Hey guys, I'm going to do my best Skinny Benny stadia critique. Today I'd like us to consider that a stadium might actually be worse, although similar, to KU's Memorial Stadium. I submit for you consideration, Ferenc Puskás Stadium, which is the national stadium of Hungary, located in Budapest. With seating for 69,120, it is by far Hungary's largest stadium (the second largest is Budapest's Albert Flórián with only 15,804). The day we toured I was quite puzzled because I knew that night Hungary's national team played host to Denmark in a friendly football match, however there were no ongoing preparations. It's because they played this match in another stadium with only 10,200 capacity. It seems the Magyars don't love their soccer so much (not even as much as Kansas Citians!).
Anyway, Ferenc Puskás Stadium was constructed between 1948 and 1953 by mostly volunteers. Yes, you read that correctly. rough ridin' volunteers, mostly soldiers. Probably some Communist definition of volunteer include gulag labor or something. Anyway, as you might have guessed, it looks like crap. Here was our first view as we approached from the west. There was a guard posted but he was too busy smoking to inquire as to our presence.
A closer look at one of the gates. I peeked in the window, bunch of fusball tables behind there.
A look at what the main level concourse looks like, very similar to KU's or Notre Dame's concourses.
Here's a look at some of the external decoration. Really nails that 50's Communist feel.
Walking around the outside I could see these concourses for the upper deck. It was encapsulated in this screening to keep debris from falling on people walking below.
Finally we made it around to where we could see inside. A rough ridin' track guys!
A better look at the nicest part of the stadium, what I would call a press box.
We walked around towards it and there was this building which I've since discovered is the Magyar Sportmúzeum, which is their national Olympic sports museum. The front:
As we walked by the vegetation...
We could pass through an unguarded motion sliding door into the press box. Not too shabby, eh?
Then I saw the plaque detailing the upgrade:
They also had this cool/huge picture of a famous Hungarian football team who undoubtedly did something good a long time ago.
A good look at the field and grounds crew at work.
WTF is this thing?
Dat setting tho!
Then we were discovered and escorted out by a very angry man who assumed we walked right past a stationed guard. He chewed his ass for a few minutes before he let us go.
This is the entrance to the offices and such that the guy thought we must have entered through. Are you guys getting a feel for the architecture yet?
Other public accesses to the lower bowl seating.
Opposite the sports museum was this thing which I'm not sure what it is.
Behind it you can see a much more modern stadium, Papp László Budapest Sportaréna.
Between it is a track with a bunch of walls and statues of scenes of what every day life in a Communist country might be like. You might be practicing your baseball swing with your government issued Mosin Nagant, always under the watchful eye of Communism symbolized by the commander in the background....
You could also be sprinting in a team event, because Together We Can!
Workers of the world, unite!
Anyway, you get the picture. Memorial Stadium could be worse, and will be unless they do something about it.