NAC Stadion
| Beatrix Stadium, NAC stadion Beatrixstraat | |
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| Location | Beatrixstraat 2 4811 AC Breda The Netherlands |
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| Coordinates | 51°34′57″N 4°46′02″E / 51.58250°N 4.76722°ECoordinates: 51°34′57″N 4°46′02″E / 51.58250°N 4.76722°E |
| Owner | City of Breda |
| Operator | NAC Breda |
| Capacity | 20,000. Later 10,850 due to safety reasons. |
| Record attendance | 20,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1939 |
| Built | 1939 - 1940 |
| Opened | October 6, 1940 |
| Renovated | 1957, 1960, 1969, 1994 |
| Expanded | 1965 |
| Closed | May 12, 1996 |
| Demolished | May 13, 1996 |
| Tenants | |
| NAC Breda (1940–1996) | |
NAC Stadion was a multi-use stadium in Breda, Netherlands. It was used mostly for football matches and hosted the home matches of NAC Breda. The stadium was able to hold 20,000 people and opened in 1940. The stadium's capacity was gradually reduced to 10,850 in the nineties, due to security reasons. The stadium was closed in 1996 when the Rat Verlegh Stadion opened.
In 1939 the city council of Breda enquired whether NAC Breda was interested to move back to Breda, after playing for almost 10 years in the neighbouring village Princenhage due to a conflict with the city council. The city of Breda zoned a large area southwest of Breda's city center as a leisure area, in which a park, a swimming pool and a football stadium would be built. NAC agreed to move back to Breda and in 1939 the construction of the new stadium started. The stadium would have one main pitch with a wooden main stand of 800 seats, terracing surrounding the whole pitch and two training grounds. The stadium would be built at the Beatrixstraat, named after Princess Beatrix. The construction finished in September 1940 and the stadium was inaugurated on 6 October 1940, with the match NAC Breda - FC Eindhoven (0-0). Due to the German invasion and the Dutch capitulation in May 1940 during the 2nd World War, the Germans renamed the Beatrixstraat to Speelveldstraat. When Polish troops liberated Breda in 1944, Speelveldstraat was renamed back to Beatrixstraat.
In the fifties professional football was introduced in The Netherlands. In the first years of professional soccer, NAC played two times the Championship Competition and NAC’s popularity grew. The NAC board decided to reconstruct the main stand to a concrete stand and to expand the total number of seats to 1300 seats. The new stand was opened in September 1957. In 1960 NAC expanded the stand behind the goal of the Beatrixstraat and in 1969 NAC reconstructed the entire stand crossing the long side of the field. The stand was completely replaced by a newer and larger grandstand. At this moment the stadium reached its record capacity of 20,000. in 1994 minor renovations were carried out.
In 1975 NAC Breda purchased a light system, which would enable NAC to play their matches in the evening. The system was introduced on 27 December 1975, when NAC played a friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf. After that match, the NAC board decided to play the home matches on a Saturday evening. This led to the introduction of the term ‘Een Avondje NAC’ (English; An Evening NAC). In this period a group of fanatic NAC fans merged and located themselves on a stand. Their fierce support lead to an attraction of youngsters, who also fanatically supported NAC. This fierce support lasts till now and is known in The Netherlands as an Avondje NAC. An Avondje NAC is a flamboyant mix of Burgundian fun, beer, fanaticism and love for the club and ensures that during home matches the atmosphere in the stadium is intimidating. Especially in the seventies and the nineties of the last century the Avondje NAC reached national and international publicity. Former FC Barcelona coach Johan Cruijff once compared the atmosphere during the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid with the Avondje NAC.
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