"The Alten Forsterei - the club's 22,000-seater stadium - is "at the heart of the club" according to Zeitz. "It gives you a very unique experience," she added. It is not just any stadium, it is a stadium that was built by its supporters. Short of cash and with a crumbling stadium that was unfit for purpose in 2008, almost 2,500 fans spent more than 140,000 hours transforming the Alten Forsterei into the arena it is today in south-east Berlin."
"The women's team now play there too after fans of Union Berlin were coming out in their thousands to support the newly professional side. "It's why the stadium is so important for the fans because they helped to build it," said Zeitz. "They make no difference between the men and the women. No matter who is playing, they support the footballers on the pitch."
Union Berlin professionalized its women's team in the 2023-24 season and secured back-to-back promotions to reach the Frauen-Bundesliga. The club averaged about 7,000 spectators in the second tier, ranking it the fourth-best supported women's club in Europe. Union played a 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat at Aston Villa. The Alten Forsterei, a 22,000-seater stadium, was rebuilt by supporters after 2008, with almost 2,500 fans contributing over 140,000 hours. Fans treat men's and women's teams equally, and the fan-led board used increased revenue after 2022 European qualification to fund full-time contracts and comparable salaries for female players.
Read at www.bbc.com
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