Bannikov Stadium Explained

Stadium Name:NTK imeni Viktora Bannikova
Nickname:Stadion Bannikova
Location:provulok Laboratorny, 7b
Kyiv, Ukraine
Coordinates:50.429°N 30.5253°W
Broke Ground:unknown
Renovated:2004–2005
Surface:Grass
Former Names:verkhnie pole Respublikanskoho stadiona
Tenants:Ukrainian youth national teams (2005–present)
Obolon Kyiv (2005)
Arsenal Kyiv (2008–2010)
Olimpik Donetsk (2014–2021)
Seating Capacity:1,678
Dimensions:105mx68mm (344feetx223feetm)

Navchanlno-trenuvalnyi kompleks imeni Viktora Bannikova (Viktor Bannikov training complex) is a small football stadium located close to the House of Football and the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine. The stadium is named after a goalkeeper of FC Dynamo Kyiv and the first president of Ukrainian Association of Football (formerly Football Federation of Ukraine).

The stadium is intended for junior squads of the Ukraine national football team, but is also used as a temporary stadium for professional clubs.

History

The ground was regarded as a training ground for the Republican Stadium (Respublikansky Stadion) and until 2004 was referred to simply as a verkhnie pole Respublikanskoho stadiona (upper field of the Republican Stadium).

In 2004, the Ukrainian Football Federation invested in rebuilding the ground as a training complex with facilities and couple of small grandstands to accommodate those who would watch games there.

The first matches were played in 2005. The stadium holds seating for 1,678. However,the record attendance was 2,000 for a Ukraine under-21 international game against Turkey on 5 September 2005.[1]

The ground has been used in Ukraine Premier League matches for the first time by Obolon (2005), later utilized by FC Lviv (2009),[2] and then was leased to Arsenal Kyiv[3] for the 2008-09 season.[4] In 2009, the field was a lifeline for Arsenal which due to the renovation of the Olimpisky NSC (Respublikansky Stadium) was under threat of being suspended by the League. Arsenal returned once again to Bannikov in 2010.

The stadium was once again renewed as a Premier League venue for the 2014–15 season by Olimpik Donetsk due to the insurgency in Donbass.[5]

Bannikov is a regular home field of the Ukraine U-21, U-19, and U-17 teams. The stadium is named after the goalkeeper of Dynamo and Soviet national team and later the first president of Football Federation of Ukraine Viktor Bannikov.

On 9 August 2014, a former FC Dynamo Kyiv and USSR national football team player Andriy Bal died at the Bannikov Stadium, when he collapsed because of a blood clot during a veterans match.[6]

Notes and References

  1. http://main.ffu.org.ua/report_his.php?id=442&team_id=7 Ukrainian Football Federation database
  2. http://www.fpl.ua/ukr/protocol/2008_2009/pl/5089/65/ FPL: Game Report – Venue Bannikov Stadion used as home ground by FC Lviv
  3. http://www.fpl.ua/ukr/protocol/2008_2009/pl/70/14/ FPL: Game Report – Venue Bannikov Stadion used as home ground by Arsenal
  4. http://www.fpl.ua/ukr/news/news_clubs/972/ Until the end of season Arsenal will play at Bannikov
  5. Web site: FPL: Game Report – Venue Bannikov Stadion used as home ground by Olimpik in Round 2. 3 August 2014. 3 August 2014. Ukrainian Premier League. uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808045441/http://www.fpl.ua/ukr/protocol/2014_2015/pl/590/15/. 2014-08-08. dead.
  6. Web site: Помер Андрій Баль. football24.ua. uk. Andriy Bal died. 2019-06-21.