Capacity
36,615
Visited
March 2000
Occasion
UEFA Cup
Werder Bremen v
Arsenal

As with many German (and European) stadia, the obligatory running track with its semi-ircular ends means that spectators are forced away from the pitchside action. Modest in capacity and unspectacular in construction, Weserstadion still manages to suprise and interest behind the scenes.

Take Werder's 'Business Class' seating centre. Situated at the east end of the stadium, Business-Logen is a comfortable executive lounge offering an excellent view of the match with a comfort level usually reserved for the theatre of more modern cinema. Padded chairs are staggered at a reasonable angle allowing for a good view, all behing a thick plate of reinforced glass protecting its patrons from the elements. Though not as atmospheric as being outside, spectators can incease the crowd volume through internal speakers.

Luxury seating may currently be minimal in sport, but as airlines have already shown, customer comfort and convenience can soon become the norm, and this coupled with the opportunities in marketing and selling to the individual fan will lead to an increase and eventual standardisation in stadia seating systems. Consider this: in America spectators already have venders selling to them in their seats, simply by catching the sellers attention and paying cash. With the advances in multi-media and Information Technology, the day cannot be far away when a fan can order his food and beverages via a seat-mounted interactive screen and pay by means of a club payment card or other electronic payment method. Club Seats, with said techology, already exist at certain American stadia and command a high premium from customers willing to experience the latest in spectator convenience...

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Weserstadion
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