On the field, things aren’t going as hoped for 1. FC Bocholt in the Regionalliga West right now. When it comes to infrastructure, however, the multi-million project is moving forward as planned.

1. FC Bocholt makes no secret of the fact that the club’s long-term goal is to reach the 3rd Division. However, after 15 matchdays in the Regionalliga West, they’re still a ways off from that goal.

They trail the league leader by eight points, and Bocholt sits in ninth place heading into their home game against FC Schalke’s U23 team (Saturday, 2 p.m.).

On the other hand, work on the new stands is proceeding according to plan. As the club announced, civil engineering work on the new North Stand began on Thursday.

A seating stand with 1,163 covered seats is being built there. A new South Stand will be built next, featuring 510 covered seats and 1,040 standing spaces.

In the summer of 2026, the installation of under-sod heating along with new playing field turf, as well as the installation of new substitute benches, is also planned. Additional infrastructure, such as a police container and mobile catering and restroom facilities, is also scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2026–2027 season.

All of these are requirements that must be met in order to obtain approval for the 3rd League. The installation of a modern surveillance system and the expansion of the public address system must also be addressed.

Once all these measures are completed, the stadium will not only have 2,049 covered seats but will also meet all DFB criteria. A total of 5,994 spectators will then be allowed into the stadium.

However, due to the strict regulations for events with more than 5,000 spectators, capacity will initially remain limited to 4,999 spectators and will only be fully utilized in exceptional cases.

The people of Bocholt are proud to be able to tackle this project together. Sponsors are helping, and the city has also actively supported the club so far.

The people of Bocholt stated: “The construction costs for this largest infrastructure project in the club’s recent history amount to over three million euros, which can be financed thanks to the active support of sponsors. The city of Bocholt, in turn, is funding the third-division-compliant expansion of the Hüntings with an additional 2.65 million euros for the already installed, state-of-the-art floodlight system with 1,200 lux, as well as the turf heating system to be installed next year.”