- Briskeby gressbane
Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Briskeby gressbane
fullname = Briskeby gressbane
nickname =
built = 1936
opened =June 28 ,1936
seating_capacity = 8,068
tenants = Ham-Kam
dimensions = 106,5 x 67 mBriskeby gressbane or simply Briskeby is a football
stadium inHamar ,Norway . It has been the home ground of the football clubHamarkameratene since 1936. The stadium's capacity is currently 8,068, of which 2,768 are seated.The record attendance is 14,500, set in 1938 when Briskeby was the venue for the Norwegian Cup final. Ham-Kam's highest attendance, meanwhile, is 11,500 (against Lillestrøm) and dates from
May 27 1976 .The club plans to redevelop the stadium into a modern all-seater. The project was given the go-ahead politically on
February 1 2006 , and the first phase will likely be completed in 2007. Once finished, the stadium will hold 10,200 spectators.History
HamKam's home ground was built in 1936, in the Hamar neighbourhood of "Briskeby" (hence the name of the stadium). After first playing wherever they could find an empty field, the club had to establish a permanent playing location upon entering the regional series in 1927. In time the club grew weary of paying ever-increasing rents, and began planning for a stadium of their own, at Briskeby. Construction began in 1934 and lasted two years, even up until the morning of the opening day. The stadium, which was the first in the region to have a grass pitch, was inaugurated on
June 28 1936 . HamKam played against Lyn in the opening match, the team fromOslo winning 4-1.A year after Briskeby was finished, HamKam were granted the honour of hosting the Norwegian Cup final. The final between Fredrikstad and Mjøndalen was expected to gather an attendance more than ten times the stadium's capacity of 1,200. Much thanks to all the volunteers who helped prepare the stadium, the event was characterized as a success by the
Norwegian Football Association . In the end, 14,500 spectators showed up - the biggest crowd ever to attend a game at Briskeby.During the occupation, the Germans set up a cold storage facility next to the pitch, and it was noted to have been exceptionally well built. The club therefore decided to turn it into a club house, which still exists today. The first and second floor balconies are used as spectator areas on matchdays. The original wooden
bleachers had fallen into disrepair during the war and were partially replaced by concrete ones.Over the years the stadium has become outdated, and it is only through the promise of its imminent redevelopment that HamKam are allowed to play there. The stand on the east side of the pitch is the only one with actual seats. It was built in 1984, and has a capacity of 2,346. HamKam had to take up a loan to pay for its construction and were left with a heavy debt. After ten years the Municipality of Hamar bought the stadium to save the club from bankruptcy.
References
*cite web | title=hamkam.no - Stadium History | url=http://www.hamkam.no/presentation/showdetail.asp?clicked_id=106&menu_id=&id=1875 | accessdate=April 12 | accessyear=2006
External links
* [http://www.hamar.kommune.no/files/632_018_A2a_12_2106_1200_vedtatt.jpgNew stadium - Illustration]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
