Down the memory lane: Early Partizan Stadium history

First ever game at Partizan Stadium – as we know it – was played 71 years ago, on 9^th of October 1949.

Initially, Partizan played games at 20^th of October ground renamed CDJA Stadium in 1946. It was actually home ground of defunct pre-WWII BSK Football Club, badly damaged venue during  Easter `44 Allied bombing of Belgrade.

Construction of new stadium at the same spot commenced in March 1948, first open for public on 9^th of October 1949 for a Yugoslavia v France match. Construction works lasted for two more years but two more games were played by the end of October 1949, Belgrade XI (7 Partizan players in the line-up) v Zagreb XI and Yugoslavia v Admira Wacker. Belgrade team won Zagreb 3-2 while Yugoslavia beat Admira 4-1 in front of packed stands.

Partizan played its first game at the new stadium on 22^nd of December 1949, a friendly against Dinamo Zagreb. We won it 3-2 with Bozidar Drenovac scoring first Partizan goal at the new ground. During construction works, Partizan played home games at near-by Crvena Zvezda ground but due to a huge demand some matches were played at the new ground, like Eternal derby on 17^th of September 1950, the one Partizan won 2-1.

Partizan Stadium was officially opened on 22^nd of Dec 1951 when memorial plague to pre-WWII player Milutin Ivkovic was officially revealed on one of the pillars between north and west stand, followed by Yugoslav Cup final between Dinamo and Vojvodina the next day.

Photos colorized by Nikola Radulovic.