SSV Jahn Regensburg 2-0 Hansa Rostock, Saturday 30th July 2016

Jahn Regensburg 2-0 Hansa Rostock, 3.liga, att. 7,683

Welcome to the....West Stand

Regensburg is an agreeable place, plenty of squares, plenty of old buildings…yet the old stone bridge (and cathedral for that matter) are perennially under repair. And could I hell as find the Tourist Information – if it even has one!

No matter, I was here for the football. Since I was last at Regensburg , they’ve built themselves a new stadium, been relegated during the last year of the old stadium, promoted in the 1st year of the new, So, an eventful couple of years. I remember seeing plans for the new stadium in the programme, which I thought would be a vast improvement on the old.

The South Stand (main home end).

Rundown and characterful as it was, the old stadium lacked atmosphere. There was a small paddock in front of seats behind the goal, while the ‘ultras’ (few as they were) crowded on a small uncovered terrace on the touchline. The new stadium would, crucially, have a large covered home terrace, though I did wonder how and when Jahn would ever fill its 15,000+ capacity.

Have you got the name yet?

The Continental Arena (named after the tyre manufacturer) is a well-designed stadium, four separate stands, with one side devoted to VIPs/families. However cheap it was to stand (€12 today) the cheapest seats started at €24. The away fans had their own end, with about 80% given to seating…so you can bet the 20% that was standing looked rammed with Hansa Rostock in town. Why give so much of the stand over to seating? Rostock brought maybe 1500 today, not bad considering the distance, to the far north of Germany, over 400 miles. Crazy.

The Hansa hordes (while a man interviews a bear, big screen).

Everything about the Continental Arena was so slick. Queues for tickets were small (with 20 mins to KO it was virtually empty outside). Beer queues were ok and the transport to and from the stadium was perfection. There were special buses laid on from the hauptbahnhof, which left for the stadium every 10 minutes. And with full time about 4pm (it kicked off 6 or 7 mins late, dunno why) and a train to catch at 4:30pm, I was on the first bus back and was at the station by 4:10. It’s one advantage of building the stadium about 3 miles south of the station – there’s none of the city centre traffic. I’m pleased that for once I elected not to walk it. Not only was it a long way, but it was sweltering and looked a bit of a dull route.

Back of the VIP (East) Stand.

Oh, and little Jahn celebrated their return to 3.liga by winning 2-0. A (dubious) penalty, the player making a point of going down once he’d got the wrong side of the defender was matched by a free kick from right of centre (as you looked at the goal) where the keeper expected a cross. 2nd time in 2 days I’ve seen that.

The Damage:
€12 ent
€1 prog
€2 postcards
€3.50 beer
= €18.50

The Tunes:
Silver or Lead (Ursula Rucker)
Silence (Pete Namlook and Dr. Atmo)
Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze (Kurt Vile)
Lost in the Dream (The War on Drugs)
Loveless (My Bloody Valentine)
The Marshall Mathers LP (Eminem)
A Grand Don’t Come for Free (The Streets)

Panorama from high up the terrace.

Match advert in department store

Match parking.

Fence to prevent bumping into away fans.

Hansa team coach

Main entrance.

Jahn Ultras.

The VIP/Family Stand.

Gimme an 'R'...etc

Smartphone aus!  Emotionen An!  Here here.

Jahn slot home a penalty.

Those VIPs.

On the outside looking in.

A bit fence happy, low down.

A down low panorama.

Goodbye Continental!