Wankdorfstadion was home of BSC Young Boys from construction in 1925 to the 7th July 2001. Located in the Wankdorf district of Bern, Switzerland, the club moved to the Stade de Suisse in 2005 which represent a set of much more modern facilities.
Young Boys Stadium Guide
Stadium Facts
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Team: | Young Boys |
| Opened: | 1925 |
| Capacity: | 64,000 |
| Address: | Papiermühlestrasse 71, Bern, CH-3014 |
| Stadium Names | |
| Names: | Wankdorfstadion |
Wankdorf Stadium History
The Wankdorf Stadium first opened with a capacity of 22,000 with an at the time, impressive 1,200 covered seats for the more discerning football fan who didn’t wish to stand. Although BSC Young Boys used The Wankdorf for their home fixtures as soon as it opened, the international match between Switzerland and Austria held on the 8th November is seen as the first significant match and test for the ground as it attracted a large crowd of 18,000.
As football increased in popularity in Europe before and after the Second World War additional bleachers were added to the stadium, with the capacity temporarily increased to 42,000. The addition of these new stands would have been permanent had it not being for the fact Switzerland was due to host the 1954 World Cup and the entire stadium was subsequently demolished and rebuilt from scratch into a state of the art 64,000 capacity arena.
Hosting three group matches, one quarter final and the final itself which saw West Germany defeat Hungary 3-2 in a match dubbed “The Miracle of Bern”, The Wankdorf stadium became known as one of the premier footballing venues across Europe. This reputation was further enhanced when the Wankdorf hosted the 1961 European Cup final between S.L Benfica and Barcelona plus the Cup Winners Cup in 1989 which once again featured the Spanish Giants as well as Italians Sampdoria.
With the Wankdorfstadion now over 75 years old and the structural integrity rapidly diminishing, it was decided that the stadium would be demolished and replaced with a new stadium known as the Stade de Suisse. This smaller ground first opened in the Summer of 2005 and continued the International legacy of Wankdorfstadion by hosting matches of the Euro 2008 tournament.
Stand Photos
Stadion Wankdorf comprised of four stands: North, East, South and West.
Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium.
