Who are yer? FC Koln

 

 

Where do you come from? RheinEnergie Stadion

 

 

The RheinEnergie Stadion was built for the World Cup when it was home to one of England's games. And the classic Portugal v Angola, as I saw.

Yes, it's new but the designers behind it shunned the euro style of sweeping lines and curves and instead have produced a stadium with four good old stands.


With sturdy floodlights plonked in each corner  it's god a solid, hemmed in feel of a more traditional age - albiet with the clean lines and facilities of the 21st Century.

Two tiered all the way round, you approach it via a long driveway from the main road and it does impress.

 

Sponsors Rhein Energie didn''t miss a trick - the facade can be seen 400 yards away and they bagged one of the largest ads you'll see.

The front you see is actually one end. Visitors - or guests, as they're deceptively referred to over in Germany - are housed in the immediate left hand corner.

As expected, the more expensive seats are along the sides whilst the bottom tier of the far end is gven over to the home club's terracing.

 

The FC Koln hymne is heartily sung ahead of a recent game - it's belted out with gusto and well worth making sure you're inside with 15 minutes to spare.

 

 

 

We're on our way: Getting to the ground

 

The stadium is a good three miles out of the middle of town along a long, non-descript road, Aachenstrasse. The best way is by tram.

Line 1 takes you all the way there from Heumarkt, Neumarkt and Rudolphplatz. Bear in mind lines 2 and 3 also use the stops so make sure you're heading on a Line 1 train towards Weiden West.

 

Also matchday trams run from Neumarkt, taking around 20 minutes. Be warned - on matchdays trams are rammed, and if you want to dodge the crowds head towards the ground early and you might want to hang back afterwards, the beer's still flowing and the tellys are on with post-match action. Although do bear in mind a load of people also have the 'one swift pint while the crowds go' idea afterwards and there's a second surge to the trams about half an hour after the game ends. So I'd have another.

 

If you're coming direct from the main station you may bag a dirct matchday metro/ tram but if you don't catch anything going to Neumarkt and change there for the tram above ground.

 

 

Great by night: The walk up to the stadium

 

On non-match days the stadium stop is on the through route, but matchdays sees two additional platforms come into use looping off the main line. This allows a clutch of trains to line up to ferry supporters away after the game.

On non-matchdays the line has trains every ten minutes - but as said, extra ones are laid on for Koln games and you'll be back in town in no time.

From the stop it's a five minute walk up the driveway to the stadium.

 

 

Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

 

 

On the FC Koln website you can pick and buy your seat online and with the help of Google translator you should be able to stumble through. I managed it - without too much hassle.

There's a whole host of prices, from 8 euros to 59 euros. The chances of you bagging a place in the home end is slim, you're more likely to find seats on the sides nearer the back and end. Get in early, a couple of weeks before, as the 50,000 seats are usually filled.

I've sat on the side before, but a cheaper - and frankly just as good - option is to sit at the far end from the home fans. Yep, you've got the obligatory netting in front of you but you'r close to the action and the view's good.

The ticket office is sited just in front of the stand along the driveway on the right hand side. There are also cash outlets around and to the left, but as said there often aren't any left.

 

You can of course call the ticket office direct on 0049 221 7 16 16-300.

In full voice: The FC Koln home end.

 

Who ate all the pies? Eating and drinking

 

 

Aside from within the stadium grounds, the big yellow M of McDonalds is opposite the tram stop and a couple of bars and restaurants are sited around the previous tran stop Alter Militarring, which is only a couple of minutes walk away. On the left as you arrive is Stadtwaldgarten, with beer served in the garden out the front and football on inside.

 

There's a further trio of bars on the right hand side, including one used by the major fan club I believe, but i've yet to venture there so if anybody has any info do drop us a line.

 

Other than that Rudolphplatz is pretty well served for places to stop, particularly in the fast food joints department.

Neumarkt may be a big crossing point but it's more of a shopping terminus so head for Heumarkt, close to the Rhein - and not far from the Dom. It offers scores of eating and drinking spots including several irish bars showing football.


Do feel free to wander up towards the ground 90 minutes before kick off. There's a good bit of milling around going on, and there was on stage entertainment just to the right as you reach the stadium when I last want. It was rap. I said rap.

 

 

 

Well the Beatles began in Germany: The entertainment pre-match.

 

 

On tour, buy a souvenir: Tours and stores

 

 

The club shop can be found at the front of the stadium.

Modestly sized, it has a healthy selection of objects to do with goats in honour of the club's mascot, Hennes, including a book following his exploits. A few stalls line the main walk up towards the stadium

Tours are by request only - and although it does have a museum directly opposite the shop, this only opens on the first Wednesday of every month.

 

 

 

Way in: Matchday at the Rhein Energie Stadion.

 

 

Most recently visited: December 2011

First visited: June 2006