1. FC Union Berlin: The Stadion An der Alten Försterei
One of the things that drew me to 1. FC Union Berlin was their stadium. The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is unlike any other stadium in German football. The capacity stadium is unique in its design. Of its 22,012 capacity, only 3,617 of those are seated. The rest consists of all standing terraces in three of the four stands, creating a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. It reminds me of what football stadiums used to be like in England, which is why it caught my attention.
The layout of Union’s stadium is unique, even by the usual standards in Germany. Every ground in the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, and 3. Liga provides standing sections for their fans. These sections are a vital part of German football culture. The terraces house the most passionate supporters at German clubs, who provide a vocal atmosphere and eye-catching tifos. At 80%, Union Berlin’s Stadion An der Alten Försterei has the highest percentage of standing attendance in the top three flights of German football.
The Alte Försterei has an enthralling history. It has been home to Union Berlin since its foundation in 1920 and has weathered many storms to survive. The most notable survival was its redevelopment in 2008. The club initially drew up plans in the late 1990s and finally began after several years of financial delays, planning and discussions on various proposals.
The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) demanded the club renovate the stadium, or Union wouldn’t meet Bundesliga safety measures and be unable to play league games at the Alte Försterei. Union President Dirk Zingler called upon the members and fans for opinions on what to do.
So strong is the fan’s love for their home that they are willing to do anything to keep Union in the forest. The members drew up plans to keep the rebuild as cost-effective as possible.
Over 2,000 supporters answered the club’s calls for help and volunteered 140,000 hours of unpaid service to replace the crumbling stone and cinder. The members opted to keep their majority standing section, which allowed for several untrained helpers to come in and mix the concrete. Their work helped create what Der Stadipn An der Alten Försterei looks like today.
The unpaid work from the supporters saved the club two million euros of the total cost and was necessary to rescue their stadium. The German Soccer Federation (DFB) had threatened to close the ground, as it no longer met the security requirements of professional football in Germany. Union had just won promotion from the 3. Liga to the 2. Bundesliga and would need to modernise their stadium to keep playing there.
The workers became known as the “Iron Men” as they volunteered their free time and holidays to help on the construction site. One volunteer, Michael, said: “The DFB’s decision tested Union supporter’s unique fan culture.
“Union is a social event. We’ve got the spirit of a neighbourhood club where everyone sticks together.
“This project is proof that it is possible to combine commercial soccer with preserving the club’s century-old tradition.”
After fifteen years of playing in the fan-built structure, Union developed plans to help modernise the stadium. The club proposed knocking down the now out-of-date terraces to renovate the ground for the top flight. Union expect to invest €150m in the project and increase the capacity to 37,500. Union started plans for the rebuild in 2017 and hoped to begin in 2020. But delays caused by COVID-19 and European qualification continue to push it back. June 2024 is the current proposed start time.
The stadium will maintain its 80% standing capacity, increasing it to 28,692. These plans will give Union a more sizeable standing section than the Nordkurve at Schalke and more than Dortmund’s famous yellow wall.
Union exercised the right of first refusal laid down in the heritage building lease agreement with the state of Berlin by acquiring the stadium property, meaning, for the first time since the site’s foundation in 1920, Union Berlin now owns der Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
“We can speak here with full conviction of a generational project that will have a lasting impact on the Union and raise its infrastructure to a new level,” said Union president Dirk Zingler.
Work began on the “Forthauses” (the buildings around the stadium) during the 2022/23 season, while the renovation was due to get underway in August 2023. Union have since delayed these plans due to their Champions League qualification in the 2022/23 season. The club deemed it unworthy of the financial hit required to adapt the Stadion An der Alten Försterei into an all-seater stadium to comply with UEFA rules. So, the club opted to wait before starting the complete rebuild. Once the work does get away, it could take up to two years.
While away from the Alte Försterei, Union will play their home games at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, home to city rivals and now second-tier club Hertha. It won’t be the first time Die Eisernen have called Hertha’s ground their home, as it played host to Union’s UEFA Conference League home games in 2021.
Going into the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign, Union president Dirk Zingler announced that the club would play their European home games in the Olympiastadion. In an open letter to the fans, Zingler stated: “After considering the many good arguments, we in the club management have decided to host the Champions League matches at the Olympiastadion and the Youth League matches at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
“I understand the disappointment of those who would have liked to see Champions League matches at the Alte Försterei and would even have forgone their own ticket to do so. But in essence, our decision ended up placing the possibility of being able to offer tickets for these games to all fans, above that of playing them in front of a rather smaller group of Unioners at the Alte Försterei”.
The decision was met with a mixed reaction from Union fans, as several had wished to see Champions League football at their home ground. However, with the club’s membership exceeding 50,000 during the past year, having their debut home games in front of a potential 70,000 sell-out crowd seems the correct decision.
Union put up 40,000 tickets for each of the three home games at the Olympiastadion. They went on presale before the draw for the competition had taken place. Retailing at €75 for the trio, they sold out within 24 hours. It seems the move made by the club will be worth it.
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the beating heart of Union Berlin, and it will remain at its centre for as long as the club is breathing. The fans have such a strong connection with their home in the forest that they will do anything to keep it. It is their community hub, beer house, and front room. Unioners have felt every emotion imaginable standing on those terraces, and there will be many more felt by future generations of Unioners.
