Yadegar-e-Emam Stadium

The ground in Tabriz carries two names, and the older one — Sahand — refuses to go away among those who remember the city’s football before the new build. The younger identity, Yadegar-e-Emam , came with the opening in 1996, though the construction had stretched back through the late eighties. What makes the place stand out is the running track that rims the pitch. It is a tartan surface, laid down in the most recent round of works, and it keeps the stadium from being a pure football arena. Those who came for the game have to walk past it to reach the seats.

The pitch itself is a hybrid grass, imported from Turkey and installed as part of that latest phase of improvement. Under-soil heating and new floodlights came with the work, along with a cycling track that sits beside the running surface. The number has no value left at that level — it is a figure from a different era.

Tractor Sazi have played their home games here since the stadium opened, and the draw brought them together early with Machine Sazi in the opening match, which was attended by a former president. The ground has also seen Iran national team matches and youth qualifiers. The track is the one constant that tells you this is not a standard football bowl.