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| Everyone's favourite Weimar Chancellor... |
'Perfunctory', That about sums it up as 3.liga 'RasenBall' are despatched with ease by Bundesliga Augsburg, ahead after four and a half minutes, killing the game with a late second and never in danger inbetween. But that didn't matter, cos what a stadium! Built actually INSIDE the former communist concrete bowl that was the 'Zentral Stadion', this is as spectacular a setting for a football stadium as it gets. Enter from the direction of the 'Festwiese', a large open expanse to the south of the stadium. As myriad other streams of people come together from all directions, everyone heads towards a large tower and steps. You are within touching distance of the stadium...yet all you can see is a big hill and a glimpse of...something. (It's the roof.)
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| The walk across Festwiese. |
I climbed the steps and turned left and a handy ticket booth appeared. After negotiating the seating plan, I plumped for somewhere high up in Sektor C. €15, all-seater. So, slightly more than an average German terrace, alot less than your average German seat.
It was sweltering. So obviously, Red Bull (let's not pretend they're called anything otherwise) had the slowest turnstiles imaginable. The 1st problem was getting past the barriers; one guy was checking everyone's tickets to make sure we were in the right sektor. But then you still had to get through an electronic ticket barrier, so what was the point? And while this punter sweated amongst the herd, the turnstile operators at least had the protection of a gazebo. Good job this is an EVENING game.
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| Shade for security...swelter for fans |
Once through, I climbed the steps to the top of the hill before looking down on the magnificence that is this stadium-within-a-stadium. It is the Russian doll of stadia! You then have to walk DOWN some steps and go across the walkway over what is, in effect, a moat. Wow!
Inside, the upper lower (!) concourse had plenty of refreshment stands, though never enough for a day like this. A middle concourse contains loads of toilets, a clever way of reducing the normal crushes.
After queueing for a quarter of an hour, I finally gained the sustenance I was craving, a Sprite and a beer. Today was not a day for food. Once I reached the upper tier, rather than take my assigned seat amongst the throng, I headed to the back where there was space to spread myself out.
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| The stadium within a stadium. |
One had a great view from everywhere. Some stood at the back, leaning on railings, some stood on the stairs, no-one bothered them. Meantime, if you wanted to join the ultras, they had the block below, behind the goal. They did their best (god bless 'em), but despite the home end being just about full, it was only a couple of hundred waving their flags and joining in the chanting. Possibly to do with the artificial construct of 'Red Bull' themselves; formed ostensibly to be a marketing tool for a multinational company to buy their way up the leagues and get some use out of this super stadium, built for the 2006 World Cup. Leipzig already had at least one team - and Lokomotive still struggle on at their ramshackle home in the suburbs. (Another, Sachsen, have since gone bust).
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| Across the drawbridge (sort of). |
However, with continued Red Bull backing, this side could go all the way, much
to the chagrin of Germans who support 'proper' teams.
Still, I love this stadium. This includes the walk. Get a map, you can't go wrong. At the very worst, walk from the city centre towards the river, and when you get there, turn right. Or left (if you've gone down a different road to me). It can't be more than 15 minutes from the Hbf. There's a reason this was once 'Zentral Stadion'.
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| The teams come out. |
Attendance: 30,307 (Red Bull Arena)
The Damage:€15 ent
€3 wurst
€3.50 beer (50c deposit on the glass; kids collecting them later on made a fortune.)
€3.50 Sprite. How desperate was I?
The Tunes:
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back - Public Enemy
The Fool - Warpaint
Intro: The Gift Recordings - Pulp
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| The home end. |
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| Augsburg didn't bring alot. |
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| The Main Stand (club offices behind, leastways). |
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| The upper tier pincer movement |
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| The mezzanine floor (toilets). |
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| My block...and make no mistake. |
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| East German chic. |
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| The Leipzig Armadillo. |
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| Beautiful! |
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