Think of the world’s most memorable football stadiums and images of Wembley or the Maracana are likely to come to mind.
Allow us to pitch in with a few more contenders for future recollections – five of the most bizarre soccer stadiums on the planet.
And when we say bizarre – we mean it.
There’s the one with a working railway running through it, one on top of a shopping centre – and one in the UK with entrances built in-between a row of terraced houses.
Which one do you think is the wackiest?
The stadium with a train line running through it – Slovakia
The pitch and seating terrace at Cierny Balog stadium (above) is bisected by a railway line
Fans of the amateur football team TJ Tatran in the village of Cierny Balog in Central Slovakia have had to get used to their view being obstructed from time to time.
That’s because – incredibly – a working train line bisects the pitch and the seating terrace.
In the summertime, a steam train passes through, whistling and blowing smoke into the crowd, even as a match is being played.
From time to time, the view from the stands is obstructed by a passing steam train
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Cierny Balog stadium was built during 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 train track was revamped in the 1990s and officially reopened as a heritage railway for tourists.
Photos here courtesy of Goeran Janson.
The stadium with entrances built within a row of houses – Luton
Two entrances to Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road Football Stadium are crammed between terraced housing
Once through the gates, fans climb metal stairways that ascend over residential gardens
At a glance, Oak Road in Luton is a typical British terraced street.
But concealed within is a quite remarkable feature – two entrances to Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road Football Stadium.
Gates six and seven are crammed between two properties, with front doors right next door and rooms sitting above them.
Once through the gates, fans climb metal stairways that ascend over residential gardens into blocks E to G.
The stadium on top of a shopping centre – Belgrade, Serbia
The stadium for Belgrade team FK Vozdovac sits on the roof of the Stadion Shopping Center
Never let a good shopping centre roof go to waste.
That’s the motto in Belgrade, where the stadium for team FK Vozdovac sits on the roof of the Stadion Shopping Center, home to fast-food chains, fashion outlets and sports shops.
It means, crucially, fans can nip out for a new outfit at H&M at half-time and be back for the second half.
The stadium opened in 2013 and is approved by UEFA to host Champions League and Europa League games, with a seating capacity of around 5,000.
The stadium between 15th-century fortresses – Croatia
Igraliste Batarija stadium sits between two 15th-century fortresses
Igraliste Batarija stadium is located in the Unesco-listed city of Trogir – and the pitch sits between two 15th-century fortresses: St. Mark’s Tower and Kamerlengo Tower.
As well as providing an impressive backdrop, the historic buildings serve as unique football terraces for fans to watch the matches of their home team, HNK Trogir.
The stadium at 13,615 feet – Bolivia
The Municipal Stadium in El Alto (above) is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world – it sits 13,615 feet (4,150 metres) above sea level
Beware – this stadium just might take your breath away.
Located at a staggering 13,615 feet (4,150 metres) above sea level, the Municipal Stadium in El Alto, Bolivia, is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world, providing a major test for opponents.
The men’s national football team typically play at the Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz, which left Argentina players using personal oxygen tubes to cope with the high altitude last year.
The team decided to host their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela this year in El Alto, which sits 1,837 feet (559 metres) higher than La Paz, in the hope that the higher altitude would provide an advantage to home players, who are more used to the conditions.
Did it work? They won 4-0.
