For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
BUDAPEST - THE ULLOI UT - CAPACITY: 18,100 ALL SEATER
About the Ulloi Ut Ulloi Uti Capacity: 18,100 The Ulloi Ut, despite its small capacity, is one of the most famous stadiums in Hungary. It is also the second most important stadium in the city behind the Puskás Ferenc National Stadium. It is located in the south east of the city. The stadium is an open air affair with three stands uncovered, and unusually the main covered stand behind the goal. It is the south stand that is the most historical in the ground, with some of the original architecture both inside and outside the stadium. High fences still exist around the ground.
Another unusual feature is the huge floodlights that lean ominously inwards, and are a defining monument of the whole region. The stadium is known for its passionate fans across the whole of Europe. Despite the problems they currently face off the pitch, the hardcore fans known as the Zöld Sasok, or Green Eagles still generate an intimidating atmosphere for visiting fans. On occasions this has boiled over – such as the UEFA Cup match with Millwall in September 2004 when a number of the English fans were attacked in the stadium.
In years gone by big inter-city derbies were played at the National Stadium, the Puskás Ferenc which holds 66,000 spectators. The stadium is located a few miles north east of the Ulloi Ut and can be reached by local train or metro to the Stadionok stop. A point of trivia about the Ferenc is that it doubled as the Olympic Stadium in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film Munich.
Who plays there? Ferencvarosi Torna Club, or FTC as they are more popularly known, were Hungary’s most famous and successful club. Whilst the latter is still true, the fame has been replaced by infamy as in May 2006 a decision was made to relegate the club after continued financial irregularities, the first time in their history they have played outside the top division.
The club were originally admitted into the Hungarian league in 1901, and soon starting reaping the success that would characterise their history. In that first decade the club won the title on five occasions. To date they have won 28 Championship titles, the last one being in 2004. Based on their current situation it is not likely that they will repeat this feat any time soon. They have also won the Hungarian Cup on twenty occasions.
They are also the most successful Hungarian team in terms of European competition having won the Fairs Cup (the pre-runner to the UEFA Cup) by beating Juventus in 1965. In 1996 they qualified for the Champions League group stages for the first time, gaining 5 points from their group matches with Real Madrid, Ajax and Grasshoppers. The following season they lost in the qualifying rounds to Göteborg.
In May 2005 they met Sopron in the final of the Hungarian cup at the Puskás stadium. In a stormy match three Ferencvaros players saw red cards in a game which saw them lose the cup. As a mark of protest, the management and the remaining 8 players refuse to attend the medal presentation, leading to further censorship for the club.
Since their enforced exile in the 2nd division of Hungarian football they have found life tough, and although they came close to promotion in 2007/08 it was not to be and so another season in the lower leagues awaits them.
How to get there The stadium is located in the south east corner of the city, adjacent to the main road which gives its name to the stadium. It is on top of Népliget metro which is on Line 3 (Dark Blue) and 6 stops from the main interchange at Ferenc, and the International Bus Station opposite. Journey time from the city centre is around 15 minutes. Trams also run down Ulloi Ut from the old town on a regular basis, stopping at the stadium.
For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
Getting a ticket Hungarian football is currently in a state of crises. Crowds are down by over 11% year on year, and the average attendance in the Arany Azsok Liga have dropped to an all time low of less than 3,000. Since their enforced relegation Ferencvaros’s crowds have dropped to below 3,000 meaning that there are plenty of seats to be had on a match by match basis. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket windows on their side of the stadium in the run up to the game, or alternatively you can email the club on ftc@ftc.hu.
Ticket prices range from 1.600Ft in the side stands, to 400Ft behind the goal. A safe bet for the neutral is in sectors A and B in the corner of the main stand which cost 1.100Ft.
BUDAPEST - STADION JOZSEF BOZSIK - CAPACITY 13,500
About Jozsef Bozsik Ujtemeto ut 1-3 Capacity: 13,500 The basic stadium is one of the oldest in the capital. It was orginally opened 1939, although final work was delayed until after the 2nd world war. The stadium had its distinctive floodlights added in 1967. Since then the capacity has slowly been reduced as the club have moved to an all seater stadium. The stadium does suffer from having an athletics track around the edge, as well as being 3/4th uncovered.
Who Plays There? The stadium is home to Budapest Honved, one of the country's most historic clubs. They were originally formed in 1926 as Kispest FC, beforing renaming themselves as Honved in 1944. In the 1950's they became the team of the Hungarian Army and went on an impressive spree in the decade winning four titles, and getting themselves a nickname as the Mighty Magyars. That team includes the legendary Puskas as well as Jozsef Boszik. After the title in 1955 they had to wait twenty five years for another one, and actually dominated football again in the 1980's with titles in 1980, 1984, 1985 (the double), 1986, 1988 and the double again in 1989. Two more titles in the 1990's secured their place as the most successful team in Hungarian football in recent times. Their most recent success has been the 2007 Hungarian Cup Final.
How to get a ticket With attendances struggling to hit the 2,000 mark, it is not hard to get a ticket to see Honved play. Tickets are sold from the booths outside the stadium. A basic ticket around the edges of the stadium start from HUF 1,400. A ticket for the covered main stand (the Puskas Tribune) cost HUF 2,200. Tickets are also sold from a number of retail outlets around the city including all IBUSZ outlets.
How to get there The Jozsef Bozsik is located in the south west of the city. The nearest train station to the stadium is at Kispest which is a 5 minute walk from the stadium. This is on the main south eastern suburban line from Josevfaros station.
For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
BUDAPEST - STADION PUSKAS FERENC - CAPACITY: 68,976
About the Puskas Ferenc Istvanmezei ut 3 Capacity: 69,000 The national stadium sits lonely in the west of the city of Budapest, and once held over 104,000 spectators. Today the capacity is a more modest 69,000, although it is still along time since the stadium was even half full. The stadium was constructed between 1948 and 1953 as part of the World War 2 repatriations. One of the first games played in the stadium was the 7-1 defeat of England in 1954. The stadium was originally named as the Nepstadion - the People's Stadium, although it was recently renamed in honour of the most famous player in Hungarian history.
The stadium is a classic eastern bloc arena which has a wide athletics track, large open banked terraces (now converted to seating) and very imposing floodlights. The stadium also doubled as Munich's Olympic Stadium for the filming of Steven Speilberg's 2005 film Munich.
Who Plays There? The stadium is home to the national team, as well as the annual venue for the Hungarian Cup Finals.
Getting a ticket If you want to watch a national team game you will have little problem in buying tickets on the day. It has been over 20 years since the stadium sold out, and more recently corwds have struggled to break the 10,000 mark.
How to get there The stadium is located in the east of the city. It is well served by public transport, the easiest way is by metro on line red M2 to Stadionok and then simply follow the statue path to the ground. Alternatively, main line railway station Keleti is a 5 minute walk to the west of the stadium.
For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
BUDAPEST - STADION ILLOVSZKY RUDOLF - CAPACITY: 18,000
About the Illovszky Rudolf Fay Utica 58 Capacity: 18,000 The Illovszky is one of the most basic stadiums in Budapest. It is an open air affair and today holds 18,000 although it has historically held up to 30,000. Views are good from most places, although the presence of a small cinder running track and wire fencing means that you should avoid the first few rows. Only one stand has a roof, although this only covers the back 6 rows. Seats are plastic benches bolted onto the terraces.
Who Plays There? The basic stadium is home to SC Vasas, a multi-sport club based in the north of the city. The club were formed in 1911 as a team from the local steel works. They have won six championships - the main period between 1957 and 1966 when they won 5. Their last honour was in 1986 when the won the Hungarian Cup. In 2006 the club should have actually been relegated as they finished in 2nd from last place. However, due to the financial irregularities of Ferencvaros, Vasas were saved.
How to get a ticket With average attendances struggling to reach 1,500, tickets are not hard to come by on the day of a game. They can be purchased from the small office in the main stand or from the ticket windows on Fay Utca. A ticket in the main stand costs HUF1,200 and elsewhere in the stadium for HUF 1,000.
How to get there Arpad Hid bus station is a ten minute walk south of the stadium as too is the Metro station on Line M3 of Forgach Utca. To find the stadium continue to walk northwards on Vaci Utca until you reach Fay Utca on right hand side - stadium is 700metres down this road. Alternatively catch tram 14 from Lehel Tar to the stop outside the Oriental Hotel called Frangpan - the stadium is 100yards on the left. For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
BUDAPEST - STADION SZUSZA FERENC - CAPACITY: 13,501
About the Szusza Ferenc Megyeri ut 13 Capacity: 13,501 One of the most modern stadiums in Hungary, the Szusza Ferenc is one of the best arenas for watching football in Budapest. It has been home to Ujpest since 1922 when a velodrome on the site was converted for football use. The stadium was partly destroyed in a flood from the River Pest in 1948, and the renovations saw it open in time to act as the national stadium whilst the Puskas was being built. In October 1948 the record attendance for the stadium of 50,000 saw Hungary play Austria. More recently thet stadium has been used on numerous occasions for the national team, although attendances tend to struggle to get over the 5,000 mark. The last game played here was the 2-0 win versus Malta in October 2007.
The stadium offers comforts beyond belief it you have been to any other stadiums in the city. It has a roof, good leg room and the absence of a athletics track is a real bonus for fans. Average league attendances of just over 3,000 make the club one of the best supported in the league.
Who Plays There? Twenty league titles and 8 Hungarian Cup victories make Ujpest one of the most successful teams in Hungarian football history. They are part of a larger sporting organisation that includes an Ice Hockey team, Waterpolo and Athletics. The club were formed originally in 1885, although it was another 15 years before the football team played their first game. Just after World War 2 the club were adopted as the official Police team, a move which co-incided with a period on inactivity. It wasn't until the end of the 1960's that the team rose to prominance again, including their most famous games when they reach the UEFA Cup (known as the Inter-City Fairs Cup) in 1969 when they lost 6-2 on aggregate to Newcastle United.
The 1970's were a golden period for the club as they won 8 titles out of a possible 10, although they could not make an impact in their subsequent European Cup campaigns. With the fall of the Communist government, funding was scarce on the ground and the club had to wait over 10 years for another title in 1989. Since then a single title in 1998 has been their only reward.
Getting a Ticket Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling +6 1 231 0088 or by emailing the club at ujpestfc@ujpestfc.hu and they will reserve one for you to be picked up on the day. Alternatively tickets can be purchased from the ticket office on the day of the game. The most expensive seats are in the Tribune which are HUF3,000 for normal games and 3,500 for the games against the main Budapest rivals. Tickets for the stands behind the goals are HUF2,000 and HUF 1,500 respectively.
How to get there The stadium is located in the north of the city, close to the right banks of the River Pest. There is a train station, known as Ujpest a 10 minute walk south of the stadium. Metro line M3 (Blue) runs to a terminus at Ujpest Kozpont. Alternatively bus lines 30, 96, 104 and 122 run to the Metro terminus. For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
BUDAPEST - STADION HIDEGKUTI NANDOR - CAPACITY: 12,700
About the Hidegkuti Nandor Stadion Salgotarjani ut 12 Capacity:12,700 The basic Nandor stadium opened its doors in 1912 as home to MTK Budapest. Today it is a pleasant place to watch football, although a bit sedate. The stadium is named after one of Hungary's most famous footballers. The stadium was demolished during the second world war, and not used again until 1947. Since 1995 the stadium has been undergoing renovated, although there is no date for the finish of the work, and no real clue as to what they have actually done! On a matchday only the two side stands are open - the main covered stand offers the more comfortable viewing platform.
For a look at the stadium in more detail go to my YouTube.com page.
Who plays there? MTK Budapest are one of the most successful teams in Hungarian history, with 22 league titles. However the club will always be associated with the Secret Police after they were "adopted" in 1949. They ended a fiver year for a championship in 2007/08 when they pipped Debrecen to the title on the last weekend of the season.To watch MTK in action go to my YouTube.com page.
Getting a Ticket With crowds struggling to get above the 1,000 mark, it is not difficult to get a ticket for a game to see MTK. The ticket windows by the main stand (which seem to double up as the woman's toilets!) and cost either 1,800Ft for a seat in the upper (covered) part of the main stand, 1,200Ft for the lower part or 600Ft for the uncovered side stand opposite.
How to get there The stadium is located a 5 minute walk south of the national stadium. The nearest train station is the Josezfaros Train station which is ajacent to the stadium. For an overview of who plays where in Budapest, go to Footiemap.com to access their excellent graphical guide to football in the city.
Getting around Public transport in Budapest is well covered with services provided by BKV, who operate the buses, trolleybuses, trams, suburban railway lines, the metro and boats around the city. The tram network is extensive, and reliable despite poor track infrastructure and an ageing fleet. Routes 4 and 6 combined form the busiest traditional city tram line in the world, with 50-metre long trains running at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time. There are 3 metro lines and a 4th is about to be constructed. The Yellow line, built in 1896, is one of the oldest lines in the world. A 48 hour Budapest Card costs 6,500Fts allows free transport on all lines. Be warned, the metro system is heavily patrolled with revenue protection officers who show no mercy!
Budapest’s only airport is located 10 miles south east of the city centre and is the busiest airport in the country, handling around 8 million passengers. It has three terminals, with the newer terminal 1 being used mainly by the budget airlines. From the UK, British Airways fly here from London Heathrow, Easyjet from London Gatwick and Luton, Jet2 from Manchester, Malev Airlines from London Gatwick, Ryanair from Bristol and Nottingham East Midlands and Wizz Air from London Luton.
To reach the city centre catch one of the regular Bus 200 services that run to Köbanya-Kispest metro station where you can continue your journey by train. Alternatively, Bus 93 runs along the same route. It takes around 20 minutes to reach Deák Ferenc Square and a one way ticket costs 230FT. A direct rail link has recenly opened and is accessible by turning left out of the terminal and following the path. The line into the city centre (and Nguyo Station and NOT any other one advertised by Easyjet) is the 1st one. Tickets are 300Ft and have to be bought in advance from the information desk in the terminal.
About the Ulloi Ut
About Jozsef Bozsik
About the Puskas Ferenc
About the Illovszky Rudolf
About the Szusza Ferenc
About the Hidegkuti Nandor Stadion
Who plays there?
