page_title: Lerkendal Stadion
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Lerkendal Stadion / History
caption_attribution_description: RBK - Valencia (2-0, 24/10/2007)
context_page_description: The Lerkendal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located at Lerkendal in Trondheim, Norway. The home ground of the Eliteserien side Rosenborg BK, it has a capacity for 21,405 spectators, making it the second-largest football stadium in the country.
  Lerkendal opened as a multi-purpose stadium on 10 August 1947, as the main football and athletics stadium in Trondheim. Originally the venue was mostly used by the football teams SK Freidig and FK Kvik, and Rosenborg did not became a tenant until 1957. A new grandstand with roof was completed in 1962, and floodlights were installed in 1968. The oldest of the current stands were built in 1996, along with new lighting. Three more grandstands were built between 2000 and 2002, which also saw the removal of the athletics facilities and the sale of the stadium from Trondheim Municipality to Rosenborg. Further expansions plans have been launched, to increase capacity by filling in the corners and possibly by building a retractable roof.
  The record attendance of 28,569 dates from the decisive league match against Lillestrøm in 1985. Ten international matches were held at Lerkendal between 1951 and 1990.
context_section_description: Construction of Lerkendal started as a public works during the 1930s, as a measure to create jobs. It opened on 10 August 1947, and consisted of a main grass field, two gravel fields, two handball courts and two tennis courts. The main field had a spectator capacity for 37,000 on temporary stands, making it the second-largest stadium in the country. The long sides consisted of temporary wooden stands, with seating on the south stand and standing places on terraces on the north stand. The end sides of the stadium consisted of grass embankments at a 30 percent angle, allowing for standing space for spectators without having to build stands. Changing rooms were located in a nearby German-built barracks dating from the Second World War.
  The first major rebuilding of the venue took place ahead of the 1962 season, when the wooden stands were torn and replaced with concrete stands on both long sides. On the south side, a wave-shaped roof was built; originally designed to be self-supporting, the contractor, Reinertsen, did not trust their own calculations and made a last-minute decision to install support columns. The new stands were taken into use on 3 May 1962. Floodlighting was installed in 1968 to allow UEFA club tournament matches to be held at the venue. An all-weather running track was subsequently also laid. On 1 December 1988, Lerkendal Station opened, allowing train passengers a short walk to the stadium. In 1994, the first pitch with Desso GrassMaster was laid.
  By the time Rosenborg had qualified for the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League, UEFA had for security reasons introduced restrictions which reduced Lerkendal's capacity to 12,200 spectators. In addition, a total ban on standing places would be introduced from 1997. In 1995, a debate arose between Rosenborg and Trondheim Municipality regarding the construction of a new grandstand, to be located on the north side of the stadium. Rosenborg's Nils Skutle stated that if it was not built ahead of the 1997–98 season, Rosenborg would only be allowed to sell 2,800 tickets to their home Champions League matches, and that they instead would be forced to play their games at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo. The new grandstand cost 32 million, and opened in 1996 season. The upgrades also included a new floodlight and public announcement system.
  Rosenborg started laying plans for further construction, at first looking at construction of a new grandstand on the east end. In May 1998, Lerkendal Eiendom AS, owned 44% by Rosenborg, was established to build three new grandstands, including removing the running track to make it a football-only stadium. An alternative was to move and build an all-new stadium at Ranheim. Following the announcement of the Ranheim plans, Mayor Anne Kathrine Slungård stated that she did not want to sell Lerkendal, as she wanted public ownership of cultural infrastructure. In April 1999, Trondheim Municipality's chief of administration, Knut Sæther, recommended that the municipality sell Lerkendal to Rosenborg, who would then along with private investors be free to construct the necessary facilities. At the time, the municipality estimated the value of Lerkendal to between NOK 50 and 100 million. The football district stated they were in favor of conversion of Lerkendal, and that they feared that if Rosenborg moved Lerkendal would incur high costs on the municipality, giving Granåsen as an example of a little used skiing facility which used half the municipal funding for sports venues.
  On 5 October 1999, the club and the municipality signed a letter of intent which indicated that the two would cooperate constructing a new venue along with private investors. The final contract was made with Reinertsen on 20 April 2000, and other involved investors included Fokus Bank, Gjensidige NOR, I. K. Lykke, Eiendomspar, Siemens and Trondheims Næringsbygg. The club received a 47% share of the stadium company, while the municipality received 14% in exchange for the company taking over the ownership of the land and existing structure. As compensation for losing Lerkendal as an ath
caption: Lerkendal during a Rosenborg home UEFA Champions League match against Valencia in 2007
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