Plans For The Weser Stadium Reconstruction

First Team
Thursday, 19.07.2007 / 11:02

Over the last few days it has been announced that the reconstruction plans for the Weser Stadium would have to be altered. In a revised version of the original concept, plans to expand the grounds capacity are still in mind but the fan curves in the stadium will remain.

Over the last few days it has been announced that the reconstruction plans for the Weser Stadium would have to be altered. In a revised version of the original concept, plans to expand the grounds capacity are still in mind but the fan curves in the stadium will remain. Chairman Manfred Müller discussed the most important points and answered some background questions in an interview with www.werder.de.

 

There have been some disappointed reactions from fans who feel there is no necessity for reconstruction work on the Weser Stadium if the plans are not to make the stadium a pure football arena. Do you understand the opinion of the fans?

Manfred Müller: “Of course it would be wonderful to immediately grant all wishes but we have to consider the best politics for Werder Bremen. That means we have to be sensible. The massive, and unfulfilled, demands for tickets for the Bayern Munich game is further proof that we need a bigger stadium. That will be possible with an 8,000 seater, third tier which will include a new roof which completely covers the ground. To add to that, a new facade is planned with energy saving elements and a 20,000m² photovoltaic system.”

 

The Weser Stadium as a pure football arena with four stands that verge on the edge of the pitch – is that still the dream?

Manfred Müller: “We’ve never given up on that idea. The opposite in fact. The new roof construction will cover an area right out to the outer extremes of the pitch so that when we add the new straight stand elements, we will have a pure football stadium”.

 

When could we expect such a step to be taken?

Manfred Müller: “We will of course have to discuss such issues with the committee of the construction engineers of Werser Stadium GmbH. They are currently rearranging the committee after a recent election.”

 

Why were the original plans to realise the complete reconstruction in one move scrapped?

Manfred Müller: “The costs exploded. A number of elements took a turn for the worse – such as the rapid increase in steel prices. The construction would need, in the region of, 5,000 tons of steel for its completion. The technicians also realised rather late on that the development work would lead to drastically reduced capacity in the stadium. We would have had less than 30,000 places available to us. We didn’t want to land our fans with that problem and it would have cost us a lot of money.”

 

Could this problem not have been spotted earlier?

Manfred Müller: “We are dependent upon the know-how of the experts and technicians. There was absolutely no information until very recently that the reconstruction of the Weser Stadium into a pure football stadium would not be possible within the realms of a €50 – €60 million investment. We could have demanded a quote for each step but, were our financial limitations breached, we would have been contacted immediately.”

 

Is this reduced and revised plan sensible for Werder?

Manfred Müller: “Werder’s fan base is growing and growing and we have waiting lists for places in all categories. It’s important to be able to offer these places. With the new tier and roof we will have a better acoustic sound in the stadium and places for 50,000 fans which is very impressive. We can increase the quality of the stadium and increase revenues.”

 

Some have suggested that the construction of a completely new stadium in a different location would be the better option. Have you considered that at all?

Manfred Müller: “It’s too late for that now. We would have had to have made that step thirty years ago. The Weser Stadium has undergone many facelifts, not least the North Stand (Nordtribune). This is still being financed, a new stadium would inflict yet more financial stress on the club. There are immense cost to be considered. To add to that we would have traffic issues and a complete infrastructure problem with a new stadium – look at Munich. The city of Bremen just couldn’t afford that and without football, the Weser Stadium would be just an empty shell.”

 

When will the first construction period begin?

Manfred Müller: “We will being in January next year and use the long break brought about by the European Championships in summer. We plan to be ready by winter 2008.”

 

Johnnie Muldoon

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