Bosuil Stadion – stadium description

How did the construction of the new stadium in Deurne come about?

From 1908, Royal Antwerp FC, the oldest club in Belgium (founded in 1880), played matches at their new venue on the Broodstraat. After the end of the First World War, however, this stadium became too small for the club's needs and consideration was given to building a new venue. Due to much more attractive land prices, it was decided to buy the land for the new stadium in Deurne (then an independent municipality, since 1983 it has been part of the city of Antwerp).

How was Bosuil Stadium built?

Construction of the stadium began on October 1, 1922, and the opening of the new arena took place on November 1, 1923. At the inauguration, with the full stands, the Belgian and English national teams faced each other in a friendly match (2:2). The new stadium had a main stand on the west side that could accommodate 8,000 spectators. The pitch was surrounded on the other sides by stands based on earth embankments – there were 6,000 seats along the pitch and the stands behind the goals had a total of around 25,000 standing places.

Among other things, two training pitches and tennis courts were built within the stadium area, as well as car parks. The square in front of the main stand included a long pond and the whole area was surrounded by a high wall. The design of the stadium was developed by Gerard De Ridder. At the time of construction, the area around the stadium was deserted, but just 7 years later there were 2,600 housing units within a 2 km radius.

In 1936, the earth terraces were significantly extended. Another extension took place in 1956 and the stadium reached a capacity of around 60,000 spectators. From 1961, the stadium was equipped with artificial lighting. From the 1980s, the capacity of the stands was reduced due to their poor technical condition. In 1991, the south curve was removed and replaced by a new stand located just behind the end line of the pitch, the so-called 'Atrium Complex', with a large number of business seats.

Euro 2000 in Antwerp?

Prior to Euro 2000, there were plans to redevelop the stadium so that it could become one of the venues of the tournament, but these ultimately did not materialize. In 2001, only a new stand was built behind the north goal, which was built according to the stadium's plans for the Euro 2020, although also in a limited way (without the second tier of stands).

How have recent upgrades been carried out at Bosuil Stadium?

Between 2014 and 2015, the west stand which dates back to 1923 was refurbished. At the time, the capacity of the stadium, due to restrictions and the installation of plastic seats, was 12,975 spectators. Shortly after the renovation of the main stand, objections were again raised and its continued use was not allowed. It was then decided to demolish it and build a completely new main stand.

The construction of the new main stand was carried out between June and November 2017. The old structure from 1923 was replaced by a modern stand with a capacity of 5,362 spectators and extensive backstage facilities. It is fully covered and has a glass façade on the outside, reminiscent of an office building rather than a football stadium.

Following the construction of the new main stand, it was decided to continue with the redevelopment of the stadium. Between 2019 and 2021, a new stand was built behind the south goal. It received two levels of auditorium, with standing room in the lower tier (it is intended for the most ardent fans) and, like the west stand, was equipped with wide backstage areas and a roof and topped with a glass facade. There are also plans to redevelop the stands on the east and north sides.

Why has the Royal Antwerp FC stadium been nicknamed the 'Deurne Hell'?

Since its inception, the stadium has been the home ground of Royal Antwerp FC, which, playing at this venue, won the Belgian league title four times (1929, 1931, 1944, 1957) and made numerous appearances in European cups. The stadium also hosted, among others, a replay of the 1964 Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1972 European Championship semi-final.

Until the 1970s, the Belgian national football team also played regularly at the stadium, and the vast majority of the Red Devils' matches at the venue took place against the Dutch national team. The matches against the Netherlands were known for their unusual atmosphere, which earned the venue the nickname 'Deurne Hell'.