FS Mainz 05 - Stadion am Bruchweg - Capacity: 20,300 (10,600 seats)
The Stadium – Stadion am Bruchweg Dr Martin Luther King Weg, Mainz 55122 (+49 6131 905190) One of the major factors that have resulted in success for the club has been the intimidating atmosphere the fans generate at the compact Bruchweg stadium. It is the smallest stadium in the top division, but like Leverkusen and their small and compact BayArena, tickets are like gold dust and the match day atmosphere is very noisy. In fact the club have recognised that the fans are the team’s 12th man. The ground is made up of four separate stands, all single tiers and very close to the action. It has the feel of some of the smaller English grounds such as Northampton Town’s Sixfields.
The Bruchweg has been home to the club since 1950, and stayed the same for over 50 years until the clubs ambitions were set above the Bundesliga 2nd division. A programme of redevelopment started in early 2003 which saw all of the stands increased in size, plus new roofing sections for two of the stands. Ahistory of the ground can be found in German on the club’s website http://www.mainz05.de.
Who Plays There? Last season was Mainz’s first campaign in the Bundesliga in their 100 year history. Their final 11th place finish amazed everyone in German football, with four wins in their last five matches securing the team a UEFA Cup spot. In a real test to see how far the club have come in such a small amount of time, Mainz have to face Seville of Spain for a place in the group stages f the competition in late September 2005. Such is the local interest in the achievements of the team that the decision was taken to move the home leg from the Bruchweg to Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Arena 25 miles to the East.
The club were formed in 1905 by a group of railway workers. They initially played in the South German amateur leagues at a group near a local mine called the Nullfuener. After the end of the war in 1945, the club joined the Oberliga Süd – and qualified for the Championship playoffs in 1949. Mainz then spent the most part of the later 20th century flirting between the Regional Süd leagues and the Bundesliga Division 2. In fact they had become a regular fixture in the second tier of football since 1990. In the last ten years the club flirted with promotion to the top division on a number of occasions, finishing 4th in 1997, 2002 and 2003 before a 3rd place finish in 2004 meant promotion at last to the Bundesliga.
Their first season in the Bundesliga passed like a dream for the fans and players alike. A strong start to the season saw the club in 3rd place during October, and although this consistency couldn’t be maintained, they went into the winter break well positioned in 11th place. A poor run of form, especially at home, saw the club slip towards the relegation zone in February and March, but the team found some much needed goals in the final weeks of the season that lifted them back up into the safety of mid-table. Much will be expected of the team in 2005, but the fans have to be realistic. A poor start to the season saw the team lose their first five games and become rooted to the bottom of the table as we entered October. Let’s just hope that the excitement of playing European football does not have a negative effect on the team’s league form.
How to get a ticket for the Stadium Am Bruchweg Last season every single match was a complete sell out at the small Stadion am Bruchweg. Only Bayern Leverkusen can match this achievement in the Bundesliga. However, you may be able to secure a ticket in advance from the ticket office in Dr Martin Luther King Weg (+49 6131 905190 or by clicking on https://www.mainz05.de/ticketsmitglieder. Tickets range from €18 to €33 if you are lucky enough to be offered a ticket.
How to get to the Stadion am Bruchweg The stadium can be reached by bus from the town centre on lines 6, 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58 on matchdays. Travel is free for match ticket holders. Close to the ground there are a number of car parks including the University of Mainz, close to the A60 Autobahn and the multi storey car park on Albert Schweitzer Strasse on the K3 road from the town centre.
For a more detailed view on who plays where in Germany, go to Footiemap.com.
Mainz is linked directly to Frankfurt Airport by both the S-Bahn network and the ICE line. Trains run every 20 minutes from the station below Terminal 1. The journey time is around 25 minutes.
The Stadium – Stadion am Bruchweg