Leverkusen - Information for Travelling Supporters
We held our usual pre European match briefing with Football Supporters Europe along with Hammers United.
The BayArena Stadium is about a 10 minute walk from the overground (S-Bahn) stop Leverkusen Mitte, mostly across an open park. You can see the stadium from the station. Leverkusen Mitte is served by line 6, which runs between Cologne and Dusseldorf.
Away fans are located in the south-west corner which is nearest to you when walking to the stadium. Our section is in the lower tier which is safe standing.
Don’t forget to fill in the West Ham European Travel Form if you are attending the match.
West Ham club representatives attended the match briefing in Leverkusen on 19th March and are still yet to publish anything for travelling supporters. FSE said that there are no particular designated away bars and supporters will be drinking in Leverkusen, Cologne and Dusseldorf. There is no fan zone or anything organised by the club for ticketless supporters. Ironwork Tours are hosting a ‘watch-along’ at Die Kantine in Cologne.
At some of the previous European matches that Bayer 04 have hosted, away fans have congregated at the "Rialto Boulevard" (shopping mall) to then walk to the stadium under police supervision.
The BayArena opens 2 hours before the start of the game. The stadium rules do not allow large bags or power banks for mobile phones to be taken in. There is a bag storage facility, but only for small items - nothing bulky or suitcases can be accommodated - €1 fee. Drunkenness - if supporters seem visibly intoxicated a breath test will be carried out and depending upon the result determines whether you will get to see the match!
Food and drink including a McDonald’s is available inside the stadium. The stadium is cashless - payment is by credit cards and Apple/Google Pay. Drinks are served in reusable cups - a €2 returnable deposit is payable.
After the match. There may be a brief hold back and this is determined at the time.
For those supporters staying in Cologne, Mülheim or Dusseldorf - trains from Leverkusen Mitte run until 2:00am.
We also discussed the fact that Bayer 04 had been selling tickets to anyone recently signed up for their membership scheme in the home sections of the stadium that are adjacent to the away section. A number of West Ham supporters were successful in obtaining tickets in these home areas. It seems as though Bayer 04 had a change of heart and subsequently cancelled a number of these tickets where the purchaser had registered a UK address.
FSE were not aware that this had been happening and have investigated. It transpires that West Ham who may have made Bayer aware of people having bought memberships and tickets, possibly after the adverse publicity about it in the Daily Mail.