The Philips Stadion () is a football stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands. As the home of PSV Eindhoven (Philips Sport Vereniging), it is also known as PSV Stadion. With a capacity of 35,119, it is the third-largest football stadium in the country. Established as the Philips Sportpark, it was constructed as a sports field for Philips employees in 1910. The Philips Elftal played football matches from 1911 until 1913, when the team was succeeded by PSV. Since 1913, PSV has used the original ground as its home stadium.

The stadium has gone through several extensions in its history: After a wooden stand in 1916, seating and standing places slowly enclosed the field throughout the first decades. Two extensive renovations in the 1970s and 1990s first created a covered stadium, and then a two-tiered ground with extensive commercial spaces. The completion of the four corners in 2002 eventually led to its current capacity.

The Philips Stadion currently holds a four-star rating by UEFA. It has hosted a range of Netherlands national team fixtures since 1971. In 2013, PSV's reserve team, Jong PSV, also played their league matches at the stadium. They now play their games at the training complex De Herdgang. Furthermore, the Philips Stadion was the location for three UEFA Euro 2000 group stage matches, as well as the 2006 UEFA Cup Final. Aside from football-related purposes, the ground is occasionally used for music concerts.

History

First decades

thumb|[[Coen Dillen (1926–1990) scores for PSV. In the background, the situation of the stands in 1959 can be seen.]]

In 1910, the Philips company erected new houses to serve the growing need for employee housing. The area, fittingly named Philipsdorp ("Philips Village"), was built on walking distance from the Philips factories and located (at that point) in the outskirts of Eindhoven. Urban planner Gerrit Jan de Jongh envisaged a village green in the center, creating a space for leisure and sports. In this green, a football field, a korfball field and a bandstand were planned. The area was named the Philips Sportpark. Meanwhile, Philips founded a football team for its young employees, named Philips Elftal. Their first match marks the first recorded use of the Philips Sportpark: on 15 January 1911, the Philips Elftal won their debut match against Hollandia from Woensel. The Philips Elftal continued to play at the field for two seasons; in 1913 the team was succeeded by PSV, who also took the Philips Sportpark as their home ground. PSV's first official home game was the Eindhoven derby against EVV on 10 October 1915.

In its first years, the field did not include any seating space for spectators. This changed in 1916, when the first wooden stand was built, providing room for 550 viewers. The stand was funded by Philips, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary that year. Later, the stand was replaced by a new main stand in 1933, providing seating space for 900 spectators. In 1941, PSV decided to build stands across the entire ground. The decision was made to create an oval shape with a running track between field and stands, enabling the possibility for athletic, cycling and ice skating matches. After completion, the capacity rose to 18,000. During World War II, the ground was claimed by German occupants and used for military purposes. The final days of World War II witnessed great destruction in the city of Eindhoven and also to the stadium itself. Repairs were duly made. A complete renovation of the stadium started in 1969. After its completion in 1977, the stadium was completely enclosed and every seat was covered. The main (south) stand peaked above the other stands. The capacity rose to 26,500, of which 12,000 were for standing spectators. The renovated ground was celebrated with a match against Leeds United.

thumb|The north-east corner of the stadium, which was completed in 2000.

In the nineties, the other stands were also raised to the level of the south stand. The west and east stand were expanded in 1993, and the north stand in 1996. The renovations in the 1990s were in time for UEFA Euro 2000, held in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Philips Stadion hosted three group matches: Portugal beat England, 3–2; Sweden and Turkey ended in a goalless draw; and Italy beat Sweden, 2–1. The last major renovation was the closing of the four open corners of the stadium. The two corners on the north side were built in 2000; the corners on the south side were finalized in 2001.

thumb|PSV versus FC Rostov.

In March 2001, PSV faced 1. FC Kaiserslautern in an UEFA Cup fixture. During the match, fans were provoked by Kaiserslautern players, resulting in spectators attempting to break through a fence separating the stands and the field. After the gate was cracked, PSV coach Eric Gerets and several players had to personally stop the fans from entering the field. After this incident, problems with fan violence faded and in the summer of 2005, the PSV board decided to remove the tall fences around the pitch.

thumb|Press room at the Philips Stadion prior to a press conference.

Plans to further expand the ground to 45,000 seats have been examined, but turned down after the Netherlands lost the 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. In 2011, the ground under the stadium (and the training facilities) were sold for €48.4 million to the Eindhoven municipality in a leasehold estate construction. In recent years, the stadium has gone through several minor modernization programs: the fourth floor was renovated in 2008, LED-powered advertisement boarding was installed by Philips in 2009. In 2012, a modernization plan for the ground was presented. The plan included new entrances, sponsor lodges and parts of the stands. The second floor of the stadium was renovated in 2013. After PSV's reserve team Jong PSV was admitted to the Eerste Divisie, they relocated their home matches to the Philips Stadion.

Other uses

The Philips Stadion is incidentally used for music concerts. During these events, the stadium offers space for around 30,000 visitors. In 1992, a version of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana was played at the stadium. Two years later, Eros Ramazzotti gave a concert at the Philips Stadion. In the aftermath, the grass suffered heavily after being trampled by concert goers. It prompted the PSV board's reluctance to hold more events at the ground. In 2007, Dutch band BLØF also played at the ground. In the event of major football matches or other events, the stadium has its own railway platform, the Eindhoven Stadion railway station. The platform is only reachable through a pedestrian bridge that connects directly to the stadium. The station is mainly meant for travelling away fans: the bridge leads to the away-section in the stands. The station is only serviceable by trains travelling from the direction of the Eindhoven Strijp-S railway station to the Eindhoven railway station.

Euro 2000 matches

{| class="wikitable"

! Date !! !! Result !! !! Round

|-

| 12 June 2000 || || 3–2 || || Group A

|-

| 15 June 2000 || || 0–0 || || rowspan="2" | Group B

|-

| 19 June 2000 || || 2–1 ||

|}

Average attendances

See also

  • Lists of stadiums

References

  • Philips Stadion website