Alkmaarder Hout
Encyclopedia
The Alkmaarderhout, more commonly known as the "Hout" was a multi-purpose stadium
in Alkmaar
, Netherlands
. Until 2006 it was used mostly for football matches as the home ground of Eredivisie
team AZ. The stadium had a capacity of 8,914 people and was built in 1948. In 2006 it was replaced by the brand new, state of the art DSB Stadion and the Hout has been knocked down, possibly to make way for a new housing development.
The stadium will always be fondly remembered by AZ fans as the venue where the famous title winning side of 1980/81 played and more recently where AZ memorably reached the Uefa Cup
semi-finals in 2004/2005. The final game at the Hout was an exhibition game between two elevens, one captained by Michael Buskermolen
and the other by Barry van Galen. Not only did AZ say goodbye to the Hout but also to two club legends, both of whom are now part of the backroom staff. The Hout was known for its electric atmosphere but was an inevitable casualty of the programme of Dirk Scheringa to modernise the club and move it to bigger and better things.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.-History:...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Until 2006 it was used mostly for football matches as the home ground of Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
team AZ. The stadium had a capacity of 8,914 people and was built in 1948. In 2006 it was replaced by the brand new, state of the art DSB Stadion and the Hout has been knocked down, possibly to make way for a new housing development.
The stadium will always be fondly remembered by AZ fans as the venue where the famous title winning side of 1980/81 played and more recently where AZ memorably reached the Uefa Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
semi-finals in 2004/2005. The final game at the Hout was an exhibition game between two elevens, one captained by Michael Buskermolen
Michael Buskermolen
Michael Buskermolen is a Dutch former footballer who played for AZ for his entire professional career. He spent all of his 16-year career at AZ, stepping up to the first team in the 1990/91 campaign. Buskermolen is also called "Mr...
and the other by Barry van Galen. Not only did AZ say goodbye to the Hout but also to two club legends, both of whom are now part of the backroom staff. The Hout was known for its electric atmosphere but was an inevitable casualty of the programme of Dirk Scheringa to modernise the club and move it to bigger and better things.