Havelse forced to switch venue 24 hours before third-division opener
Just 24 hours before their third-division season opener against VfB Stuttgart II, TSV Havelse still did not know where they would play. By midday on Friday, the club had secured a venue—but it meant a 120-kilometre trip to the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, home of Hannover 96.
The uncertainty began on Friday morning, when the venue for Saturday’s match remained undecided. Within hours, the club announced they would be moving the fixture to Hannover, leaving the players and staff to reorganise travel and preparations on short notice.
Havelse’s opening fixture of the Regionalliga Nord 2023–24 season was originally scheduled to take place at their own Wilhelm-Langrehr-Stadion. However, the club confirmed in a statement that ground issues had made their home ground unavailable at the last minute.
Club officials stated that the move was unavoidable and that all logistical arrangements had to be finalised quickly to meet league requirements. The decision was made in consultation with the German Football Association (DFB) and the Regionalliga Nord authorities.
For the players, the abrupt change means a longer journey and a different environment on matchday. The squad will now travel to Hannover on Friday evening, with the match kicking off at 15:00 local time on Saturday.
Supporters of TSV Havelse face a significant trip as well. The club has advised fans to plan accordingly, noting that ticketing and transport options will differ from the usual matchday routine at Wilhelm-Langrehr-Stadion.
The Regionalliga Nord season opener is now set to take place at a neutral venue, marking an unusual start to the campaign for Havelse. The club has emphasised that the fixture remains a competitive match and that their focus is on starting the season as planned.
League regulations require fixtures to proceed unless extreme circumstances arise. In this case, the DFB and Regionalliga Nord officials accepted the club’s explanation and approved the venue change to ensure the match could go ahead as scheduled.