Bill Shankly, one-time manager of Liverpool football club, once commented that 'football isn't a matter of life and death - it's more important than that'. It's a contentious statement, depending on your devotion to the beautiful game, but fans of SV Hamburg can now make sure their life and death is intrinsically linked to their club. Hamburg have announced plans to build a club cemetery just fifty metres away from the AOL Arena.
For the price of a season ticket, ardent Hamburg fans can now buy a plot in the new cemetery grounds which, when built, will be a fitting resting place complete with goalmouth shaped entrance, terraced surrounds and blue-and-white coloured gravestones.
It's the first time such a facility has been planned for a football club anywhere in the world that we're aware of, although here in the UK it's not unknown for fans to have their ashes scattered on the pitch of their favourite team when they die. In Germany, there is no law which allows this to happen, but once the new burial grounds have been created in a few years time, Hamburg's great and good can ensure they remain true to their club right to the very end.
"Many people think it's crazy and a strange idea," admits Christian Reichert, a member of the board of Hamburg SV. "Yes it is. But it's strange to follow your team to away games all around Europe, to Moscow or Bulgaria," he says.
"These people are strange. They supported the club all their lives and so now they can feel that after their life, it's going on," Mr Reichert adds.
Strange, but very true. So next time you're sitting in your home team's stadium thinking how they've bored you to death for the last 90 minutes, imagine what the consequences might be. A short walk out of the stadium to the afterlife, perhaps?
Judging by the 'atmosphere' at the Arsenal games, it seems as if the gunners have gone one better and you can actually be buried AT YOUR SEAT.
ReplyDeleteNow thats loyalty.
I'm not sure this is a good idea. We've seen how UEFA reacts when a fan invades the pitch. But how will they react when a horde of ZOMBIE FANS invade the pitch?
ReplyDeleteand I mean actual zombies, not Spurs fans ;)
I've heard of people having their ashes scattered on the pitch but this something else.
ReplyDeleteCynically I see it as good marketing. I've actually been to Hamburg and visited their Friedhof Ohlsdorf which is the second biggest in the world.
It's worth a visit if in the city as its beautifully kept and absolutely massive.
But they say that football is the new religion so why not have a cemetery near the ground.
Being a fan of Hamburgs other team St Pauli i have to say that zombies have been attending Hamburgs games for years.....
ReplyDeleteForza St Pauli
The Friedhof Ohlsdorf is a cemetery with museum in Hamburg, for anyone that doesn't know - is that right?
ReplyDeletePartizan support indeed from Keving! How did you come to support St Pauli?
meet a few St Pauli fans while watching Celtic in Europe..like their "style" and stance so i found oot more about the club.
ReplyDeleteliked what i read regarding their anti facist and racist stance and also, read their wikipedia, they are a really interesting club....
been over once...canny wait to go back...mental check oot them on you tube...
Sounds interesting, Keving. I shall do some research on them at my next opportunity... :)
ReplyDelete