Chemnitzer 2-4 SV Meppen, Wednesday 31st July 2019

Chemnitzer 2-4 SV Meppen, 3.liga, att. 4,978 (Stadion Chemnitz)

Welcome to ....

With 15 minutes to the match and stuck in the scrum of the ticket queue (why only have 2 sales windows open for standing tickets?) and the rain tipping down, coming to Chemnitzer didn't seem such a clever idea.  Especially as one only had a short-sleeve shirt.  But the rain stopped as abruptly as it started, I was served and was still comfortably in for kick-off.  Stop the moaning to yourself!

The ticket queue.

This was my second visit to Chemnitzer, in the city formerly known as Karl Marx Stadt.  Previously, five, six years ago, the stadium was basic to say the least.  One small propped cantilever stand straddling the halfway line and three sides of open terracing.  Not ideal for rain, and not ideal for atmosphere.  Plans were afoot for a new completely covered stadium and here we were, it was built, on the same footprint as the old stadium.

Looking snazzy on the outside.

Chemnitzer have now been in their stadium 3 years.  They've kept the old entrance, but everything else has been knocked down and rebuilt: both side stands are now all-seater (with exec facilities in one - what is this fad with cutting out a chunk of stand so people can stand about?).  The home end is terraced while the away end, as at various other new German stadia, is mainly given over to seating, despite an overwhelming demand to stand.  For example, tonight, all SV Meppen's fans were standing in the one-third of that end given over to the visitors.  However, maybe Chemnitzer has the best of both worlds, as the middle section appeared to be seating/safe standing.  (There was another area like this in the Main Stand.)

The Wernergruner Business Club, in the heart of the Main Stand.

Does all-round cover help the atmosphere?  Well, depends on if the fans sing, of course.   But I couldn't help feel that at the old ground, it would be pretty miserable when it rained.  Mind, visiting at the start of a season, I normally see a stadium at its finest.  However, the chants were simply lost in the ether.  Today was much better.

The Chemnitzer crew made some noise.  I was given a ticket amongst their ultras, but snuck off to the side.  I like atmosphere, but I also like actually seeing the game.  Plus, Chemnitzer fans don't entirely agree with my political beliefs, if recent shenanighans with their HooNaRa ('Hooligans Nazis Racists') leader are anything to abide by.  How ironic, in a city formerly named after Karl Marx.

Looking towards the ultras, in the centre section.

It was an exciting game, 2-4 to the visitors, despite the home side leading twice.  Chemnitzer, three games in and one point, look a side in trouble to me.  They were susceptible to the counter every time and all four Meppen goals reflected this.  The opener came as Meppen, clean through, smashed it past the keeper's head; the 2nd, the keeper pulled off a brilliant save from the same player before the latter re-composed himself and smashed it past the keeper's head again.  No need for subtlety.

Saves me looking up the goalscorers.

The 4th was a cool backpost volley from a deep right wing cross, while my favourite was undoubtedly the 3rd.  A low right wing cross was missed by onrushing forwards and the Chemitzer right back, running back, wellied the ball with his left foot into the net.  Under no pressure.  I think he was just trying to put it out for a throw or corner but got it haplessly wrong.  His face was a picture.  (Note: the scoreboard didn't credit it to their own player.  But it did happen - it was right in front of me.)

In with the old; behind the home end.

Chemnitzer had opened the scoring, a player sticking out a leg to divert a flick-on from a corner.  Later, within a minute of Meppen's (first) equaliser, Chemnitzer re-took the lead as their tall, gangly (never a footballer) left winger controlled the ball for the first time in the match and pulled it across goal for an easy finish.  At this point, the crowd was buzzing and scarves twirled around the ground.  But within minutes it was 2-4 and many fans headed for the exit.  The season looks one of dread.

The Damage:
€13 ent
€3 beer (400ml)
€3.50 bratwurst
€1 programme
= €20.50

The Tunes:
Bagsy Me (Wannadies)
Behind the Counter with Max Richter (Various)
Big Balloon (Dutch Uncles)
Big Calm (Morcheeba)
Biggest Bluest Hi-fi (Camera Obscura)

Stayed at:
Hostel Mondpalast, Dresden (€19)

community4you Arena panorama

Workers of the world!

Not coming to a park near you.

The main entrance.

The SV Meppen coach.

AKA the home end.

Those were the days!

The teams come out.

Another week, another protest.

The sparsely populated (expensive?) Main Stand.

The Meppen hardcore.

Looking towards the away end.

Front of the Main Stand.

'Alternative' is the 'norm' in East Germany.

Meppen miss a late free kick.

Chemnitzer 3-1 Darmstadt 98, Wednesday 8th August 2012

Chemnitzer 3-1 Darmstadt 98, 3.liga (att. 5,200)

The Big Match.

 Maybe I was having a bad day. Maybe ny heart wasn’t in it from the start. After all, I’d travelled from Erfurt to Dresden, dropped my bag off, then headed to Chemnitz.  A fair bit of travelling, on top of what I’d already done in the past week and a half.  But I don’t think it was that.  I just found Chemnitz (the place) a bit of a chore, from the dismal walk up the hill to the ground (about 20 minutes from the station), past many a derelict building, to the walk to a city centre (20 minutes the other side of the station) of no renown.  

The outside of the stadium.

Having said all that, there is one MUST SEE, the Karl Marx statue outside a non-descript block of flats in between the station and city centre.  Under the communists, this was Karl Marx Stadt, but since reunification, it’s been renamed ‘Chemnitz’ and Karl’s name has been besmirched.  The workers will rise again!

Working men of the world unite!

The walk to the ground has a resigned feeling.  Lots of grand, yet dilapidated buildings.  (This theme is re-visited at the game, as behind one goal is a similarly described construction.) Chemnitz is apparently on the rise.  If so, it has quite a way to go.  And how awful must it have been in the first place?

Like Craven Cottage.  But not.

Next to the stadium is an indoor carting track which doubles as some kind of drinking hole.  About time, cos there’s nothing else.  Inside the ground though, there’s beer and sausages aplenty.  And the stadium is a proper throwback to how things used to be; one small covered stand and 3½ sides of open terrace, endless high fencing (both at pitchside and the terrace, splitting it into pens, th elater of which might be a good idea were it not for the fact that everyone comes through the same pen to begin with.  The attendance probably isn’t great but it looks busier than it is due to the habit of pinning banners to the perimeter fence, resulting in no-one standing on the first 10 steps or so of the terrace as you’d be unable to see.  Chemnitzer have plans for a rebuild.  Let’s see if it comes happens.

The new stadium plans.

The ‘fankurve’ (behind the goal) does its best but most of the noise simply wafts into the air, like the smoke from a nearby chimney.  In the second half, there is choreographed singing between the fankurve and the tribune side, but our terrace is for the aficionados.  Or those who can’t be bothered to sing inbetween smoking/eating/drinking.

The ultras welcome their heroes.

Chemnitzer win 3-1. The opener is a smart finish from a left wing cutback.  It’s 2-0 before half time with a goal I’ll presumably never see.  I was in the queue for sustenance.  3-0 and it’s all over though I am alone in the home end for applauding Darmstadt’s consolation.  I’m tired and I just wanna see more goals.

The Damage:
€9.50 ent
€2.50 sausage
€2.50 beer
= €14.50

I’d have had a programme as well, were it not for the queue at their ‘fanshop’, a hut with a small window.  Take a tip from Rot Weiss Erfurt, yesterday – have a pretty lady (or man!) with a pile of programmes for sale as you enter.

There's SOME cover...over the ticket booths.

Pre-match drinks.

Down the long side terrace.

The away end..few in number.

I bet this used to look nice.

The teams come out.

 

Sunset over stadion an der gellertstrasse.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear something was on fire.

Chemnitzer employ the latest scoreboard technology.

Overlooking the main stand.

The Main Stand empties at full time.

Behind the goal.

It's a simple construction, but I like it.

Bye bye!