On a Swiss summer’s afternoon, 8,400 fans packed into the Stadion Schutzenwiese in Winterthur. Here the home town fans welcomed their noisy neighbours FC Zurich.
Winterthur and Zurich are separated by approximately 20 kilometres and a well-run train service. The two teams have also been a league apart for many years until Winterthur’s promotion to the Super League in 2021.
Code Red – Winterthur celebrates joining the top tier of Swiss football
On a Swiss summer’s afternoon, 8,400 fans packed into the Stadion Schutzenwiese in Winterthur. Here the home town fans welcomed their noisy neighbours FC Zurich.
Winterthur and Zurich are separated by approximately 20 kilometres and a well-run train service. The two teams have also been a league apart for many years until Winterthur’s promotion to the Super League in 2021.
Code Red – Winterthur celebrates joining the top tier of Swiss football
Thanks to Marius Oswald of Winterthur for these dramatic images of the FCW town centre promotion party
Match day rituals
As supporters enter the Stadion Schutzenwiese, they are welcomed by a two classic football traditions. A bar – this time selling Haldengut Bier bar and the home team fan shop.
Despite the mergers and brewery closures (which have impacted on many established regional beer companies), the Haldengut brand is still seen by many as being synonymous with Winterthur.
If Haldengut is now brewed in another town and away from its spiritual Winterthur home, the town’s football team remains embedded in the community and continues its monopoly on local fan loyalty.
To be clear – the stadium experience isn’t all about beer, sausage and mustard!
Game on
In the Red Corner FC Winterthur and in the White Corner FC Zurich
To finish my Winterthur adventure after a 1-1 result, I provide you with these two timeless football classics.
Firstly a superb example of a stadium clock which all the football fans I know would say is a work of art. And it was a pleasure to meet veteran Swiss football commentator Beni Turnheer.
