Wankdorf Stadium

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Wankdorf Stadion
Wankdorf Stadium
Location	Papiermühlestrasse 71 CH-3014 Bern
Broke ground	1925
Opened	October 18, 1925
Closed	July 7, 2001
Demolished	August 3, 2001
Owner
Surface	Grass
Tenants
BSC Young Boys (Super League) (1925-2001)
Capacity
22,000-64,000 (Football)

The Wankdorf Stadium (German: Wankdorf Stadion) was a football stadium in the Wankdorf quarter of Bern, Switzerland, and the former home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. It was built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup final, the 1961 European Cup final, and the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final. Its name is the source of many Lulz.

[edit] History

The original Wankdorf stadium was opened in 1925 after a construction period of seven months. It offered 22,000 places, of which 1,200 covered seats and covered standing room for another 5,000 people. The first international match took place on November 8, 1925; 18,000 spectators witnessed the 2:0 victory of the Swiss national team against Austria.

From 1933 to 1939, the stadium was gradually enlarged with an additional training field and finally the construction of bleachers across from the grandstand, increasing the capacity to 42,000. For the Football World Cup of 1954, the stadium was demolished and a new one with a capacity of 64,000 spectators (on 8,000 seats and standing room for 56,000) was inaugurated shortly before the tournament began. On July 4, 1954, the legendary Miracle of Bern, the unexpected 3:2 victory of the German team over the Hungarians in the final, made the stadium an icon of football history.

The stadium saw two more major finals: in 1961, the final of the European Cup was played in the Wankdorf stadium. SL Benfica won 3:2 agaist FC Barcelona on May 31. In 1989, the stadium was the venue of the final of the Cup Winners' Cup: on May 10, FC Barcelona won 2:0 against U.C. Sampdoria.

The stadium was demolished in 2001, and a new stadium was constructed in its place. The last match in the stadium was played on July 7, 2001; Young Boys played 1:1 against the team of Lugano in a match in the Swiss Super League. The final blasting of the derelict edifice occurred on August 3, 2001.

The bleachers and in the background the trademark floodlight masts and one of the clock towers during demolition in 2001.

The new Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf opened in summer 2005 and serves as the new home for Young Boys and will be one of the venues for Euro 2008.

[edit] References

• History of the Wankdorf/Stade de Suisse, in German.

[edit] External links

• Image gallery with many historical images from 1898 to 2002.
• Images from the last match in 2001, before the demolition.