Servette - Stade de Geneva - Capacity: 30,000 All Seater
The Stadium – Stade de Geneva 16 Route des Jeunes, CH-1227 Carouge Located quite a way to the south of the city in the suburb of Lancy, the new Stade de Geneva is shoe horned between the La Praille shopping & entertainment complex, the main railway line and an industrial estate. It was opened in March 2003 for FC Servette, after it was deemed that their previous ground in Les Charmilles was too small (9,250) to be considered for a venue for the Swiss's bid to host Euro 2008 with Austria. When the two countries were awarded the games in 2002, a suitable site was found for the 30,000 seater stadium and work quickly commenced.
The stadium offers excellent unobstructed views from all sections, although there are perimeter fences in the stands behind the goals. Legroom is also generous. Hanging down from the roof at the back of the south stand is a huge TV screen which can be seen by everyone, even if it means craning your neck in the seats underneath it. The concourse areas are wide and spacious, meaning that crowding is kept to a minimum. Concession stands also have multiple serving points and queues move quickly.
The stadium has a real feel of some of the new English grounds such as Southampton's St Mary's stadium and Coventry's Ricoh Arena. It has one stand that is noticably bigger than the others, with the roof curving down to meet the end stands but little has been done or incorporated to make it have a unique feel. Next to the stadium is the newly constructed Ramada Encore hotel which will become very popular once the tournament in June 2008 commences. The city’s government has big plans for the whole development - In fact, the presence of FC. Servette as tenants is almost forgotten.
The first big match the stadium hosted was the friendly between Argentina and England in November 2005. A sell out 29,500 crowd watched an absolute classic match with two Michael Owen goals in injury time giving England a 3-2 win. The match was also an excellent experience in policing tactics for the Swiss in the build up to Euro 2008.
Who Plays there?FC Servette - http://www.servettefc.ch Once viewed as the powerhouse of Swiss football, FC Servette have flown the flag of Geneva proudly on a domestic and a European stage for many years. However, the off the field developments in the opening of the brand new Stade De Geneva have seen the club plunge into despair on the pitch. The once famous club, and Swiss champions of 1999 now ply their trade in the third level of Swiss football, after bankruptcy in February 2005 meant enforced relegation for the club.
Just two seasons ago the team finished in third place in the Swiss Super League, thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Servette are not the first big club in Switzerland to befall the fate of enforced demotion. Local rivals Lausanne Sports went the same way in 2003, although they have recovered slightly by climbing up to the 1st Division. Servette have at least started the season in this unfamiliar league well, with 9 wins from their first 15 matches seeing them head the table in mid November. However, the fans have deserted the club since the move to the new stadium and quite what effect the 2000-odd fans have seated in the 30,000 new stadium is unclear.
The club were originally formed in 1890, and was a regular league championship winner during the early years of the century. By 1930, when the league became professional, Servette had won the championship 6 times. In the next thirty years the club became the most famous in the country with further titles in 1933, 1934, 1940, 1946 and 1950. After winning the title in 1961 the club gained a place for the first time in the European Champions Cup. A 7-1 first round win against Hibernians of Malta was followed by a narrow 5-4 defeat on aggregate to the Czech’s Pribram. The following season they went out at the Preliminary round stage on away goals to Feyenoord.
The golden period for the club came in the mid 1970’s. In 1979, the club achieved an unparalleled domestic quadruple when it won the League championship, the Swiss Cup, the League cup and the Alpine cup. They nearly made it 5 honours but fell at the quarter final stage in the European Cup Winners Cup to Fortuna Dusseldorf. A few more honours were captured in the 1980’s including a further league title in 1985, and a Swiss Cup in 1984. Glory in Europe was still absent for the famous maroons, although a defeat to Alpine rivals Sturm Graz on aggregate in the 1999 Champions League final qualifying round could have been so different, as the group draw saw the Austrians drawn in a group with Marseille and Manchester United.
The club’s last honour, the 2001 Swiss Cup now seems along time ago for the loyal fans of the club. Let’s hope that the move to the new stadium does bring some much needed luck to the team, and return to the national (and international) stage they graced for so long.
How to get to the Stade de Geneva The stadium hasn’t really been built with public access in mind. It is located to the south of the city centre in the Lancy area. On matchdays public transport is free for ticket holders. The ground can be reached in a number of ways:-
By Tram – Tram’s 12 and 13 run from the centre of Geneva to close to the stadium. The trams terminate at Bachet de Pesay, a five minute walk to the south of the stadium. The journey from the city centre should take around 20 minutes. From Cornavin station tram number 15 runs in the direction of Lancy-Pont-Rouge in around 15 minutes. From here the stadium is a 10 minute walk, following the pathway alongside the dual carriageway.
By Bus - There is a direct bus from Cornavin station on matchdays. Route D runs about every 10 minutes and takes 20 minutes, dropping you off opposite the stadium’s east stands.
By Train - Whilst there is a platform behind the main stand where trains run back to the city centre, there are currently no plans to use this for matchday services. Instead catch a train from Cornavin to Lancy-Pont-Rouge & then walk the 10minutes or so down the side of the dual carriageway.
From the airport, there is an easy, if time consuming way to reach the stadium via Bus 18 which runs every 20 mins from outside Arrivals to stops close by Lancy-Pont-Rouge. Allow 40 mins for this journey in matchday traffic. For big games, such as when England took on Argentina in November 2005, special buses were provided after the match to transfer fans back to the airport. A taxi from the airport to the stadium will cost around CHF40 (£22).
For a more indepth view as to who plays where in Geneva go to Footiemap.com to access their city football map.
How to get a ticket for the Stade de Geneva If you are planning on coming to town to see a Servette match then you don’t have to worry about buying tickets in advance. With average crowds of less than 2,000 and a capacity of 30,000, you have a choice of quite a few seats!! If you are in town to watch an international match, or one of the numerous friendlies that will be played at the stadium in the run up to Euro 2008, then tickets can be purchased online from http://www.resaplus.ch. During November 2005, the stadium hosted the sell out international between England and Argentina, as well as well attended game between Italy and Ivory Coast.
Around the Stade de Geneva The new stadium is located in the southern suburbs of the city, close to the area known as Carouge. It is next door to the La Praille shopping and entertainment complex, Apart from a American-themed diner in the cinema, there are no bars in the vicinity of the stadium. Click here to buy the full guide to Geneva.
Getting Around There is no metro system in Geneva, but the town’s small size and good bus coverage ensure it is easy to get around. Utilising the local bus system is the best way to get about the city if you prefer to use public transport rather than walking. The city is divided into zones and bus prices reflect this. The bus system is highly efficient and tickets can be bought from vending machines at bus stops and newspaper stands. Automatic ticket machines only accept coins and do not give change. Ferry shuttles also operate between the right and left banks of Lake Geneva daylight hours. Boats sail every 10 to 30 minutes for a nominal charge and provide tourists with the perfect photo opportunity of seeing Geneva from the water.
Geneva airport is located 3 miles to the west of the city centre. The easiest way to reach the city centre is via the regular train from the airport station to Cornavin station. Journey time is around 7 minutes. Bus number 10 also does the trip to downtown in 20 minutes. A taxi would cost around CHF35.
The main UK carrier who serves Geneva is Easyjet, who have their main European hub here. They offer daily flights to over 20 destinations including Belfast, Bournemouth, Bristol, Doncaster, Liverpool, East Midlands, London and Newcastle. The airport is also served by British Airways from London City and Heathrow, as well as national carrier Swiss.
The Stadium – Stade de Geneva 
Who Plays there? FC Servette - 