Then-club Proleter played their games where today’s NK Elektra finds their home, but NK Osijek will call Pampas their home when the time comes.
Awaiting the new stadium on Pampas, we reminisce about the locations in which Osijek’s precursor clubs played, namely Slavonija and Proleter (including NK Osijek’s historical versions).
Everything started by the river Drava where Elektra finds their home, in a football facility where spectators barely fit onto the tribune. The spectators were especially hard-pressed when then-Proleter won first-league status in the Old State. The premiere match was played on November 6th 1963 against Red Star in front of a staggering 15,000 fans!
Transition to Gradski Vrt of 1958
A new chapter in the club’s history begun in 1958 when they moved far away from the river, in Gradski Vrt. In this stadium, the first game was played November 7th of the same year against Tuzla’s Sloboda (Freedom) as part of the Druga Liga Zapad (Second League – West). Gradski Vrt morphed into its current form in 1977 as Osijek returned to the First Federal League and the great western tribune was to be built 2 years later, but it was never finished.
The official opening followed in 1980, after which the most monumental turnout happened in 1982, when 40,000 spectators (unofficial) showed up to watch NK Osijek and NK Dinamo go at each other’s throats. The columns were never to carry the covers for the tribunes and the statics of the stadium were questionable, so that nothing was done in terms of these 2 things.
Seats and Spotlights 1998
Gradski Vrt received a makeover in 1998 when seats had been installed and were followed by spotlights in April of the same year, the first opponent playing in the lights being Croatia. The next update the stadium received was in 2005, when the lower western tribune got reconstructed, the lounge got covered and special seats for the handicapped got installed.
Until the arrival of new club owners, more superficial undertakings were made on the stadium during 2010. In this current season, the press center was equipped with the latest technology, a new scoreboard was installed, the western tribune was equipped with white-and-blue lights and the entrances are being updated with the latest StationGuard system.
Everything Will Be Different
The new stadium, however, will be incomparable to all previous versions. From the design, which is akin to a space ship compared to the old ones, to the state-of-the-art comfort; everything will be on par with Europe-level stadiums. The spectators will finally be able to enjoy the game, not having to stress over the possibility of rainfall or the nature of the seat they may encounter. The stadium, including the auxiliary fields, is to be located at Pampas, Osijek. It will be a gathering place for all, young and old, families, football fans and non-fans alike.
We will finally be able brag and boast of a stadium that will attract all types of visitors. It will surely be on the checklist of tourists that will embark on the journey of exploring the Heart of Slavonija.
