Gender Equality at German Non-League Grounds

It is one of the phenomena of the non-league scene that hasn't changed since my childhood days – female football fans often have to pay considerably less at the gates than their male counterparts. Interestingly, this oddity approximately starts below the Oberligen (level 5) and can be observed throughout the country.

For example, women only have to pay € 1,50 at Westphalian level 6 side SV Holzwickede. Men not entitled to any reduction have to settle up four times that price:

Once, twice, four times a lady

Sometimes, attending games is even a completely costless affair for the fair sex ("Frauen haben freien Eintritt"):

Dreams are free... it's making them come true that costs so much.

As much as I understand that kind of pricing policy at swinging clubs and discos, I am not able to do the same in this case. What's the benefit for the clubs? Quite apart from the fact that this line of action is veritable unrighteousness.

Feel free to send any valuable information to our address.

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The Rest of Leipzig

Leipzig's not only the setting for a soda producer's plan of world conquest, it's also home of the country's most noteworthy football statue. Or eleven noteworthy statues, to be precise.

Summer of 1963. Despite being GDR's 2nd city and having two teams in the top flight, Leipzig hardly noted any success as far as football is concerned. Therefore mass sports organization DTSB decided to unify the two sides to a central Leipzig's sports club – Lokomotive and Rotation turned into SC Leipzig.

The newly formed club's first team was compound from the supposedly best players of its two forerunners. The remaining players, who could not put themselves forward for Leipzig's new footballing flagship, were transferred to BSG Chemie Leipzig.

Chemie were given the vacant Oberliga place and during the run-up to the season the team gained the nickname "Rest von Leipzig" – "Rest of Leipzig". Legendary manager Alfred Kunze shaped a committed gang, solid in defence and good on the break. The team sensationally won the league eventually, probably the biggest upset in the history of the GDR Oberliga.

The championship team of Klaus Günther, Dieter Sommer, Manfred Walter, Bernd Bauchspieß, Heinz Herrmann, Horst Slaby, Wolfgang Behla, Lothar Pacholski, Dieter Scherbarth, Bernd Herzog, Wolfgang Krause, Klaus Lisiewicz and Hans-Georg Sannert was life-sizedly poured in concrete a few years later:

The Rest of Leipzig comic style statues

Over the years Chemie Leipzig became an "elevator side" and were not left untouched by German reunification. The club changed its name to FC Sachsen Leipzig and in 1992, their ground, former Georg-Schwarz-Sportpark, was renamed to Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark.

In March 2009, the club had to declare insolvency for a second time in its history and finally folded on 30 June 2011. As today, SG Leipzig-Leutzsch and BSG Chemie Leipzig both consider themselves as legal successors of the dissolved FC Sachsen. Both clubs face each other in the "Sachsenliga" on level six of the league system.

Confusing stuff, I know. But in all these trials and tribulations, however one constant remains – the "Rest of Leipzig" right next to the main stand of Kunze-Sportpark:

Main stand with the Rest of Leipzig on its right

All photos by courtesy of our friends from German Football Grounds, where you'll find more photos of Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark.

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Dynamo Dresden: Sold out empty stadium

NOT a valid matchday ticket

Because of riots during a cup tie in Dortmund, Dynamo Dresden will have to play today's home encounter with Ingolstadt behind closed doors. Despite the ban, the second division outfit started to offer tickets to the fans.

This proved a resounding success: yesterday, Dynamo announced that they sold any of the 32,066 available "ghost tickets" (which equals the stadium's capacity). In order to fulfill continuing demand, the club are going to extend the sale until kick-off and appeal the supporters:

SG Dynamo Dresden request any ticket owner to close ranks inside the ground. This is the only way for anyone interested waiting outside to NOT watch the game.

Limited edition T-shirts commemorating the "Geisterspiel" (English: "ghost game") are on sale as well. The tickets, which range from 5 EUR (terrace) over 10 EUR (seated) to 20 EUR (VIP), are nothing more than memorabilia likewise. As a reminder, Dynamo outline the privileges of "ghost ticket" holders on their website:

NOT to visit the match vs. Ingoslstadt
NOT to use the tickets for short-distance public transport
NOT to enter the ground
NOT to consume beer and bratwurst

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Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau, Stuttgarter Kickers

Tower and main stand

Waldau-Stadion in Stuttgart is one of only two football grounds (Viktoria Zizkovs stadium in Prague beeing the other one) coming to my mind that are located at the foot of a TV tower. Home team Stuttgarter Kickers, who had two short stints in the top flight in the late 80s and early 90s, are currently playing in the Regionalliga South (level 4). Despite bad success in recent years "Stukis" still attract a decent following.

Kickers use the ground for their home games since its inauguration in 1905, thereby being the German club that plays for the longest time in the same stadium. Nowadays the ground holds 11,410 people (1,068 seated) effectively and it's quite hard to imagine, that it hosted Bundesliga football less than 20 years ago. However, if things ain't working well on the pitch once again, there's still the impressive tower to watch.

Photo Gallery:

All photos by courtesy of German Football Stadiums website - www.German-Grounds.com

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