COME ON OVER
Stuttgart urge SFA to check out stadium regeneration
THE SFA have been given an open invitation from VfB Stuttgart to visit Germany and gain insight into how Hampden could be revamped.
Speaking after a £5million deal was struck to buy the national stadium from Queen’s Park, SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell admitted the governing body were keen to investigate the ‘Stuttgart model’ as they weigh up possible future options.
The Bundesliga side’s stadium was once a bowl similar to Hampden, with swathes of open space behind each goal separating supporters from the pitch.
However, a £56.5m rebuild, partly funded by the sale of naming rights to Mercedes-Benz, removed an athletics track and created a 60,000-capacity arena tightly enclosed around the playing surface.
That successful project was headed by Stuttgart finance chief Stefan Heim, who says his club would now be glad to pass their expertise and experience to the SFA.
‘It’s no problem to speak to the people at the Scottish FA,’ said Heim.
‘If they give us a call or send us an email,
we could have the architect and some of the other guys involved in the project around the table. We would be happy for the Scottish FA to come over and have a look. ‘It’s nice to hear they have mentioned our stadium, for sure. In Stuttgart, it has been a real success. ‘The people of Stuttgart and the surrounding area would speak about the money that had been spent on the stadium in the past and how the area needed new school buildings and kindergartens and so on. ‘But the new construction has generated more money for the city.’ Stuttgart increased their capacity during the work and also integrated a 2,000-seat indoor arena that is used for sports such as volleyball and basketball. Further income is earned from the hire of executive areas on non-match days. The SFA face obvious financial challenges to try and realise a similar vision in the coming years, but naming rights could potentially form part of any solution. One German media report in 2008 claimed Stuttgart were paid around £20m to call their ground the MercedesBenz Arena. The partnership was then renewed in 2011. ‘The biggest challenges during the rebuilding process were the time and the fact the team played in the stadium while it was taking place,’ added Heim. ‘It was quite complicated. Also, the money for the rebuilding project was an obvious factor. ‘But we planned for around 60m euro and at the end it worked out to that figure. The naming rights, which increased because of the reconstruction, were a help, for sure. ‘The fans are very positive about what happened at the stadium. There was a group of fans who were part of the planning process from the start. ‘These were supporters who go to all the Stuttgart games and who travelled across Germany following the team and gaining experience of many different stadiums. They wanted a design where the fans were very close to the pitch. The atmosphere is much better now.’