Briskeby gressbane

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Briskeby gressbane

Full name	Briskeby gressbane
Location
Built	1936
Opened	June 28, 1936
Owner
Tenants	Ham-Kam
Capacity	8,068
Field dimensions	106,5 x 67 m

Briskeby gressbane or simply Briskeby is a football stadium in Hamar, Norway. It has been the home ground of the football club Hamarkameratene since 1936. The stadium's capacity is currently 8,068, of which 2,768 are seated.

The record attendance is 14,500, set in 1938 when Briskeby was the venue for the Norwegian Cup final. Ham-Kam's highest attendance, meanwhile, is 11,500 (against Lillestrøm) and dates from May 27, 1976.

The club plans to redevelop the stadium into a modern all-seater. The project was given the go-ahead politically on February 1, 2006, and the first phase will likely be completed in 2007. Once finished, the stadium will hold 10,200 spectators.

[edit] History

HamKam's home ground was built in 1936, in the Hamar neighbourhood of Briskeby (hence the name of the stadium). After first playing wherever they could find an empty field, the club had to establish a permanent playing location upon entering the regional series in 1927. In time the club grew weary of paying ever-increasing rents, and began planning for a stadium of their own, at Briskeby. Construction began in 1934 and lasted two years, even up until the morning of the opening day. The stadium, which was the first in the region to have a grass pitch, was inaugurated on June 28, 1936. HamKam played against Lyn in the opening match, the team from Oslo winning 4-1.

A year after Briskeby was finished, HamKam were granted the honour of hosting the Norwegian Cup final. The final between Fredrikstad and Mjøndalen was expected to gather an attendance more than ten times the stadium's capacity of 1,200. Much thanks to all the volunteers who helped prepare the stadium, the event was characterized as a success by the Norwegian Football Association. In the end, 14,500 spectators showed up - the biggest crowd ever to attend a game at Briskeby.

During the occupation, the Germans set up a cold storage facility next to the pitch, and it was noted to have been exceptionally well built. The club therefore decided to turn it into a club house, which still exists today. The first and second floor balconies are used as spectator areas on matchdays. The original wooden bleachers had fallen into disrepair during the war and were partially replaced by concrete ones.

Over the years the stadium has become outdated, and it is only through the promise of its imminent redevelopment that HamKam are allowed to play there. The stand on the east side of the pitch is the only one with actual seats. It was built in 1984, and has a capacity of 2,346. HamKam had to take up a loan to pay for its construction and were left with a heavy debt. After ten years the Municipality of Hamar bought the stadium to save the club from bankruptcy.