Arminia Bielefeld - The Schüco Arena - Capacity:26,601 (11,150 seats)
The Stadium – The Schüco Arena Melanchthonstrasse 31, Bielefeld 33615 (+49 521 966110) The Schüco Arena is very similar in appearance to Mainz’s Bruchweg stadium. You would also go as far as to say it is very English looking, with three similar sized stands and one smaller stand running the length of the pitch. All of the stands are covered and offer unobstructed views of the action. As all of the stands are single tiered you are never very far away from the action on the pitch. One of the questions that the club often have to find themselves answering is regarding their unusual name. The word Arminia is derived from the Germanic warrior Arminius who in 9 AD led his armies to crushing victories over the invading Roman army in the forests close to the town of Bielefeld. The club adopted this unusual name as a reference to their underdog status. Unfortunately the fans and players alike are still waiting for this victory against the odds. The club have had a very quiet history. Established in 1905, they have certainly lived in the shadows of their neighbours Schalke and Borussia Dortmund in the Ruhr Valley conurbation. In fact along with fellow new boys in the Bundesliga, Arminia Bielefeld can claim to have never featured in a major German Cup Final.
Their biggest moment in the limelight is also something the club is keen to forget. In 1971 the club were heavily implicated in the match fixing scandal that rocked German football. The club can consider itself relatively unlucky compared to some other clubs when they were punished with demotion to the Regional Leagues.
In the last ten years the club have bounced between the top divisions. Last season’s 13th spot finish was actually their highest place during that period. Their excellent home form saw them keep within the chasing pack in the middle of the table. Their undoing was the inability to pick up points away from home – only relegated Freiburg had a worse record on the road.
How to get a ticket for the Schüco Arena Last season the average attendance at the Arena was just over 22,000 meaning that sell outs are rare. For local derby games against Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and of course Bayern Munich then it would be wise to book in advance to avoid disappointment. You can either try the club shop at Melancthonstrasse 31a, or telephone the club on +49 521 966110. Alternatively the club have sold tickets online before at http://www.arminia-bielefeld.de. Tickets range in price from €9 to €41.
Tickets were easily purchased online although there is no English translation, the website is self explanatory in many places. They will not send tickets to a UK address so I had to pick them up on the day. Tickets are easy to come by too, the ground holds 28,000 and last season the attendances were around 20,000. This season they are a bit higher, with the majority of crowds about 24,000. Tickets in the terraces are £10 and the seats go from £19 to £44. Expect to pay between £5 more for seats when a big club is in town.
How to get to the Schüco Arena The stadium is located close to the town centre. From the Hauptbahnhof you can catch a number 4 bus that takes around 10 minutes to complete the journey to the stadium. If you are driving then the town is located close to the A2 Autobahn. Exit the road at the junction signposted Bielefeld Zentrum and follow signs for the stadium and University. There is parking around the stadium for over 5000 cars.
An alternative route has been provided by Kevin Morris below.
To get to and from the ground, I used an alternative to that listed on your site, the locals recommended going on line 3 to Wittekindstasse, this was about 5 mins walk from the ground and not as busy as line 4. From the station, turn left, walk through the residential street and once you get to the main road, turn right and then 2nd left onto Melanchthonstrasse. The ground is on the right. Be warned though, although it is easy to get to, the location of a combination of a public park, a sporting complex and a residential area means that the entrances are few and far between meaning that once at the ground, you could still have a lengthy 15-20 min walk around to find the few entrances that will let you enter!
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Dortmund airport is located approximately 8 miles east of the city. It has one terminal that serves mainly budget carriers such as Easyjet, Air Berlin and Whizz, although its is only Luton’s finest that currently serve Dortmund from the UK daily.
The easiest way to travel into the city centre is via the special bus service to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof. The journey takes 25 minutes and costs €5 each way (€2 for children). The bus arrives and departs from the bus station opposite the Hauptbahnhof. Buses run every hour during the day. A taxi is also an option - the 20 minute journey in normal traffic should cost no more than €25.
The Stadium – The Schüco Arena