Ellenfeldstadion

The Ellenfeldstadion is a grass surface, multi-purpose stadium in Neunkirchen, Saarland, Germany. It was built in 1911 and 1912, completely reconstructed between 1962 and 1964 and partially renovated in 2002. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of Borussia Neunkirchen. The stadium is also used by the American football team Saarland Hurricanes from Saarbrücken. The stadium has a capacity of 23,400 spectators.HistoryConstruction Borussia-SportplatzBorussia Neunkirchen obtained the grounds of Ellenfeld on a leasehold basis from the brewery Neunkircher Schloss-Brauerei. In the leasehold the first right of acquisition was also granted to the club. Construction of the Borussia-Sportplatz began in October 1911 and was finished in July 1912. Total construction costs were around 23,200 DM. However, the openingsmatch was on 7 April 1912, when Borussia Neunkirchen played the footballsquad of the 6. Königlich-Sächsischen Infanterieregiments Nr. 105 from Strasbourg. Borussia Neunkirchen won this match with 6-3.Early expansionDue to the club’s successes, the stadium’s capacity became too limited. When MTK Budapest played a friendly match at the Borussia-Sportplatz, the stadium couldn’t accommodate all the spectators. Plans for expansion were made and in 1921 a new wooden stand was built, which was operated by a third party. Other stands were also expanded, which increased the stadium’s capacity to 12,000 spectators. In 1928 a fire demolished the wooden stand and Borussia Neunkirchen decided to build a concrete stand in its place. The construction costs exceeded the budget, which led to financial troubles at the club. A local company took over the debts.