AALBORG - THE ENERGI NORD ARENA - CAPACITY: 16,000 - 7,800 SEATS
About The Energi Nord Arena The Energi Nord Arena is the rebranded name for the Aalborg Stadion which originally opened in July 1920. Over the next few years basic wooden stands were added to the ground, and when the club won their first honour – the 1966 Danish Cup the capacity was a humble 5,000. Since the 1980’s, three of the four stands have been rebuilt offering spectators a much nicer watching environment.
The stadium today is smart and compact – very similar to a number of other Danish offerings. All of the stands are covered, although only two of them are seated. The hardcore fans take their place on the Faxe Tribune behind the goal.
Who plays there? The Energi Nord stadium is the home to one of Denmark’s major sporting institutions Aalborg Boldspiklub. Over the past hundred years the club have had teams playing Cricket, Tennis, Handball, Ice Hockey and of course Football. It was cricket that was the first sport the club focused on, as they were formed by a group of English engineers in May 1885. The football team were established in 1902.
The club were part of the top flight of Danish football for most of the pre-war years, without really challenging for any honours. In fact it wasn’t until 1966 that they won their first trophy – the Danish Cup. After the Danish league adopted professional status in 1987 the club invested in their playing staff and won their first title in 1994-95 thanks in no part to the goals of Erik Bo Andersen, who later signed for Glasgow Rangers.
The club took their place in the following season’s Champions League qualifying rounds and an initial defeat by a strong Dynamo Kiev was not seen with any disgrace. However, the Ukrainian’s were then found guilty of a bribery incident and they were kicked out of the tournament, allowing AaB to become the first ever Danish team to enter into the Group Stages of the Champions League. A home win versus Panathinaikos and a draw with Porto were their only points in the six games but this was more than many people expected.
The club had to wait another couple of years for more success, when in 1999 they came within one game of winning the domestic double. Only a defeat to AB Arhus stopped this, but they did have the pleasure of a second league championship. As fate would have it they were drawn with Dynamo Kiev again in the Champions League qualifying, this time they were legitimately eliminated on aggregate. Since then the club have cemented their place in the top half of the table, in fact finishing 3rd last season – their best finish since 1999. This 3rd place allowed them to enter the Intertoto Cup, which they won with ease and thus qualified for the UEFA Cup. An impressive win over Sampdoria on aggregate same them qualify for the UEFA Cup group stages where they met Anderlecht, Tottenham Hotspurs, Getafe and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Whilst they did not qualify for the final stages of the competition, they played well in their games, most notably in the away game against Spurs when they lost 3-2 after going in at half time 2-0 up. In the league they finished the first half of the season in 1st place, fending off stiff competition from FCK and AC Horsens, due to their excellent home form – 23 points from a possible 30. Everyone assumed that the massive cash reserved of FCK would see them overturn the gap in the second half of teh season but they were wrong. AaB took on everyone and finished top of the pile, claiming their first ever Champions League spot.
How to get there The stadium is located to the west of the centre, close to the marina area. It is a simple walk from the old town, and the waterfront. Either follow the waterline westwards along the Vestre Havnpromenade, before turning left into Skudehavngarde just after the railway line. Take the next left into Ryesgade and the stadium is on your right hand side. Alternatively Bus number 2 runs regularly from the central station, with a journey time of 5 minutes.
For a better view of where the stadium is, and who else plays close to Aalborg, go to Footiemap.com to view their excellent Danish football map.
Getting a ticket Attendances are on the rise at AaB Aalborg, down to the recent success of the team and their UEFA Cup run this year. Their average attendance has risen by 20% over the past few years to close to 9,000 which does mean that for the majority of games there are tickets available on the day. The biggest games of the season are the local derbies versus new kids on the block FC Midtjylland, and the team everyone wants to beat FC København.
Tickets can be purchased in advanced from the website at http://www.billetter.aabsport.dk as well as by phone on +45 98 13 99 00. Tickets for the Nordjyske Tribune start from 200Dkr, whilst a seat in the Spar Nord Tribunen behind the goal are 150Dkr. A standing place on the Faxe behind the goal are 120Dkr.
Getting around The centre of the town is compact and bound by the waterfront. Most places are best accessed by foot. If you need to travel further a field then there are plenty of buses which radiate out from the central station. Tickets cost 16DKR or 110DKR for 10 journeys. You can also hire bicycles from the tourist information office.
Aalborg Airport is located 4 miles north west of the city, and is still used as a military as well as a civilian base. It has been a very regional base, although it is now being expanded with routes opening up to the likes of Malaga and London Gatwick through Danish budget airline Sterling Airlines. There are two hourly bus services including the Number 2 that runs past the stadium in its way to the Central Station, as well as to the towns further a field. A taxi will cost no more than 150Danish Kroner.
About The Energi Nord Arena