Match for match, more than 80,000 people flock into SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Germany’s biggest football stadium. And they all want to get to their seats as quickly and easily as possible.

In order to optimize and speed up entry into their ground, Borussia Dortmund has implemented a number of improvements. We spoke with BVB’s Director of Organisation, Dr Christian Jockenhos, about these enhancements and innovations as well as further plans.

South-East Entrance

image
45 minutes before kick-off: short queues in front of the new, mobile turnstile units in the south-eastern section.

On average, 20,000 spectators pass through the South East entrance between Volksbad and Stadion Rote Erde. After the installation of an electronic access control system with 20 turnstiles in 2005, there had been no changes to entrances for eight years. During night games, as for example in the busy month of November 2013 (with games against Bayern, Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Arsenal, Napoli), the late arrival of the fans always led to bottlenecks. Due to the local conditions, there are only nine entry lanes available to check fans more thoroughly when entering the stadium.

image
The South Entrance at 3.05 pm.

For the home game against Nuremberg, access (turnstiles) and entry checks were streamlined on a trial basis. It turned out to be a great success as instead of only nine entrance lanes 20 were used to search visitors and their belongings upon entry into the stadium. “At 3.07 pm, we had everything wrapped up,” says a pleased Hockenjos. The club is now in talks with the relevant authorities to set up mobile access control units on a permanent basis as it speeds up entry by 100 per cent.

North Stand Entrance

A total of 60,000 people use Strobelallee to enter Signal Iduna Park through the three northern entrances. It’s a daunting task for everybody involved, and patience is required when there are, for example, problems with the visiting fans - as happened in the recent home game against Nuremberg when the “North Centre” Entrance had to be closed for 30 minutes for security reasons (after an attempted “stadium storm” by so-called “Nuremberg fans”).

The North West Entrance has already been extended by an additional 14 to now 40 entrance lanes. Hockenjos has a picture taken on the Saturday two weeks ago at 3.15 pm showing only a handful of fans passing through the gates. All the other fans are already in their seats. “Everyone has done a great job here,” says Hockenjos, with the security service included in his praise.

image
The North West Entrance at 3.15 pm on 1 March.

The same measures will now be implemented in the North East Entrance as well. Between the home games against Nuremberg and Gladbach, containers have been moved, fences dismantled, gates installed and six further double turnstiles, each with two entrance lanes, set up.  “And again, we all worked together hand in hand,” so Hockenjos on Tuesday when work was still in full swing. He specifically would like to thank the city and the service providers for their “great cooperation”. Just as in the stadium’s northwest section, a new entrance – the seventh there - for the elderly or families with small children has been added here. “It’s our concern that this group of people doesn’t have to queue with the masses,” explains Hockenjos this role model measure.

South East Entrance

“Evacuation was the only issue in the past, today clubs and authorities are correctly thinking about how people are entering the stadium as well,” says Hockenjos. And Borussia Dortmund has turned these thoughts into an idea. A new stadium entrance is planned in the south-western area to relieve congestion at the three northern entrances.  According to Hockenjos, approximately 10,000 South Stand fans enter the ground through the north-western part, and new entrances are planned to allow as speedier entry for them. At the moment, a number of different approaches are discussed, “but unfortunately, it has been shown that our desired solution cannot be implemented just like that due to the many facets to consider.”