Ursapharm-Arena an der Kaiserlinde – stadium description

What were SV Elversberg's first facilities?

The football club SV Elversberg (founded in 1907 under the name Germania) had its first pitch since 1918. Around 1925, the club leased the area near the so-called Kaiser’s lime (Kaiserlinde) where it built its new stadium. From 1930 onwards, the club owned the stadium. The facility was used until the 1980s and never had a proper grass field. Today, its site is a residential area clustered around the Willi-Neu-Ring street, and one of the few remnants of the stadium is the name of the street running south from the former field location - Sportplatzstraße.

What changed after the opening of the new SV Elversberg stadium?

In 1982, not far from the old venue, construction of a new arena began, which was opened in the summer of 1983. A major change was that the new venue had a grass pitch. Initially, it was a fairly modest facility, with an estimated capacity of 2,000 spectators. In 1996, the grandstand was extended to a size of 5,000 fans, in subsequent years further work was carried out, including the construction of a covered stand with 440 seats. In 2002, the stadium was extended with new standing sections, which increased its capacity to 7,000 spectators, a new VIP section and floodlights. On 24 April 2003, the venue hosted its first youth national team match (in a friendly under-19 match, Germany beat England 3:2).

How did the redevelopment of the grandstand go?

In 2013 SV Elversberg advanced to the 3. Liga, reaching the central level for the first time ever. The rebuilding of the grandstand of the stadium to be able to adapt it to league requirements started immediately. The first five home games of the new season, however, SV Elversberg had to play at the Ludwigsparkstadion in Saarbrücken. The team returned to their ground on 5th October 2013 (win against MSV Duisburg 1:0), following the opening of the new grandstand.

After the grandstand was opened, it continued to be extended with VIP boxes and a canopy. The work was completed in 2015, but it took a long time to obtain the occupancy permit due to the identified deficiencies with regard to fire safety regulations. After many adjustments, including enlarging the entrances, widening the escape routes and replacing the roof covering, and thanks to the mediation of the Saarland Minister of the Interior, the boxes were finally opened in the summer of 2020. The construction of the new grandstand increased the capacity of the arena to 10,000 spectators. In late 2015 and early 2016, a pitch heating system was also installed in the stadium.

What is the connection between the stadium and the Kaiserlinde?

The stadium takes its name from the nearby lime tree ('Kaiserlinde'). It was planted on 15th April 1913 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Over the years, the tree has grown to a significant size and has been given the status of a natural monument. Even when the pharmaceutical company Ursapharm acquired naming rights for the arena in November 2014, the name "an der Kaiserlinde" was not removed. On the morning of 31st March 2015, however, the tree was knocked down by the storm Niklas and had to be removed by the authorities. On 28 January 2021, a new lime tree was planted in the same place.