1. FC Kaiserslautern 1-1 VfL Bochum
Fritz-Walter Stadion
Att: 26,916
06/04/14
Ask me to name my 3 favourite grounds. Go on. Okay then, here they are; Grotenburg (Krefeld), Twerton Park (Bath City) and Betzenberg (Kaiserslutern). It takes a lot for a ground to be listed so high up on my ground list, but this was one of those places that has the elusive 'Wow' factor. Betze, as it's locally known, has been on our list for a good while and it was just a case of finding the time to go. Luck would have it that this Sunday game would be time to jump in the car and make the 400+km journey south. Our first experience of Kaiserslautern had, ironically, been in the reverse of this fixture earlier in the season, when we'd been impressed by the travelling contingent.
Betzenberg, from which the ground gains its name, is a 285m hill that overlooks the city. Perched on it is the ground, meaning that it's visible from all around. Parking was simple enough, 5eu in a small private car park beside the Hbf. If planning to visit this ground, you'll probably look on Google Maps and think that it's quite close to the station and centre. It is. Although this walk is up one of the steepest approaches to a ground we've faced. Having got our tickets we met up with a Lautern fan we know through twitter, Floyd and got our first impressions of the inside.
Betze opened its doors for the first time in 1920, and after numerous renovations reached its current state just prior to hosting the 2006 WC. The ground has a capacity of just shy of 50,000 of which 16,500 are standing, although it feels much larger from the inside. 3 single tiered stands dominate over the remaining, smaller, double tiered main stand. We'd recommend going under here after the game, as there's a rather impressive beer hall with a large TV screen, which shows the evening games when they're on. The roof is another impressive feature of the ground, being largely translucent with a bizarre overhang. The Ultras, of which there are numerous groups, position them self in the centre of the terrace. The flags on poles used are amongst the biggest that I've witnessed at a game of football, something that Lautern are famous for apparently.
We'd been warned prior to the game not to expect much, with the hosts picking up 6 points in 9 games against the lower placed sides. His prediction was correct, with Lautern looking rather suspect in defence and lacklustre going forward. VfL took the lead in the 43rd minute through a well worked move, before an even better goal on the stroke of Half Time from the home side. The second half was rather devoid in terms of entertainment, save for a sending off for the home side, although we weren't sure for what. The poor game, ultimately, wasn't much of an issue, as the 3 of us (Yes, Matt was in attendance!) agreed this is a must-visit. If you can get a weekend with Kaiserslautern, Saarbrucken, Neukirchen or Darmstadt at home you'd be silly not to make the trip.
Betzenberg, from which the ground gains its name, is a 285m hill that overlooks the city. Perched on it is the ground, meaning that it's visible from all around. Parking was simple enough, 5eu in a small private car park beside the Hbf. If planning to visit this ground, you'll probably look on Google Maps and think that it's quite close to the station and centre. It is. Although this walk is up one of the steepest approaches to a ground we've faced. Having got our tickets we met up with a Lautern fan we know through twitter, Floyd and got our first impressions of the inside.
Betze opened its doors for the first time in 1920, and after numerous renovations reached its current state just prior to hosting the 2006 WC. The ground has a capacity of just shy of 50,000 of which 16,500 are standing, although it feels much larger from the inside. 3 single tiered stands dominate over the remaining, smaller, double tiered main stand. We'd recommend going under here after the game, as there's a rather impressive beer hall with a large TV screen, which shows the evening games when they're on. The roof is another impressive feature of the ground, being largely translucent with a bizarre overhang. The Ultras, of which there are numerous groups, position them self in the centre of the terrace. The flags on poles used are amongst the biggest that I've witnessed at a game of football, something that Lautern are famous for apparently.
We'd been warned prior to the game not to expect much, with the hosts picking up 6 points in 9 games against the lower placed sides. His prediction was correct, with Lautern looking rather suspect in defence and lacklustre going forward. VfL took the lead in the 43rd minute through a well worked move, before an even better goal on the stroke of Half Time from the home side. The second half was rather devoid in terms of entertainment, save for a sending off for the home side, although we weren't sure for what. The poor game, ultimately, wasn't much of an issue, as the 3 of us (Yes, Matt was in attendance!) agreed this is a must-visit. If you can get a weekend with Kaiserslautern, Saarbrucken, Neukirchen or Darmstadt at home you'd be silly not to make the trip.