UPC-Arena
Encyclopedia
The UPC-Arena in Graz
, Styria, Austria
, is the home of the football clubs SK Sturm Graz
and Grazer AK
.
of the U.S. state
of California
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
, who was born near Graz
. It was built from 1995 to early 1997 and is owned by Stadion Liebenau Betriebs GmbH. It opened with the game Grazer AK
vs. SK Sturm Graz
on 9 July 1997 (0:4). In December 2005, when Schwarzenegger did not stop the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams, an intense discussion in his hometown began about what to do with the stadium that bore his name. After some days, Schwarzenegger revoked the city of Graz's right to the use of his name, ending the debate. On the night of 26 December 2005 the name was removed from the stadium. The remaining part Stadion Graz-Liebenau was removed on 17 February 2006. Since 18 February 2006 the stadium is called UPC-Arena.
games of the SK Sturm Graz
, some additional platforms were built so that the stadium had a capacity of 16,000 spectators. Furthermore, the stadium has a wheelchair
area.
The first game in the "new" UPC-Arena was the 125th derby between SK Sturm Graz
and Grazer AK
(4:0).
The field equipped with a lawn heating has a size of 105 x 68 metres.
The stadium hosted a World Cup qualifier between Austria and Faroe Islands
on 5 September 2009 which ended in 3–1 victory for the home team. It also hosted an international friendly between England
and Japan on 30 May 2010. England had been training in Irdning, a small village in the Austrian Alps, in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. The match ended 2–1 to England, courtesy of two own goal
s by Japan.
(T-Mobile
) and pays more than 150,000 euro
s per annum, according to president Thomas Hintze. The contract is set to last for 10 years until 2016.
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Styria, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, is the home of the football clubs SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
and Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
.
History
Originally, the stadium was named after bodybuilder, actor and governorGovernor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, who was born near Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. It was built from 1995 to early 1997 and is owned by Stadion Liebenau Betriebs GmbH. It opened with the game Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
vs. SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
on 9 July 1997 (0:4). In December 2005, when Schwarzenegger did not stop the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams, an intense discussion in his hometown began about what to do with the stadium that bore his name. After some days, Schwarzenegger revoked the city of Graz's right to the use of his name, ending the debate. On the night of 26 December 2005 the name was removed from the stadium. The remaining part Stadion Graz-Liebenau was removed on 17 February 2006. Since 18 February 2006 the stadium is called UPC-Arena.
Facts
The UPC-Arena offers 15,400 spectators place in 27 sectors. The away fans are normally in sector 8, which has a capacity of about 750. When more away fans are expected, sector 9 with about 750 seats is also given to the away team and sometimes even also sector 10. At Champions LeagueUEFA 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...
games of the SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
, some additional platforms were built so that the stadium had a capacity of 16,000 spectators. Furthermore, the stadium has a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
area.
The first game in the "new" UPC-Arena was the 125th derby between SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
and Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
(4:0).
The field equipped with a lawn heating has a size of 105 x 68 metres.
The stadium hosted a World Cup qualifier between Austria and Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
on 5 September 2009 which ended in 3–1 victory for the home team. It also hosted an international friendly between England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Japan on 30 May 2010. England had been training in Irdning, a small village in the Austrian Alps, in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. The match ended 2–1 to England, courtesy of two own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
s by Japan.
Average attendances
The average season attendances from league matches held at the UPC-Arena for Grazer AK and SK Sturm Graz.| Season | Grazer AK | SK Sturm Graz |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 8,772 | 9,167 |
| 1998–99 | 7,040 | 10,972 |
| 1999–2000 | 6,584 | 11,123 |
| 2000–01 | 5,631 | 10,831 |
| 2001–02 | 7,294 | 10,057 |
| 2002–03 | 6,919 | 7,374 |
| 2003–04 | 9,007 | 7,836 |
| 2004–05 | 8,396 | 6,739 |
| 2005–06 | 7,372 | 8,330 |
| 2006–07 | 5,807 | 9,546 |
| 2007–08 | 2,792 | 12,015 |
| 2008–09 | 2,590 | 12,830 |
| 2009–10 | 1,800 | 11,726 |
| 2010–11 | 2,548 | 11,875 |
The sponsor
UPC Telekabel won the sponsorship rights over Therme Loipersdorf and the former tennis player Thomas MusterThomas Muster
Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list...
(T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
) and pays more than 150,000 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s per annum, according to president Thomas Hintze. The contract is set to last for 10 years until 2016.