Parkstadion

FC Schalke 04

• Football World Cup 1974
• German Athletics Championships 1975
• DFB Cup final 1978
• DFB Cup final 1980
• German Athletics Championships 1981
• German Athletics Championships 1987
• Pope Fair 1987
• European Football Championship 1988
• UEFA Cup Final first leg 1997

The Park stadium in Gelsenkirchen was a football and athletics stadium where the football club FC Schalke 04 fought out its home games 1973-2001. The stadium took first 70,600 spectators, after the reconstruction in 1998 62,004 spectators. Since the move of FC Schalke 04 at the Veltins- Arena Park stadium was demolished already largely unused and in parts. On the site of the former South Bend a rehabilitation center and a hotel emerged. After the partial demolition were still about 23,000 spaces available. In 2008 he was second demolition phase. Instead of Park stadium should, inter alia, Training grounds and a small stadium for about 10,000 visitors are built.

History

From its completion in 1973, Schalke played in the Stadion. Previously they played in the Glückaufkampfbahn at Schalke. The German national football team wore a total of eight matches at the Stadion. With six wins and two draws Germany remained unbeaten in this stadium. Furthermore, here found Bundesliga home games of Rot-Weiss Essen (1975) and Borussia Dortmund ( 1977), the decider for Bundesliga Relegation 1991 between Stuttgarter Kickers and FC St. Pauli, three semi-finals ( Schalke Cologne in 1980, Schalke -Bayern in 1984, Oberhausen - Bavaria 1999) and two finals ( Dusseldorf - Cologne in 1978 and 1980) of the DFB Cup, three German Championships in Athletics (1975, 1981, 1987), several major concerts (including Marius Müller- Westernhagen, Wolfgang Petry, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Genesis and the Rolling Stones), and a papal Mass (1987 ), because of this, the then Pope John Paul II an honorary member at FC Schalke 04 was held. Gained international recognition as the stadium also hosted the 1974 World Cup with a playoff qualifying, five games of the tournament as well as the European Championship in 1988 with two games.

First, the Ruhr Stadion stadium should be called. However, it was later the Ruhr Stadium from the former stadium on the Castroper street in Bochum. Originally, the main stand should be similar to get a tent roof of the Munich Olympic Stadium. This was for cost reasons but rejected. The stadium initially had a standing in the north curve scoreboard. Later, a video screen was installed in the South Stand, which is at the Sparkassen- Erzgebirgsstadion of Aue today.

The followers of Schalke 04 were in the north curve, especially in block 5, but was also the block I in the upper tier of the grandstand in the later years known for good mood.

Although the stadium was often reviled because of its spaciousness, a cult of Schalke in the UEFA Cup home games developed in the 1996/97 season. All six games, including the final first leg against Inter Milan remained without conceding a goal, which was seen as a basis for Schalke's European Cup success.

In his final years, the stadium had symptoms of old age in particular due to mining subsidence. Schalke president Günter Eichberg announced in 1989 a new arena with opening date in 1992. However it took until 2001 until the Park stadium was finally closed. The last league game at the Park stadium was known as a negative for the FC Schalke 04 peak. On the final day of the Bundesliga season 2000/2001, the club failed there, despite its 5-3 victory against SpVgg Unterhaching still possible German Championship, which won the FC Bayern Munich by his equalizing goal against Hamburger SV. Last friendlies were played against opponents in unterklassige Park Stadium just yet. The last football game of the first team of FC Schalke 04 at the Park stadium was a friendly match against MSV Duisburg on 17 November 2008 (3:1). The players of FC Schalke 04 continue to train at the old Park Stadium.

The second phase of the demolition Park stadium in early 2008 had to be postponed because hazardous materials in the building fabric. In May 2008, the demolition work continued. The rest of the main grandstand was demolished it. The two floodlight towers in the north curve, widely seen as landmarks and " for many has become something like the landmark Schalke ", are preserved.

The Park stadium is now used as a training ground

Rear front of the former building of the grandstand Park Stadium (photo 2006)

Grandstand of the stadium Park - the beginning of the demolition (photo 2006)

Escalator in Park Stadium, March 2007