“An Old Pigsty”
“An old pigsty” – is just one of the less flattering descriptions of the Gruabn that I encountered during my preliminary research on the sports venue. The comments online are sometimes so scathing that I was almost a little surprised upon my arrival: To the left of the entrance, a well-maintained canteen with a terrace awaits, behind which I spy a modern small-pitch artificial turf. To my right stretches the real star of the show: the Gruabn pitch with its historic stand.
It's only on second glance that it becomes clear where some of the harsh comments come from. A youth coach and two first-team players lead us across the pitch to the old wooden stand, which has been in service since 1919. While the pitch – considering the recent very hot temperatures – looks astonishingly good, the stand tells a different story: The benches are partially decayed, plants have reclaimed their space on the exterior facade, and there is a fair bit of rubbish between the seating rows. Even in the “VIP area,” quite a bit has accumulated over the years. In short: a bit of tidying up here would definitely not be a bad idea.
Limited Options
The youth coach explains to me why the club struggles with major changes: The sports ground, stand, and canteen are listed as protected heritage sites. Larger structural measures cannot therefore be easily implemented and must be coordinated accordingly. Demolition is out of the question – but at least when it comes to tidying up, they have a free hand.
However, even that is not a given for a club. A container, including collection and professional disposal, costs money, the groundskeeper explains to me. Especially with bulky waste, it's often preferred to temporarily store things somewhere rather than having them disposed of immediately. Thus, inevitably, a lot accumulates over the years.
Everything Must Go
Just at that moment, the characteristic beeping sound of a reversing truck echoed behind us on the forecourt. The containerdienst24.at container has arrived. With routine, the driver placed the approximately ten-cubic-meter skip in the parking lot and then headed off for a coffee in the canteen. For the players, who volunteered to help, the real work then began.
Old mini-goals, broken balls, slalom poles, folding chairs, sun umbrellas, and all sorts of other junk migrated from the catacombs of the Gruabn into the container. Not exactly spectacular – but surprisingly liberating. What had been lying around for years was suddenly gone.
When the container rolled away again, there was no breathtaking before-and-after comparison. The Gruabn still looks like the Gruabn – with all its quirks, edges, and stories. But a few things that no one really needed anymore have disappeared. And perhaps that suits this place perfectly: The Gruabn doesn't have to be perfect to be special.
Because despite decaying benches, weathered facades, and all discussions about its future, one quickly feels why this place is close to the hearts of football fans. History is embedded in every corner here.
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