Hamburger SV; Hamburg, Germany

Like many foreign clubs Hamburg are a multi-sports organisation, this is the home of the Hamburger SV ice hockey team. They are based at the Stellingen ice rink, which is strange, as it appears to have previously been some sort of cycling velodrome. It is also open to the elements, bar the roof! the cld certainly gets to you. In effect an 'open air' venue.

They play in the Oberliga, which is the third tier of German ice hockey. I have seen them play here before, & they are the main team at Stellingen, but tonight I saw 'rink sharers' Altonaer SV take on SC Langenhagen 1b, further down the pyramid in the Verbandsliga Nord.



Here is the approach to the rink, from the main road, the roof not shown too clear, unless you look carefully, due to the cloud overhead.



This path, by the HSV noticeboard, leads up to the ice.



Here we see the venue from outside, round the back. The unusual roof is made by this company.



Under the roof, the players come on & off the ice here, over a disused track.



There is a raised scaffold terrace for fans, only on the one side, which we see from behind.



Above the track is this public area, with some benches.



Moving along toward the 'corner', you can see what I mean about it being 'outdoors' despite a roof.



A christmas tree, well it was only fours weeks before christmas day.



Stepping back into the rink now, we turn round to the terrace.



The path around the top of the curve continues, but there's a rail stopping you from going round there.



Presumably translates as no John Cleese impressions!



Here is the curve behind the goal.



And another glance down the main side.



From the top of the curve, yes I did ignore that sign, a shot of the whole ice pad.



Moving on round.



This was taken from the far side, as I passed through the next day.



Nowe we're behind the terrace once more. This is the way the fans reach it from the back.



Down these steps. At the top there is a small refreshment booth, which was shut this evening. Also a small room, like a train station wwaiting room really, with a couple of benches, where you could keep warm.



This phone was in that area, no reason to take this snap, apart from the fact it looked so different, & old fashioned, by modern standards.



This is part of a notice on a board, listing all the hockey games in the area, including junior ones. I picked one out for the following night, to keep me occupied.



Now we are at the front of the benched 'terrace'. I called it a 'terrace' because it was so cold that people stood to keep warm!



At the front were the penalty boxes.



The Zamboni, preparing the ice.



There were some advertising around the boards.



The Streetwear one is a fashion range, & next to it is the inline section board.



While this explains who the pizza company were who had the big hoarding on the pitch at half time, at the HSV versus Stuttgart match in the afternoon.



Now we back at the side of the arena where we came in.



One of the sparse springling of fans, clearly a 'hockey nut', judging by his Bully Dogs shirt & all the badges on his hat.



Another sign at this end, I didn't bother going beyond it, as it would have been practically identical to the other end.



The teams head down to the ice.





Game about to start.



Pre-match huddle.



Game on!





A penalty shot...he missed!



Well it would be hockey without a bit of 'handbags'!





Game over, final score on the board.

ESV Grun-Weiss Hamburg; Germany

If I have got this right ESV Grun-Weiss Hamburg play at the Wolfgang Meyer Stadium. I had hoped to see Hamburger SV Under 19s here on the Sunday morning of my visit to Hamburg at the end of November 2010, but it appeared to be postponed. Buying a local paper the next day I saw a report on the game, & they had switched the venue at very short notice. I don't read, or understand, German, but I like to get a local paper just to get some sort of understanding of league placings, & to study results & league tables.



A match poster from their womens' side was on display around the changing rooms.



Of the ground itself, well it was locked & I couldn't find a way to gain access, which was a shame. But I managed to get a number of snaps through gaps & over the perimeter fencing, so here we go...here we are in the corner, looking over to the dugouts, and an open metal stand behind.



To our left, down the side is a stretch of terrace, with the stand past it, a nice curved roof on it.



Moving round outside, this is behind the goal, from the next corner.



To the left we can see the open stand a little better, from back behind the goal.



Here we zoom in on it.



Back in the corner we face the main stand, across the pitch.



Down the open side there is a step of terracing.



Here we look at the open stand, from behind.



Down toward the other end of the ground we get an angle, still outside the external perimeter fencing, of the raised metal stand, or to be correct terrace, as there aren't any seats on it, I think.



Through a gap we see part of the main stand opposite.



Now back behind the other goal this picture confirms it is a terrace, raised behind the dugouts.



The view down the pitch.



Now we concentrate on the main side, to our right.



From this angle we can see there is clearly terracing either side of the stand.



This is the terrace at the far end of that side.



The stand itself, it looks like backless bucket seating, apart from the row at the rear.



This is the nearer terrace, which we saw in our first peek inside.



To finish, here is the whole of that section of terracing.