Stadia Grave Yard

Compiled by Lee Mangena

Here is a list of some football venues that used to host the cream of the Country's players. These facilities have fallen victim to the harsh economic environment the country has been going through some of these Stadiums deteriorated as soon as soon as the teams that called them Home became defunct.

1. Torwood Stadium- in Redcliff was the home of the legendary Ziscosteel a club that was one of the big clubs of the 1970s/1980s Zimbabwean football scene. The club was sponsored by Steel making giant, Ziscosteel. The club became defunct with the closure of the steel making giant. The stadium has since crumbled with crime and other vices taking place within it's premises.

2. Pelandaba Stadium, located in Gwanda's Jahunda high density suburb was home to Gwanda Rumblers but wasalso used by Bulawayo side Njube Sundowns. It has turned into a dust bowl with no grass on the field. It is currently the home of several second division sides.

3. Sakubva Stadium is a multi use facility in the city of Mutare. It has been home to top flight teams like Mutare United, Tanganda, Motor Action, Black Rhinos and Mutare City Rovers. It has a capacity of 20000. It has however failed the homologation test for the past two seasons meaning that it can not host top flight matches.

4.Cam and Motor- was the home of Rio Tinto football clubs also called Effiel Flats or Cam and Motor. It's a Stadium that legendary players such as Byron Manuel, Joseph Zulu, Graham Boyle, Jubel Phiri and Ephert Lungu called home. However the stadium is now a white elephant with the revived Cam and Motor football club now based at Kadoma's Rimuka Stadium.

5. Chibuku Stadium- ln the dormitary town of Chitungwiza the stadium was home to Darryn T, Cone textiles and Lengthens. Many players like Alois Bunjira, Steward Marisa and many others honed their careers at the stadium. Yadah stars were targeting to lease the facility and use it as their home but the City Council turned their request down.

6. Gathsmine Stadium in Mashaba was once a state of the art facility that hosted many different sports. Unfortunately the demise of the Shabanie and Mashaba mines killed the local club Gaths mine football club at its prime. It was one of the first Stadiums to have an athletics synthetic track. The track is now mere dust.

7. Mhangura Stadium, once home to legendary 1970s, 1980s and 1990s team Mhangura. The facility's lush greens are gone. Used condoms are strewn all over the place, beer bottles too, not to mention cough syrup bottles. The perimeter fence is gone. The Stadiums fate was sealed by the closure of the Mhangura Copper mine. It is currently home to Mhangura F.C who play in the lower Divisions.

8. Ascot Stadium- is a stadium in Gweru with a capacity of 5000. It has been home to clubs like Gweru United, Chapungu, Hardbody, Whawha and Telone. It is currently out of commission after it failed the ZIFA first instance Board Test.

9. St Paul Musami Stadium- was home to the 1966 top flight league champions, St Paul .The stadium had an estimated 15000 capacity. Grass and ants have found refuge in the terraces. Four poles remain of what used to house the V.I.P area. The Stadium' fate was sealed by the departure of the Catholic Priest a father Davies from the ST Pauls Mission.

10. Mbizo Stadium in Kwekwe was home to Kwekwe Cables in their cameo appearance in the Premier Soccer league. It gained recent fame when a stampede occurred at the stadium killing 11 and injuring 40 people during Prophet Walter Magaya religious services.

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Torwood Stadium in Redcliff, the former home of Ziscosteel F.C