Bayer Leverkusen - The BayArena - Capacity: 22,500 All seater
The Stadium – The BayArena Bismarckstrasse 122 – 124, Leverkusen 51373 The BayArena is one of the most atmospheric stadiums in the Bundesliga. Unfortunately it is also the smallest – a fact that has potentially hampered the club for a number of years in producing revenue to spend on the team. The ground is very similar to English grounds like Derby County’sPride Park and Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium. The club have sold out every league match at home for the past 3 seasons, and are now looking at options to expand. The club have played on the same ground since 1923 when it was known as the Am Stadtpark, when the club members built some rudimentary stands. It wasn’t until 1941 that the club added a wooden stand to the ground, taking the capacity to over 15,000.
No further changes happened to the ground until 1986 when the stadium began to undergo a complete redevelopment. By the time the roof had been completed in 1997, the stadium had a capacity of 22,500. The renaming of the stadium in 1999 to the BayArena as well as the completion of the Lindner Hotel at the north end of the ground signalled the final phase in this development. The club has recently announced plans to add a second tier to the two main stands in increase the capacity to over 30,000 – a much needed development based on current demand for tickets. The club also arranges tours of the BayArena, which take in the changing rooms, the hotel and the media room. These need to be pre-arranged on +49 1805 040404 or by sending an email to the club at tickets@bayer04.de.
Who Plays There? Bayer Leverkusen are today one of the success stories of German football. It is only 5 years ago that the team, inspired by Michael Ballack came within a whisker of capturing the Champions League title before being beaten 2-1 by a superstar filled Real Madrid team in Glasgow. The team were formed in 1904 (hence their full name Bayer 04 Leverkusen) as a sports team for the Bayer corporation – one of Germany’s biggest pharmaceutical companies. They played at a local level before the Second World War, before being accepted into the regional league structure in the early 1950’s. Promotions followed on a regular basis and eventually reached the 2nd Division Bundesliga for the first time in 1975. At the end of the 1978/79 season the team did the unthinkable and reached the top division.
The club adapted well at this top level and made significant progress on the pitch during the 1980’s. In 1988 they won the UEFA cup after beating Espaynol 3-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw over two legs. It was however to be their only major tournament win until 1993 when they beat the amateurs from Hertha Berlin 2-0 in the German Cup Final. For so long during the 1990’s the team attracted the perennial bridesmaids tag after being runners up in the Bundesliga in 1999, 2000 and 2002. In 1999/2000 the team only needed a point in the last game of the season away at relegated Unterhacing. Leverkusen lost 2-0 and rivals Bayern Munich won to take the title. In 2002, Leverkusen suffered triple heartache as they lost the Champions League final in Glasgow, ended runners up in the league again to Bayern Munich and were then beaten in the German Cup final by Schalke. Their long suffering fans must be hoping that 2005/06 brings some glory at last. The team is now managed by ex-play Rudi Voller and if he can get the best out of German international Carsten Ramalow, Jens Nowotny and Bulgarian top scorer Dimitar Berbatov then Leverkusen must be confident that they can challenge Bayern Munich for top spot.
How to get a ticket for the BayArena Tickets are very hard to come by for most games played at the BayArena. In fact before the season started, over half of the matches due to be played in 2005/06 had sold out. To check on the status of which games are available then check on http://www.bayer04.de/en/index2.htm.
Alternatively you can telephone the ticket office on +49 1805 040404, write to the club at Bismarckstrasse 122-124 or apply in person at the ticket office. Ticket prices range from €12 to €35.
How to get to the BayArena The Arena is located close to the Bayer AG works to the east of the Town centre. It almost sits in the shadows of Autobahn’s A1 and A3. It is a 10 minute walk from Leverkusen Mitte station and adjacent to Bus stops 207 and 222 in Bismarckstrasse. Further information can be found on the Bayer website at http://www.bayer04.de/en/index2.htm.
Directions from City Centre From Leverkusen Mitte station, walk through the park adjacent to the railway, following the signs (or the crowds) for the BayArena. The walk should take no more than 10 minutes. Alternatively you can take a bus from outside Leverkusen Mitte station to the stadium – bus line 203 runs every 10 minutes and the journey takes less than 10 minutes. Buses 207 and 220 run from the town centre to the stadium as well.
For a more detailed view on who plays where in Germany, go to Footiemap.com.
Köln-Bonn airport is located to the south east of the city, around a 20 minute drive from the Dom. The airport is connected directly to the city centre by the S-Bahn line 6 or 13, which also links both Bonn and other destinations on the ICE network. From the UK, Germanwings fly fromLondon Stansted and Edinburgh, Easyjet fromLondon Gatwick, Liverpool and East Midlands and HLX from Birmingham and Manchester
Other airports within close reach include Düsseldorf, located 24 miles to the north of Köln, and linked directly to the main station by a regular S-Bahn line, as well as Frankfurt Main which is linked by the regular ICE service direct from the airport and takes just 57 minutes to complete the 110 mile journey.
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The Stadium – The BayArena