Deurne (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Stand 2 at Bosuil Stadium in Deurne, Antwerp, Belgium, is being demolished and replaced with a modern 8,700-seat stand. Fans, including François, feel nostalgic. Royal Antwerp FC is modernising the stadium with city approval.
The historic Stand 2 at Bosuil Stadium in Deurne, Antwerp, Belgium, is being demolished. Workers are removing furniture and fixtures from the stand, which was once home to a supporters’ café.
The demolition company is preparing for the full dismantling of the stand. The stand is old and no longer meets safety standards. It will be replaced with a new stand as the club modernizes the stadium. Many fans are sad to see it because it holds many memories.
One of the Antwerp fans who cycled to the stadium, lured by the sounds of the construction cranes, says,
“Those are probably parts of the bar’s furnishings that we now see flying through the air.”
Is Bosuil Stadium’s Stand 2 demolition a new era for Antwerp?
The demolition of Stand 2 is part of a bigger plan to make Bosuil Stadium a modern stadium. A new stand with 8,700 seats will be built. The club is making the stadium better. They built a new main stand in 2017 and a family-friendly stand between 2019 and 2021. While the new stand is being built, the club will put up a temporary stand for fans.
“They’re tearing the interior apart,”
says supporter François, who watches in the spring sunshine as his familiar stand 2 is emptied.
“There’s nothing left of me inside, except my footprints (laughs).”
The club wants to be the best and keep its history. Officials mentioned that the new stand will be better and safer for fans. The new stand will help the club compete at the highest level. It will also help the club keep its history.
“There is nothing left of me in Tribune 2, except my footprints (laughs).”
Antwerp supporter François
According to the officials, the demolition of Stand 2 at Bosuil Stadium has made many Royal Antwerp FC fans sad. They have many memories of the stand. One fan remembers working as a bartender in the supporters’ café. Another fan remembers running drills there when he was young.
A fan who has been going to games for 60 years says the stand is too old and needs to be taken down. A woman who has been to many games says the demolition is like losing the last bit of charm of the old stadium. Fans are sad about the demolition but understand that the stand is too old and needs to be replaced.
Royal Antwerp FC has been permitted by the city of Antwerp to tear down the old Stand 2 and put up a new, temporary stand. The club is waiting for all the paperwork to be done before they start taking down the old stand and building the new one. Once that’s finished, the new stand will be a big change for the stadium.
