Linzer Stadion – historical stadium description

When was the Linzer Stadion built?

The stadium was built on Gugl Hill, on the site of a former brickyard, and opened on June 28, 1952. The new facility was equipped with an athletics track, surrounded by stands on the north, west and south sides. Only the main stand on the south side had benches, the places in the other stands were standing.

Who used the stadium on Gugl Hill?

The Linzer ASK (LASK) football club became the host of the new venue, although the club still occasionally used its old LASK-Platz in Paul-Hahn-Straße until 1966. In 1965, the team became the first club from outside Vienna to win the Austrian championship. The athletics track of the new stadium was also used for speedway competitions in the early days.

On May 1, 1968, the stadium hosted a friendly match between the Austrian and Romanian national football teams, which ended in a 1:1 draw. This was the first ever home game of the Austrian national team played outside Vienna. In total, the Austrian national team played 10 matches at this venue, the last time in 2012.

How was the Linzer Stadion developed?

In 1967, the lighting masts were put into use in the stadium, and in 1971 the main stand was roofed over. In 1974, a sports and entertainment hall was opened, built behind (and connected to) the main stand. In 1985, the stadium was equipped with a tartan athletics track and a large electronic scoreboard, which was placed on the eastern curve. In 1988, the north stand was roofed and extended slightly.

In 1994, the roof was also raised over the east stand, making it the second stadium in the country (after Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna) to have a fully roofed spectator area. In 1996, a turf heating system was installed. Between 2000 and 2003, the old sports hall behind the main stand was demolished and a new one with a 200-meter athletics track was built in its place. At the same time, the roofing of the stadium's main stand was renewed. The last major modernisation of the facility took place between 2010 and 2012.

What else besides football matches took place in the Linz stadium?

From 1988 to 2008, the stadium hosted the annual Gugl-Meeting, an international athletics meeting. Its successor was the Gugl Games, held from 2012 to 2014. The venue also hosted the Austrian athletics championships. Among other things, the stadium also hosted concerts, e.g. Michael Jackson in 1998 attracted 40,000 people to the stadium.

When was the Linzer Stadion demolished?

On December 16, 2020, the last match was played in the stadium, after which demolition of the facility began in early 2021. Construction of a new, football-specific stadium for 19,080 spectators then began in its place. The new facility, called Raiffeisen Arena, was opened on February 24, 2023.