Daknamstadion

The Daknamstadion in Lokeren does not pretend to be anything other than a working football ground. Its character comes from that honesty, though it has changed shape several times to keep up with the game.

What makes the place different is the pitch itself. The hybrid surface does not look like a traditional natural lawn; it holds its shape better when the rain comes in from the open side.

There is a quiet tension in the air when the club plays here. The stands are not far from the pitch, and the noise travels across the grass. The stadium was built in 1956 as a municipal project, but the current structure is largely a product of the 2014 renovation, which brought it up to standard for European competition. The capacity was reduced from its peak in the 1970s, when nearly 19,000 people packed into the concrete stands to watch Barcelona. That record still stands, though the atmosphere now is different. The ground is not a temple of football, but it is a place where the work gets done.