Aker stadion
Encyclopedia
Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, is a football stadium
located at Reknes in Molde
, Norway
, and is the home of Norwegian Premier League
club Molde. The stadium has a capacity of 11,800 spectators.
The building was designed by architect Kjell Kosberg
. It cost , most of which was paid for by club-owner Kjell Inge Røkke
—after whom the ground has been nicknamed "Røkkeløkka". Ground was broken in 1997, and the stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998 in a league game against Lillestrøm, replacing Molde idrettspark
as Molde's home ground. The stadium was nominated for the FIABCI
Prix D' Excellence and awarded the City Prize in 1999. The record attendance of 13,308 was set in a league match against Rosenborg in 1998. The same year, the arena hosted its only international match, where Norway
beat Saudi Arabia
6–0. The following year, when Molde reached the UEFA Champions League
, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, reducing its capacity. Since May 2006, the stadium name has been sponsored by Røkke's company Aker.
The stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998, when the stadium was officially opened by Prime Minister
and Molde-fan Kjell Magne Bondevik
. In the opening match, Molde beat Lillestrøm 4–0 in their first home game of the season, attracting 13,010 spectators. During the season, this was the match in the country with the most spectators not hosted at Rosenborg's home ground Lerkendal
. On 27 May, the arena hosted its only international match, with Norway beating Saudi Arabia 6–0 in a 1998 World Cup
friendly. On 11 August, CSKA Sofia
visited Molde for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, for which Molde failed to qualify. The all-time spectator record was set on 26 September, when Molde hosted Rosenborg BK in front of 13,308 people.
During the fall of 1999, Molde played two qualification games for UEFA Champions League at the stadium. Following the aggregated victories over CSKA Moscow and Mallorca
, Molde qualified for the group stage, where they played Real Madrid
, Porto and Olympiacos
. Following entry into Champions League, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, with seats being installed on the lower sections of the short end stands. The reduced the attendance capacity permanently, because the club chose to not remove the seats afterwards.
Since then, Molde has entered the UEFA Cup four times, in 2000–01, 2003–04, 2006–07 and 2010–11, playing a total of eight home games. In 2006, an agreement was made where Røkke's company Aker became the stadium name sponsor, with the stadium being renamed Aker stadion. The same season, the club was relegated to the First Division, where the team played in 2007. Despite the relegation, average attendance increased, and Molde successfully won the league. Since 2008, the team has again played in the Premier League.
Aker Stadion has been proposed used during the annual Moldejazz
, Norway's largest jazz festival, but this has been rejected several times by the festival management. The issue was intensified in 2004, when a much smaller arena was used for a quickly sold-out Stevie Wonder
concert. On 6 October 2007, StatoilHydro
arranged a free concert at the stadium with Ane Brun
and Röyksopp
to celebrate the completion of their near-by processing plant for the gas field Ormen Lange.
. The exterior of the building is clad with two colors of granite
, glass and aluminum. The building was financed by Kjell Inge Røkke, although NOK 10 million was paid by the municipality and NOK 2.7 million by Norsk Tipping
. In 1999, the structure won the City Prize, that is awarded to the Norwegian building project that is both profitable, innovative and increases the value of the surrounding area. The stadium was also nominated to FIABCI's Prix D' Excellence.
There are four stands in two tiers built as a continual whole and a capacity of 11,167. Prior to 1999, the lower tiers along the short sides had terraces, allowing an initial capacity of 13,308. There are 13 entrances, 52 toilets and 9 kiosks. The stadium has thirteen executive box
es in the north stand, varying in size between 18 to 33 m² (21.5 to 39.5 ). The arena is 17250 square metres (20,630.8 sq yd), measuring 150 by. It includes a restaurant and café, in addition to a medical clinic. The pitch is 105 by of natural grass, with 4% artificial turf sown in. Floodlight
is provided with 176 lamps, mounted at a low 19.5 metres (64 ft). The speaker system has 32 kW.
The stadium is located within walking distance of the city center. There is no public transport that serves the arena, but all city and regional buses serve the city center's bus terminal, which is within walking distance. On game days, Aukra Auto
operates a bus service from Aukra
, while Nettbuss
operates from Eidsvåg
, Kleive
, Batnfjordsøra
and Sjøholt
. Tide Sjø
operates a fast ferry
to Helland and Vikebukt
. There are a very limited number of parking spaces at the stadium, and these are limited to holders of VIP tickets.
, of which seven have been against Rosenborg BK and five in derbys against Aalesunds FK. In addition, two high-attendance matches have been played in Champions League and one in the Norwegian Football Cup
. The all-time record dates from the 1998 derby with Rosenborg BK, which was followed by 13,308 spectators.
The following list includes the attendance for Molde FK during the home domestic league matches. It excludes cup
and UEFA
tournaments. In 2007, the club played in the First Division. The table includes average, minimum and maximum attendance, in addition to the attendance rank among the top-league teams.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located at Reknes in Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and is the home of Norwegian Premier League
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
club Molde. The stadium has a capacity of 11,800 spectators.
The building was designed by architect Kjell Kosberg
Kjell Kosberg
Kjell Kosberg is a Norwegian architect. He established Kosbergs Arkitektkontor in Molde in 1986. He established an office in Oslo in 1994, which was later merged with the Molde office...
. It cost , most of which was paid for by club-owner Kjell Inge Røkke
Kjell Inge Røkke
Kjell Inge Røkke is a Norwegian businessman and among the richest people in Norway, controlling the Norwegian company Aker Solutions...
—after whom the ground has been nicknamed "Røkkeløkka". Ground was broken in 1997, and the stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998 in a league game against Lillestrøm, replacing Molde idrettspark
Molde idrettspark
Molde idrettspark is a multi-use stadium in Molde, Norway.A football stadium, it is the former home ground of Molde FK, who moved to Aker stadion for the 1998 season...
as Molde's home ground. The stadium was nominated for the FIABCI
FIABCI
FIABCI the International Real Estate Federation, was founded in 1949 by the French asset manager Mr. Pierre Colleville. It was registered as a non-profit professional organisation in Paris on 2 June 1951. It is the only worldwide real estate association that represents all of the real estate...
Prix D' Excellence and awarded the City Prize in 1999. The record attendance of 13,308 was set in a league match against Rosenborg in 1998. The same year, the arena hosted its only international match, where Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
beat Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
6–0. The following year, when Molde reached the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, reducing its capacity. Since May 2006, the stadium name has been sponsored by Røkke's company Aker.
History
Since 1955, Molde had been playing their home games at Molde idrettspark (at the time called Molde stadion), a municipal-owned multi-use venue. A new stadium was proposed to be located at the waterfront at Reknes. There were many local protests, including complaints about the size of the structure. Construction of the land fillings and preparation of the construction site started in March 1997, before final approval had been granted by the municipality.The stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998, when the stadium was officially opened by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Norway
The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
and Molde-fan Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
. In the opening match, Molde beat Lillestrøm 4–0 in their first home game of the season, attracting 13,010 spectators. During the season, this was the match in the country with the most spectators not hosted at Rosenborg's home ground Lerkendal
Lerkendal stadion
Lerkendal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The home ground of the Tippeligaen side Rosenborg BK, it has a capacity for 21,116 spectators, making it the second-largest football stadium in the country....
. On 27 May, the arena hosted its only international match, with Norway beating Saudi Arabia 6–0 in a 1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup may refer to:*1998 IAAF World Cup*1998 Men's Hockey World Cup*1998 Women's Hockey World Cup*1998 FIFA World Cup*1998 Alpine Skiing World Cup...
friendly. On 11 August, CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia , commonly known as CSKA or CSKA Sofia is a professional football club based in Sofia, Bulgaria. The club was officially founded on May 5, 1948. CSKA's abbreviation stands for Central Sports Club of the Army...
visited Molde for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, for which Molde failed to qualify. The all-time spectator record was set on 26 September, when Molde hosted Rosenborg BK in front of 13,308 people.
During the fall of 1999, Molde played two qualification games for UEFA Champions League at the stadium. Following the aggregated victories over CSKA Moscow and Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
, Molde qualified for the group stage, where they played Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Porto and Olympiacos
Olympiacos CFP
----Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, , , transliterated Olympiakos Sindesmos Filathlon Pireos, is the most popular multisport club and the most successful in Greece, based in Piraeus....
. Following entry into Champions League, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, with seats being installed on the lower sections of the short end stands. The reduced the attendance capacity permanently, because the club chose to not remove the seats afterwards.
Since then, Molde has entered the UEFA Cup four times, in 2000–01, 2003–04, 2006–07 and 2010–11, playing a total of eight home games. In 2006, an agreement was made where Røkke's company Aker became the stadium name sponsor, with the stadium being renamed Aker stadion. The same season, the club was relegated to the First Division, where the team played in 2007. Despite the relegation, average attendance increased, and Molde successfully won the league. Since 2008, the team has again played in the Premier League.
Aker Stadion has been proposed used during the annual Moldejazz
Moldejazz
Molde International Jazz Festival takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club...
, Norway's largest jazz festival, but this has been rejected several times by the festival management. The issue was intensified in 2004, when a much smaller arena was used for a quickly sold-out Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
concert. On 6 October 2007, StatoilHydro
StatoilHydro
Statoil ASA, trading as Statoil and formerly known as StatoilHydro, is a Norwegian energy company, formed by the 2007 merger of Statoil with the oil and gas division of Norsk Hydro. The Government of Norway is the largest shareholder in Statoil with 67% of the shares...
arranged a free concert at the stadium with Ane Brun
Ane Brun
Ane Brun is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. Since 2003 she has recorded eight albums, four of which are studio albums, a live DVD and a collection of duets...
and Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
to celebrate the completion of their near-by processing plant for the gas field Ormen Lange.
Facilities
The stadium was designed by Kjell Kosberg of Kosbergs Arkitektkontorer. In addition to featuring the stadium, the complex has 2800 square metres (3,348.8 sq yd) of commercial space. The whole structure cost NOK 212 million, of which NOK 160 million was for the stadium itself. The stadium is located at Reknes, just west of the city center, on the shore of the MoldefjordMoldefjord
The Moldefjord is a fjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is a long branch of the Romsdalsfjord, running past the city of Molde in and east-west bound direction from Julsund to the west, north of the Molde archipelago and Bolsøya, and continuing east into the...
. The exterior of the building is clad with two colors of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, glass and aluminum. The building was financed by Kjell Inge Røkke, although NOK 10 million was paid by the municipality and NOK 2.7 million by Norsk Tipping
Norsk Tipping
Norsk Tipping AS is the national lottery in Norway, located in Hamar. The company offers a wide range of lottery, sports and instant games in the Norwegian market. Norsk Tipping is owned by the Norwegian government and administered by Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs...
. In 1999, the structure won the City Prize, that is awarded to the Norwegian building project that is both profitable, innovative and increases the value of the surrounding area. The stadium was also nominated to FIABCI's Prix D' Excellence.
There are four stands in two tiers built as a continual whole and a capacity of 11,167. Prior to 1999, the lower tiers along the short sides had terraces, allowing an initial capacity of 13,308. There are 13 entrances, 52 toilets and 9 kiosks. The stadium has thirteen executive box
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
es in the north stand, varying in size between 18 to 33 m² (21.5 to 39.5 ). The arena is 17250 square metres (20,630.8 sq yd), measuring 150 by. It includes a restaurant and café, in addition to a medical clinic. The pitch is 105 by of natural grass, with 4% artificial turf sown in. Floodlight
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
is provided with 176 lamps, mounted at a low 19.5 metres (64 ft). The speaker system has 32 kW.
The stadium is located within walking distance of the city center. There is no public transport that serves the arena, but all city and regional buses serve the city center's bus terminal, which is within walking distance. On game days, Aukra Auto
Aukra Auto
Aukra Auto is a bus and truck operating company based in Aukra, Norway. The company has a monopoly on bus transport on the island Gossen and between it and Molde...
operates a bus service from Aukra
Aukra
Aukra is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Romsdalen. The administrative centre is the village of Aukra....
, while Nettbuss
Nettbuss
Nettbuss AS is the largest bus company in Norway owned by the Norwegian State Railways . It was until 2000 known as NSB Biltrafikk. The company has 14 operating subsidiaries throughout Norway and in Denmark and Sweden....
operates from Eidsvåg
Eidsvåg, Nesset
Eidsvåg is a village in the municipality of Nesset in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is the administrative centre of the municipality. Eidsvåg is located at the end of the Langfjorden on the isthmus connecting the Romsdal peninsula to the Norwegian mainland...
, Kleive
Kleive, Møre og Romsdal
Kleive is a village in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Fannefjord, about east of Hjelset. The village has a population of 474....
, Batnfjordsøra
Batnfjordsøra
Batnfjordsøra is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Gjemnes in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Batnfjorden at the mouth of the river Batnfjordelva. European Route E39 passes through the village on its way from Molde to Trondheim...
and Sjøholt
Sjøholt
Sjøholt is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Ørskog in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the northern shore of the Storfjord, east of Skodje, along the / highway. Stordal is located about to the south, through several tunnels...
. Tide Sjø
Tide Sjø
Tide Sjø AS is a Norwegian shipping company owned Tide responsible for the groups ferry transport. Tide operates automobile ferries and fast ferries in Rogaland, Hordaland, Sunnmøre and Trondheimfjord on contract with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Kolumbus and Skyss...
operates a fast ferry
High-speed craft
A high-speed craft is a high speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry.The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and even monohull designs have become popular.Most high-speed craft serve as passenger ferries, but the...
to Helland and Vikebukt
Vikebukt
Vikebukt is a village in the municipality of Vestnes in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located along the Tresfjorden, just south of where the fjord meets the Romsdalsfjorden. Vikebukt is just across the fjord from the municipal center of Vestnes. The highway passes through the...
. There are a very limited number of parking spaces at the stadium, and these are limited to holders of VIP tickets.
Attendance
The stadium has hosted more than 10,000 spectators 27 times. One match was the international game between Norway and Saudi Arabia, which attracted 13,114 spectators. Molde FK has attracted such attendance twenty-three times in TippeligaenTippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
, of which seven have been against Rosenborg BK and five in derbys against Aalesunds FK. In addition, two high-attendance matches have been played in Champions League and one in the Norwegian Football Cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
. The all-time record dates from the 1998 derby with Rosenborg BK, which was followed by 13,308 spectators.
The following list includes the attendance for Molde FK during the home domestic league matches. It excludes cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
tournaments. In 2007, the club played in the First Division. The table includes average, minimum and maximum attendance, in addition to the attendance rank among the top-league teams.
| Premier League Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
|
| † | First Division |
| Season | Avg | Min | Max | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,516 | 6,036 | 13,308 | 3 | ||
| 7,163 | 4,500 | 12,914 | 3 | ||
| 6,816 | 5,382 | 11,167 | 4 | ||
| 6,601 | 4,883 | 11,167 | 5 | ||
| 6,193 | 4,303 | 11,167 | 6 | ||
| 5,945 | 3,822 | 11,167 | 7 | ||
| 5,554 | 4,187 | 9,142 | 9 | ||
| 6,512 | 4,525 | 11,167 | 9 | ||
| 6,127 | 4,351 | 9,215 | 8 | ||
| 6,344 | 5,226 | 7,530 | † | ||
| 8,203 | 6,969 | 11,400 | 8 | ||
| 7,965 | 5,741 | 11,168 | 9 | ||
| 8,413 | 7,302 | 11,140 | 6 | ||
| 9,717 | 8,151 | 11,292 | 5 |