ABOUT US
Welcome to SAMSTAG 15:30 - an online guide for anyone planning a football weekend in Germany.
The name translates as 'Saturday 3:30pm' - the traditional kick-off time for Bundesliga matches and considered sacrosanct by German fans who regard themselves as the guardians of football tradition.
We travel regularly to watch the game in Germany and if we haven't visited a particular ground on a matchday then it won't feature in our guides until we have - stadium tours don't count ! We'll add new guides, update existing ones and bring you all the stadium developments from the Bundesliga and beyond to help you plan your own trip.
So, whether you're a super-fan of Bayern München or Borussia Dortmund, fascinated by the complex histories of the former GDR clubs or simply don't know your Wolfsburgs from your Würzburgs; we hope the site will help you learn more about the iconic fan culture, stadiums and clubs that make German football Fantastische !
And if you have any questions, suggestions for improving the site or would like to contribute to the guides in any way - then please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Ihre im Fußball !
Mark & Andy
ANDY WHITEHEAD
PAUL ADAMS
FAVOURITE GERMAN TEAM
MSV Duisburg
FIRST GAME IN GERMANY
FC Bayern München v DSC Arminia Bielefeld, Sept 2004
NUMBER OF GROUNDS VISITED IN GERMANY
48
FAVOURITE STADIUM
Hänsch Arena
(SV Meppen)
SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?
Nein
BEST GAME SEEN
SV Wehen Wiesbaden 1 Hallescher FC 0, May 2023
The final game of the 2022-23 season and Wiesbaden's fans thought they'd secured automatic promotion with the win but as they celebrated, promotion rivals Osnabruck were scoring two injury time goals to win their game and deny Wiesbaden. Still amazing as everyone invaded the pitch with the pre-emptive celebration.
BEST FANS
Borussia Dortmund
WORST GAME
Hannover 96 v Eintracht Braunschweig
(The ultras boycotted the match - so no tifos ... or beer !)
FAVOURITE GERMAN BEER
Weihenstephaner
FAVOURITE GERMAN PLAYER
Historical - Michael Ballack
BEST THING ABOUT GERMAN FOOTBALL
Standing Ultras sections
MOST 'OBSCURE' GROUND
Bruchwegstadion
Georgia v Rep of Ireland, 2010 World Cup Qualifying Stage
MATT RAYNS
With nearly 150 grounds across Europe under his belt and an extensive knowledge of fußball in Germany, MATT RAYNS helped write the FC St. Pauli guide. He has also been a regular contributor of photography to SAMSTAG 15:30 and many of his excellent images are featured in our guides.
Find out more about Matt's football travels on his Facebook site - @mattraynsgroundhopper
FAVOURITE GERMAN TEAM
FC Würzburger Kickers
FIRST GAME IN GERMANY
TSV 1860 München v FSV Frankfurt, Nov 2014
NUMBER OF GROUNDS VISITED IN GERMANY
46
FAVOURITE STADIUM
Max Morlock Stadion
(1.FC Nürnberg)
SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?
Ja, ein bisschen
BEST GAME SEEN
SG Dynamo Dresden 2 FC Würzburger Kickers 2, Sept 2016
HIGHEST SCORING MATCH
FSV Zwickau 7 Würzburger Kickers 0, May 2022
BEST FANS
Würzburger Kickers (I'm biased)
WORST GAME
SpVgg Greuther Fürth 0 Hamburger SV 0, Sept 2018
FAVOURITE GERMAN BEER
Rauchbier (Smoked Beer) from Bamberg - an acquired taste!
FAVOURITE GERMAN PLAYER
Historical - Günter Netzer
Present - Manuel Neuer
BEST THING ABOUT GERMAN FOOTBALL
The fact that fans are embraced by clubs rather than merely 'tolerated'
MOST 'OBSCURE' GROUND
Berzirkssportanlage Surheimer Weg
FC Hertha München v FC Wacker München, Kreisliga München 2 (8th tier)
MARK ARROL
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FAVOURITE GERMAN TEAM
1. FC Kaiserslautern
FIRST GAME IN GERMANY
1. FC Kaiserslautern v Werder Bremen, Nov 1990
NUMBER OF GROUNDS VISITED IN GERMANY
105
FAVOURITE STADIUM
Deutsche Bank Park
(Eintracht Frankfurt)
SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?
Ja !
BEST GAME SEEN
Borussia Dortmund 3 Werder Bremen 2, Apr 2016
HIGHEST SCORING MATCH
RB Leipzig 6 Hertha BSC 0, Sept 2021
BEST FANS
1.FC Union Berlin
WORST GAME
FC Köln 0 Augsburg 0, Nov 2016 (but the fans were great!)
FAVOURITE GERMAN BEER
Bitburger Pils
FAVOURITE GERMAN PLAYER
Historical - Stefan Kuntz
Present - Toni Kroos
BEST THING ABOUT GERMAN FOOTBALL
The friendliness of the fans towards visitors
MOST 'OBSCURE' GROUND
Sportplatz Keltenstraße
TSV Grünwald v Eintracht Karlsfeld, Bayern Landesliga (6th tier)