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Ljudski vrt

Coordinates: 46°33′45″N 15°38′26″E / 46.562401°N 15.640497°E / 46.562401; 15.640497
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Ljudski vrt
File:Football stadium maribor 01 .jpg
Map
Full nameStadion Ljudski vrt
LocationMaribor, Slovenia
Coordinates46°33′45″N 15°38′26″E / 46.562401°N 15.640497°E / 46.562401; 15.640497
OwnerCity of Maribor
Capacity12,994[1]
Field size105 metres (115 yd) × 68 metres (74 yd)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened12 July 1952
ArchitectMilan Černigoj & Boris Pipan (old stadium)
OFIS Architects (project Ring)
Tenants
NK Branik (1952–1960)
NK Maribor (1961–present)
Slovenia national football team (1994–present)

Ljudski vrt (English: People's garden, German: Volksgarten) is an association football stadium located on the left bank of the river Drava in the district of Koroška vrata, Maribor, Slovenia, with a seating capacity of 12,994. The ground has been the home of NK Maribor for every season since their formation on 12 December 1960, with the exception of two short periods in early 1961 during the construction of the new stands and early 2008, when the stadium underwent a major reconstruction. Opened in 1952, it was originally the home of NK Branik, an association football club which folded and was disbanded in 1960. Used as one of the main venues of the national team, the ground has hosted eighteen Slovenia internationals at senior level, the first in 1994 and the most recent in 2011. Ljudski vrt has hosted more Slovenian football cup finals than any other stadium, having hosted nine matches in total (six Slovenian Cups and three Slovenian Supercups). Slovenia will be organizing the UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in 2012, with Ljudski vrt being one of the four venues to host matches.

The area where Ljudski vrt is situated was used for burial purpuses for centuries before it was first used for football in early 1920s. Over the course of its history the stadium has gone through various stages of renovation and development, resulting in the current configuration. The record attendance at the stadium is 20,000, which was set in a match between Maribor and Proleter Zrenjanin in 1973. This record was set before the ground's conversion to an all-seater stadium in 1998; the changes, a result of UEFA safety regulations, include greatly reduced capacity. Notable feature of the stadium includes the main stand 129,8 meters long and 18,4 meters high concrete arch that is protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (Slovene: Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije) as an architectural and historical landmark. Ljudski vrt's public transport links include rail and bus services, but it lacks dedicated parking facilities. The ground is about 1,5 kilometres (1 mile) from Maribor railway and bus station.

Future plans for Ljudski vrt include the construction of a nearby underground parking garage that would solve the current parking problems and the redevelopment of the outdated main stand, which was built in 1962 and has not received a major renovation since then. The stadium is a landmark of the city of Maribor and is considered as one of the most beautiful smaller stadium in the world.[2][3]

History

The area now known as Ljudski vrt was originally located outside of Maribor's city walls and served as a cemetery for centuries. Around the year 1358 a small parish church with a cemetery was build and remained there until 1522 when it was abandoned,[4] with Turkish incursions being the most likely reason.[5] By 1571 the church was completely in ruins. The site served as a cemetery again between 1783 and 1914 when it was closed by a decision of the Maribor city council.[4] Some of the tombs were allowed to be in use until 1937 when they were transferred to a new site.[4] In 1873 a tree park (German: Volksgarten) was planted on the area from which Ljudski vrt received its present day name. At the turn of the century Ljudski vrt was starting to become the recreational centre of the city and records from 1901 show that tennis was already being played there during that time.[6] During World War I the whole area served as a shooting range for the Austro-Hungarian Army.[7] Like in other Slovenian towns (Ljubljana, Celje, Trbovlje)[8] after World War I football boomed in Maribor with the establishemt of new clubs, most notably 1. SSK Maribor (Slovene: 1. Slovenski Športni Klub Maribor, English: 1. Slovene Sport Club Maribor), which was founded in 1919 by Slovenian youth.[9] Together with athletics and tennis, football was one of the main sports departments of the club and in 1920 they received their first football field at the Ljudski vrt area,[7] which was erected with the help of local volunteers and prison convicts.[9]

File:NK Maribor120.jpg
Main stand – built in 1962

After the outbreak of World War II Maribor came under the occupation of Nazi Germany and the Nazi regime immediately disbanded all Slovene cultural and sports societies.[10] 1. SSK Maribor was particularly affected with dozens of arrests and deportations of their members.[10] The club ceased all operations and many of their members joined in the fight for their fatherland and a total of 51 perished while fighting the Germans.[10] Those victims were later commemorated with the erection of a statue located on the northwestern corner of the stadium today.[10] By the end of the war Maribor was the most destroyed larger town in Yugoslavia and the whole Ljudski vrt area was devastated, completely in ruins and without an organization which would renovate and later manage the sporting infrastructure at the site. In late 1940s an initiative led to the establishment of NK Branik.[11] The literal translation of the Slovene word Branik is a Bastion in English. The initiatiors of the idea wanted to establish an association football club which would become the flagship of the new sport organization, with other sports departments to follow afterwards.[11] Couple of months later, on 29 January 1949, NK Branik was established[11] and in 1951 they became part of the new sport organization, MŠD Branik (Mariborsko Športno Društvo Branik).[12]

The renovation and construction of the sports infrastructure at Ljudski vrt and throughout Maribor was the primary objective of the new sports organization during most of the late 1940s and early 1950s and on 12 July 1952 the Ljudski vrt stadium was opened.[13] At the time the main pitch was fully enclosed by banking, surrounding the athletic track, with concrete terraces and seats located on the western side.[13] By 1958 the concrete terraces, in length of 248 meters, were constructed throughout the banking around the pitch and served as the standing area for over 40 years.[13] Milan Černigoj was the main architect of the stadium and in late 1950s he was joined by Boris Pipan with whom they designed a new main stand on the western side of the pitch.[13] The construction began in May 1960 and was completed in 1962, with the new club offices, dressing rooms and gyms located beneath it.[13] Notable feature of the stadium includes the main stand 129,8 meters long and 18,4 meters high concrete arch that is protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije).[14] The primary user of the stadium and the new club offices was to be NK Branik, however, the club was disbanded in August 1960.[15] After the disbandment of NK Branik the city of Maribor was left without an association football club that would play on a professional level, which was one of the reasons why NK Maribor was established on 12 December 1960.[15] The new club found their home in Ljudski vrt and on 25 June 1961 they played their first match at the stadium, with the main stand still under construction at the time.[16]

Ljudski vrt was to remain in much the same state for another 30 years with no major developments until the early 1990s and the independence of Slovenia.[7] After the opening of the main stand in 1962 the stadium's capacity increased to over 10,000. However, as most of the stadium had only concrete standing terraces it was possible to accommodate as much as 20,000 spectators during the club's important matches.[17] The wooden benches on the main stand were replaced by plastic seats in 1994.[7] During the same year, on 24 August, the stadium received four floodlight pylons and the first football match at night was played in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup between NK Maribor and FC Norma Tallinn; won by Maribor 10–0.[7] The capacity of the stadium was greatly reduced four years later, as a result of UEFA safety regulations, with the ground's conversion to an all-seater stadium.[7] During the 1999–2000 season Maribor became the first Slovenian club which qualified to the elite UEFA Champions League.[7][18] As a result, the stadium received its first major redevelopment since 1962 with the renovation of the main stand's VIP box and dressing rooms and club offices beneath it.[7] The terraces ring opposite of the main stand was enlarged and the total capacity of the stadium was brought to 10,160 seats, making Ljudski vrt the largest football stadium in the country at the time.[7]

Ljudski vrt remained in much the same state for another 30 years with no major developments until 1950s. In 1952 the main football ground at Ljudski vrt was erected where it still stands today.[7] A decade later in 1962, the current main stand was constructed on the western side of the field, together with a smaller one on the opposite eastern side.[7] NK Maribor played their first match at Ljudski vrt on 25 June 1961 during the promotional qualifications for the Yugoslav Second Division against NK Mladost Zabok. Although the stadium was still under construction 3,000 spectators came to see the first match.[19] For the match, which was won by Maribor 3–2, only the smaller eastern stand was opened.[19] The main stand is still the most recognizable part of the stadium. The main feature of the stand is its 129,8 meters long and 18,4 meters high concrete arch[7] that is protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia.

Since then the stadium went through four renovations. In 1994 the main stand was renovated.[7] Four years later (1998), with successful participations of NK Maribor in the European club competition, the stadium was turned into an all-seater and only one year later was fully renovated after the successful qualification of Maribor in the UEFA Champions League.[7] The biggest renovation was the last one from 2006 to 2008 when the stadium was completely renovated and now holds a capacity of 12,994 covered seats.[1] This renovation is planned in separate phases and is scheduled for completion in the next few years.

For local supporters, the stadium is known as Nogometni hram (Football temple) and the pitch itself as Sveta trava (Holy grass). This is most likely due to the tremendous success the club has had on this stadium, but perhaps also because a cemetery was located on the area before the stadium was built.[20]

Capacity

File:Maribor - Nafta 044.jpg
East stand – built in 2008

The capacity of Ljudski vrt varied throughout history due to renovations, different safety regulations and seating arrangement. Although the official capacity of the stadium in the days of SFR Yugoslavia was around 10,000 the fact that the stadium had mostly standing terraces made it possible for attendance on important matches to reach as high as 20,000 spectators.[17]

The official capacity of the stadium after 1991 was 7,200 however due to the large part of terraces still composed of standing area it was possible for the stadium to hold well over 10,000 spectators on important matches. The most was in 1997 when 14,000 people gathered on the last match of the 1996–97 season.[21] When NK Maribor qualified in the UEFA Champions League the stadium underwent a major reconstruction and due to UEFA seafty regulations the stadium was turned into an all-seater stadium with the capacity of 10,160.

In 2008 the stadium underwent another major reconstruction and the capacity was increased to 12,435 covered seats, which was increased again in 2010 and the current capacity of the stadium today is 12,994.[1]

Football

The stadium is mainly used for football and is the home ground of football club NK Maribor. It is the symbol of the club and one of the most recognizable sport landmarks in Slovenia. Beside being the home ground of NK Maribor, the stadium has also hosted final matches of the Slovenian Cup and Slovenian Supercup on numerous occasions and is also the home venue of the Slovenia national football team and was the main venue for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifications. The stadium was also one of two main venues for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifications.[22]

Slovenian cup finals

Date Attendance Home team Result Away team Competition Match report
15 June 1994 10,000 Maribor 3–1
(2nd leg)
Mura Cup Report Template:Sl icon
9 June 1997 8,000 Maribor 3–0
(2nd leg)
Primorje Cup Report Template:Sl icon
16 June 1999 6,000 Maribor 2–0
(2nd leg)
Olimpija Ljubljana Cup Report Template:Sl icon
19 May 2004 1,500 Maribor 4–0
(1st leg)
Dravograd Cup Report Template:Sl icon
30 May 2009 2,500 Interblock 2–1 Koper Cup Report Template:Sl icon
8 July 2009 2,000 Maribor 3–2
(a.e.t.)
Interblock Supercup Report Template:Sl icon
8 May 2010 6,000 Maribor 3–2
(a.e.t.)
Domžale Cup Report Template:Sl icon
9 July 2010 2,000 Koper 5–4
(pen.)
Maribor Supercup Report Template:Sl icon
8 July 2011 2,500 Maribor 1–2 Domžale Supercup Report Template:Sl icon

National team matches

Date Attendance Home team Result Away team Competition Match report
27 April 1994 3,000 Slovenia Slovenia 3–0 Cyprus Cyprus Friendly Report Template:Sl icon
7 September 1994 6,000 Slovenia Slovenia 1–1 Italy Italy UEFA Euro 1996 Q Report Template:Sl icon
16 November 1994 4,000 Slovenia Slovenia 1–2 Lithuania Lithuania UEFA Euro 1996 Q Report Template:Sl icon
29 March 1995 3,000 Slovenia Slovenia 3–0 Estonia Estonia UEFA Euro 1996 Q Report Template:Sl icon
14 November 1998 4,000 Slovenia Slovenia 1–0 Latvia Latvia UEFA Euro 2000 Q Report Template:Sl icon
9 November 1999 3,000 Slovenia Slovenia 0–3 Greece Greece UEFA Euro 2000 Q Report Template:Sl icon
20 August 2008 11,100 Slovenia Slovenia 2–3 Croatia Croatia Friendly Report Template:Sl icon
10 September 2008 10,000 Slovenia Slovenia 2–1 Slovakia Slovakia 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
11 October 2008 12,385 Slovenia Slovenia 2–0 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
19 November 2008 10,000 Slovenia Slovenia 3–4 Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Friendly Report Template:Sl icon
28 March 2009 12,376 Slovenia Slovenia 0–0 Czech Republic Czech Republic 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
12 August 2009 6,500 Slovenia Slovenia 5–0 San Marino San Marino 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
9 September 2009 12,000 Slovenia Slovenia 3–0 Poland Poland 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
12 August 2009 12,510 Slovenia Slovenia 1–0 Russia Russia 2010 FIFA World Cup Q Report Template:Sl icon
3 March 2010 5,000 Slovenia Slovenia 4–1 Qatar Qatar Friendly Report Template:Sl icon
4 June 2010 10,965 Slovenia Slovenia 3–1 New Zealand New Zealand Friendly Report Template:Sl icon
3 September 2010 12,400 Slovenia Slovenia 0–1 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland UEFA Euro 2012 Q Report Template:Sl icon
11 October 2011 11,000 Slovenia Slovenia 1–0 Serbia Serbia UEFA Euro 2012 Q Report Template:Sl icon

Other uses

Due to excellent acoustics the stadiums is a popular choice for concerts and other cultural performances. One of the first on the renovated stadium was the Greek Zorba musical which had an attendance of around 6,000 people. The stadium also hosts an annual concert Piše se leto organized by Večer newspaper.

Records

All-time football attendance records at Ljudski vrt
Rank Match Date Attendance
1 Maribor v Proleter 8 July 1973 20,000[17]
2 Maribor v Beltinci 1 June 1997 14,000[21]
3 Maribor v Olimpija 26 November 1967 13,000[23]
4 Slovenia v Russia 18 November 2009 12,510[24]
5 Maribor v Olimpija 30 October 2011 12,500[25]
6 Maribor v Nafta 10 May 2008 12,435[26]
7 Slovenia v N. Ireland 3 September 2010 12,400[27]
8 Slovenia v N. Ireland 11 October 2008 12,385[28]
9 Slovenia v Czech R. 28 March 2009 12,376[29]
10[A] Maribor v Partizan 10 September 1967 12,000[30]

The highest attendance recorded at Ljudski vrt is 20,000, for Maribor's match against Proleter Zrenjanin in the first leg of the promotional playoffs for the Yugoslav First League, on 8 July 1973.[17] The stadium also holds the record for the highest attendance achieved on a Slovenian league match.[31] This was set in the final round of the 1996–97 season when 14,000 spectators were present for Maribor's match against Beltinci which secured the club's first league title, on 1 June 1997.[21] The record modern (all-seated) attendance is 12,510, for a return leg of the 2010 FIFA World Cup playoffs beteween Slovenia and Russia, on 18 November 2009.[24] In addition, Ljudski vrt holds the record for the highest average attendance during the Slovenian league season to date (5,289).[32]

Maribor did not lose a league match at Ljudski vrt during the 1960–61 (Div 3), 1965–66 (Div 2), 1966–67 (Div 2), 1970–71 (Div 1), 1972–73 (Div 2), 1977–78 (Div 2), 1980–81 (Div 2), 1981–82 (Div 3), 1983–84 (Div 3), 1985–86 (Div 3), 1987–88 (Div 3), 1991–92 (Div 1), 1992–93 (Div 1), 1998–99 (Div 1) and 1999–00 (Div 1) season. They won all their home games during the 1983-84 and 1985-86 seasons. Maribor's longest winning streak at home extended from October 1993 to November 1994, a period encompassing 17 league games, in which Maribor scored 52 goals and conceded 10.

Transport

The stadium is about 1,5 kilometres (1 mile) from Maribor bus station and Maribor railway station, which lies on the Pan-European Corridor Xa that connects Zagreb to Graz and on Pan-European Corridor V, which connects Venice and Kiev (Ljubljana - Budapest). Several bus lines pass directly by the stadium with the nearest bus stations located less than one hundred meters from the ground. The connection to the A1 motorway, that links to the Slovenian motorway network, is located about 3 kilometres (2 miles) to the east, while Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport is located about 13 kilometres (8 miles) to the southeast of the ground.

Footnotes

References

  1. ^ a b c NK Maribor. "Ljudski vrt: Info" (in Slovene). nkmaribor.com. Retrieved 17 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  2. ^ DC Scrap. "Stadiums at night: 25 beautiful cathedrals of sport". guyism.com. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  3. ^ OnlineProSports. "Ljudski vrt Stadium". onlineprosports.com. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  4. ^ a b c David Kramberger. "Dobravsko pokopališče" (PDF) (in Slovene). zpm-mb.si. Retrieved 16 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  5. ^ Ignacij Voje (1996). Slovenci pod pritiskom turškega nasilja (in Slovene). Ljubljana: Znanstveni inštitut Filozofske fakultete. ISBN 86-7207-083-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  6. ^ "Historia Docet" (in Slovene). msdbranik.si. Retrieved 26 February 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Ljudski vrt: Zgodovina" (in Slovene). nkmaribor.com. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  8. ^ "Zgodovina nogometa na Slovenskem" (in Slovene). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 16 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  9. ^ a b "Prvi slovenski športni klub Maribor 1919 - 1941" (in Slovene). msdbranik.si. Retrieved 16 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  10. ^ a b c d "Okupacija in Narodnoosvobodilni boj 1941 - 1945" (in Slovene). MŠD Branik. Retrieved 7 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  11. ^ a b c "Obnova objektov in razvoj društva po drugi svetovni vojni" (in Slovene). MŠD Branik. Retrieved 5 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  12. ^ "Ustanovitev mariborskega športnega društva Branik" (in Slovene). MŠD Branik. Retrieved 17 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  13. ^ a b c d e "Izgradnja šprotnih objektov po letu 1945" (in Slovene). MŠD Branik. Retrieved 17 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  14. ^ Miran Kambič. "Arhitektura 20. stoletja - Stadion Ljudski vrt" (in Slovene). zvkds.si. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  15. ^ a b bze (9 May 2009). "Kratka zgodovina NK Maribor" (in Slovene). Večer. Retrieved 5 January 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  16. ^ "Prva tekma NK Maribor v Ljudskem Vrtu" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. Retrieved 29 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  17. ^ a b c d "Prva kvalifikacijska tekma za vstop v 1. ligo" (in Slovene). nkmaribor.com. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  18. ^ Maribor Pohorje. "Football Club Maribor" (in Slovene). maribor-pohorje.si. Retrieved 4 April 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  19. ^ a b "Ljudski vrt: Info" (in Slovene). nkmaribor.com. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  20. ^ "Pobreško pokopališče" (in Slovene). pp-mb.si. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  21. ^ a b c "Zapisnik tekme: Maribor-Potrošnik" (in Slovene). Association of 1. SNL. Retrieved 23 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  22. ^ http://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/ep-2012-srbi-in-severni-irci-v-maribor-italijani-v-ljubljano/229701
  23. ^ "Postave: NK Maribor - Olimpija" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  24. ^ a b Nogometna Zveza Slovenije (18 November 2009). "Zapisnik: Slovenia 1:0 Rusija" (in Slovene). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  25. ^ "Zapisnik: Maribor - Olimpija" (in Slovene). Association of 1. SNL. 30 October 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  26. ^ "Zapisnik: Maribor - Nafta" (in Slovene). Association of 1. SNL. 10 May 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  27. ^ R. K., To. G. (3 September 2010). "Šok v Ljudskem vrtu!" (in Slovene). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  28. ^ STA (11 October 2008). "Nova zmaga Slovenije!" (in Slovene). Ekipa. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  29. ^ Rok Viškovič (28 March 2009). "Točka, velika kot Triglav" (in Slovene). Siol. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  30. ^ "Postave: NK Maribor - Partizan" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  31. ^ "Statistika: Vse sezone" (in Slovene). Association of 1.SNL. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  32. ^ "Statistika: Sezona 96/97 -> domače tekme" (in Slovene). Association of 1.SNL. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  33. ^ "Postave: NK Maribor - Crvena Zvezda" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  34. ^ "Postave: NK Maribor - Zurich" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  35. ^ A.V. (9 September 2009). "Slovenske delnice kotirajo vse višje" (in Slovene). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  36. ^ "Postave: NK Maribor - Palermo" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  37. ^ "Izraelci so se izvlekli" (in Slovene). NK Maribor. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)