Ruhrstadion

Ruhrstadion (German pronunciation: [ˈʁuːɐ̯ˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn] ⓘ), known as Vonovia Ruhrstadion for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Bochum, Germany. It is the home ground for the VfL Bochum and has a capacity of 27,599. It was known as rewirpowerSTADION [ʁeˈviːɐ̯paʊ.ɐˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn] (or, rarely, [ʁəˈviːɐ̯-]) from 2006 to 2016, also for sponsorship reasons.

Vonovia Ruhrstadion
Ruhrstadion
Full nameVonovia Ruhrstadion
Former namesSuS-Sportplatz an der Castroper Straße (1911–1919)
TuS-Sportplatz an der Castroper Straße (1919–1921)
Stadion an der Castroper Straße (1921–1979)
Ruhrstadion (1979–2006)
rewirpowerSTADION (2006–2016)
LocationCastroper Straße 145, 44791 Bochum, Germany
OwnerVfL Bochum
OperatorVfL Bochum
Capacity26.000[1]
Field size105 × 68 m
Surfacegrass
Construction
Built1921
Opened8 October 1911
Renovated1997
ExpandedMarch 1976 – July 1979
Tenants
VfL Bochum (1938–present)
TuS Bochum (1919–1938)
SuS Bochum (1911–1919)
Germany national football team (selected matches)

History

In 1911 the Spiel und Sport Bochum leased a meadow from a local farmer as their new home ground.[2] The club played the first match at the new venue against the VfB Hamm in front of 500 spectators.[2] The TuS Bochum did not build a stadium until after World War I as late as 1921.[2]

The stadium has a capacity of 27,599 people.[3] The original capacity was over 50,000 but was decreased by numerous modifications.[2]

The stadium was expanded between March 1976 and July 1979 and the first game was between the VfL Bochum and SG Wattenscheid 09 on 21 July 1979.[3] This expansion could technically count as a complete rebuild; legally, it is officially an expansion.[4]

David Bowie performed at the stadium during his Serious Moonlight Tour on 15 June 1983. Herbert Grönemeyer performed multiple sold out concerts at the stadium in 1985, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019. Additionally, his song Bochum is sung before the kickoff of every home match of VfL Bochum, with the final line before the final chorus of the piece bearing special significance to the club. Herbert has been an honorary member of the club since 2006.

The stadium hosted a UEFA Champions League match between CSKA Moscow and Rangers in December 1992 because the teams weren't able to play in Moscow for weather reasons.[5]

In 2006, a five-year naming rights deal was struck with Stadtwerke Bochum to rename the stadium "rewirpowerSTADION".[6] In 2016 the name of the stadium was officially changed to "Vonovia Ruhrstadion", with the first part of the name being its new sponsor, the German housing association Vonovia, located in Bochum.[7]

References
  1. Facts and figures Archived 28 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in German). VfL Bochum. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  2. "Die Anfänge: Seit fast 100 Jahren – VfL kickt "anne Castroper"" [The Beginning: Since almost 100 years – VfL plays at the Castroper] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  3. "rewirpowerSTADION Daten & Fakten" [rewirpowerSTADTION data & facts] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  4. "Der Umbau: Kein Heimvorteil im Westfalenstadion" [The expansion: No home field advantage at the Westfalenstadion] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  5. "Robbed? Why Rangers could have been the first Champions League winners". talkSPORT. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  6. ""Altes Eisen" auch heute noch ein "Schmuckkästchen"" ["Scrap heap": today still a "jewellery case"] (in German). VfL Bochum. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  7. "Neuer Name im Revier" (in German). VfL Bochum. 7 July 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016.
  8. "Alle Spiele: Bochum 02.07.1922" [All games: Bochum 02.07.1922] (in German). German Football Association. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  9. "Alle Spiele: Bochum 23.09.1981" [All games: Bochum 23.09.1981] (in German). German Football Association. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  10. "Alle Spiele: Bochum 11.05.1986" [All games: Bochum 11.05.1986] (in German). German Football Association. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  11. "Alle Spiele: Bochum 14.04.1993" [All games: Bochum 14.04.1993] (in German). German Football Association. Retrieved 5 March 2011.

51°29′23.57″N 7°14′11.56″E

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.