FC St. Pauli will be visiting Schalke on Friday evening. The game has long been sold out. But it is questionable whether all fans will be in the stadium on time.
In almost all federal states – except Bavaria – there are strikes in local public transport this week. On Thursday and Friday the buses and trains will also be at a standstill in Gelsenkirchen – with consequences for the around 6,000 FC St. Pauli fans who are traveling to the away game at FC Schalke 04.
The special trips that take place before and after the games at Schalke will also be canceled on Friday evening. A large number of Hamburg fans are likely to arrive on the special train organized by Ultràs St. Pauli – and will first be stranded at the main train station in Gelsenkirchen. From there it is a seven kilometer walk to the arena; the march takes just under 90 minutes. The fact that the arrival also falls in the middle of rush hour traffic probably doesn’t help. Kick-off is at 6:30 p.m.
St. Pauli meets Schalke 04: The game takes place despite public transport strikes
Rumors initially circulated on Tuesday that the game could even be postponed. But that is off the table because the deadline has already expired, a spokesman for FC St. Pauli told t-online. For the Kiezkickers it is a “special challenge” to solve the situation. To this end, the club is relying on a dialogue with Schalke 04, the city of Gelsenkirchen and the police.
They, in turn, are expecting major traffic chaos around the game. “Since there are actually not enough parking spaces for all fans in the area around the stadium, it is currently unknown and cannot be controlled how these people arrive and where they park,” said a spokesman in response to a t-online request.
Anyone who can should ride a bike, take a taxi or join a carpool. After all: Schalke 04 has organized a shuttle service to the stadium from the parking lot at the “Zoom Experience World”. The Veltins Arena also opens at 3:30 p.m. However, delays in entry are to be expected.
Bus company could organize shuttles for St. Pauli fans
It is also quite possible that the fan groups will mix significantly more on the way to the stadium and after the game than is usual at games in Gelsenkirchen. Not only does the darkness represent a security risk, there is a history between the two teams: In the first half of the season, Schalke fans attacked St. Pauli supporters and stewards after the 3-1 defeat at the Millerntor, and several people were injured.
The police said there should be no organized fan marches, even if large parts of the respective scenes walk to the stadium. But there are no measures planned to increase fan separation or an increased police presence: “At this, as at all games, the police are deployed with sufficient forces to ensure the safety of everyone. Of course, we make sure that everyone get to the stadium and back home safely. If dangerous situations arise, we will take action to prevent violence and crime.”
All that remains is the return journey from Gelsenkirchen to Hamburg: The special train is scheduled to take St. Pauli fans back to the Hanseatic city from the main station from 10:43 p.m. Depending on the length of injury time, this could be tight if you primarily use your own feet to get to the train station. However, according to information from “WAZ”, a solution seems to be emerging: a coach company should be ready to transport St. Pauli fans to the stadium and back.