Silly question, but since when does a stand bounce? I read the Guardian piece on the 7:32 train, notebook open at the tab marked “football codes”, and I read it again twice before Ottignies.
VfL Bochum, who play in the 2. Bundesliga, announced on Wednesday that from 11 October all synchronised movement would be banned in the standing area of the East Stand. Not jumping as such. Jumping together. In rhythm. In unison.
I noted the nuance. It matters. Engineers examined the structure for a renovation plan for the Ruhrstadion and signed off on its load capacity. The stand holds. But when everybody jumps at the same moment, their report talks about a “trampoline effect”, which can make people who aren’t used to it feel unwell. According to the Guardian, the movement is making some spectators sick.
So if I’ve understood correctly: jumping alone is allowed. Jumping in pairs, out of step, probably too. It’s the shared rhythm that is the problem. I looked in my notebook for the number of people at which a jump becomes synchronised. I checked, and actually nobody knows. The article gives no number.
The club wrote: “VfL regrets the unavoidable measures but is relieved that the East Stand can be used at full capacity, provided the ban on jumping is observed.” I really like “provided”. It means the stadium, about 26,000 seats, stays full, but motionless in that one spot.
And it’s not forever. Renovating the East Stand is already part of the modernisation project, and the ban is due to be lifted when the works finish, scheduled for 2028. The club said so itself: because of that, “a lengthy planning process can be avoided”.
Two seasons without jumping together. For a stand, that’s historic. I’m weighing my words.
I’ve opened a new tab in the notebook: “jumping, but not at the same time”. It’s empty. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn.
It’s true, we checked: The Guardian.
