The bucket list, a number of experiences or achievements one hopes to accomplish before they die. Well when it comes to football, the first-hand experience of Dortmund’s ‘Yellow Wall’ is right up there on my footballing bucket list, and I believe I’m not alone with that.

The Westfalenstadion or ‘Signal Iduna Park‘ is the home of one of Germany’s, and Europe’s top footballing sides, Borussia Dortmund. The club have gained a cult following around the world due to their star players Sancho, Haaland and Reus to name a few, entertaining Champions League nights, the striking beloved kit and crucially, the ‘Yellow Wall’ south stand.

It’s the Yellow Wall I’m most afraid of.

Bastian Schweinsteiger

Why is it a Bucket List experience?

With a capacity of 81,365, Signal Iduna Park creates a wild matchday atmosphere. This is most emphasised by the infamous ‘Yellow Wall’, in which fans often create incredibly organised, seemingly choreographed ‘performances’ which from watching through a TV screen appear marvellous. It truly takes something special for a single section of a football ground to have such worldwide notoriety. The passion these fans have for their club is something which I think most modern clubs are missing, although admittedly I have not experienced every single clubs’ matchday support. It draws you in pre-match, and then compliments some fantastic football to keep you engaged for the whole 90 minutes, providing goose bump moments that remind you that this is not just a game, it’s a way of life for people across the globe. The noise of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the synchronised chanting and visual displays of flags and ‘tifo’s’ created with style and finesse that I would have to say, far outweigh the graffiti covered St. Georges Cross flags seen closer to home.

However much you love your club, it’s hard to deny that seeing these fan displays of support doesn’t make you become envious of the passion that is being poured out from the fans. I am in no way a Dortmund supporter, but any football-loving fan could easily put aside any club loyalties for one night to get involved in that party atmosphere being created weekly in North Rhine-Westphalia. Unless you support Schalke or Bayern I suppose.

It’s personally up near the top of my footballing bucket list as I have never been fortunate enough to experience a live football match outside of the UK, so any opportunity to mix in my love of travelling with the beautiful game is an opportunity not to be missed. I put the experience of watching Dortmund and their ‘yellow wall’ on the list above other options as I, like thousands of other UK football fans, and worldwide fans, have grown fond of watching the team play due to their top-quality football and big-name players. Add in to this, the decent prices of getting to one of their home games, in comparison to weekly Premier League visits. The entire event of a Dortmund game just has to be seen by all.

It’s like being born, except there aren’t as many people applauding when you’re born.

Jurgen Klopp

With football currently postponed for the foreseeable future, the chance to experience this first hand will not be getting ticked off for a while. So in the meantime, get yourself over to YouTube and get lost in fan filmed footage. I’d recommend starting over on the Bundesliga YouTube page for a short documentary style video featuring one of Klopp’s ‘unique’ metaphors.

Echte Liebe (True Love).