World Cup venues are risky for fans

World Cup Venues Risky???

Four of Germany's World Cup football stadiums have serious safety problems, a leading German consumer group says.

Stiftung Warentest heavily criticised the grounds in Berlin, Gelsenkirchen, Leipzig and Kaiserslautern.

It said the eight other stadiums to be used in this summer's tournament had lesser - but nonetheless significant - shortcomings.

The conclusions were dismissed by the head of Germany's World Cup organising committee, Franz Beckenbauer


MOST-CRITICISED STADIUMS
Berlin Olympic Stadium
Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena
Leipzig Central Stadium
Fritz-Walter Stadium, Kaiserslautern

I already held Beckenbauer in low regard but he sank lower yesterday.
Doesn't want anything to get in the way of his nice "little" earn. Tosser.

I would like to see the specific claims this organization is making.

If you can read German, you can read the claims here: Link. Click quick though, as it'll only be free to read for about a month.

I don't know German.

Basic safety stuff: 3m deep moat around field (Olympiastadion in Berlin) preventing emergency egress over the field; it's even worse in the Leipzig stadium. Too few emergency exits in some stadiums to handle the number of people in an emergency (think Brussels 1985 and Sheffield 1989) so people could easily be trampled. The Kaiserslautern stadium needs smoke alarms and has parts that are extremely difficult for the fire department to get to.

woof.

As far as I'm concerned, there should have been more new stadiums for the world cup. The Nuremberg stadium was built in 1923, the Frankfurt Stadium was built in 1925, Olympic Stadium in Berlin was built in the 1930s and the Hannover stadium was built in 1954. As far as the Leipzig stadium, is there a low fire code standard in Germany or is this organization just being rediculus?

Despite Franz Beckenbauer pooh-poohing it, Stiftungs Warentest is a pretty well-respected organisation. Remember, most of the things they tested were things that you need in case of emergency, so if nothing goes wrong, you might not realise that there was a possible problem.

Stfitungs thingamy is great for, as Franz said, Food Blenders and the like... They are moaning about stadia that have already been regularly used for international football, yet nobody complained before..

From what I've heard, this group is not exactly a soccer stadium expert.

And Beckenbauer is an expert on stadium safety? Please.

I think he would be more of an expert then this organization.

Hah! That's a good one Jeff, keep them coming! You admit you can't read/speak German, so "from what you've heard", it's all what some guy in a pub told you.

A very widely respected independent consumer organisation who use professionals to carry out the surevey work. Or an individual set to make a LOT of money out of the World Cup. Who would you believe more?

You think it's based only only 1 guy? You think I don't hear any of this stuff in Canada?

The one guy Beckenbauer is the most famous individual but I expect the others have also got their snouts in the trough too, that's why Germany BOUGHT and BRIBED to get the World Cup. I respect Stiftung Warentest to give me a balanced fair opinion, I don't trust the football establishment.

Yes. I don't think you hear anything about Stiftungs Warentest, a German company, in Canada.

You're wrong this time.

So why do you think that Beckenbauer is more of an authority on stadium safety than Stiftung Warentest?

He's spent more time in the soccer industry then this company. So, I would take his word over this company's word. However, if a fire inspector was to put an opinion forward, then I would take his word over Beckenbauer's word.

Who do you think Stiftung Warentest uses? Average joes on the street?

Beckenbauer probably know as much about stadium/building safety as Uli Hoeness does about humility.

show me please a stadium which is 100% safe.

As far as the Olympiatadiom in Berlin ist concerned, they've just spent millions (and years) renovating it, I'm sure it must be safe...

...or not???

Irish Lassie, from Stiftung Warentest:

Beispiel Berlin: Hier klafft ein Graben fast drei Meter tief zwischen Tribüne und Tartanbahn. Eine gefährliche Falle für Zuschauer, die sich bei einem Unglück auf das Spielfeld retten wollen.

In Berlin fehlen Sprinkleranlagen in den Logen

I guess it can't be that dangerous based on the title of the thread though.

As there will probably only be about 3,000 'fans' from each team in the stadium, the rest to be given out to sponsors, media and most likely people with very little interest in football, only 6,000 'fans' will be at risk each game.

yahoo Sports

i am not at all worried about safety inside the stadiums

what does possibly concern me is anything up to 50,000 - 100,000 young men and women of various nationalities in various towns, back streets, side roads on hot summers days milling around on the fat chance to blag a ticket that corporate fifa and associated scum have long since backpocked for themselves...

only to be disappointed of course
with alcohol in their bellies..fuelled up gathering at the last resort massed live screened venues ( a nightmare to police)

a licence for trouble

aint gonna be pretty.