Millerntor-Stadion
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| Millerntor | |
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| Former names | Wilhelm-Koch-Stadion (1970-1998) |
| Location | Hamburg, Germany |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Renovated | 1988, since December 2006 |
| Expanded | 2007 |
| Owner | FC St. Pauli |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | 30,000,000 (Reconstruction) |
| Architect | agn Niederberghaus & Partner GmbH, ar.te.plan GmbH (Reconstruction) |
| Capacity | 24,487 |
| Tenants | |
| FC St. Pauli | |
The Millerntor-Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Hamburg St. Pauli, Germany. It is mainly used for football matches and is the home stadium of FC St. Pauli. It is on the Heiligengeistfeld, near the Reeperbahn, the red light district of Hamburg. The stadium had a capacity of 32 000 when it was built in 1961. Sometimes it is used for the American football team of the Hamburg Blue Devils and, although very rarely, for concerts or festivals such as the Retter festival 2003 or the Jubiläumsfestival 100 Jahre FC St.Pauli in 2010.
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[edit] History
The first sports ground at the Heiligengeistfeld was created after the First World War as a simple flat space. This was the home ground of the St. Pauli TV , together with other workers sports associations (Arbeitersportkartells).
In 1946, the club (now called FC St Pauli) built its own stadium in the corner between Glacischaussee and Budapester strasse (from 1946 to 1956 named Ernst Thälmann strasse). In a city laid to ruins by the Second World War, the stadium was made possible only with the help from fans and club members. However, it did last long and had to be removed in 1961. This was due to the IGA (International Garden exposition) 1963 in Hamburg and the park Planten un Blomen was constructed at the site.
Consequently, the club had to find a new stadium and in 1961 the construction of the Millerntor-Stadion started. The new stadium opened in 1963, delayed by of an initial lack of drainage system, wich made the pitch unplayable after rain. Initially, the stadium held 32,000 spectators, but the capacity was later reduced to 20,629 for safety reasons. The stadium has undergone numerous modifiations over the years, the biggest change was the construction of a temporary seating area above the Back straight, allowing the promotion into the Bundesliga 1988. This temporary area is still in use.
In the end of the eighties plans for a new stadium, the so-called Sportdome were blocked by residents and supporters of the club. In the nineties the chairman of the club, the architect Heinz Weisener, made new plans, but they collapsed due to the financial situation of the club. The question of a new stadium looked like a never-ending story and every chairman has made their own plans.
[edit] Reconstruction since 2006
In December 2006 the South stand was demolished after the game versus Wuppertal. This caused the capacity to be reduced to 15,600 people. Some troubles in the club leadership deferred the reconstruction and some fans spoke cynically of the "Littman hole", with regard to the controversial chairman Corny Littmann and the fact that a whole tribune was lost. However, during the spring 2007 the building of the new South stand finally started.
With the new South stand completed and a new provisional seating area above the Northern stand, the capacity was increased to 22,648 (2-1 victory over VfL Osnabrück 20 March 2008). With the first phase of reconstruction the club also fulfilled its licence terms for the DFL, as all technical requirements (e.g. undersoil heating) were included. The old cult manual scoreboard was exchanged for a digital one, but the old one it might get a place somewhere at the stadium front.
After the South stand, the Main tribune was demolished in mid-November 2009 and with its seating sections completed in time for the 2010-2011 season, the capacity of the Millerntor-Stadium was increased to 24,487 spectators.
The latest news is that the reconstruction of the Back strait (die Gegengerade) will start in January 2012, with the building of a new subway tunnel under the Heiligengeistfeld.[1] Two different designs were discussed during the autumn of 2011, one spectatular called "The Wave" and one classic in line with the other reconstructed sections. "The Wave" came from a co-operation between the engineer firm OSD and the Hamburg-based "creative lab" Interpol +- (Nordpol +). It would have measured 27 meters in height and permitted a capacity of 14,000 specator, of which 3,000 seated.[2] The classic design, with its red brick facade, came from the Dortmund-based architect bureau art.te.plan and will hold 13,000 spectators, of which 3,000 seated.[3] After extensive debating, a process also hearing the fans, the club president Stefan Orth announced in November 2011 that the club has chosen the classic design.[4] The reasons given for the decision were safety, construction time, taste and cost.[5] With a price possibly as high as 21 million euro, "The Wave" would have consumed almost the whole budget for the reconstruction of the Back strait, the North stand and the new training facilities.[6]
The Back strait will be demolished after the seasons last home game against SC Paderborn in May 2012 and the new standing areas are expected to be completed in time for the 2012-13 season. The seating section will be completed by the end of 2012. The main contractor for the reconstruction of the new Back strait will be the company Walter Hellmich GmbH.[7]The new Back strait will permit 6,000 nore specators than the current one. This will increase the total capacity of the Millerntor-Stadion to almost 30,500 specators.[8]
After the reconstruction of the Back strait, the North stand will be the next and final phase. Completion of the entirely reconstructed Millerntor-Stadion is expected in 2014.[9]
Progress overview
1. South stand: 3,000 standing places, 2,600 seats (1,000 business) and 10 Séparées (VIP Lounge)
2. Main tribune: 4,800 seats and 200 Séparées
3. North stand: 1940 standing places for guest supporters, 3,375 seats for home and guest
4. Back straight: 10,000 standing places, 1,175 seats
[edit] Location
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A map of the surrounding area.
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The Stadium seen from the air, the newly reconstructed south and main tribunes can be seen down left.
[edit] Name
From 1970–1998, the Millerntor-Stadion was known as the Wilhelm-Koch-Stadion. It was renamed to Millerntor-Stadion by the club members, due to the membership of Wilhelm Koch in the NSDAP. In 2007 the club members decided that there is to be no commercial use of the name.
Millerntor was the original site of Hamburg Observatory, built in 1802, by Johann Georg Repsold.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/zweitebundesliga/stpauli1641.html
- ^ http://www.express.de/fussball/spektakulaere-neue-gegengerade-millerntor--st--pauli-plant-die-perfekte-welle,3186,9567752.html
- ^ http://mobilbeta.mopo.de/home/m-sport/m-paulinews/millerntor--st--pauli-plant-die-perfekte-welle/5076214,9565360,view,asFitMl.html
- ^ http://www.stadionwelt.de/sw_stadien/index.php?folder=sites&head=Gegengerade-am-Millerntor-wird-klassisch-umgesetzt&news_id=6858&site=news_detail
- ^ http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/zweitebundesliga/stpauli1641.html
- ^ http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/st-pauli/welle-weg-gegengerade-wird-normal-20334388.bild.html
- ^ http://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/sport/article13729075/Keine-Welle-am-Millerntor.html
- ^ http://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/sport/article13729075/Keine-Welle-am-Millerntor.html
- ^ http://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/zweitebundesliga/stpauli1641.html
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: FC St. Pauli |
- St. Pauli Official Website in English
- Millerntor-Stadion
- Millerntor-Stadion in German
- Atmosphere at Millerntor Stadium German
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Millerntor-Stadion |
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