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

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

Welcome to ....

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  Now they’ve been replaced by diggers, awaiting orders.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.

Karlsruher SC 0-0 St. Pauli, Saturday 27th July 2013

Karlsruher SC 0-0 St. Pauli, Bundesliga 2.  

The Schloss and gardens.

A lively start at the railway station as Stuttgarter Kickers fans attempt to live up to their name. Changing trains at Karlsruhe (they're off to Wehen Wisebaden) there's a few exchanges with St. Pauli fans.  Who starts it? Kickers with their 'St. Pauli scheisse!' or the St. Pauli fan who threw a plastic glass full of liquid?  To be followed by the usual rigmarole: 1 or 2 hotheads from either side gesticulating alot, whatever the German is for 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough', before 4 or 5 police appear and position themselves between the fans. Said hotheads then either get too close to the police, before backing off, or make a real show of going berserk, knowing that their mates will drag them back from the brink to ensure a) they don't get arrested or b) they don't kill everyone in their path (cos that's how terrifying they are).  The train comes and the skirmishes peter out, while the police keep a low key approach, merely shepherding the most vociferous away from the group.

Just follow him!

I did note though one older cop, 'tache and all, really looking vexed as he hunted a St. Pauli fan who'd annoyed him.  I think the guy lost him by taking off his sunhat (I certainly couldn't recognise him thereafter).  Now, I'd seen this guy previously and, if anything, he was secondary, not mouthy, behind the front line...but I think he had the main Kickers knobhead in sight, as he edged left or right depending on where the Kickers fan was.  Was he the 'dangerman'?  Either way, the police made no move to arrest the Kickers loudmouth. Too much paperwork? Another undercover guy joined in the action, putting on a sexy green armband to show which team he was playing for that day.

Tha' she blows!

There followed another beautiful walk to a stadium, once you've reached the Schloss that is (and there's plenty of signs for it; it's Karlsruhe's architectural, historical and literal centrepiece - the whole city was planned around it).  Walk around the castle, through the Schlossgarten (always making sure there's a Karlsruher fan to follow!) and somewhere through the density of forest there lies a football stadium, high atop a hill. No wonder it's called 'Wildparkstadion'.

Welcome to .....on .... for the match against ....

Upon arrival I decide to find the away end.  However, once found, there is no discernible ticket booth. So I carry on my clockwise quest of the stadium, nick through some shrubbery and find the most obscure entrance to the ground.  The ticket guy spends a few seconds explaining that my €11 ticket costs €12.  I have no idea why. (Did they overprint last season?)  Still, I'm in.  And there's a fair smattering of St. Pauli fans around too.

Yes, it's HOT.

The match must have been the most pedestrian I've ever seen.  For a second season in a row I see St. Pauli open their away account with a goalless draw.  This one was nailed on.  From the start, I was sweating - and I was stood in the shade.  So it was no wonder the players weren't so keen to run about.  A simple 'give and go' became a 'give'.  Now here's a thing: if football was invented to give cricketers summink to do when the weather turns foul, here's why you shouldn't have summer football.  90 minutes and zero shots of note save for a KSC forward missing an open goal as he couldn't direct a ball slightly behind him.  I scored this exact goal a fortnight ago (in 5 aside).

Fans getting a hosing.  Yes, it's THAT hot.

Aside from the 'furter and beer, the cleverest thing I did all match was find a toilet (at the other end of the stadium!!!) to take off my shirt and drench it in water from the tap.  ANYTHING to keep cool. Inside the stadium, and I've never seen this before, the groundstaff were hosing down the fans.  (A ho(s)e down?)  It must have been awful on the main home terrace, which was packed and in the sun.

What shade there was ...

The stroll back through the forest encircled some medieval fair or other ('Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum').  Men (it was usually men) threw axes at the target of a bear while in the distance a rock act played with the hindrance of bagpipes.  Awful.  (I think they were called 'Rapalje'.)  Anyway, if you've heard one krautrock act with bagpipes, I guess you've heard them all.  'Celtic folk' I think the advert said.  One to avoid in future methinks.

Axe throwing.  Typical day in Karlruhe.

I've also now lost 2 sunhats in 2 days.  They're the new sunglasses.  I think this latest one is somewhere in the schlossgarten, where I laid out to watch the axe throwing while listening to 'Celtic folk'.  You can understand how easy it was to be distracted.  One doesn't come across this stuff much these days.

Attendance: 17,667 (Wildparkstadion)

The Damage: 
€12 ent
€1 programme

Tunes:
The Orb

Ticket booths at the home end.

Pre-match hunting of shade.

St. Pauli corner.  Packed.

Main stand angles.

Main Stand roof dwarfing the rest of the stadium.

The most predictable result ever.

Looking out over the scoreboard end.

The home terrace.  I dread to think how hot they were.

The old stand.

A tall floodlight on top of a tall hill.  Tall.

Karlsruhe's motte and bailey castle.

Karlruher SC team coach

Steps up to home end

View from the home end (after the match).