Football|On Monday, the city of Helsinki was supposed to start the construction of four lighting towers at Gnistan’s home arena.
in northern Helsinki the destruction of the grandstand building of the home arena of the functioning football club IF Gnistan in a violent fire has spoken on Saturday. The news has been particularly difficult for people who have been involved in the club’s activities for a long time.
Asko Murto was the chairman of IF Gnistan in 2000–2009. The construction contractor played a key role when the new main grandstand was completed on the Oulunkylä sports park field in 2010.
Now all that’s left of that stand is a skeleton.
“It was sad news when I heard about it in the morning,” says Murto.
Murto is part of Gnistan Oy’s group of owners with a “small share”.
“I still do these chores for Gnistan,” says Murto.
Burglary knows the arena’s history, present and future plans.
“The construction of the supplemental part was just going on there, which had to be put into use in the near future – during this season.”
Could the construction site be the cause of the fire?
“The work has been interrupted for several weeks, so it has nothing to do with the cause of the fire. That equation is excluded,” says Murto.
The reason why the Mustapekka arena caught fire is a mystery.
He describes the fire as “significant.”
“How a building like that can burn, it seems strange.”
Break it’s sad when many development projects burned like reindeer in the sky. The conditions of the Mustapekka arena were improved after Gnistan’s promotion was secured in the winter.
“After promotion to the Veikkausliiga took place, the cup seats required by the league were put in the stands.”
Murto has been involved in improving the conditions, because the heart still beats for the club.
“If you’ve been involved for 30 years, that feeling doesn’t go away at all.”
He reacts calmly to the consequences of the fire.
“Everyone experiences tragedy in their own way, but juniors have more to digest, because they approach the matter with less experience than adults,” Murto reflects.
The bilingual club’s nickname in Finnish is Kipinä. Adults are able to take it with black humor, but children probably have a harder time finding comforting words when discussing the destruction of the arena.
Gnistan has had close discussions with the City of Helsinki regarding the expansion of the Oulunkylä football arena.
“The development plans have received a favorable reception from the city, and why not, because there are many positive things in it,” says Murto.
On Monday, city workers were supposed to start building the lights.
That project cannot be started now.
A week ago in Oulunkylä, the second women’s match between Gnistan and FC Herttua was played.
Murto is saddened when such a dark cloud of smoke appears in the middle of the club’s 100th anniversary season.
“Even though this was the worst news, I believe this community can withstand even this setback.”
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