Lohrheidestadion – stadium description

What is the history of Lohrheidestadion?

The facility in Wattenscheid (the western district of Bochum in the centre of the Ruhrgebiet) was built in 1954, but for the first decade it was used for other sports due to its multifunctional nature. It was not until the 1965/66 season that SG Wattenscheid 09 made their home there and have played their matches there ever since. In 1975, the stadium was upgraded with a new tartan athletics track, then with eight lanes on the main straight and six around the perimeter.

From 1990 to 1994, SG Wattenscheid 09 played in the Bundesliga. Due to the extraordinary sporting results, a major redevelopment of the stadium was planned. The ambitious project included a new grandstand on the east side. Rising costs in the construction market and relegation from the Bundesliga halted the expansion of further stands and the modernisation was not completed.

In the 21st century, SG Wattenscheid 09 only played in regional competitions. In 2019, the club was close to bankruptcy and withdrew from the competition, but joined from the new season. In the meantime, FC Schalke 04 and VfL Bochum's reserves have also played at Lohrheidestadion, and SG Wattenscheid 09's players have had their episodes in the women's Bundesliga. The facility is also used by the athletics club TV Wattenscheid 01.

During the 2011 Women's World Cup, which was held in Germany (including at the Ruhrstadion in Bochum), Lohrheidestadion served as a training facility. On May 25, 2015, the stadium hosted the final of the German junior football competition, in which FC Schalke 04 beat TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 3:1.

Prior to the 2002 German Athletics Championships, the venue underwent further modernisation, including the refurbishment of the roof of the east stand, the installation of new seats and the renovation of the running track, which now has eight tracks around the perimeter. The German athletics championships were held at the venue as recently as 2005 and 2012, and the stadium hosted the DLV Gala from 2007 to 2010.

What are the characteristics of Lohrheidestadion?

The stadium has a football and athletics layout, with an eight-track tartan running track. The running track is surrounded by stands with a capacity of 16,233 spectators (including 5033 seats). On the eastern side there is a high, covered stand equipped with plastic seats. On the other sides, terraced stands with standing places extend around the running track. On the west side, in the central part, the stand has been enlarged by a second floor and equipped with a canopy. Four floodlight masts are located in the corners.

Following the decommissioning of the large athletics track stadiums in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen, which were replaced by modern football arenas, Lohrheidestadion has become the most important athletics facility in the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is the only one in the entire state capable of holding national championship competitions.

What are the plans for the modernisation of Lohrheidestadion?

At the end of 2019, the first information about the planned expansion of the stadium emerged. In 2022, Bochum councillors voted in favour of the modernisation. The work is to be carried out between 2023 and 2025. The aim of the upgrade is to consolidate Lohrheidestadion's position as the leading athletics facility in North Rhine-Westphalia and to adapt it to host athletics competitions at the FISU World University Games (Universiade) in 2025 - in 2021 the Ruhr region was awarded the right to host the event.

The expansion plans for Lohrheidestadion primarily include the construction of a new main stand on the west side, the roofing of the entire auditorium and the renovation of the east stand. Once the work has been carried out, the capacity of the stadium will increase slightly to 16,387 spectators, of which 8,020 will be seated (stands along the pitch). The surroundings of the facility will include an athletics training track, an unheated hall and new car parks.