Who are yer? SC Freiburg

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Bundesliga side again since  2009/10 - after walking to the Bundesliga 2 title with three games still to play.

It's a fourth spell in the top flight...not bad for a relatively small city, with all these achievements coming in the last 15 years.

 

Under Volker Finke - who reigned for 16 years, a Bundesliga record - they first made it to the Bundesliga in 1994 and in 96 finished third. They've been on two UEFA Cup missions. They've bounced up and down between the divisions a few times but head in the right direction again after a four year absence. And so far so good with a couple of solid seasons under their belt.

They play in AC Milan style red and white stripes.

 

 

 

Where do you come from? The Badenova Stadion

Badenova Stadion ouses character. It's got that feeling of being an outpost in the league, friendly  -   hudnreds of locals leave their bikes outisde and pop in for the game - but passionate too.

It's an old style ground, holding 25,000, not ramshackled but a stadium that just grew, rather than being straight off an architect's blueprint.

 

 

 

View from the corner: The Badenova Stadion, the West stand is on the right.

 

There are four separate stands. The home masses congregate on the Nord end, one big, steep, covered terrace that leads the ground in song.

To its right is the main West stand, whilst opposite is the one tier Est seated stand. The ground is completed with the two tier Sud end, with terracing below and seats above.

 

The visitors are housed in the south east corner, with a scoreboard just above pitch level on the other side.

 

Check out matchday at the Badenova, with my YouTube video of my visit:

 

 

 

With the forest hills as a backdrop, it looks impressive on a sunny day - and in a thunderstorm, which I saw both of in the course of 90 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

We're on our way: Getting to the ground

 

 

The stadium is in the far east of Freiburg, a good couple of miles from the middle of town, and a little further than that from the Hauptbahnhof. Put it this way, the locals don't walk it so I wouldn't either.

To make things dead easy there's one tram route that goes to the ground and it's Tram 1, which really isn't that difficult to remember.

It handily takes in the Hauptbahnhof and the old town, the journey taking 15 minutes to Romerhof, one stop from the end of the line. Football specials marked Stadion also run on matchdays.

 

 

 

 

Time to get off: Romerhor.

 

Once you reach Romerhof you can't see the ground but it's only a five minute walk. You're in a quiet residential district, from leaving the train head go left up either Karl-Berner-Strasse or August-Ganther-Strasse, and at the other end you are in Schwarzwaldstrasse. The south end of the stadium is in front of you.

After the game trams do the run back every few minutes but as this is the only line, it gets pretty packed.

 

 

Who ate all the pies? Eating and drinking

The old town is a good place to head early doors with cafe bars dotted around the old streets.

The biggest concentration is close to the University, around Lowenstrasse. From the main crossroads of Bertoldstrasse and Kaiser-Joseph Strasse, head down Kaiser-Joseph Strasse towards Martinstor town gate - Lowerstrasse is off on the right, both sides of Burger King.

If you want to sample a German beer house, I'd recommend checking out Martins Brau Haus, in an alley next to Martin's Tor, where they serve.. Martin's beer. Together with a good selection of food, it's spacious inside and spreads out into the alley.

 

The next street down on the left is Gerberau - this takes you to central irish bar the Isle of Innisfree. If you're expecting one set in an age-old building you'll be disappointed - it's in the Atrium, a new centre.  However, it's more than pleasant enough inside with sport on as and when, plus quizzes and music, as popular with Germans as English.

Irish bar, O'Kellys, a popular watering hole also with live sports on TV, is found in Milchstrasse, behind the Stadttheater library (Tram 1).

One decent sports bar I'd recommend is Cafe Atlantik, a lively German venue with international beers and more sports screens than Dixons. You'll find it near Schwabentor - it's close to Overlinden stop on Tram 1 on the eastern edge of the old town, walk down past the grand gate and it's on your left.

At the stadium you'll get the regulation food and drink options. It's not badly priced either, 2.30 euros for Rothaus beer and similar for a Bratwurst.

 

As in some other grounds there's a one euro deposit for plastic cups.

 

However, the ground is quite basic and certainly in the Nord stand kiorks were not as plentiful as soon new stands. Even so, you should still get served within a few minutes at busy times.

 

 

Grab a seat: Buying a ticket

You could have rocked up to the ground and bought a ticket on any matchday for every home fixture in 2008-9 for Bundesliga B games.


Whether the same applies for Bundesliga games who knows, but it's likely to be a bit more tricky. However, the good news is it's fairly straightforward booking online - some is in english to give you a start. Click here to have a go.

One added bonus is that SC is one of relatively few clubs that let you print your own ticket ay home, which operators scan at the turnstiles with no hassle. Demand is highest for the Nord stand.

 

 

 

 

Standing room only: The Nord stand.

 

If you do turn up on the day there's a main ticket office in the Sud end of the ground. Tickets for the Nord terrace are sold from a kiosk outside that end - but this area can sell out.

 

 

 

 

Bag a souvenir: Stores

There's a fan shop as you arrive at the ground at the southern end, with a few other stallls dotted around.

Also check out a myriad of goods for Freiburg and other teams at the small but friendly Fan Shop in Salzstrasse close to Schwabentor.

 

One other option to bear in mind is a Fan Shop at the Hauptbahnhof, it's based below ground on the way to the other platforms.

Click here for the online shop.