Rot Weiss Essen 1-2 Wuppertal
Stadion Essen
10 May 2013
Regional Liga West
Supporting a team whose ground has remained virtually unchanged over the last 40 years means we are part of a dwindling number of fans who can still dream about the sort of stadium that we would like our club to play at (not that in our case that is likely to happen!). For me I would like somewhere that:
1) Had terracing for home and away fans
2) Limited the amount of fencing or moats
3) Whilst accepting business seats and boxes as a way of live, keep them to one stand (none of this Ashburton Grove/Wembley corporate ring)
4) Had decent roofs. Roofs on stadiums are like wheels on cars, I like them to look good!
5) Have the stands set back from the pitch, but not too far.
6) Allowed for development (when we get in the EPL!)
7) Had plenty of room 'out back', wide concourses, preferably open with some natural light
8) Located near to the existing stadium (so I can park in the same place and go to the same pubs)
I could go on, but I guess we all want the same things.
Well Stadion Essen (or as the locals prefer Hafenstrasse) certainly does appear to tick the boxes. I would hold off going for now, until the last stand is complete, although by then any trace of the old ground would have gone.
One small point, they may regret the choice of white seats, once the fans migrate to the terrace when it is complete. If grounds are not likely to be full, which this won't (at least in the initial years) keep the colour of the seats as dark as possible (works for NAC who have dark blue seats when the club colours are yellow).
Unfortunately, the big floodlight will also soon go.
The game was not a classic. Essen let in an early goal having lost their last home game 1-6 they must have feared the worse. But they got back into it just after half time, then let it slip conceding a really stupid goal after 65 mins.
1) Had terracing for home and away fans
2) Limited the amount of fencing or moats
3) Whilst accepting business seats and boxes as a way of live, keep them to one stand (none of this Ashburton Grove/Wembley corporate ring)
4) Had decent roofs. Roofs on stadiums are like wheels on cars, I like them to look good!
5) Have the stands set back from the pitch, but not too far.
6) Allowed for development (when we get in the EPL!)
7) Had plenty of room 'out back', wide concourses, preferably open with some natural light
8) Located near to the existing stadium (so I can park in the same place and go to the same pubs)
I could go on, but I guess we all want the same things.
Well Stadion Essen (or as the locals prefer Hafenstrasse) certainly does appear to tick the boxes. I would hold off going for now, until the last stand is complete, although by then any trace of the old ground would have gone.
One small point, they may regret the choice of white seats, once the fans migrate to the terrace when it is complete. If grounds are not likely to be full, which this won't (at least in the initial years) keep the colour of the seats as dark as possible (works for NAC who have dark blue seats when the club colours are yellow).
Unfortunately, the big floodlight will also soon go.
The game was not a classic. Essen let in an early goal having lost their last home game 1-6 they must have feared the worse. But they got back into it just after half time, then let it slip conceding a really stupid goal after 65 mins.