Odense extended to the area south of the river. Glove production, which had begun in the 18th century, developed into one of the most important industries while the harbour facilities were further expanded. In 1853 Denmark's first modern water and gas works were opened in Odense. Commerce was further boosted by the building of a railway across Funen in 1865, and Odense became one of Denmark's largest rail junctions. All this provided an ideal basis for industrialisation, attracting a wide range of industries including iron and metals, textiles, and food and beverages. Separate areas of the city were devoted to increased
Odense Stadium a long time before a stadium was constructed in the city of Odense. The sports facilities in Odense after World War I have been described as being overall "bad" even though sports facilities exited in Kræmmermarken and Odense Boldklub had its own sports facility. In the beginning of the 1920s, Aarhus and Aalborg inaugurated their own stadiums, which increased the local discussions regarding building a stadium in Odense, but a decision could not made in the first couple of years, partly due to the huge concerns by the dominating political party in the city council, Conservative People's Party. The stadium