‘This is shocking’ – Teenagers arrested for setting club stadium on fire after relegation

Finnish club FC Haka have suffered a devastating fire to their stadium, in another blow after being recently relegated.

The nine-time national champions dropped down into the country’s second-tier Ykkösliiga in October, after a horror season which saw them finish second-bottom of the table.

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Extensive damage

Things have now gone from bad to worse for Haka, after a fire broke out at their Factory Field stadium on Sunday night.

The club’s 94-year, 3,200-capacity home had one of its three stands burned to the ground in a suspected act of arson.

Footage circulating online shows the entire stand going up in flames in terrifying scenes.

Three teenagers, all under 15, have since been arrested in connection with the inferno, with local police confirming in a statement that one of them confessed to starting it.

The fire began when an unspecified object was lit, which then spread rapidly throughout one half of the stadium.

It ended up destroying all of the 400-seat wooden stand, as well as damaging Haka’s artificial turf pitch.

Despite the devastating impact of the fire, the trio are unlikely to face charges as they are below the age for criminal responsibility under Finnish law.

‘A truly tragic incident’

Haka confirmed the news in a club statement, with chairman Marko Laaksonen revealing that no people were injured in the blaze, but he was unable to confirm the extent of the financial damage.

Laaksonen said: “The fire is a truly tragic incident. Everyone, from the players to the supporters, is deeply shocked.

“The surprising and uncontrolled event affects many and shakes the sense of security. Fortunately, no personal injuries were sustained and the excellent work of the Rescue Service, VPK and other operators managed to protect the other buildings at the Tehtaas field.”

He went on to explain, “We are not yet able to accurately assess the financial damage caused by the fire.

“In any case, it is clear that the effects are significant and, at least for a while, the club’s operations will be hampered in many different ways.

“We will need the support of the entire community to get back to normal everyday life. Fortunately, the team is able to continue preparing for the season almost normally.

“We at Haka are committed to giving our all to the club we love, so we will get through this too.”

While Haka revealed the incident won’t disrupt pre-season training, the statement added that the pitch is now unplayable in parts as a result of the fire.

Club chief executive Olli Huttunen also said of the : “This is shocking, when you think about how important the Factory Field is in Finnish football.

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“This kind of behaviour, where you don’t care about other people’s property, is outrageous. Unfortunately the world is like that.”

He added: “I didn’t know right away what it was. I have camera surveillance on my computer, I went to look and saw on the screen that the end stand was on fire

“The frame of the main stand remains, and it will have to be demolished. The procedure is that the authorities and the insurance company will review the situation.

“Once all investigations have been completed, the main stand will have to be demolished.”

Haka have since launched a fundraising campaign, the Päätykatsomo Community (Finnish for grandstand), with donations going towards both rebuilding the stand and entering into a draw for match-worn jerseys, according to the club.

After entering into the league’s relegation round last season, Haka then came last in the six-team mini league, condemning them to a first season outside of the top-flight since 2019.

In previous years, the club has come up against the likes of Liverpool, Fulham and Rangers in European competitions.