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Think of the world’s most memorable football stadiums and images of Wembley or the Maracanã probably come to mind.
Allow us to suggest a few more candidates for future memories: five of the strangest football stadiums on the planet.
And when we say strange, we mean it.
There’s one with a working railway running through it, another on top of a shopping centre and another in the UK with entrances built between a row of terraced houses.
Which do you think is the craziest?
The stadium through which the railway line passes – Slovakia
The pitch and seating terrace of the Cierny Balog Stadium (above) are crossed by a railway line.
Fans of the amateur football team TJ Tatran from the village of Cierny Balog in central Slovakia have had to get used to having their view obstructed from time to time.
This is because, incredibly, a working train line divides the pitch and the seating terrace.
In summer, a steam train whistles past, belching smoke into the crowd, even while a match is being played.
From time to time, the view from the stands is obstructed by the passing of a steam train.
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The Cierny Balog stadium was built in the 1980s, when the old railway was not in use and for a decade the players and spectators had the stadium to themselves.
However, the railway line was refurbished in the 1990s and officially reopened as a heritage railway for tourists.
Photos here courtesy of Goeran Janson.
The stadium with entrances built inside a row of houses – Luton
Two entrances to Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road stadium are packed with terraced housing
Once through the gates, fans climb metal stairs that ascend over residential gardens.
At first glance, Oak Road in Luton is a typical British terraced street.
But hidden inside is a rather remarkable feature: two entrances to Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road stadium.
Doors six and seven are wedged between two properties, with the entrance doors right next to them and the rooms above them.
Once through the gates, fans ascend metal stairs that ascend over residential gardens to blocks E to G.
The stadium on top of a shopping mall – Belgrade, Serbia
The stadium of the Belgrade team FK Vozdovac is located on the roof of the Stadion shopping centre
Never let a good shopping center roof go to waste.
That is the motto in Belgrade, where the team’s stadium is located. FC Vozdovac It is located on the rooftop of the Stadion shopping centre, home to fast food chains, fashion outlets and sports shops.
This essentially means that fans will be able to go out and buy a new outfit at H&M during half-time and come back for the second half.
The stadium opened in 2013 and is approved by UEFA to host Champions League and Europa League matches, with a capacity of around 5,000 seats.
The stadium among the fortresses of the 15th century – Croatia
The Igraliste Batarija stadium is located between two 15th century fortresses
The Igraliste Batarija Stadium is located in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Trogir and the field is situated between two 15th-century fortresses: St. Mark’s Tower and Kamerlengo Tower.
As well as providing a stunning backdrop, the historic buildings serve as unique football terraces for fans to watch matches of their local team, HNK Trogir.
The stadium at 4,100 meters above sea level – Bolivia
The Estadio Municipal de El Alto (above) is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world, standing at 13,615 feet (4,150 meters) above sea level.
Be careful! This stadium can leave you breathless.
Located at a staggering height of 4,150 metres above sea level, the Estadio Municipal in El Alto, Bolivia, is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world and an important test for opponents.
The men’s national soccer team usually plays at La Paz’s Estadio Hernando Siles, forcing Argentine players to use personal oxygen tanks to cope with the high altitude last year.
The team decided to host its World Cup qualifier against Venezuela this year in El Alto, which sits 559 metres higher than La Paz, in the hope that the higher altitude would provide an advantage to the local players, who are more accustomed to the conditions.
Did it work? They won 4-0.
