Skagerak Arena
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| Skagerak Arena | |
|---|---|
| Falkum | |
| Location | Skien, Norway |
| Opened | May 17, 1923 |
| Expanded | 2006-2008 (in progress) |
| Owner | Odd Grenland BK |
| Operator | Odd Grenland BK |
| Surface | Artificial turf |
| Former names |
|
| Tenants | Odd Grenland B.K. (NPL) (1923-present) |
| Capacity | 13,500 |
Skagerak Arena is a football stadium located in Skien, Norway. It was formerly called Odd Stadion, and was built in 1923 as the home ground of Odd Grenland Ballklubb. The stadium is often referred to as Falkum, being situated in that area of Skien.
The stadium is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment process, begun in November 2006, which will produce a modern all-seater venue by April 2008. Part of the finance Odd Grenland needed for the project was obtained through the lease of the stadium's naming rights to the club's main sponsor since 1995, the Norwegian electric company Skagerak Energi. The stadium will therefore be known as Skagerak Arena until at least 2017.
Capacity is expected to be 13,500 when the stadium is completed. The pitch has been rotated 90 degrees in order to free up space. As is increasingly common in Norway, the new surface is artificial. The old main stand is now an end stand, incorporated into the new structure as the only surviving feature of the old stadium.
Three new two-tiered stands are under construction. The east and west stands will each have a capacity of 4,300 while the south end will seat 3,000. Construction of the west stand had progressed far enough by April 2007 to allow spectators on the lower tier for the first home match of the season, on April 15. Total capacity will at first be 6,000 but will increase gradually throughout 2007.
The old stadium had a capacity of about 8,600, of which 5,600 were seated.
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