Location Budapest, Hungary Surface Grass
Field Opened 1947 Owner MTK Budapest FC | Operator MTK Budapest Broke ground 1946 Capacity 12,700 Demolished 2015 | |
 | ||
Full name Hungária körúti stadion Field size 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft) Similar Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium, Danube Promenade, Kerepesi Cemetery, Andrássy út, Kossuth tér | ||
Hungária körúti stadion was a stadium in Budapest, Hungary. The stadium was opened on 1947 and it served as the home for the MTK Budapest FC until 2014. In 2015 the stadium was demolished, and a completely new arena was built between 2015-16, named Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium.
Contents
Construction
During the World War II the original MTK stadium was damaged, therefore a new stadium had to be built. Between 1945 and 1947 MTK played their home matches at their rivals' stadiums, namely Ferencváros and Újpest. In 1953 a concrete edge was built around the running tracks.
Demolition
On 6 November 2014, the demolishion of the stadium started. First the floodlights system was uninstalled and then the seats were removed.
In May 2015 the demolition of the main stand started.
Concerts
The American band Metallica kicked off their Damaged Justice tour at the stadium on September 11, 1988. Damaged Justice was the fourth concert tour by the American thrash metal band Metallica. It began on September 11, 1988 and ended on October 8, 1989. The name is believed to be inspired either by the cover of its fourth studio album ...And Justice for All, or by the song "Damage, Inc." from the group's previous album, Master of Puppets. Both of the August 29 and 30, 1989 shows in Seattle, Washington were later released in the box set Live Shit: Binge & Purge. The tour marked the one and, to date, only time that Metallica has played in the U.S. state of Delaware. On August 7, 1989, the band headlined a special and very drunken gig at Newark's Stone Balloon.
Film location
The stadium was used in the film Escape to Victory or known simply as Victory in North America. The 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II who play an exhibition match of Association football against a German team. The film was directed by John Huston and stars Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Max von Sydow and Daniel Massey.
The film received great attention upon its theatrical release, as it also starred professional footballers Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Van Himst, Mike Summerbee, Hallvar Thoresen, Werner Roth and Pelé. Numerous Ipswich Town players were also in the film, including John Wark, Russell Osman, Laurie Sivell, Robin Turner and Kevin O'Callaghan. Further Ipswich Town players stood in for actors in the football scenes - Kevin Beattie for Michael Caine, and Paul Cooper for Sylvester Stallone. The script was written by Yabo Yablonsky. The film was entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.