FC WÜRZBURGER KICKERS
JULY 2023
Founded: Nov 17, 1907
Club Members: 1,700
Nickname: Die Rothosen
Coach: Marco Wildersinn
Captain: Peter Kurzweg
Regionalliga Bavaria: 1
Landespokal Bavaria Winner: 3
Website: www.wuerzburger-kickers.de
Based in the scenic town of Würzburg in Lower Franconia, FC Würzburger Kickers were founded on 17th November 1907 by a group of local high school students and were until relatively recently a near recluse of an entity having spent most of their history as a largely unknown local side - although they have competed briefly at the highest level in German football, spending three seasons in the pre-war Bezirksliga Bayern and two in the war-time Gauliga Bayern.
After the upheaval of the war years, the club regrouped and played in the lower tiers of amateur football, and it was during this time that in 1967 they moved into their current home which, in pre-stadium naming rights days, was known as Stadion am Dallenberg. A season long appearance in Bundesliga.2 was made in 1977–78 before a decline in the club's fortunes saw them playing as low down as the seventh tier of German football by 2004.
In 2012 however, the club benefitted from a bit of good fortune which gave impetus to its rise back up the football pyramid. A reorganisation of the league structure in Germany saw the Kickers 'promoted' from the sixth to fourth tier without having to play in the fifth and a return to professional football was soon achieved with promotion to the 3. Liga in 2015 following a play-off victory on penalties over FC Saarbrücken. Under the stewardship of Bernd Hollerbach, the Kickers carried the momentum into the following season and won promotion to Bundesliga.2 at the first time of asking, beating MSV Duisburg in a play-off. The stay was a brief one however as a disastrous second half of the campaign saw late goals turn wins into draws, and draws into defeats, before relegation and a return to 3.Liga was confirmed on the final day of the 2016-17 season.
The Kickers regrouped in the third tier and under popular coach Michael Schiele secured a dramatic return to Bundesliga.2 after a three year absence when captain Sebastian Schuppan scored a 93rd minute equaliser in the final game of the 2019-20 season against Hallescher FC. Life back in the second-tier however was undermined by a destabilising overhaul of the promotion-winning squad and no fewer than three managerial changes as the club finished a the season propping up the Bundesliga.2 table. Things hadn't hit rock bottom yet however and after chaos and disorder characterised another despondent campaign, the Kickers' seven-year stay in professional football came to an end in 2022 with relegation to the Regionalliga Bayern.
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- Drone Footage of Stadiums All Over The World
GROUND DETAILS
Ground Name: Akon Arena
Architect: Jupp Schunk
Year Opened: 1967
Capacity: 13,090 (10,208 standing)
Record Attendance: 13,080 (2016)
Wheelchair Spaces: 22
Undersoil Heating: Yes
Running Track: No
Floodlights: 800 lux
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Pitch Size: 105m x 68m
Grounds:
Galgenberg (1907 - 1909)
Randersacker Straße (1909 - 1967)
Stadion am Dallenberg (1967 - 2013)
Flyeralarm Arena (2013 - 2023) *
Akon Arena (2023 - )
* Stadium Renamed
The stadium opened as Stadion am Dallenberg on 15th August 1967 with a match against 1.FC Kaiserslautern and changed very little from it's original design until temporary stands were installed over existing terraces in 2016 ahead of a single season cameo in Bundesliga.2. Accessed via a moat-like passage running along the north end of the stadium, the main stand is the only covered section of the ground and the letters ‘FWK’ can be seen in the seats which were originally from 1.FC Kaiserslautern’s Fritz Walter Stadion and from the Brose Arena in Bamberg. This stand and the opposite main terrace angle outwards from the centre line giving the stadium a slightly hexagonal shape.
The remaining sides of the 13,090 capacity ground offer open terracing only, although the away support are given some seating (320 seats) in the Gäste Block (blocks 5 and 6) at the southern end of the stadium. At the north end, there's the stadium’s VIP building where you can wine and dine before watching the match from its balcony. A digital scoreboard behind the away fans and four classic floodlight pylons installed in 2014 complete the look of the stadium which was renamed as the Akon Arena in March 2023.
The stadium, and the city of Würzburg, was the training base for the Ghanaian team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany and in addition to hosting football it has also been used as a multi-purpose venue with the likes of Paul Simon, ZZ Top, Saxon and Don McLean (he of "American Pie" fame) performing here. Other events held here have included the German 'Superbowl' final between Düsseldorf Panthers and the Ansbach Grizzlies in 1986.
BUYING TICKETS
Ticket Office:
Website: www.fwk.reservix.de/events
Telephone: +49 (0) 761 88849999
Email: ticketing@fwk.de
Average Attendance:
2022-2023: 2,588 (Regionalliga Bayern)
2021-2022: 2,198 (3.Liga) *
2020-2021: N/A *
2019-2020: 3,783 (3.Liga) *
2018-2019: 5,450 (3.Liga)
* Season affected by COVID pandemic
Expected Ticket Availability
The club website and online ticket shop are both in German only but fortunately for non-German speakers, Google Chrome’s translation feature makes booking tickets a very straightforward process.
Tickets (Print@Home or Mobile Ticket) can be purchased in advance through the online ticket shop run by the club's ticketing partner Reservix or you can keep things traditional by calling at the box office which opens up 90 minutes before kick-off on the main car park outside the ground.
The Kickers' matches very rarely sell-out, so apart from possible plum ties against Bundesliga opposition in the DFB-Pokal, getting hold of a ticket for anywhere in the ground on any given matchday generally isn't an issue. Expect to pay €15-20 for a seat in the main stand (Blocks A-B, D and Z), and €12 to stand on the terraces (Blocks 1-3 + the FanBlock in the main stand).
Discounts are available for students, senior citizens, club members and people with disabilities, along with children (aged 7-14 years). Even younger fans (0-6 years old) can watch the Kickers for free - although they're not entitled to a seat of their own in the main stand and must instead sit on a parents' lap. These 'Lap Tickets' are available directly at the stadium box office. A €2 service charge is added to all ticket orders.
Tickets for fans with disabilities and their companions can be arranged by sending the Kickers' fan representative Tanja Bartsch an email (tanja.bartsch@wuerzburger-kickers.de).
Note: If it's a neutral afternoon you're after, the Kicker's fan block has moved from Block Z to the Block E terrace in the main stand this season.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Stadium Address:
Mittlerer Dallenbergweg 49,
97082 Würzburg.
BY CAR:
If you come by car towards Wurzburg, follow the A3 autobahn until the junction with the B19 and follow the signs towards Würzburg Stadtring. If travelling along the A7 Autobahn, come off at the WÜ/Estenfeld junction and follow the B19 in the direction of Würzburg Stadtring-Süd. You'll then pick up the signs to the Akon Arena.
There are around 500 parking spots (€3 per vehicle) directly at the stadium, which is plenty, however the car park is shared with visitors to the adjacent Dallenbergbad open air swimming pool, so you may have to venture a little further afield to park up. There are free car parks at the Tectake Arena on Stettiner Straße, and at Wiesenweg on the corner of Mergentheimer Straße. Both these are about a 10 minute walk away from the Akon Arena. Further information about car parking can be viewed here.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
A network of tram lines cross the town centre and lines 3 (Direction: Heuchelhof) and 5 (Direction: Rottenbauer) take 15 minutes or so to reach the stop Dallenbergbad. From here it’s a five minute walk up the hill to the ground and, as with many fixtures in Germany, your match ticket also covers the cost of your public transport from three hours before kick-off to three hours after the match finishes.
WALKING DIRECTIONS:
The ground is quite a hike from the centre of Würzburg and a rough guess would suggest it will take about 45 minutes or so to walk. If you're up for the exercise, then cross the Alte Mainbrücke (a famous bridge and landmark in the centre of the town) and turn left onto Saalgasse. Just head straight on as the road becomes Mergentheimer Straße for about two miles keeping the river to your left. Take a right onto König-Heinrich-Straße, follow it round to the right and you'll find yourself just outside the open air pool. On the opposite side of the road you'll also see a large car park behind which you can see the stadium.
FAN SHOP, MUSEUM & STADIUM TOURS
FAN SHOP:
The conveniently located FWK fan shop on Theaterstraße in the centre of Würzburg closed in September 2021 until further notice leaving fans with the option of either visiting the small fan shop inside the ground (open on matchdays only) or the online shop here.
FOOD & DRINK OPTIONS
Many fans take advantage of the wide choice of options available in the centre before making their way to the Akon Arena and as the 'Official FWK Bar', Wohnzimmer Bar (Tiepolostraße 21, 97070) is the place to meet up with members of Würzburg's support whilst watching live football on the big screens. Another of our favourites is the more 'traditional' Sternbaeck (Sterngasse 2, 97070) which serves good pub grub and beer. And, this being wine country, a Würzburg tradition is to head to the Alte Mainbrücke for a glass of the grape whilst admiring views of the Marienburg Fortress rising above vineyards across the river.
Near the ground and handily located for trams coming from the centre, Zollhaus Biergarten (Mergentheimer Straße 19, 97082) opposite the Steinbachtal tram stop is a popular pre-match drinking den as is Zum Postkutscherl (Waldkugelweg 5, 97082) which is a two-minute walk across the road up Waldkugelweg and you can also order food here if the beer sharpens your appetite.
There are however numerous food and drink outlets in the stadium offering the standard German football fayre of beer, bratwurst, frikadellen etc and payment can be made by cash or card.
