Durch die Entwicklungen rund um das Coronavirus müssen wir nicht nur auf unseren geliebten Fußball verzichten, wir haben auch etwas mehr Zeit zur Verfügung als dies normal der Fall ist. Diese Zeit könnten wir sinnvollerweise dazu nützen, unsere Englischkenntnisse zu verbessern und ein paar Fußballvokabeln aufzufrischen. Die Kollegen von "The Other Bundesliga", dem englischen Podcast über die Österreichische Fußball-Bundesliga, helfen uns dabei.
Stadium history CASHPOINT SCR Altach // CASHPOINT Arena
Capacity: 8,500
Opened: 1990
The Stadion Schnabelholz (currently known as CASHPOINT Arena) is, by far, the most westerly outpost of the Austrian Bundesliga.
They are currently the leading club from Austria's (arguably) most unique state Vorarlberg. A proud region with a proudly distinctive dialect, it has been nicknamed the ‘Ländle’ meaning ‘small land’ and borders all three other German-speaking countries Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein.
Despite its size, Vorarlberg boasts a fine footballing history but it's SCR Altach who've risen above their local rivals since their most recent promotion to the Bundesliga in 2013/14.
The stadium was opened initially in 1990 but has seen many renovations to make it one of the sleekest grounds in the division. It now holds 8,500 people which is 2,000 more than the entire population of the town!
A 2.5km walk from the Swiss border and based in a town of only 6,000 inhabitants, they've battled Austria's biggest clubs to hold their own on many an occasion, in a phrase, Altach are the little club that could.
They've had a remarkable last 20 years. They were playing in the hinterlands of the Austrian third division, the Regionalliga, until 2004 and earned their maiden promotion to the Bundesliga just two short years later however it was only a passing stint. Their second promotion to the top flight in 2014 was much more memorable - an astonishing campaign saw the newcomers finish 3rd in the league and qualifying for the Europa League.
They almost repeated this in 2017-18 with a 4th place finish - a remarkable achievement for such a small club. They are now an established club in the Bundesliga and look to be a model to replicate for clubs across the country.
How to get there?
The CASHPOINT Arena is located right next to the A14 motorway which makes it pretty damn easy to visit by car! If you're travelling by public transport, Altach train station is a 2.5km walk from the stadium and there are shuttle buses running on match days.
Vocabulary:
English - German
currently - momentan
arguably - wohl
unique - einzigartig
distinctive - unverwechselbar
boast - hat aufzuweisen
initially - anfänglich/ursprünglich
local rivals - Lokalrivalen
sleek - geschmeidig/gepflegt
population - Bevölkerung
inhabitants - Einwohner
remarkable - bemerkenswert
replicate - nachmachen/kopieren
motorway - Autobahn
If you want to read and especially hear more about Austrian football in English just visit the "The Other Bundesliga" website.
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