Who are yer? Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Leverkusen is renowned for the pharmaceutical firm based there - so it's no surprise it was that which formed the club in 1904.

Success was limited for many years but in 1979 the club hit the Bundesliga top flight and has stayed there ever since.

The biggest success, the crowning glory of them all came in 1988 when Bayer lifted the UEFA Cup - beating Espanyol on penalties after fighting back from a 3-0 first leg deficit.

However, a period in the early part of the 21st century saw Bayer - nickname the Werkself (factory squad) - become the nearly men of German football.

The side choked in 2000 to throw away the league. They did the same in 2002 - but to compound that horror season, the club also lost in the final of the Champions League and in the German final. Second all round. They're probably still getting over it.

It's been tougher since then, with a brief flirt with relegation, but expectations remain high. Leverkusen threw away a UEFA Cup spot on the final game of the 2007-2008 season - and angry fans burned their jerseys in disgust.  The club has remained there or thereabouts, and in 2011 finished second. Again.

Bayer is known as one of the more family-friendly venues and clubs but also gets labelled as plastic by rivals, who claim success is based on big backing rather than a big fan base. I have to say they seemed pretty passionate when I went.

Where do you come from? Bay Arena

When I first went, in 2008,  the Bay Arena was a building site. The powers that be at Leverkusen weren't messing around when it comes to improving the stadium which, with a capacity of 22,500, is just not big enough.

And they weren't content with sticking up one new stand or shoving on a small extension, they went for the full monty.

The arena, renowned as a tight, cosy ground was being enlarged and expanded and now it's a 30,000 bowl. Essentially they took the roof off, put a second tier around much of the stadium, and then put the roof back on.

It's a striking football venue with its shallow end, mainly containing boxes, one of the most distinctive ends in football.






There's terracing in one corner for the home fans - the near right hand corner as you view the ground from the main road. Visitors are housed on a terrace in the far left hand corner.

You feel right on top of the pitch wherever you are, and are guaranteed a good view.

We're on our way: Getting to the ground

Leverkusen may be historically an industrial base but the Bay Arena is in a leafy part of the city within the Stadtpark.

All fans arrive on the one main road and a large number are bussed in from nearby locations on free football buses. Look out for these on your arrival in Leverkusen, hop on board and you're whisked to the ground.





After the match, a couple of dozen buses line the road for the return journey, finding yours isn't that easy so do ask one of the many volunteers. Be warned, they don't hang around forever.

If you're staying in Cologne there's two options.

The best route in is by S-Bahn or RE mainline train from Koln Hauptbahnhof (both covered by 2b City Plus tickets) to Leverkusen Mittee, a 15 minute journey, with up to half a dozen trains an hour.

Arriving at the station, head right (away from the middle of Leverkusen) on a road on the edge of a park. Stay on this route for ten to 15 minutes until you reach the main road, Bismarckstrasse - then turn left and the arena is five minutes on your left, over the bridge.

An alternative is to take an RE train to Leverkusen Schlebusch (on the train route to Wuppertal). This runs the other side of the arena. From the station, head left towards the ground (look out for the cranes). This is marginally closer to the ground but trains only run half hourly.

Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

I found buying a ticket pretty easy over the phone. English was spoken and I had to send a fax with details to the office, which they processed and confirmed within a couple of days. With the arena a modest capacity and largely sold out, the chances are you'll be put in the seated section between home and away fans.

Check out the english of the club website for online availability: http://www.bayer04.de/B04-ENG/en/

You collect your tickets from gates 18 and 19 which are round the ground on the left hand side as you look from the road. If you are in F4 section, continue round that side of the stadium for entry round the back.

Who ate all the pies? Eating and drinking

There are a couple of drinking holes close to the ground - once more, looking at the stadium you can head left over the bridge for a few bars.

Alternatively, home fans congregate in big numbers in the biergarten opposite the main side of the arena.

You can just see the entrance through the trees. It's packed but service is speedy and live football is shown inside. There are also numerous bars inside the ground.





The closeness of Cologne means you can enjoy a drink in the city's Heumarkt before the game but I'd recommend being on your way to the Cologne main station a good 90 minutes before kick off.

On tour, buy a souvenir: Tours and stores

Tours of the Bay Arena are available for single visitors on Wednesdays and Fridays at 3pm and 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am and 1pm - although check for changes on matchdays.

To find out more visit http://www.bayer04.de/B04-ENG/en/_site_index.aspx, call 0049 1805 040404 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

At the stadium the club shop is by Westtribune, around the other side of the ground from the road.

There is a club shop in Leverkusen, the address is Breidenbachstr. 6-8 (next to Marktplatz in Wiesdorf). It is open from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saurday.

Alternatively head online to the fanshop