443 is the number that will cause cheers for (some selected) HSV fans and 443 is also the number that will make the derby a bit more derby again. Because 443 is the number of HSV fans: inside who are allowed to go to the Millerntor as away fans on the third match day.
“We are happy with 100 percent capacity utilization,” said St. Paulis sports director Andreas Bornemann when asked by MOPO whether the club was just that with the solution that the German Football League (DFL) found yesterday: happy.
Bornemann had attended the DFL meeting himself, at which, according to MOPO information, some members wrestled for a surprisingly long time over the question of whether guest fans were allowed to return to the stadiums and how much. The solution: five percent of the permitted tickets go to the away team from the third matchday onwards for Bundesliga games.
HSV and St. Pauli will meet on the 3rd match day
The derby will take place exactly on this third day of play (August 13th, 6.30 p.m.), of the approximately 8900 spectators admitted to the league at Millerntor: 443 will (at least mathematically) officially be there as HSV fans.
“For the moment and given the situation, we can live with it and have agreed accordingly,” says Andreas Bornemann, referring to the compromise found by the 36 professional clubs, for which both St. Pauli and HSV voted.
Despite the DFL decision, it has not yet been definitively determined that there will actually be guest fans at Millerntor on August 13th. “Whether HSV fans are allowed into the stadium also depends on what the city says,” explains Bornemann, making it clear: “If the city allows away fans at the derby, we want to do it that way.”
St. Pauli last won against HSV
The last time there was a derby with official guest fans in Hamburg was on February 22nd, when St. Pauli and coach Jos Luhukay won 2-0 in the Volkspark. In the preseason the teams split 2-2 at the same location in front of 1000 home fans, in March the Kiezklub beat the “Rothosen” at Millerntor 1-0 in front of a ghostly backdrop.
Anyone who wants to can remember how being a fan at St. Pauli’s home ground feels like on Saturday: There are still tickets for the season opening against Hertha BSC.
