A fan’s guide – the club from early doors to today
AK 07, as in 1907, share the same Wedding roots as Hertha. Like Hertha, they played in the shadow of The Wall, but the venerable Poststadion today stands a shortish, easy walk from Berlin’s new central train station.
Operating for lowly decades trailing Hertha, AK (‘Athletik Klub’) 07 sprang to life 99 years after their foundation by forming a link with top-flight Turkish outfit Ankaraspor. First renamed Berlin Ankaraspor Klübü (BAK, in blue), then (back in red) again as AK 07, the club slowly climbed the lower league ranks to a respectable fourth level. In scrambling into the Regionalliga Nord in 2011, AK 07 ousted Türkiyemspor as the main team in town for the Turkish community.
In 2010, AK 07 won the local Berlin Cup, previously dominated by Tennis Borussia and Union, repeating the feat in 2012. Runs in the main, national DFB Cup have included a narrow defeat to top-flight Mainz and a remarkable 4-0 win over equally top-flight Hoffenheim in August 2012.
Stadium Guide
The field of dreams – and the stands around it
AK 07 play at the historic Poststadion, which was the main sports venue in the city while the Olympiastadion was being built for the 1936 Games. Internationals and German national finals were staged here. The Poststadion also shared hosting responsibilities for the football tournament itself – it was here that Germany famously lost to Norway 2-0, before an aghast Adolf Hitler watching his first and last ever soccer match. Otto Nerz was duly sacked as national coach and his assistant, Sepp Herberger, brought in.
Used after the war by SC Union 06, the Poststadion was soon overshadowed by the Berlin Wall erected nearby. Designated a national landmark in 1990, it is slowly being brought back to life by a major rebuild and the rise of new tenants, AK 07.
Today it is still undergoing redevelopment. Capacity is around 10,000 spectators in one main stand and open terracing, with a running track separating fans from the pitch. From Lehrter Straße, the main stand (Tribüne A) is a short walk to the left, the away sector (Gästeblock D) to the right, with sectors B and C behind the goal straight ahead.
getting there
Going to the stadium – tips and timings
The Poststadion is walking distance from Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Simply leave by the main entrance into Europa Platz, cross busy Invalidenstraße and turn right into Lehrter Straße at the Motel One hotel on the corner. It’s no more than a 7min walk from there, on the left-hand side, just past the A&O Hauptbahnhof hotel/hostel.
The stadium also has its own stop on bus line 123, three stops from Hauptbahnhof or eight from U9 Turmstraße, itself two from Berlin Zoo.
getting in
Buying tickets – when, where, how and how much
Affordable tickets can be bought on the day from the hut on Lehrter Straße or online in the run-up to the game.
what to buy
Shirts, kits, merchandise and gifts
Natty red-and-white AK07 stickers and RUNBAK T-shirts can be bought on the day in the main building and online.
Where to Drink
Pre-match beers for fans and casual visitors
Drinks are available in the main building and at the Imbiß kiosk during matches – there are no pre- or post-match bars nearby.
The only café of any type is the large, smart one in the lobby of the Motel One hotel, halfway between the stadium and the Hauptbahnhof.