Karlsruher SC 2-0 Hannover 96, Monday 12th August 2019

Karlsruher SC 2-0 Hannover 96, DFB Pokal 1st round, att. 11,779 (Wildparkstadion)

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Karlsruher’s Wildparkstadion was/is one of my favourite stadiums, and, knowing it was to be torn down and replaced by a 35,000 looks-like-everyone-else’s ground, I endeavoured to make a final pilgrimage.  Gone would be the curves at either end.  Another great German bowl would disappear, following recently departed Saarbrucken and Erzgebirge Aue.  Also gone soon would be the imperious Haupttribune, which I’d have tried to incorporate into the new design, to add some uniqueness.

The Haupttribune

With plans announced for a new stadium in back in 2017, what I hadn’t foreseen was how keen the Germans would be to get on with the job; what I saw was a stadium in mid-transformation.  I hadn’t realised demolition began at the back end of last season.  The curves at either end had been bulldozed and replaced with temporary stands, one covered (the main home end) and one not.  Why not knock one stand down at a time and build the new one properly?  Well, a bit of digging (sorry) suggests the ends had to be removed first as the banking possibly contained remnants of WWII explosives and possible contamination.  As good a reason as any.

Where the south curve once lay.

The Gegentribune, down one side, was desert of fans.  The lower tier, at the Nachter Mann end, used to be where the ultras once crowded.  Now they’ve been replaced by diggers, awaiting orders. The idea is the stadium will continue to be in use during the renovation, with capacity not to be lower than 15,000.  (The new stadium will hold 35,000 against its former capacity of 29,000.)  Thus, getting rid of the curves also affords more room around the site for the builders.

The diggers wait in the ultras old section.

As befits the name ‘Wildparkstadion’, the stadium is built within scenic parkland, through which you can walk all the way from Karlsruhe Schloss (Castle).  Another reason why this is on my list of favourite grounds.  Karlsruhe’s streetplan all emanates from the schloss.  Also, if you visit at the start of the football season, there’s likely to be something on in town.  Last time, there was a medieval fayre in the park.  This time, after dark (perfect, given the match was an evening kick-off) there was a sound and visual show at the schloss, with animated films projected onto the schloss with accompanying classical music.  I loved it, but having been rained on earlier, I became a bit chilly in my t-shirt.  Shame, as I’ve have happily stuck around for another hour having a beer or two.  It was spectacular.

Visuals on Karlsruhe schloss.

As for the match, having walked through schlossgarten (follow anyone with a blue shirt on!), I arrived at one of the three entrances currently open.  I never even looked at seating prices.  I just asked for a standing (‘stehplatz’) ticket.  They were €16 or €17.  I didn’t know the difference, but I think I did later as it rained – the other end had a roof.  I just took pot luck, but I suspect the main home end was full.

The main home (north) end.

Looking at my ticket, I was in the same area of terrace as my last/first visit.  However, as I walked around, it became obvious the curve had…disappeared.  The earthen banking had been removed, replaced by an open area with refreshment stalls behind a temporary stand.

Despite being to one side of the terrace, my sector was very busy – though partly cos people see the terrace is busy and congregate at the terrace entrance.  Thus it was that when Karlsruher nearly scored (SHOULD have scored, hitting the sidenetting from 6 yards) half of one of my pots of beer (yes, I had two) went skyward.  Luckily, my reactions meant it covered the mate of the idiot who barged me.  Cue laughing from the idiot who knocked me.  No apology.

The south end.

This weekend was the German cup, and, on paper, this was possibly one of the least interesting ties in the DFB Pokal: a pair of Bundesliga 2 sides slugging it out.  Hannover, newly relegated from Bundesliga, are still finding their level and were easily beaten 2-0.  Writing this two days later I have no recollection of the goals.  Did Karlsruher score at the back end of the 1^st half?  No idea.  I’m still thinking about the (free) entertainment put on at the schloss, the unexpected highlight of my holiday.

Actually, I've figured out how one was scored.

The Damage:
€16 ent
€4.20 beer (x3, Rothaus)
€3.50 fleischkasweck
€12 mug

= €35.70 (£39)

The Tunes:
Silver or Lead (Ursula Rucker)
The Dawn of Psychedelia (Various)
Debut (Bjork)
The Digging Remedy (Plaid)
Drone Logic (Daniel Avery)

Stayed at:
Kultur|Jugendherberge Karlsruhe (£26)

My first visit:  https://geordiealsgroundhopperscrapbook.blogspot.com/2013/07/karlsruher-sc-0-0-st-pauli-saturday.html

Wildparkstadion panorama (I)

Wildparkstadion panorama (II)

Directions in the schlossgarten.

Back of the Haupttribune.

Stairs into the Haupttribune.

A handy car parking space.

Heading around the back of the old curve.

Match action.

Duran Duran fans?

The Karlsruher claws.

Remnants of banking in the north-west corner.

See those steps?  I once stood on them.  Shaded from blistering sun.

The curve of the Haupttribune.

The Gegentribune awaits demolition.

Soon to be gone, forever.

Giant meccano.  But in a good way.

This hat has seen some games...

Karlsruher about to attack a corner.

Match action.

Cubist executive boxes.

The scoreboard says it all.

Sun setting over Wildparkstadion.

I can't resist.

Full-time.

One less game for this stand to see.

The home players take their applause.

One last look...

This stand is a monster.  Grrrr!

The metal terracing of the temporary south stand.

Demolition has begun in the Gegentribune.

I've seen more appetising snacks.

Hannover 96 2-0 St. Patrick’s Athletic, Thursday 9th August 2012

Hannover 96 2-0 St. Patrick’s Athletic, Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round, 2nd leg (att. 24,500)

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After the grime of Chemnitz, it was good to get back to the more usual beauty and greenery of a German city, this time Hannover.  I got lucky with my accommodation, right in the city centre but inbetween the 2 places I needed most; the railway station and the football stadium.  I’d also developed a migraine (perhaps another reason for my low morale yesterday) so the first thing I did was go to bed.  A mid afternoon nap turned out to be just the medicine!

1st view of the stadium.

Since it was now 5ish, I thought I’d better have a wander to the ground.  I’d no idea what time kick-off was (though at least I knew there was a match).  It was a beautiful walk too, taking me through the ‘Maschpark’ which contains possibly Hannover’s most stunning building, the Neues Rathaus.  And I was there, the AWD Arena (formerly the Niedersachsenstadion, which sounds much grander).  Turned out I was early too, as I saw other fans being turned away from the closed fanshop. I figured it must be a late kick off as I circumnavigated the stadium and saw two teams of security given their pep-talks. 

The Neues Rathaus

By the time I’d done the once-around, the main ticket booths had opened.  ‘What ticket would you like?’ ‘The cheapest.’  25 euros to sit high up in the corner.  The stadium holds 49,000, including 8,000 standing places (still a far cry from its record crowd of 86,000).  The lower tier ‘terrace’ (where everyone had a flip-up seat, thereby fulfilling the all-seater directive) was sold out.  Given the (relative) steepness of price, I wonder how much it was downstairs?  St. Patrick’s Athletic in August can’t bet that much of a draw. 

How to turn all-seater.

It’s an impressive ground, one for which the term ‘stadium’ was invented. It sits atop a hill, looking every inch the modern day castle. Inside, perfect views all-round, the stands arching around the pitch.  Yet there’s something too sanitised about it all.  Too perfect.  Though for any Premiership fan below the age of 30, it’s all they’ve probably ever known.  It reminded me of the Etihad, yet with a mid-tier walkway for the fans, a la the Riverside, Middlesbrough.

The home end is a lot busier than the rest of the stadium.

I scurried off, ticket in hand and when I checked my ticket…still no kick-off time.  So I picked up the courage to speak to someone.  ‘Half past 9’.  ‘No, half past 8’ his colleague corrected. (In some parts of Europe they say ‘half to’ rather than ‘half past’.)  So, time for a quick wander round town then back again.  I had no penchant for lying around the nearby park, or the Maschsee, a massive artificial lake built by the unemployed under Hitler.  I still had a bit of a headache.

Ticket booths before my lap of honour.

On looking at the match ticket, I also discovered who the opposition were, St. Patrick’s Athletic of Ireland. Should be a cakewalk. I bought a programme and so it looked: the 1^st leg had been won 3-0 by the Germans, away.  In this one-sided game, Hannover cruised to a 2-0 win, mainly characterised by their players jumping out of the way of anything approaching a tackle, so as not to get injured for more important games to come. 

The teams come out.

Both goals were headers from set pieces but you got the impression if they’d needed to score 5 or 6 they would have done.  The Nordkurve fans intermittently chanted, but you could tell it was low key, despite the relative fullness of the end.  The attendance was given as 24,500, which I found suspicious given it was EXACTLY half the overall capacity. St. Pat’s brought around 300and they loked like they were having a whale of a time, constant singing and occasional ‘Poznans’, also going topless to wave their shirts in the air (like they don’t care).  After all, they were in Europe!

St. Pat's huddled together in the far corner.

One drawback was the refreshments.  Being a slick operation, of course this was one of those ‘pay by stadium card’ things.  I found this out as I queued for my ‘fischbrotchen’ (fish bread: a side of pickled herring, with onions, in a baguette).  Thankfully, upon hearing my plight, a 96 fan offered to buy it for me, and wouldn’t accept payment.  I salute you, sir!  In chat, he was very much looking forward to the coming Saturday: a friendly v Manchester United.  And I’d been wondering why tonite’s programme had so many pages devoted to last season’s Premiership runners-up!

Finally, what team still comes out to Queen’s ‘Rock You’?  Hannover 96 of course!  But on the plus side, there were plenty of bars around the Maschsee later, for an after-match drink.

The Damage:
€25 ent
€1.50 prog
= €26.50

Entrance/exit.

Steward teamtalk (1)

Mosaic outside the stadium.

Mounted police pre-match.

Steward teamtalk (2).

This place wasn't selling quite what I'd hoped...!

Pre-match parking.

The fans queue to enter.

The Hannover home end.

A less than packed Main Stand.

The view towards the far end (Sudtribune).

Busier on this side.  Cheaper?

Match action.

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