CEO Tommi Pikkarainen believes that the football stadium would increase the vitality of Pori.
The football club FC Jazz wants a football stadium in Pori.
– The conditions have to be developed, otherwise going forward will be boring, says the executive director of the club Tommi Pikkarainen.
The club plays at the Pori stadium, completed in 1966. The stadium’s field is in good condition, but otherwise it is barren for the development of match events.
Executive director Pikkarainen saw the situation when he started working as executive director in the spring of last year.
– In 1991, I played in the Veikkausliiga here. When I came back after 32 years, the world has changed quite a lot, but the football conditions in Pori have not changed at all. A few more willows grow in the stadium than before.
The club has already made various plans for the stadium. It could be located, for example, near the current Pori stadium or on the other side of the city in Herralahti. The stadium’s audience would be around 4,400. Financing is still open.
Managing director Pikkarainen follows the will of Pori, which has more than 80,000 inhabitants, to develop the city’s vitality with the help of a football stadium.
– In our opinion, the most practiced sport in Pori, Satakunta and Finland, and especially internationally, is part of vitality. Pietarsaari is building a football stadium. There are 19,000 inhabitants. Vaasa and Seinäjoki are smaller than Pori and have football stadiums.
The share issue went smoothly
In July, FC Jazz announced a share issue. The club announced that it would apply for additional funding for long-term planning by issuing 10,000 shares worth 150 euros each.
According to CEO Pikkarainen, the share issue has gone smoothly and individual shares have been bought.
– Some parties have been interested in larger shares and things are looked at in a broader context. This is accompanied by the desire to develop Pori football more widely.
With the share issue, part of the foundation is also created for the football stadium.
Second group win close
This season, Pori has sensed a budding football boom. However, there is still a long way to go to the legendary success years of FC Jazz decades ago.
The club has been very successful in football Kakkones and is on the cusp of winning the group.
CEO Tommi Pikkarainen admits that there has been clearly more interest than last year.
– I hope that the biggest reason would be that the game was entertaining. The development of our own young players has also hopefully pleased the public.
The season’s audience average has currently been almost 750 viewers. The club believes that the number will increase during the rest of the season.