, that we can see, above a tunnel/entrance from the road behind.



Disused, left to the elements, it looks as though this was once wooden bench seating.



From this side of the pitch we look back over the halfway line.



Stepping onto the pictch we get a full length shot of this stand, with the old mens' badge on the wall at the back.



Here we stare directly at the centre section.



This is the other half of the old seating.



We are in the tunnel area, & look up the other way, to the first section we saw.



Carefully clambering up it, we see how neglected it is.



Yuk! Those old grass cuttings were as disgusting as they looked!



The door was an old gents toilet block.



Amazingly I could just push the big old gates at the back open, so here is the stand from outside!



Typical old Soviet era style sports figures are either side of the doors.



One with a certain part of the anatomy highlighted!



The other one just damaged by the elements, not vandals.



Back inside, we clamber up here, which we have already seen.



From above the tunnel we look across the pitch.



Then turning right, to the end we've already covered.



And to the left, where we will be heading.



That's the final part of the ground we're heading to.



A close up of the first section of it, from the old open stand.



And that's the other part, with the back of the main ice hockey arena behind.



A last look back over the old bit.



Leaning over the edge, toward the stand behind the goal.



Down pitchside once more.



Now we are up on the metal & wooden planked structure terrace, behind the goal.



From up here we see back down the old stand side.



Trust me, I walked carefully across here!



Another glance at the newer main stand.



I don't know how long since fans were allowed up here, but the vegetation is taking over in parts.



This is the second section of this stand.



Behind the goal, we look to the right for the last time.



And to the left.



With a similar, but slightly closer snap here.



Now we are in the bottom corner, behind the goal.



The last picture, over the pitch.



This is what it looks like underneath.



I managed to clamber out over this fence, to end our tour.

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