Developing some recent love for Frankfurt...noisy as f***, play good football and rank outsiders.
German Football Trips / Pictures
- Thread starter Bazza1985
- Start date
Konkey Dong
Well-Known Member
This thread is absolutely class, top quality content. Looks brilliant.
Hertha Berlin looks amazing. I've only been to Berlin once and absolutely loved it, timed it wrong as there was no game close to me on the weekend, but I'd absolutely love to go back and go to a Hertha game.
Hertha Berlin looks amazing. I've only been to Berlin once and absolutely loved it, timed it wrong as there was no game close to me on the weekend, but I'd absolutely love to go back and go to a Hertha game.
Been over a couple of times, first weekend we went to Frankfurt for Eintracht vs Freiburg, 1-1 draw at the Commerzbank Arena then went North and saw Dortmund vs Wolfsburg, a frustrating 0-0 but the stadium was immense.
Next trip a few months ago was the Dortmund vs Eintracht game then the next day Monchengladbach vs Schalke, in with the Schalke fans in the away section which was a good laugh, apart from the result. Planning another trip in mid April, good atmosphere and great stadia.
Next trip a few months ago was the Dortmund vs Eintracht game then the next day Monchengladbach vs Schalke, in with the Schalke fans in the away section which was a good laugh, apart from the result. Planning another trip in mid April, good atmosphere and great stadia.
PMB1872
Well-Known Member
As part of a trip to Oktoberfest in 2003 I went to 1860 Munich v then top of the table Stuttgart, at the old Olympic stadium. Cheap to get in, good atmosphere, great seating area outside where you could get beers and food, and could drink beers at your seat inside. Loved it.
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Agreed, the German, Italian and Scottish league could all do with a change of status quo this season!
Superrangers
Well-Known Member
Agreed, the German, Italian and Scottish league could all do with a change of status quo this season!
Germany and Scotland I can see. Italy will be a procession for the foreseeable. Juventus six points clear, with better goal difference and their game in hand tonight at home to bottom-placed Chievo.
Blackpool Dave
Well-Known Member
Off to Dusseldorf in april hoping to take Dusseldorf v Munich and klon v Hamburg
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Koln is a great stadium with great fans. Easily in the top 3 of the 17 grounds I've done in Germany.
I don't think you'll have any bother with Dusseldorf tickets even against Bayern. Stadium is huge compared to their fan base. You probably just need to be online at the time they go on general sale. There will be 1000s of Bayern fans trying to buy home end tickets!
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Loads, easily 10,000 odd Bayern fans in the home end v hertha. The ground was sold out due to the number of Bayern fan.
The stand I was in for hoffenheim was easily 50/50 too.
Teams like Hamburg, Bayern, Dortmund, Monchengladbach etc are well supported away from home and always end up in good numbers in the home end.
Blackpool Dave
Well-Known Member
Will jump on computer as soon as tickets are avalible
Teddy Casablanca
Well-Known Member
Terrific pictures Bazza you've certainly done a bit of traveling about Germany. From what I,ve seen the 80 minute loyal doesn't work in the Bundesliga . There is definitely a strong connection between the players and their supporters.
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Another shameless bump of my thread, was over at 3 Bundesliga games last weekend. There was more travelling that normal but my mate was happy to do the driving so I can't complain. Normally just do games in the same region and travel by train. It was another cracking weekend of football!
Now been to 20 German matches in 18 different German grounds (having visited Schalke and Frankfurt for a 2nd time....can't recommend both highly enough).
Schalke 04 v Mainz 05 (2-1)
Now been to 20 German matches in 18 different German grounds (having visited Schalke and Frankfurt for a 2nd time....can't recommend both highly enough).
Schalke 04 v Mainz 05 (2-1)
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Carlton The Bear
Well-Known Member
Great pics. Struck me when looking at Gladbach stadium it’s very similar in structural supporting Meccano pieces to the PaedoDome.
I’ve been in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin years ago, was brilliant. Would love to have got a game in, but it was summer. Looks good.
I’ve been in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin years ago, was brilliant. Would love to have got a game in, but it was summer. Looks good.
iaatpies
Well-Known Member
I loved the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt. The walk from the S-Bahn station to the ground is lined with various stalls with food, drink and fan merch. Many of the stalls are affiliated to various fan groups.
Bundesliga 2 for me next month. Karlsruher SC v Hannover 96. Restricted capacity whilst the Wildpark Stadion is being rebuilt. Still be 12000 there and it'll look great when it's rebuilt.
Bundesliga 2 for me next month. Karlsruher SC v Hannover 96. Restricted capacity whilst the Wildpark Stadion is being rebuilt. Still be 12000 there and it'll look great when it's rebuilt.
songsofglory
Well-Known Member
Seen on the Groundhopper app that you were away, looks some trip. German football really is the best for fans.
Only managed two games in Germany but will definitely be over for more.
Only managed two games in Germany but will definitely be over for more.
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
I love it over in Germany, Scottish football could learn so much from it. (Ticket prices, alcohol, food quality, fan atmosphere, free transportation, away fans being able to sit in home end, player engagement with their own fans to name but a few)
Plus games always seem to be end to end and you very rarely see a match finish 0-0. Teams are more attack minded.
At last. A proper match. LOL
HowdenEnder
Well-Known Member
It's a simple thing, but those pint glasses with the hooks are very clever.
I’m over at Bielefeld April / May depending on fixtures.
Desperately trying to make sure I’m able to make the potential promotion clincher having been following Arminia all the way from struggling in Bundesliga 3.
Would be incredible to be there if they finally make it back up to the top flight.
Desperately trying to make sure I’m able to make the potential promotion clincher having been following Arminia all the way from struggling in Bundesliga 3.
Would be incredible to be there if they finally make it back up to the top flight.
iaatpies
Well-Known Member
I've stuck something up about October's trip to Karlsruhe elsewhere but not on this thread. Didnt take any photos because the ground is in the middle of being redeveloped but probably good to stick something in here.
We got the train down from Mannheim - a short 20-25 minute journey via ICE. A number of travelling Hannover fans had changed trains at Mannheim and there was a decent away presence on our train. We were met at Karlsruhe HBF by a significant police presence, in line with most German football matches. Whilst I've never seen any trouble at the now 3 games I've gone to, I know that there are German clubs with bad reputations. Whether the police numbers were absolutely necessary is questionable but although there was a significant police presence, there was absolutely no antagonism or feeling that it was ever going to kick off. We ended up exiting the platform area straight onto the street outside the station rather than the main concourse and into an area cordoned off for travelling Hannover fans. There's no tram station or s-bahn service to the Wildpark Stadion so buses are provided to take fans to the ground before the game. We were directed onto one of the visiting fan buses and assured that we'd be perfectly safe, so long as the Hannover fans didnt mistake us for locals. I'm sure the riot cop was joking with 2 clearly non-local tourists as we experienced absolutely no problems at all.
It's about 10 minutes by bus from the HBF to Karlsruhe's Wildpark Stadion. The Wildpark is situated on the outskirts of Karlsruhe's historic palace park and gardens. It would be a brisk 30 minute walk through a lovely and historic city, but the bus was our transport of choice as my friend and I had wanted to visit the club shop and have a wander around the ground. A number of visiting fans decided to walk en mass, as travelling fans in Germany tend to do. I've experienced it myself on an ice hockey trip and unlike authorities in the UK, German fans are accommodated, so long as a reasonable order is maintained.
The Wildpark had 4 stands prior to redevelopment. The ground was build and redeveloped in phases which meant that the stands as they were last season were mismatched. The current redevelopment will see the ground become a very modern, bowl-style ground and I can't help but feel that it'll miss some of the old style stadium charm that the Wildpark previously had (judging from photos only). On my trip in October the club had already demolished one of the 2 main stands and one of the smaller stands behind the city centre end goal. Still standing was the main stand running the length of the touchline and the standing section that was filled with Karlsruhe's ultras. Visiting fans were housed in an uncovered temporary stand behind the opposite goal. Facilities for fans remained good - the usual club shop and merchandise kiosks were available and food options were reasonable, including bratwurst. On my previous trips to Frankfurt and Stuttgart the beer on offer was Krombacher. A perfectly decent beer but I was really happy to see Karlsruhe sell Rothaus. Rothaus is the state brewery of Baden-Wurtenberg and it's heartening to see clubs retain a local character by stocking local drinks. The club operated the now standard 2 Euro deposit for plastic cups and it was easy to return used cups at the end of the game for a deposit refund.
The game itself was a little lacking in quality, but certainly not in entertainment. Hannover have a recent history in the top flight and retained some familiar names to German football followers in their squad - including keeper Ron-Robert Zieler (who would feature significantly later on). The game was reasonably end to end. Hannover enjoyed more and better chances and deservedly took a 2-1 lead into the half time break. Karlsruhe were more urgent in the 2nd half and that urgency, whilst not always pretty, was rewarded with an equaliser around 15 minutes from full time.
Share of the spoils at full time? Certainly a little fortunate for the home side and Hannover will feel aggrieved that their 93rd minute 3rd goal didnt secure all 3 points. What followed can only be described as a bit mad. Veteran centre half Daniel Gordon again equalised for the home side in the 95th minute to tie the game at 3-3. A delighted Gordon rounded the Hannover keeper to celebrate with the home team ultras who were packed in the stand behind the goal and who had given their team a solid 90 minutes of deafening support. A frustrated Zieler turned towards the ball, having rebounded out from the back of the net, and aimed a solid punch. Whether he saw Gordon running behind him or not is a little debatable. Whats beyond dispute is that Zieler's punch was solid and it connected firmly with the celebrating Karlsruhe hero, who duly collapsed from the blow. The official deemed Zieler's punch worthy of a 2nd yellow rather than a straight red but the last action of the game saw a dejected Zieler leave the pitch as the game ended in a 3-3 draw.
Getting back to the main station isnt quite so easy. The buses used to ferry fans to the stadium pre-match are not provided for a return journey. The nearest tram stop is a brisk 5-7 minute walk away. It was a very pleasant walk on a fantastic autumn afternoon and the Wildpark's picturesque setting adds to that enjoyment, but on a wet winter day or during an evening game I can imagine that walk being less enjoyable. The tram from Durlacher Tor to Karlsruhe HBF takes about 20 minutes as the route runs through the busy city centre. Home and away fans shared the tram in relatively good spirits - neither openly engaging with each other but both feeling that they'd seen an action packed game of football.
I've been to 3 games in Germany now. Frankfurt v Schalke remains my favourite and I absolutely loved the Commerzbank Arena. It's a great place to watch football and I found the home fans to be passionate and welcoming. The stadium was buzzing with activity before the game and several Eintracht fans groups were active around the stadium and on the walk from the nearest s-bahn station. I was less impressed with Stuttgart. I found the ground to be less impressive, having been redesigned piecemeal to serve a function but without really excelling in it's offering for fans. The area surrounding Stuttgart's ground is devoid of the colour you'd associate with German fans and a big German stadium. Karlsruhe's Wildpark was somewhere in between - it'll be an impressive modern ground when completed and the Karlsruhe ultras as a noisy and passionate bunch. The lack of transport links is an issue and there isnt an abundance of bars around the stadium, but the facilities once inside the ground are fine and fans will be well catered for. It's certainly somewhere I'd be happy to return to on a future hockey/football weekender.
Although hopefully I'll be able to tick off Kaiserslautern and Waldhof Mannheim, and maybe even Darmstadt and Mainz. Waldhof are of particular interest given that I travel to Germany to watch Mannheim's hockey team. The Waldhof fans have a bit of a reputation locally and my usual Mannheim pub (Irish bar Murphy's Law, but for an Irish bar it's actually pretty decent and they have the local city beer on tap) are refusing to open for the next Waldhof Mannheim v Kaiserslautern derby due to the number of police in attendance and restrictions on fans within the city centre. My only dealings with Waldhof fans has been at the stall they run at the city's Christmas market every year - a stall where the fans on hand have been friendly and welcoming, often spending time wondering why 2 Scotsmen are visiting their city. I'm really keen to visit the Carl Benz stadium and add Waldhof Mannheim to my German football list.
We got the train down from Mannheim - a short 20-25 minute journey via ICE. A number of travelling Hannover fans had changed trains at Mannheim and there was a decent away presence on our train. We were met at Karlsruhe HBF by a significant police presence, in line with most German football matches. Whilst I've never seen any trouble at the now 3 games I've gone to, I know that there are German clubs with bad reputations. Whether the police numbers were absolutely necessary is questionable but although there was a significant police presence, there was absolutely no antagonism or feeling that it was ever going to kick off. We ended up exiting the platform area straight onto the street outside the station rather than the main concourse and into an area cordoned off for travelling Hannover fans. There's no tram station or s-bahn service to the Wildpark Stadion so buses are provided to take fans to the ground before the game. We were directed onto one of the visiting fan buses and assured that we'd be perfectly safe, so long as the Hannover fans didnt mistake us for locals. I'm sure the riot cop was joking with 2 clearly non-local tourists as we experienced absolutely no problems at all.
It's about 10 minutes by bus from the HBF to Karlsruhe's Wildpark Stadion. The Wildpark is situated on the outskirts of Karlsruhe's historic palace park and gardens. It would be a brisk 30 minute walk through a lovely and historic city, but the bus was our transport of choice as my friend and I had wanted to visit the club shop and have a wander around the ground. A number of visiting fans decided to walk en mass, as travelling fans in Germany tend to do. I've experienced it myself on an ice hockey trip and unlike authorities in the UK, German fans are accommodated, so long as a reasonable order is maintained.
The Wildpark had 4 stands prior to redevelopment. The ground was build and redeveloped in phases which meant that the stands as they were last season were mismatched. The current redevelopment will see the ground become a very modern, bowl-style ground and I can't help but feel that it'll miss some of the old style stadium charm that the Wildpark previously had (judging from photos only). On my trip in October the club had already demolished one of the 2 main stands and one of the smaller stands behind the city centre end goal. Still standing was the main stand running the length of the touchline and the standing section that was filled with Karlsruhe's ultras. Visiting fans were housed in an uncovered temporary stand behind the opposite goal. Facilities for fans remained good - the usual club shop and merchandise kiosks were available and food options were reasonable, including bratwurst. On my previous trips to Frankfurt and Stuttgart the beer on offer was Krombacher. A perfectly decent beer but I was really happy to see Karlsruhe sell Rothaus. Rothaus is the state brewery of Baden-Wurtenberg and it's heartening to see clubs retain a local character by stocking local drinks. The club operated the now standard 2 Euro deposit for plastic cups and it was easy to return used cups at the end of the game for a deposit refund.
The game itself was a little lacking in quality, but certainly not in entertainment. Hannover have a recent history in the top flight and retained some familiar names to German football followers in their squad - including keeper Ron-Robert Zieler (who would feature significantly later on). The game was reasonably end to end. Hannover enjoyed more and better chances and deservedly took a 2-1 lead into the half time break. Karlsruhe were more urgent in the 2nd half and that urgency, whilst not always pretty, was rewarded with an equaliser around 15 minutes from full time.
Share of the spoils at full time? Certainly a little fortunate for the home side and Hannover will feel aggrieved that their 93rd minute 3rd goal didnt secure all 3 points. What followed can only be described as a bit mad. Veteran centre half Daniel Gordon again equalised for the home side in the 95th minute to tie the game at 3-3. A delighted Gordon rounded the Hannover keeper to celebrate with the home team ultras who were packed in the stand behind the goal and who had given their team a solid 90 minutes of deafening support. A frustrated Zieler turned towards the ball, having rebounded out from the back of the net, and aimed a solid punch. Whether he saw Gordon running behind him or not is a little debatable. Whats beyond dispute is that Zieler's punch was solid and it connected firmly with the celebrating Karlsruhe hero, who duly collapsed from the blow. The official deemed Zieler's punch worthy of a 2nd yellow rather than a straight red but the last action of the game saw a dejected Zieler leave the pitch as the game ended in a 3-3 draw.
Getting back to the main station isnt quite so easy. The buses used to ferry fans to the stadium pre-match are not provided for a return journey. The nearest tram stop is a brisk 5-7 minute walk away. It was a very pleasant walk on a fantastic autumn afternoon and the Wildpark's picturesque setting adds to that enjoyment, but on a wet winter day or during an evening game I can imagine that walk being less enjoyable. The tram from Durlacher Tor to Karlsruhe HBF takes about 20 minutes as the route runs through the busy city centre. Home and away fans shared the tram in relatively good spirits - neither openly engaging with each other but both feeling that they'd seen an action packed game of football.
I've been to 3 games in Germany now. Frankfurt v Schalke remains my favourite and I absolutely loved the Commerzbank Arena. It's a great place to watch football and I found the home fans to be passionate and welcoming. The stadium was buzzing with activity before the game and several Eintracht fans groups were active around the stadium and on the walk from the nearest s-bahn station. I was less impressed with Stuttgart. I found the ground to be less impressive, having been redesigned piecemeal to serve a function but without really excelling in it's offering for fans. The area surrounding Stuttgart's ground is devoid of the colour you'd associate with German fans and a big German stadium. Karlsruhe's Wildpark was somewhere in between - it'll be an impressive modern ground when completed and the Karlsruhe ultras as a noisy and passionate bunch. The lack of transport links is an issue and there isnt an abundance of bars around the stadium, but the facilities once inside the ground are fine and fans will be well catered for. It's certainly somewhere I'd be happy to return to on a future hockey/football weekender.
Although hopefully I'll be able to tick off Kaiserslautern and Waldhof Mannheim, and maybe even Darmstadt and Mainz. Waldhof are of particular interest given that I travel to Germany to watch Mannheim's hockey team. The Waldhof fans have a bit of a reputation locally and my usual Mannheim pub (Irish bar Murphy's Law, but for an Irish bar it's actually pretty decent and they have the local city beer on tap) are refusing to open for the next Waldhof Mannheim v Kaiserslautern derby due to the number of police in attendance and restrictions on fans within the city centre. My only dealings with Waldhof fans has been at the stall they run at the city's Christmas market every year - a stall where the fans on hand have been friendly and welcoming, often spending time wondering why 2 Scotsmen are visiting their city. I'm really keen to visit the Carl Benz stadium and add Waldhof Mannheim to my German football list.
iaatpies
Well-Known Member
One of my mates I met up with on my first Mannheim trip did warn me about Waldhof fans. Schedules have never worked out on any of my subsequent hockey trips but with Waldhof getting promotion I'm hopeful of that changing.
First and foremost my priority is hockey. I try to plan my trips for the rare weekends where we're at home Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Football plans are therefore whatever game we can travel to and get tickets for on the Saturday.
None of my hockey friends in Mannheim are Waldhof fans. They typically follow Eintracht Frankfurt or Cologne (strangely). I met a Kaiserslautern fan on the hockey sonderzug trip in 2017 but I'm not friendly with any Waldhof supporters.
Wazza
Well-Known Member
Kasierslautern was really good that you mentioned going to, lovely journey as well from Mannheim by train. Freiburg was 1 I really liked in that area - nice City as well, not a drinking place really but expect it is great in the Summer (went midweek in September me). Darmstadt was good, was this match when I went there - funny seeing some Red Bull players still playing for them now in the Champs League:
Was all about "we give Red Bull the Red Card".
Nothing around the Mainz Stadium really which is a drawback. Germans slag it off but I enjoyed Wiesbaden (10 mins or so from Mainz), been a few times now - just a good standing end I think although a bit of an identikit Stadium.
BigWolf
New Member
Brilliant pictures. Went to Schalke v Leipzig earlier this year and was blown away by the atmosphere there. Having their worst season in thirty odd years at the time and still 60k in the stadium creating a brilliant atmosphere. Great beer and I got addicted to currywurst as well. Definately going back out for more. Even better this year with so many teams battling it out at the top of the table as well.
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
I was pretty certain, based on early season form, that Hamburg and Stuttgart would run away with the two automatic spots. However, both clubs have been pretty inconsistent in recent months and Arminia have taken full advantage. Been very impressed with their form.
Very good chance of sending one of giants into the playoff.
Arminia is very high up on list of grounds still to visit. Looking to go back over in Feb / march and subject to fixtures kick-offs being confirmed, I might tick it off.
Wazza
Well-Known Member
In no mans land really ain't it - kind of 2/3 hours from all the major Airports, was planning on going 2 weeks ago straight from Dusseldorf Airport for the Friday 630 kick off against Karlsruhr but the flight was late 20 minutes or so and missed the train connection.
Blackpool Dave
Well-Known Member
Heading over to Dusseldorf in April hoping to take in there game with Hoffenheim and maybe Leverkusen v Munich.
Wazza
Well-Known Member
Doubt you'll get them through a General Sale for that, be sold out. It's on their website now - looks like the last ladder of Members go on sale on 21st of Jan.
These are the ticket prices for interest, 16 euros cheapest standing (you'll not get one of them Gen Sale), 33 euros cheapest seated.
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Fixtures now confirmed upto and including week 28 in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. Looked at various options and have just booked flights for another weekend of German football and beer. Plan of attack is as follows:
Fri 3rd Apr - Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Sat 4th Apr - St Pauli v 1. FC Heidenheim (hoping I can get away end tickets)
Sun 5th Apr (13:30) - VfL Bochum v Holstein Kiel
Sun 5th Apr (18:00) - Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke 04
It'll be German grounds 21, 22 & 23 for me / visiting Fortuna Dusseldorf for 2nd time.
Not too worried about sourcing tickets for the games. Think they should all go on general sale in the new year. Biggest Challenge is likely to be away end at St Pauli!
Fri 3rd Apr - Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Sat 4th Apr - St Pauli v 1. FC Heidenheim (hoping I can get away end tickets)
Sun 5th Apr (13:30) - VfL Bochum v Holstein Kiel
Sun 5th Apr (18:00) - Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke 04
It'll be German grounds 21, 22 & 23 for me / visiting Fortuna Dusseldorf for 2nd time.
Not too worried about sourcing tickets for the games. Think they should all go on general sale in the new year. Biggest Challenge is likely to be away end at St Pauli!
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Another shameless bump after a very long time! The matches above fell through due to covid but last weekend, after nearly 2.5years, I finally got back to German football, taking in 4 matches and 4 new grounds. The weather on the Friday night at Wurzburg was shocking and I wasn't prepared for snow in mid April (kick-off got delayed by 30mins so they could sort the pitch).
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Mabearette
Well-Known Member
Great pics OP. when we lived in Germany we were BVB fans...still our favourite in the Bundesliga. Football for the kids is much better organised and supported as well. We had a great time in the kids leagues. When the league took a winter break they had indoor club tournaments and in the summer break football camps and day tournaments. Made a lot of friends too. The kids produced some really entertaining matches and there was good funding from local councils so it didn't cost us a fortune.
when we lived in Germany we were BVB fans...still our favourite in the Bundesliga. Football for the kids is much better organised and supported as well. We had a great time in the kids leagues. When the league took a winter break they had indoor club tournaments and in the summer break football camps and day tournaments. Made a lot of friends too. The kids produced some really entertaining matches and there was good funding from local councils so it didn't cost us a fortune.
dadobear22
Well-Known Member
Those fuzzy wuzzies don’t like it up emm do they?
I think we might need to beat 3 boxheid teams to win the EL. WATP to do just that.
Still drunk.
I think we might need to beat 3 boxheid teams to win the EL. WATP to do just that.
Still drunk.
Wazza
Well-Known Member
Nice place Wurzburg. Went when Dynamo Dresden played there in a season opener - was more away than home fans. Funny Stadium with that corporate bit behind the goals.Wurzburger Kickers v Kaiserslautern (1-2)
Bazza1985
Well-Known Member
Yeah, Kaiserslautern officially took 4,000 fans last Friday night but home end was rammed with them too. Huge travelling support (3rd highest of the weekend), hoping they return to 2. Bundesliga. Wurzburger look like they are heading to the Regionalliga.
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