Good location, proper size, and football-specific. Daegu iM Bank Park might be the only ground that satisfies the three cornerstones of what makes the perfect K League stadium.
Every supporter has a different idea of the perfect football stadium. Some care about food, others about atmosphere or ticket prices. Strip all of that away, though, and three things matter most:
1. location
2. capacity
3. was the stadium was actually built for football.
One stadium stands above the rest. Daegu iM Bank Park.
Modern Korean stadiums already meet a solid baseline. Tickets remain affordable, toilets are generally clean, and even if the food options lag behind baseball, supporters can still buy beer, water and basic snacks. Those factors matter, but they don’t separate one stadium from another.
So let’s return to the categories mentioned.
Location
Daegu iM Bank Park is located in the centre of Daegu, next to the city’s historic old ballpark. Daegu Station, which sits on the city’s metro line, also doubles as an intercity railway station, is a 17-minute walk from the walls of the stadium.
There are other stadiums located closer to a station, but 1 km is very close, and unlike its competitors, you can access most other cities in the country from the local station.
Capacity
At 12,419, Daegu is one of the smallest in K League. However, that also makes it appropriately sized. In another Korean city dominated by baseball, Daegu FC needed a stadium that fits its support base.
They used to play at the city’s World Cup Stadium – a difficult-to-reach, multi-purpose arena with over 66,000 seats. K League clubs have gone down this route. And it doesn’t work.
Having a demand for tickets is good.
Football-specific
Any ball that clears the crossbar could land in your pint of beer. You can clearly hear the shouts of the keeper, the sound of a ball meeting a player’s head, the thud when the ball smacks the post.
No running track, no moat, no flower display. This is professional football at its most raw.
Other possibilities
Fans of Pohang Steelers and Incheon United could argue they meet those requirements. The Steel Yard is too far from central Pohang for it to be considered down town, even if its location within an industrial complex is special.
Incheon’s Sungui Arena is closer to a metro stop than Daegu. It is a football-specific stadium, and boasts a comfortable capacity of 18,171.
There is one problem with Sungui and the Steel Yard; double tiered stands. I love the old-school vibe about Pohang. The way the upper tier hangs over the lower tier reminds me of watching Republic of Ireland matches in Lansdowne Road.
But those upper tiers are too far from the pitch, and feel disconnected from the rest of the stadium. When they’re half-empty, they are an eye-sore.
Stadiums have moved on. Incheon’s remarkable South Stand should have been incorporated into the long sides. Daegu looks fresh and modern.
Daegu Day Out
As soon as you arrive, Daegu’s unrivaled matchday experience is revealed. The stadium doesn’t dominate the local skyline—it is built into the neighborhood. It appears almost out of nowhere when you reach the Kia dealership.
Smoke rises from small ovens tossing and turning the chicken skewers. Older men gather around uncomfortable plastic tables with pitchers of beer and plates of chicken. Children pose for photos next to the inflatable mascots. This is a football carnival.
Built into the exterior walls on three sides are restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and a huge club store. Above the commerce, a brilliant caricature display featuring Daegu’s stars.
What you find elsewhere is bare concrete walls, office windows, club-inspired tarping, and maybe one store. Daegu has the bustle of a busy marketplace. The mantra is simple: come for the football, stay for the night.
Another cool feature is the gap between the top row of seats and the roof. You have a perfect 360 degree view of Daegu. The former name of the ground is Daegu Forest Arena -and the metal bars connecting the roof to the stands are meant to resemble tree trunks.
The distance from the pitch to the first row of seats is only a matter of feet. Unlike the vast civic stadiums dotted across the land, in Daegu you really part of the action.
Daegu stands above it rivals in K League. It earns a perfect 10 for those features. I don’t think it would be unfair to say the atmosphere is fine, but not remarkable. For the table-topping clash with Suwon FC, it wasn’t memorable.
A lot of Daegu’s songs have been lifted from elsewhere. The flag display is good, but not jaw dropping. Still, the compact nature of the stadium and proximity to the pitch guarantees the atmosphere a solid 7.
Nevertheless, Daegu does it right. From the short walk to the hurly-burly vibes outside the walls, to the 40-story apartment blocks towering magnificently into the hot summer sky.
Come for the game, stay for the stadium.
All photos from @sthkorea_stadiums
Leave a Reply