Stadion Gurzelen – stadium description

The main axis determining the growth of Biel as a town is set by waters of the Biel Lake and nearby mountains and runs from south-west to north-east. It’s important, because just like most buildings, the Gurzelen stadium was also built along that axis in 1913, receiving a wooden grandstand.

Citizens of the double-named town didn’t use it for too long before the WWI broke out and in 1917-1918 the playing field was converted into vegetable and grain fields. After one more World War, in 1951 the stadium was hit by a fire which consumed all of its main grandstand. A new one was built along the north side.

Together with terraces in the west and south the ground grew to 15,000 capacity, largely standing room. As safety regulations changed and the stadium saw minor renovations, its actual capacity went down to just 5,500 without a change in layout.