“A good first step”

The fan’s display before kick-off on Saturday was the topic on everybody’s lips, particularly as it was the first use of pyrotechnics that had been given the green light by the DFB and the relevant authorities. Ten smoke bombs were set off by members of various different HSV ultra groups, with banners on the Nordtribüne which read “Ihr seht Schwarz. Wir sehen Schwarz-weiß-blau! Old School HSV” (You see black [you’re pessismistic]. We see black, white and blue! Old School HSV). Lukas Hinterseer, whose double won the game for the Rothosen agreed that the display ‘looked good.’

The display lasted around three minutes. Under the watchful eye of the fire brigade and pyrotechnics experts, the smoke bombs were let off as the teams took to the field. The smoke in the HSV colours added to the visual effect of flags and banners in the same colours distributed amongst the Nordtribüne. HSV chairman Bernd Hoffmann and Cornelius Göbel agreed it was a ‘good first step’. Göbel, the head of fan liaison at HSV expanded on his first statement: “We will reflect on today’s events with the relevant parties and those who were involved. And then we will see what the next steps could look like.”