FC Levadia; Maarjamae complex; Tallinn, Estonia

I wasn't looking for this small ground, I stumbled across it by accident as I was nearby looking at a Soviet War Memorial, & German Second World War communal graves.

It is the training ground for FC Levadia. This is the main pitch, and behind it, not photographed, are two large open grass pitches, with no facilities around them at all.

On the Tony Kempster forum, on 23rd June 2008, a contributor called sonofhod posted:

"F C Levadia Tallinn v J K Tallinn Kalev league game on June 21 played at Maarjamae Complex ???"

I cannot answer why this was, but would presume that either the main Levadia ground was 'double booked' for athletics, or maybe there was a late switch, due to bad weather, & it was switched.

As you can see, from this snap outside, it's a basic venue.





No spectator facilities on three sides.



On the far side are the dugouts.



This is presuamably for television interviews.



And this small stand, down in one corner, is the only stand for spectators. What exactly is that big football at the end?



Well in case you're wondering here it is...

JK Kalev; Kalevi Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia

JK Kalev are another of the Estonian First division clubs; and the Kalevi Stadium is an easy fifteen minute walk from the old town, and a great old 'communist' relic.





This is a derelict ticket booth in the car park.



Looking across the car park you see locked gates, an the back of the stand, a shell of a building, no longer in use; though the seats on the other side are.



I won't be taking you round this ground in my usual circular tour, as it was only two sided, but more imprtantly it was about ten to eight in the evening, & I had to be somewhere else at eight thirty; so time was limited for me.
There were two huges sides of mainly bench seats, with grass banking at the tunnel end, as you can see.



This was the view down the 'main side'. I only call it that because of the small concrete construction at the top.



There was an evening training session in progress, and you can see the other end from here, not banked up; and some of the benches on the far side.



Here is a fine view back down the main side, from the top of the grass bank.



This is up behind the goal at the top, Looks like this was never replaced!



Looking across, from the same spot.



And further along, a decent view of the other side.



This is the tunnel, from the track. Note the Club flag, at the top of the mast.



And this is the tunnel, from behind the ground.



Back round to the main side, here are the 'dugouts'.


And looking up to the 'VIP' area. You really imagine the high ranking Communist Party officials looking down on the masses.



At the far end of the benches the exit doesn't look too safe!



And other angle, from the far end of the track.



Ditto, along the benches.



Looking over the pitch again, from another angle.



This is the rest of that side.



A look from the top, down to the halfway line.



A close up of the 'posh seats'!



Sitting in them, looking over the benches.



And eyes to the left!




Then back to the tunnel


Beofre looking down onto the pitch.



At the top of the banking is a footpath, with young trees planted all along.



Below each one were Estonian names unkown to me, but clearly their national sporting heroes.



Behind this end is an all-weather second pitch, with the changing room complex, which I presume is used for games at the big stadium as well.



There were some open benches for spectators here too.



A view across this pitch, from the other side.



Here are the dugouts.



with this strange wooden gantry between the, presumably for filming games and training sessions on here.

FC Flora; A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia.

FC Flora play at the A. Le Coq Arena. This is where the Estonian National Team play, and I was fortunate enough to be able to walk round the ground, when watching a game on the smaller out pirches, grounds in their own right, outside.



A. Le Coq is one of their best selling beers.



This is the view from outside.



And behind the goal, outside. Note thise steps. Upstairs to a series of changing rooms, which we used for our match a couple of days later against JK Jalgpallihaigla.
Through the doors at ground level, to a foyer, and glass doors were unlocked so I could just walk onto the pitch!



A couple of shirts on display in the foyer.





I enter the ground from the middle, behind the goal. This is the view as I look right; but I will turn left, and go round in a clockwise direction. The following pictures are very 'samey'. This is a modern stadium, but still a smart one to view.



So turning left, this is the rest of this end.



Looking across, to my right, I take a picture of a fellow Hamlet fan Hutty, with the two tiered stand along the side behind him.



This is the identical one, down the left, with a pitch sprinker watering the pitch.



Looking down the lower section.



And looking straight across to the other side.



Looking up at the roof from the lower tier.



From the middle, looking back behind the goal, where I cam into the stadium.



The dugouts, in fornt of the left hand stand.



A close up of the sprinkler! I made sure i got a bit of a soaking, as it was still in the sixties to seventies at half past nine in the evening!



Our first sight of the far end, the only uncovered part of the ground.



There were huge billboards in each corner.



Looking back to the 'sprinker' side, from behind the goal.



And staring straight down the pitch.



Another shot of the sprinker!



And the identical stand opposite it.



Another of the corner hoardings.



I decide to climb up to the second tiers on this side.



And look at the open end from higher up.



Behind this stand is the Sportland Arenal, where second division FC Elva play their games.
You can also see the car park, with a small football court in the middle.



A snap from the back, at the top, looking to the covered end.



Same end, by further along.



Another snap of the sprinker in action, facing right into the sun. Not the best of snaps, I just took it to see what it would come out like.



A last glimpse of the covered end.



And down the side..



Before it's back outside for the second half of FC Elva versus JK Jalgpallihaigla, in the Estonian Cup!



And finally two quick snatched photos of the ground taken from a passing train a couple of days later!