Opening of JYSK Park: ”Without JYSK, it would not have been possible”

On Monday 31 July, a football celebration took place in the home city of JYSK owner Lars Larsen, Silkeborg in Denmark. The city’s new football stadium was opened with a concert, speeches – and a victory.

Four years of waiting time was replaced with festivities when the football stadium  JYSK park  was opened on Monday 31 July in the home city of JYSK owner Lars Larsen, Silkeborg in Denmark.

As the name indicates, JYSK is the name sponsor of the city’s new stadium, and according to Communications Manager in Silkeborg IF, Niels Frydenlund, the new stadium would not have been there today, if it had not been for the support from JYSK as well as Lars Larsen’s strong attachment to the town.

“Without JYSK, it would not have been possible. It was Lars Larsen who broke the ice when he invested the first 10 million Danish kroner (approx. 1.300.000 EUR) in the project. Without that money, we would not be where we are today, with the best football stadium in Denmark. It kicked in the door politically, and also engaged a wide range of other sponsors, so it has been crucial to the new stadium,” says Niels Frydenlund.

Lars Larsen on the pitch

JYSK owner Lars Larsen was also on the pitch when JYSK park was opened. Although it was not as part of the football team, Lars Larsen could initiate the celebrations at the stadium by welcoming the many thousands of spectators at JYSK park – with “a great offer for all football fans in Silkeborg,” as he said.

“I am happy to be here today, and I am happy that I can give something back to Silkeborg through JYSK park. A city which haw given me so much,” said Lars Larsen in the beginning of his speech.

Even though the JYSK owner was not born in the city, he has found a home in Silkeborg, where he has lived for more than 30 years. Therefore he is very pleased to be able to give something back to the city, among other things through the support of culture and sports in Silkeborg.

“On the other side of the stands lies JYSK arena, where the handball club Bjerringbro-Silkeborg plays their home matches, and I have been very excited about the neighbour being finished in the form of JYSK park. I hope you will all get many great experiences in the future at JYSK park,” said Lars Larsen.

Fantastic atmosphere

Not only could the city celebrate that the new stadium was finished, the team also won the match that night against the rivals from the football club AGF from Aarhus, where JYSK’s head office is located. All in all, Silkeborg IF was very content with the event.

“If we had written a script for how we would like the opening to go beforehand, we could not have done so better than the way it actually played out. We really showed that JYSK park can carry out a football match in a class of its own and the atmosphere at the stadium was absolutely amazing,” says Niels Frydenlund and continues:

“The fact that we also won a dramatic match like that of course gave it all an extra boost and a really good atmosphere in the audience.”

9,411 spectators

A total of 9,411 spectators were at JYSK park, and 15-year-old Frederik Bjerre came closest to that number in a text-message competition, which earned him a gift certificate for JYSK worth 15.000 Danish kroner (approx. 2.000 EUR).

(Photos by Ulla Myrhøj; drone photo by Bo Nørgaard.)