21 September 2017
A midweek derby with Schaffhausen gave us the opportunity to tick off the one stadium that we have yet to visit in the Swiss Challenge League, FC Schaffhausen's new home, the LIPO park. It's actually Schaffhausen's second season at the new stadium but sadly, illness prevented our trip out there last season.
I remember first visiting FCS' old Stadion Breite for the first time when our rivals were in the promotion league (I had to get that in). They had architects sketches and impressions of the new stadium back then (it was March 2013). It looked great! Those sketches nearly always do. I remember being skeptical about whether they would actually get the stadium but credit where credit is due, they have the new stadium. But does it live up to those artist's impressions?
Points Time.Getting There.
10 / 10. I rather genourously gave Breite 9/10. From Schaffhausen station, Breite was either a bus ride or quite an uphill hike. Well, LIPO park couldn't really be closer to the station, but not Schaffhausen station, the stadium is in Herblingen. But in any case it's a direct train from Winterthur or Zürich for that matter (the S24 to Thayngen). Alternatively you can change in Schaffhausen. So plenty of trains and the station is on the doorstep of the stadium. 10 points all the way!
Friendliness.
2 / 10. OK, this was Schaffhausen v Winti and there is a rivalry between the clubs (putting it mildly) so there's going to be police and searching etc. But frankly, the whole infrastructure makes visiting supporters unwelcome. Once you are out of the station, you enter a caged walkway which leads to the turnstiles (two at the away end). Scan your ticket barcode to get into the first area and your in security's territory. I've had more thorough searches, in fact I wasn't patted down at all but they were interested in my bag. Once through security you are allowed through a second turnstile. For an inexplicable reason you go up some steps only to come down again on the other side until you're in the stadium concourse, and out of the cage. WELCOME TO SCHAFFHAUSEN! Awful, much like St. Gallen's AFG Arena.
So a generous 2. The ladies in the refreshments were ok and I think the security guy wished me "viel Spass" (have fun).
Safety
7 / 10. Wait a minute, am I seriously trying to say a brand new stadium doesn't get full marks on safety? Allow me to explain. The stadium is brand new and it's an all-seater. The capacity is 8200 and the seats are comfortably spaced. That's the good news.
We English fans believe emergency access to the pitch is an essential safety point. The Taylor report recommended removal fences after the Hillsborough disaster. But Swiss clubs and the SFA seem to like them and they are fully installed in at least the away end of the LIPO. Not only that, but get over the fence and there's at least a 7 foot drop to pitch level. Then there's that access to the away end, narrow and caged. Of course, there is a large gate allowing mass exodus from the stadium, but you have to get there first.
I suspect the way Swiss stadia (even the modern ones) are the way they are due to archaic beliefs within the SFA. I hope they never end up commissioning their own judge to write a report. The first question any judge will raise is "why didn't you read this?"
View
9 / 10. Very good. Remove / lower fences and get rid of the netting above the fences and it would get full marks.
Atmosphere
8 / 10. The Schaffhauser kop were wonderfully welcoming in moving from the stand behind the opposite goal just to be nearer to us Winti fans and we felt the love! There must have been dissension in their ranks however, as half of them remained behind the goal.
So why did we have half of the Schaffhauser kop next to us? Well, I can think of three possible reasons:
- To drown out our singing - Failed!
- To improve the atmosphere on a derby night - Success! - it was bouncing.
- To provoke us - Sadly successful
Sadly, during the game we saw a Winti fan attempting to break a seat and after the game it all got ridiculous with both sets of fans provoking each other from their sides of the fence. Some Winti fans had ski masks to hide their faces while they tried to get at the Schaffhauser. Jeez guys! You're such saddos unable to watch a football match without wanting a fight. Consign that crap back to the 70s where it belongs.
Fortunately no harm was done. Just unpleasantness, which we could have done without.
Refreshments.
3 / 10. I'm absolutely certain home supporters will be better catered for than away fans. Drinkswise it was beer or soft drinks for us. The beer was the local brew, Falken Bier. We call it f***in' beer so you can imagine how good it is. Coffee? possibly. Wine? certainly not. The beer was served by caged-in servers who had two beer pumps for around 300 or so Winti fans. Needless to say there were queues.
As for food, there was Bratwurst or sandwiches.
Overall
39 / 60. Could be a great little stadium if it didn't make you feel as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit!
The Match
Wasn't a classic. The defences of both sides dominated the strikers and there were few goal chances. In terms of chances Winti probably had more / better. No chance was better than in the 25th minute when Schaffhausen's 'keeper Nikolic brought down Manu Sutter for a clear penalty. Unfortunately, Silvio's spot kick was as weak as the beer and Nikolic saved easily. Half time 0:0 and looking like staying that way.
Not so. Ex Winti winger Tunahan Cicek put the home side 1-up with a deflected shot that found its way past Minder. Unconverted half chances came in reply and matters got worse when Luca Radice became the third Winti player in as many games to see a red card. In the 87th minute Dangubic was fouled in the area and Schaffhausen confounded Winti's misery as Sessola showed how a penalty should be taken.
2:0 and Schaffhausen win for the first time under their new coach while Winti find themselves in a very worrying lack of form.
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