Editing Aker Stadion (section)

==History==
Since 1955, Molde had been playing their home games at Molde idrettspark (at the time called Molde stadion), a municipal-owned multi-use venue.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=his-nyttstadion |title=Nytt stadion |publisher=[[Molde FK]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |language=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014223951/http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=his-nyttstadion |archive-date=14 October 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> A new stadium was proposed to be located at the waterfront at Reknes. There were many local protests, including complaints about the size of the structure. Construction of the land fillings and preparation of the construction site started in March 1997, before final approval had been granted by the municipality.<ref name=om>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfkweb.org/anlegg.php?vis=stadion |title=Om Molde stadion |publisher=MFKweb |access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref><ref name=fakta>{{cite web |url=http://www.moldefk.no/site/main/artikkel.php?page_id=42 |title=Fakta |publisher=[[Molde FK]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |language=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420084401/http://www.moldefk.no/site/main/artikkel.php?page_id=42 |archive-date=20 April 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

[[File:Aker Stadion IMG 1424.jpg|thumb|left|The stadium in 2014]]
The stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998, when the stadium was officially opened by [[Prime Minister of Norway|Prime Minister]] and Molde-fan [[Kjell Magne Bondevik]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stadionsiden.com/index.asp?stadium_id=297 |title=Aker stadion |publisher=Stadionsiden |access-date=24 May 2009 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716130400/http://www.stadionsiden.com/index.asp?stadium_id=297 |archive-date=16 July 2011 }}</ref> In the opening match, Molde beat [[Lillestrøm SK|Lillestrøm]] 4–0 in their first home game of the season, attracting 13,010 spectators.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=1998&e=m1990 |title=MFK vår 1998 |publisher=[[Molde FK]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |language=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014234716/http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=1998&e=m1990 |archive-date=14 October 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> During the season, this was the match in the country with the most spectators not hosted at [[Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg]]'s home ground [[Lerkendal Stadion|Lerkendal]]. On 27 May, the arena hosted its first international match, with Norway beating Saudi Arabia 6–0 in a [[1998 World Cup]] friendly.<ref name=attendance>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfkweb.org/ymsestat.php?vis=history-attendance |title=Hjemmekamper med flere enn 9.999 tilskuere |publisher=MFKweb |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=6 November 2009}}</ref> On 11 August, [[PFC CSKA Sofia|CSKA Sofia]] visited Molde for the second qualifying round of the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]], for which Molde failed to qualify.<ref name=europe>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfkweb.org/ymsestat.php?vis=results-europe |title=Kamper i europacupene |publisher=MFKweb |access-date=18 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=1998/round=1202/index.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070612072402/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=1998/round=1202/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2007|title=Second qualifying round |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref> The all-time spectator record was set on 26 September, when Molde hosted Rosenborg BK in front of 13,308 people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=1998-2&e=m1990 |title=MFK høst 1998 |publisher=MFKweb |access-date=24 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115020921/http://www.moldefk.no/historikk/?m=i&p=1998-2&e=m1990 |archive-date=15 January 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

During the fall of 1999, Molde played two qualification games for UEFA Champions League at the stadium. Following the aggregated victories over [[PFC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=1999/round=1284/index.html |title=Second qualifying round |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502154216/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D1999/round%3D1284/index.html |archive-date=2 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[RCD Mallorca|Mallorca]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=1999/round=1285/index.html |title=Third qualifying round |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502022418/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D1999/round%3D1285/index.html |archive-date=2 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Molde qualified for the group stage, where they played [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]], [[F.C. Porto|Porto]] and [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=1999/round=1286/group=1095.html |title=Third qualifying round |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=24 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429045040/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season%3D1999/round%3D1286/group%3D1095.html |archive-date=29 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following entry into Champions League, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, with seats being installed on the lower sections of the short end stands. The reduced the attendance capacity permanently, because the club chose to not remove the seats afterwards.<ref name=om />

In 2006, an agreement was made where Røkke's company Aker became the stadium name sponsor, with the stadium being renamed Aker stadion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/sport/2006/04/28/464727.html |title=Røkkeløkka døpes om av Molde |work=[[Dagbladet]] |date=28 April 2006 |access-date=7 January 2012}}</ref> The same season, the club was relegated to the [[Norwegian First Division|First Division]], where the team played in [[2007 Norwegian First Division|2007]]. Despite the relegation, average attendance increased, and Molde won the league. Since 2008, the team has again played in the top flight.<ref name=tilskuer2006>{{cite news |url=http://fotball.adressa.no/eliteserien/index.jsp?service=default&stats=true&type=seasonattendance&seasonId=522 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130112044423/http://fotball.adressa.no/eliteserien/index.jsp?service=default&stats=true&type=seasonattendance&seasonId=522 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 January 2013 |title=Tilskuere 2006 |work=[[Adresseavisen]] |access-date=24 May 2009 }}</ref><ref name=tilskuer2007>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfkweb.org/stattilskuere.php?sesong=2007 |title=Tilskuere 2007 |publisher=MFKweb |access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref>

Molde later entered the UEFA Cup four times (renamed to Europa League in 2010), in [[2000–01 UEFA Cup|2000–01]], [[2003–04 UEFA Cup|2003–04]] and [[2006–07 UEFA Cup|2006–07]], [[2010–11 UEFA Europa League|2010–11]], playing a total of eight home games, before they in 2012 again played qualification for the Champions League and [[FK Ventspils|Ventspils]] and [[FC Basel|Basel]] visited Aker Stadion. Molde were eliminated by Basel, but managed to qualify for the Europa League group stage and played against [[SC Heerenveen|Heerenveen]], [[VfB Stuttgart|Stuttgart]], [[FC Steaua București|Steaua Bucuresti]] and [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]] at Aker Stadion.<ref name=europe /> In 2015–16, [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]], [[Fenerbahçe S.K. (football)|Fenerbahçe]] and [[Celtic FC|Celtic]] visited Molde during the [[2015–16 Europa League|Europa League]] group stage, after they've beaten [[Standard Liège]] in the Play-off and before [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]] came to Aker Stadion in the Round of 32 in February 2016. On 19 November 2013, Aker Stadion hosted its second international match, a friendly Norway were defeated 1–0 by [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]].

Aker Stadion has been proposed used during the annual [[Moldejazz]], Norway's largest jazz festival, but this has been rejected several times by the festival management. The issue was intensified in 2004, when a much smaller arena was used for a quickly sold-out [[Stevie Wonder]] concert.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fotball og jazz i utakt i Molde |work=[[Aftenposten]] |last=Mauren |first=Arnfinn |date=10 June 2004 |page=16 |language=no}}</ref> On 6 October 2007, [[StatoilHydro]] arranged a free concert at the stadium with [[Ane Brun]] and [[Röyksopp]] to celebrate the completion of their near-by processing plant for the gas field [[Ormen Lange (gas field)|Ormen Lange]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hydrock på Røkkeløkka |work=[[Dagbladet]] |last=Barstein |first=Geir |date=14 July 2007 |page=48 |language=no}}</ref> In a 2012 survey carried out by the [[Norwegian Players' Association]] among away-team captains, Aker Stadion was found to be the league's fourth-best stadium, with a score of 4.27 on a scale from one to five.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_trondelag/1.8836297 |title=Lerkendal nest beste fotballbane |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=28 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201233031/http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_trondelag/1.8836297 |language=no |archive-date=1 December 2012 |access-date=30 November 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

The club decided on 4 October 2013 to lay [[artificial turf]] on the field, which it hoped would be in place ahead of the 2014 season. The club was especially concerned with the poor surface during March, April, October and November. It also cited the possibility of hosting all trainings at the stadium and that the field could be used 2,000 instead of 130 hours per year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/100Sport/fotball/eliteserien/Na-blir-det-kunstgress-i-Molde-396249_1.snd |title=Nå blir det kunstgress i Molde |last=Hustad |first=Trond |date=4 October 2013 |access-date=4 October 2013 |work=[[Aftenposten]] |language=no}}</ref> The stadium hosted its second international match on 19 November 2013, when Norway was defeated 0–1 [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] in a friendly match watched by 9,750 spectators. It was the first time since 2002 that a home Norway game was not played at the national stadium, [[Ullevaal Stadion]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/resultat/fotball/?arr=l60&sesong=2013&kamp=2.1600210 |title=Resultatservice |publisher=[[Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=19 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104201332/http://www.nrk.no/sport/resultat/fotball/?arr=l60&sesong=2013&kamp=2.1600210 |language=no |archive-date=4 January 2014 |access-date=19 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In October 2017, the artificial turf was changed to a newer generation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.moldefk.no/nyheter/skifter-kunstgresset-pa-aker-stadion |title=Skifter kunstgresset på Aker Stadion |trans-title=Changes the artificial turf at Aker Stadion |work=moldefk.no |publisher=Molde FK |date=3 October 2017 |access-date=7 December 2018}}</ref>