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FC FLYERALARM ADMIRA

MARCH 2021

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Formed through the merger of three local clubs (Victoria Köln 1911, Bayenthaler SV 1920 and Sparkassen-Verein Köln 1927) in 1948, SC Fortuna Köln spent their formative period as a largely uncompetitive side in regional championships and it wasn't until former footballer-turned-millionaire benefactor Hans 'Jean' Löring became president in 1966 that the club's fortunes started to turn around. His spending brought immediate results with promotion to the fourth-tier Regionalliga West secured in 1967 and, as the heavy investment continued over the next few years, Fortuna reached their high-water mark in 1973 with promotion to the Bundesliga.

Their stay in the top-flight was a brief one however and after only a season rubbing shoulders with German football's elite, the men from the cathedral city were back in the second-tier where they spent most of the next three decades. In 1983, Fortuna made their first (and so far only) appearance in the DFB-Pokal final - knocking out Bundesliga opposition in the form of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund on an impressive run which saw them take on city rivals 1.FC Köln in the decider. Despite having to play the match in 1.FC Köln's own Müngersdorfer Stadion (this was in the days before the Olympiastadion in Berlin became the official final venue) and outplaying their opponents, Fortuna weren't quite in step with their lucky 'DNA' that day and a 68th-minute Pierre Littbarski goal won the cup for 'Effzeh '. Fortuna also came close to making a return to the Bundesliga in 1986 but a disastrous 0-8 defeat in the promotion/relegation play-off against Borussia Dortmund put paid to those aspirations.

By now however dark clouds were gathering and in 1992 only a decision by the DFB (German FA) to deny Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin a playing licence saved Fortuna from relegation to the third-tier. Much of Fortuna's ability to punch well above their weight for so long had come from the deep pockets of Jean Löring (a trained electrician, he personally fixed a floodlight failure during a match against SV Darmstadt 98 in 1982 !) and it's estimated that he bankrolled the club to the tune of DM 30-40 million which led to his own insolvency. Löring felt ashamed about having to declare personal bankruptcy and he left the club in 2000. Without his financial support or a large enough fanbase to sustain the club, Fortuna began a slide down the leagues against a backdrop of increasing financial problems before insolvency in 2005 meant that 'Löring's' SC Fortuna Köln were no more. 

Reborn in 2008 as a fan-owned club, Fortuna began life again in the fifth-tier Verbandsliga Mittelrhein and despite insolvency had managed to salvage the old club's youth department, one of the largest in Germany with over 500 players in 25 teams, through a fundraising campaign organised by the former chairman Egbert Bischoff that included a benefit game against 1. FC Köln. With an emphasis now on youth development, the club began a climb back up the pyramid and in 2014 returned to professional football with promotion to the 3.Liga following a dramatic away goals win over Bayern München II in a play-off. After four seasons in the third tier however, Fortuna were relegated back to the Regionalliga West where they ply their trade today.

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 GROUND DETAILS 

Ground Name: BSFZ-Arena

Year Opened: 1967

Capacity: 10,600 (5,100 standing)

Website: www.flyeralarmadmira.at

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Opened on the 4th March 1967 as the Bundesstadion Südstadt with a 3-1 win for Admira over FC Wacker Innsbruck, the BSFZ-Arena is a fairly basic venue and part of a multi-sports complex including several training fields and sites for other sports.

The smart all-seater Haupttribüne (main stand) is the only covered section of the ground and is a two-tier affair complete with obligatory executive boxes at the back. The remaining sides of the ground offer shallow open terraces only, with both ends behind the goals being essentially grass berms (currently fenced off) with a narrow standing platform at the top. The away support are welcomed into the Gästesektor at the southern end of the stadium (Eingang 5) where there's also a ticket office for them; whilst Admira's Südstadt Fanatics  gather in the corner between the Haupttribüne and the Heimfansektor Nord.

In the north east corner, a building called the Kabinentrakt  houses the media facilities, dressing rooms and players tunnel. A large digital scoreboard and four towering floodlight pylons installed in 2008 as part of a five-year deal to rename the ground 'Trenkwalder Arena' completes the look of the stadium.


When hotel group BSFZ became the latest winners of the stadium naming rights auction in 2013, plans were drawn up to build a new grandstand at the northern end of the ground. However, with the venue coping easily with the club's modest fanbase, Admira have clearly been of the opinion "If it isn't broke, we aren't in a hurry to fix it ! " and so no timescale for the work has yet been set.

 BUYING TICKETS 

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Expected Ticket Availability

Playing in the shadow of Bundesliga giants FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien means Flyeralarm's attempts to build the Admira 'brand' remains very much a work in progress. The BSFZ-Arena is rarely more than a quarter full and in fact most league games see only the main stand put to use. Matches will therefore be a traditional 'walk-up' and tickets can be bought from the stadium box office (at the front of the main stand) which opens two hours before kick-off.

Even though the ground isn't going to be packed to the rafters, if you're one of those anxious people who need to have a ticket secured weeks in advance then you can do this via the online ticket shop. It's in German only but fortunately "Wenn Sie kein Deutsch sprechen können", Google Chrome’s translation feature makes booking Print@Home tickets through the club's ticketing partner 'Eventimsports' a very straightforward process. You can also pick up a ticket at the fanshop outside the ground (open 4pm-7pm, Tue-Thu; one hour before kick-off and for 30 minutes after full-time on matchdays).


With only the main stand usually open, the same flat-rate (adults/reduced/children: €19/€14/€7) applies to all matches except for the Topspiel  clashes against Austria, Rapid, Sturm and LASK (adults/reduced/children: €26/€20/€10). Interestingly, the last member of Austrian football's 'Big Five'  - Red Bull Salzburg - has been left out of the top match category so it'll be worth keeping an eye on this in case it changes. There's no surcharge for tickets bought on a matchday.

 GETTING THERE & AWAY 

Stadium Address:

Johann Steinböck Straße
5B A-2344 Maria Enzersdorf

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BY CAR:
If you're coming by car from Vienna or Graz leave the A2 at the Mödling Shopping City Süd junction (Exit 7) and turn right at the traffic lights onto Triester Straße (B17). At the next set of lights, turn left onto Brunner Straße (B12a) and follow it for 250 metres until you reach the roundabout. Take the signposted exit onto Johann Steinböck Straße and the BSFZ-Arena will be on your left after about half-a-mile.

Coming from the direction of St Pölten along the A21, take the Brunn am Gebirge exit (Exit 36) and follow Brunner Straße (B12a) in the direction of Mödling. Follow the road for about a mile and at the second roundabout take the first exit onto Johann Steinbock Straße. The ground will be on your left after half-a-mile.

Plenty of parking is available around the ground on matchdays. 

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
From the city centre, you have a choice of routes. You can take the U6 (Direction: Siebenhirten) to the Meidling - Philadelphiabrücke station and hop on the Badner Bahn tram-train (Direction: Baden Josefsplatz) for the 20-minute journey to the Maria Enzersdorf - Südstadt stop next to the stadium. Or, you can jump on the S-Bahn using S1, S2 or S3 and head to Bahnhof Mödling from where buses 215, 262 and 265 will shuttle you from station to stadium vicinity in about 15 minutes. 

WALKING DIRECTIONS:
It's almost 10 miles from the city centre so, unless you're feeling really energetic, spend the time in Austria's historic capital enjoying a Wiener Schnitzel and a few pre-match Stiegl before heading to the ground on public transport.

 FAN SHOP, MUSEUM & STADIUM TOURS 

FAN SHOP:
The main, albeit small, fanshop for all your Admira fanartikels and match tickets can be found in front of the main stand on Johann Steinböck Straße. (Johann Steinböck Straße 
5B A-2344 Maria Enzersdorf; open 4pm-7pm, Tue-Thu; one hour before kick-off and for 30 minutes after full-time on matchdays).

 FOOD & DRINK OPTIONS 

There's very little in the way of bars and restaurants around the BSFZ-Arena which makes the city centre your best bet for pre-match pub grub and beer. On a matchday, typical Danubian football fayre (chips, bratwurst, pretzels etc) is on offer at the ground and as a "Danke Schön"  for coming to see them instead of Rapid or Austria, Admira spare you the stadium-card hassle by letting you pay for your half-time pint of Villacher with cash.

OTHER CLUBS IN THE AREA

BUNDESLIGA: FK Austria Wien, SK Rapid Wien
 

2.LIGA: FK Austria Wien II, Floridsdorfer AC, SK Rapid Wien II

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