Żyleta (, ) is a

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

of a northern stand at the

Stadion Wojska Polskiego The Polish Armed Forces, Polish Army Stadium (, ), official named the Marshall Józef Piłsudski Legia Warsaw Stadium (), is an all-seater stadium, all-seater, UEFA stadium categories, highest fourth category football-specific stadium located at 3 ...

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, traditionally occupied by the most spontaneous and

fanatical ''Fanatical'' is a Canadian half-hour documentary television series produced by Peace Point Entertainment Group and currently airs on TVtropolis and DejaView. FANatical explores the motivations and activities of people involved with the fandom ...

fans of

Legia Warsaw Legia Warszawa (), commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning a record 15 champions titles, a record 2 ...

football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...

. Before the stadium renovation (2008–2011), the "old" Żyleta referred only to the center section within the eastern stand of the stadium (occasionally, it would also refer to eastern stand as a whole). There is a special exhibition dedicated to the "old" Żyleta in the Legia club museum. Today, after the stadium renovation, the "new" Żyleta means the whole northern stand of stadium (located behind the goal). The eastern stand of the stadium was constructed in the 1930s. Until the late 1970s, the stand was simply referred to as the "open" stand (in contrast to the "covered" western stand, which was fully roofed). The eastern stand was nicknamed "Żyleta" after the Polsilver

razor A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors. While the razor has been in existence since be ...

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that was placed above its center section. The name has been in use since the late 1970s. The razor billboard was removed from the stadium by way of punishment imposed on Legia supporters, after the

riots A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

during the 1995

Polish Cup The Polish Cup in Association football, football ( ) is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout football competition for Polish football club (association football), football clubs, held continuously since 1950, and is the second most i ...

final. Throughout the years Żyleta became more than a section of the stadium, it has become a synonym of the devoted and affectionate support of the football team. Żyleta became famous for its spectacular visual displays, in particular card stunts, prepared by Legia supporters and presented during matches. The quality of support and of the visual displays was often said to be "unquestionably the best in Poland". Thanks to this high reputation, Żyleta is regarded by the football supporters as an "exclusive" section of the stadium. Only the fans who obey the unofficial

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(the key point of which is the non-stop support during the entire football match) are "privileged" to take a seat at Żyleta. However, Żyleta has also attracted some negative attention. Especially during the mid-1990s, it had often been associated with football violence and

fanaticism Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or an obsessive enthusiasm. The political theorist Zachary R. Goldsmith provides a "cluster account" of the concept of fanaticism, identifying ten main attributes that, in various com ...

References

External links

Legia fan-site about Żyleta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zyleta Legia Warsaw