It’s time for the Revierderby again

Revierderby Schalke 04 shirt

The Ruhrgebiet has more football clubs than any other part of Germany.  It also has more pubs where people gather to talk about football before and after the game. So it’s not surprising that every there is a fiercely contested derby somewhere in the Ruhrgebiet every weekend. Tens of thousands of fans will turn out to see fourth tier clashes between clubs like Rot-Weiß Essen, SG Wattenscheid and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.

And the biggest derby of all – the Revierderby –  is the clash between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund.

The rivalry between these two massive clubs is one of the strongest in football, pitting neighbour against neighbour and workmate against workmate. Games are eagerly anticipated, always sold out, watched in homes and pubs across the region, and argued about for months before and after.

Revierderby BVB logo

Schalke fans mock Dortmund by calling it Lüdenscheidt Nord – the nearest small town.

Dortmund fans return the favour by talking about Herne instead of Schalke.

Fans refuse to refer to their rivals’ city by name, using instead the expression ‘die verbotene Stadt’ – ‘the forbidden city’.  They try to avoid going there (except, of course, on match days) and if you do happen to say the taboo words by mistake, it’s considered as bad as swearing. Indeed, in some pubs and fan clubs, you have to pay a fine into the ‘swear box’.

Each set of supporters has an extensive repertoire of insulting songs about their rivals. Sometimes the rivalry can lead to quite dangerous situations. There have been examples of fans being set upon and of scarves and flags being stolen. Recently, Dortmund fans fired a rocket into a stand full of Schalke fans.

Over 3,000 police and 1,000 security staff are required to maintain order at the grounds, and for hours before and after games, police maintain a massive presence in the towns and on public transport.

You would expect a degree of competition between two of the biggest clubs in Germany, who also happen to be close neighbours.  Just why the animosity is so intense is harder to explain. My view, for what it’s worth, is that it’s because the clubs are so similar.

Both have a long and proud history, emerging from similar working-class communities to become the dominant clubs in the region and two of the biggest, best-supported in the country.

The rise of both clubs was linked to the rapid expansion and industrialisation of the Ruhr region. In the tough early years of the twentieth century, football became hugely important in the area,  partly because it offered a sense of belonging and identity to newly arrived migrants and relief from the hardship of work in the mines and steelworks.  This meant not only that both clubs had a large fan base, but that the passion and loyalty of these fans were intense and extreme.

Both communities experienced the same economic decline through the later years of the century, as the heavy industries died and the large factories closed.  In those years, football was considered by many to be the only positive thing going.  People say that without BVB, no-one would have heard of Dortmund – and that Schalke is more famous than its hometown of Gelsenkirchen.

Both communities are still fiercely proud of the Ruhrgebiet’s industrial past, and still, recognise the workers who built their clubs.  For example, before games at Schalke, everyone rises (almost as if in church) to sing ‘das Steigerlied’ – the miners’ song – while old black and white footage of men working in the pits is shown on the big screen.

So supporting either club is about more than following a game.  It defines who you are.  People say, for example, that they were ‘born Schalke’ or ‘born Dortmund’ just like you might say you were born British. Loyalty to your club is also loyalty to your family, neighbours and community.

It is therefore not surprising that the atmosphere in and around derby games is so hot.

If you want to learn more, the documentary “A Feeling Deeper Than Hate” explains the rivalry between the two sets of fans brilliantly.

Find out more about the Revierderby

Book cover - FC Schalke 04
German Ruhrgebiet

FC Schalke 04: An introduction

FC Schalke 04: An introduction

A book about FC Schalke 04

In 1904 a group of young miners from Gelsenkirchen got together to play football. They had very little money, no kit to wear, no ball to play with. They didn’t even have a pitch to play on. This book tells the story of how the club they formed grew to become Schalke 04, one of the biggest, wealthiest and best-known sporting organisations in the world.
It describes the lives of famous players, takes a look at Schalke’s passionate fans, and explains why the club is so important to its town and region.
There is also plenty of practical information for anyone thinking of coming to see a game or wanting to follow Schalke from afar.

 

 

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Find out more about German football

German football is back!

Are you one of the millions of football-starved who fans binge-watched live games from the German Bundesliga this weekend?

Do you want to find out more about German football?

These books are a great place to start.

German Football Books: Borussia Moenchengladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach : an introduction sets out to share the history, tradition, triumphs and disappointments of this great club with the English-speaking world.  The book tells  the story of Borussia from its foundation in 1900 to the present day.  As well as biographies of former players and managers and famous anecdotes,  there is a wealth of background information for English speakers considering a visit to Germany or wanting to follow the club from afar.

Buy now from Amazon UK

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German Football Books: Schalke 04

In 1904 a group of young miners from Gelsenkirchen got together to play football.  They had very little money, no kit to wear, no ball to play with.  They didn’t even have a pitch to play on. This book tells the story of how the club these young men formed grew to become FC Schalke 04, one of the biggest, wealthiest and best-known football clubs in the world.

Buy now from Amazon UK

Buy now from Amazon US

German Football Books: Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen is another big club with a rich and proud history.  Founded in 1904 by employees  of a local factory it has grown to become one of the most successful clubs in Germany.

Buy now from Amazon UK

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Discovering German football

Are you planning a football trip to Germany once lockdown is over?

This short guide will help you plan your trip and decide which clubs to visit. There is also key information on every club in the top three divisions as well as links to the best books, websites, blogs and podcasts.

Buy now from Amazon UK

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German Football Books: Discovering German football

This short book tells the story of Fortuna Düsseldorf – one of Germany’s oldest and best-known football clubs. As well as describing the history, triumphs and disappointments of this historic club it also tells the life-stories of its best-known players and coaches.
It is also packed with practical information to help football fans plan a trip to Düsseldorf and get the most out of their time in the city and its region.

Buy now from Amazon UK

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And click here for more information

The Football Tourist's Guide to the Ruhrgebiet

Bordered by the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe the Ruhrgebiet is one of Germany’s ‘hidden gems’. A vibrant, exciting and thoroughly modern metropolis, it is steeped in history and tradition.

For over 100 years it has also been the beating heart of German football.

This guidebook introduces its major cities and towns, the history, culture and traditions of its people and its football clubs. There is advice on how to plan a visit and where to find out more.

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And click here for more information 

The German Football Route

A footballing tour of Germany - fans of Preußen Münster

A football tour through North Rhine Westfalia – Germany’s biggest state.

Germany is a federation of 16 states called Bundesländer.  The state with the biggest population is called North Rhine-Westphalia.  It is home to nearly 18 million people and covers 34,083 km.

It includes four of Germany’s biggest ten cities (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen) as well as the biggest metropolitan area in Europe (the Ruhrgebiet).

And it’s the ideal place for a football tour.

The heartland of German football.

The region’s top teams are famous across the world.  Clubs like 1 FC Köln, FC Schalke 04, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen are household names on every continent.  And, of course, North Rhine-Westphalia is also home to clubs with a special place in football history. VfL Bochum, Fortuna Düsseldorf, MSV Duisburg are just three examples.

No other Bundesland contains as many big, successful clubs. Seven teams from the state play in the Bundesliga, three play in the 2 Bundesliga and four in the 3 Liga. In 2018/19 teams from the region ended the season in second, fourth and fifth position in the Bundesliga. Four of the ten teams with the highest Bundesliga attendance are based here. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 are amongst the richest football clubs in the world.

The history of German football is inextricably linked to the history of this region.  As in many countries, the emergence of football as a mass sport came at the same time as industrialisation and the rapid growth of large cities. And so if you want to understand the football and its culture you also need to learn a bit about the history of the places where it was born and developed. 

A sporting and historical journey

The German Football Route will help you do just that. It is an 800 km journey by car or bicycle across the entire region of North Rhine-Westphalia and provides a superb introduction to the history of German football and its social and industrial roots.

Starting in Aachen in the west, it passes through 15 cities that have featured prominently in Germany’s football history.  It takes you to stadiums, pubs, cafes, museums and monuments. As well as today’s big names the route includes sleeping giants from the past.  Passing through major population centres, historic and brand new towns and cities, yYou learn about the key role the region has played in Germany’s history, as well as about the history of its football clubs and their fans.

You may well not want to visit every town and every club on this route, but it might help you plan a few football trips to Germany next season.  You can get detailed information from the Football Route website, but here is a very brief introduction to get you started.

The German Football Route

Aachen

The football tour starts in the west, close to the border with Belgium.

Aachen’s history dates back to the early middle ages and for many years it was the home of the German kings who ruled the Holy Roman Empire.  It is also home to Alemannia Aachen.  Founded in 1900, it is one of Germany’s oldest football clubs.  The club currently plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga West (finishing 6th in 2017/18).    Despite its relatively lowly status, Alemannia Aachen has a large, passionate and hugely loyal fanbase.  The average attendance of 6,018 at the Tivoli stadium was the second highest for the league in 2017/18.

CologneP1000298

Now we head for the river Rhine and the huge, bustling city of Cologne.  Even if you aren’t interested in the football you should still go to Cologne for its massive cathedral, thriving nightlife and local beer –  Kölsch.  Of course, it is also home to the illustrious 1 FC Köln who play at theRheinergie Stadion.  Neighbours Fortuna Köln, also have a rich and impressive history but have fallen on hard times and are currently in the Regionalliga West. Their stadium is called Südstadion. Another neighbour is recently-promoted Viktoria Köln, who play in the 3 Liga.

Leverkusen

A bit further north, between Cologne and Düsseldorf, is the town of Leverkusen. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer is based here and when Bayer employees formed a football club they called it Bayer Leverkusen.  It is one of the smaller Bundesliga clubs, and has a reputation for never quite achieving its full potential. But Bayer 04 Leverkusen has performed consistently well in recent years, finishing 4th in the 2018/19 Bundesliga.  The stadium is called the Bay Arena. This is an ideal venue for travellers completely new to German football.  

Mönchengladbach

We now leave the river and head west to Mönchengladbach –  home to the iconic Borussia Mönchengladbach.  Formed 1900 this is one of Germany’s oldest, best known and most successful football clubs. Their stadium – the Borussia Park – is always full to capacity and a fantastic atmosphere is guaranteed.  

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is the regional capital. There is plenty to do and see here before and after the football. It has a thriving nightlife.  The Altstadt is reputed to be IMG_0556the longest bar in the world.  A visit to the Esprit Arena to watch Fortuna Düsseldorf is well worth a visit.  This is one of Germany’s most modern and fan-friendly stadiums and there is always a really good atmosphere.

 

 

 If you want to find out more about Düsseldorf, see my blog post: Making the most of your football trip – Starting from Düsseldorf

Wuppertal

Wuppertal is famous for its Schwebebahn –  a rail system where train and carriages hang from the rails.  It is also home to Wuppertaler SV who play at Stadion am Zoo. Nicknamed the lions, Wuppertal has a long and rich history which goes back to the end of the 19th century.  The club’s greatest achievement was spending three years in the Bundesliga in the 1970s.  They have recently been promoted to the fourth tier Regionalliga West.

Into the Ruhrgebiet

Ruhregebiet sceneThe next stage of our football tour is the Ruhrgebiet – originally Germany’s industrial powerhouse, this is the largest metropolis in Europe.  Although de-industrialisation has totally changed the region, the Ruhrgebiet remains the perfect destination for anyone who wants to experience German football culture at its very best.  It is also perfect if you want to find out more about German industrial history. 

If you want to know more about the Ruhrgebiet see my blog post : The Ruhrgebiet : perfect destination for the football tourist. 

Duisburg 

Its riverside location and good connections to canals and railways made Duisburg a vital regional export hub for most of the last century.  The Innenhafen was the biggest inland harbour in the world.  As a result of industrial and economic change it fell into disuse in the mid-sixties and for a time was derelict and abandoned.  Imaginative renovation based on designs by British architect Norman Foster has transformed the area into one of the city’s key attractions.  There is a marina, an art museum, a synagogue and a Jewish community centre, and a large collection of restaurants and bars.  The huge contribution made by the Innenhafen to the region’s industrial past is not forgotten.  It is a key destination of the Ruhrgebiet’s Industrial Heritage Route, which takes visitors by car or bicycle on a tour of former industrial sites.  There are information boards at every turn which explain different aspects of the harbour.

MSV Duisburg was founded in 1902.  They were founder members of the Bundesliga and played in the top tier from 1963 to 1982.  Since then Duisburg has been one of Germany’s elevator teams – moving up and down the divisions. They currently play in the 3. Liga. If you decide to watch a game at the Schau ins Land Arena you will join a large, passionate crowd and experience a brilliant atmosphere.

Essen

Essen is one of Germany’s largest cities. It emerged around the coal and steel industries and is still home to famous multinationals like Thyssen. The Zollverein used to be a huge mine and coke plant.  It is now a World Heritage Site.  If you want to understand how this region developed this is the place to go. (You will also get a brilliant view from the top).thumb_P1020087_1024

Rot Weiss Essen is another of the region’s sleeping giants.  It achieved its greatest successes in the 1950s when it won both league and cup, and its most famous player – Helmut Rahn – scored Germany’s winning goal in the 1954 World Cup final.  Since those heady days, the club has fallen on hard times and currently plays in the fourth tier Regionalliga West.  If you decide to pay a visit to the Stadion Essen you will find yourself in a really modern venue amongst a surprisingly large crowd.

Oberhausen

Oberhausen is known all over Germany for its gasometer. 117 meters tall it dominates the city skyline.  Now it’s a venue for exhibitions and events, but even when nothing is on visitors flock there to see the superb view from the top or hear the intriguing echo on the inside.

Oberhausen is also the home of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, yet another venerable football club.  Although founded in 1904 it can trace its roots right back to 1873 and the formation of a gymnastics club.   The club’s most successful period was the late 1960s when it spent three years in the Bundesliga.  Since then it has moved up and down the divisions and battled with financial difficulties.  The club plays at the NiederRheinstadion.

Bochum

The city of Bochum is twinned with Sheffield in England– an almost perfect match.

Both cities

  • were the heart of their coal and steel industries.
  • suffered heavy bombing during the war.
  • have endured the lingering death of their heavy industry and the accompanying hardship, social turmoil and economic restructuring.
  • have been hit by the recent recessions.

Both cities also have a long and proud sporting history. Hallam FC – founded in 1860 and still playing – has the oldest football ground in the world, and the first ever inter-club game of football was played between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC. The idea of a sports club in Bochum (VfL Bochum) was first discussed in 1848 and the club itself was formed the next year.

 VfL Bochum is by no means the most successful or the biggest football club in Germany, and at the moment it’s not even in the top division. But if you want to see football played and watched with passion, pride and commitment this is the club for you.P1000286

The club motto is: “In Bochum from Bochum for Bochum”

The club website is passionate about its local identity and tradition:

“People from Bochum are our supporters and our supporters are from Bochum. Because being from Bochum means to declare your support for the Ruhrgebiet and its attitude towards life: to work hard, to be self-confident and to treat each other honestly.

Our history and origin is our guide: blue and white are our colours, the Ruhrgebiet our region, Bochum our town, and Castroper Straße our home!”

Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen is in the heart of the Ruhrgebiet. This former mining town is home to Schalke 04, one of the oldest, biggest and best-known clubs in the Bundesliga.  It is also one of the most successful.  Seven times German champions, Schalke has won the German cup five times and the UEFA Cup once.

Schalke 04 was established by a group of young miners when football in Germany was in its infancy. It went on to dominate football in the 1920s and 1930s It was the Barcelona of its day, delighting huge crowds, winning trophy after trophy and producing the first football superstars.

Today Schalke 04 is a thriving, modern business. It is Germany’s second-biggest sports club and reputed to be the twelfth wealthiest football club in the world. It has nevertheless remained true to its origins.

The tightly-knit working class community and the pits that once provided a seemingly endless supply of players and fans are gone, but the club’s history is cherished.  The people who built the town and its football club are still remembered at every home game. When you go to watch Schalke 04 at the superb Veltins Arena, you don’t just attend an exciting sporting event.  You join a celebration of history, community and shared values.

If you want to know more about Schalke see my blog post: Understanding FC Schalke 04

Dortmund

Dortmund has a population of 589,283, making it the largest city in the region and the eighth largest in Germany. Until the 1970s it was famous for coal, steel – and beer. Now the city focusses on high-tech industries such as robotics, biomedicine and microsystems. It is a vibrant, multicultural city with shops, bars, restaurants, parks

Dortmund is also the home of Ballspiel Verein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund – also known as Borussia Dortmund, or simply BVB. According to Forbes Borussia Dortmund is the 11th most valuable football club in the world. It has been in the Bundesliga for 49 years and is fourth in the all-time table.

With an average of over 80,000, the club has the highest attendance in the Bundesliga. It has well over 100,000 members, making it one of the most supported clubs in the world. There are 55,000 season ticket holders and a waiting list of 10,000.

They say that the Signal Iduna Park is one of the most beautiful football stadiums in the world. It also one of the largest, with a capacity of 81,358, and the atmosphere at the is recognised as something really special. There are 25,000 standing places – making the south stand the largest standing-only section in Germany. And the ‘yellow wall’ one of the most impthumb_P1020497_1024ressive sights anywhere in the football world.

If you go the  Signal Iduna Park, pay a visit to the Borusseum – a museum dedicated to the history of this huge club.

And if you are in Dortmund, you should make time to go the German Football Museum, which is beside the central station.

 

 

Final Stages

Münster

We now leave the Ruhrgebiet and head towards the university town of Münster

300,000 people live in Münster – and 50,000 of them are students. It’s an old, historic city that goes back to the early middle ages and its rich history is reflected in its many old buildings.

Münster claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany.  The bicycle is the most common way for residents to get around and there is a car-free ring around the city centre. The city also recently won an award for being one of the nicest places to live in the world.

SC Preußen 06 Münster began in 1906 and it was a founding member of the German Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.  The club’s greatest achievement was to come second in the German championship in 1951.  In recent years Preußen  Münster has struggled with financial difficulties off and inconsistent performance on the pitch.  For a time they dropped out of the professional leagues altogether. Recent improvements have seen promotion to the 3 Bundesliga in 2011 and steady top-half finishes every year.  They play in the Preußenstadion and last season achieved a highly respectable average attendance of 7,220

Bielefeld

The football tour ends in the north-eastern corner of the state, ion the edge of the ancient Teutoburg forest in the city of Bielefeld.  This city of 327,000 is the home of baking products company Dr Oetker and manufacturing giant Schüco.

The football team is called Armenia Bielefeld.  Founded in 1905, this is another of Germany’s oldest clubs, with a proud history. They first played in the Bundesliga in 1967/68, but since then have been a classic ‘elevator’ club.  Heroic and successful promotion campaigns have regularly been followed by unsuccessful battles against relegation. The club has achieved a few successful spells in the top tier but has also at times dropped out of the professional leagues altogether.  Despite repeated financial difficulties and the occasional threat of bankruptcy, the club has survived.  Long-suffering Bielefeld fans are currently enjoying a period of success.  In 2014/15 a run of thrilling victories over bigger clubs took them to the semi-final of the German Cup.  Bielefeld were 3 division champions the same year and moved up to the 2 Bundesliga.  Their stadium, which is named after their main sponsor, is called the Schücoarena.

And that is the German Football Route. It would be hugely ambitious to follow, in order, every kilometre of the route or to visit every single place of interest or every football club that is introduced.  But it does provide a really helpful frame of reference for anyone wanting to find out more about this fascinating region.

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Find out more about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

Making the most of your football trip: Starting from Düsseldorf

Easy to reach, and linked by a superb transport system to the highest concentration of clubs in Germany, Düsseldorf is the ideal base for a football trip.

It is also perfect either for a city break or a longer stay. Situated beside the Rhine, close to the Dutch border, with Cologne and Bonn to the south and the cities of the Ruhr to the north, Düsseldorf is also the ideal starting point for an exploration of the region.

Düsseldorf
As you would expect of Germany’s seventh largest city and a regional capital, Düsseldorf has the vitality and bustle of a big city. But it also has charm, elegance, and style, and there are plenty of places where you can get fresh air and exercise.
As a result, Düsseldorf has become a top destination for tourists who come to admire the stunning architecture, to spend time in shopping malls, bars, cafes, and restaurants, to visit galleries and museums, or to simply walk along the banks of Europe’s biggest river.

This post is not a detailed tourist guide. But I do hope it will convince you to come and visit this lovely city and help you to get the most out of your stay.

How do I get to Düsseldorf?

Plane

Reaching Düsseldorf by air is very straightforward. The airport is 5 miles from the city centre and there flights to and from a wide range of cities in Germany, Europe and beyond. The airport website has detailed information on airlines and destinations.

Düsseldorf airport is a lovely place to arrive at. It is light, modern, clean and well-equipped with cafes, restaurants, and shops.

There are two very quick routes into town.

  • The S11 train, which departs every three times every hour from a platform directly below the terminal building, will bring you to the city centre in 15 minutes.
  • An elevated railway called the Sky Train links the arrival terminals to the nearby airport station. From here you can catch trains to a wide range of destinations, including the city centre. There are ticket machines on the platforms, but there if you need advice, there is also a ticket office.

Train

Düsseldorf is a major hub of the German rail system. More than 1000 trains arrive here every day, and you can get here by train from all over Europe. There is a journey planner on the Deutsche Bahn website. 

Car

The city is also well served by Germany’s motorway network. You can use the A46 from the east and the west, the A4 from the north and the A57 from the south to get here. The main German motoring organisation is called ADAC. You can use its website to plan your journey.

How do I get around in Düsseldorf?

Getting from A to B is one of the pleasures of a stay in Düsseldorf. The city has a modern, quick and reliable public transport system which is fully integrated, allowing you to use the same ticket for trains, underground, trams and buses. Maps and information displays at every stop and on every platform help you to plan your journey and electronic displays and announcements make sure you know when to get off. Some of the trams and underground trains have instructions in English.

An organisation called VRR co-ordinates public transport in the region. Its website contains very helpful advice in English about how the system works and how to plan your journey.

You can also download the VRR App for your iPhone or Android. 

Save money with the DüsseldorfCard

The cheapest way to get to know Düsseldorf is to buy a DüsseldorfCard. It entitles you to free travel on public transport within the Düsseldorf City area as well as free or reduced entry to a wide range of attractions and museums. A ticket for one person costs 9.00, 14.00 or 19.00 euros for 1, 2 or 3 days respectively. A family ticket (2 adults and 2 children, or 3 adults) costs 18.00, 28,00 and 30,00 euros. You can find out more here.

Clubs to see on a football trip starting from Düsseldorf 

These clubs are all easy to get to:

Fortuna Düsseldorf

We all know famous, well-supported and once-great clubs that have now fallen on harder times. The loyal, long-suffering fans of these sleeping giants still remember former triumphs and dream that one day their club will be back where it deserves to be. Now and then a strong start to the season, a string of good performances or the emergence of a talented player re-ignite the hope that this will be their year. Fans learn to live from a diet of mid-table mediocrity spiced up by occasional battles against relegation and runs for promotion. But the size of the club and numbers and passion of its fans lead everyone to think it could and should be doing better than this.

Fortuna Düsseldorf is just such a club.  It was founded in 1895. And in the 1920s and 1930s was one of the top sides in Germany, winning the league and cup as well as providing players for the national side. In the 1970s and 1980s, it became a household name once more, achieving 16 years in the Bundesliga, two cup final wins, and a series of international appearances. But since the 1980s Fortuna has been what the Germans call an elevator side, moving up and down the leagues. At one point they fell as far as the fourth division before climbing right back to the top tier and were last in the Bundesliga in the 2012/13 season.

But Fortuna fans have stayed loyal through the bad times as well as the good. 12,000 fans bought season tickets at the beginning of the 2017/18 season and average attendance was 28,838 – third highest in the division.

And this loyalty was rewarded. On the last day of the season, Fortuna beat 1 FC Nürnberg to become second division champions and earn automatic promotion back to the Bundesliga.

Top level football had returned to the ESPRIT Arena.

Fortuna Düsseldorf at a glance

Website:  www.f95.de/home/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fortunaduesseldorf/

Twitter: twitter.com/f95

Email: service@f95.de

Telephone: +49(0)211 238010

Online Ticket Shop: tickets.f95.de/f95

Ground: ESPRIT Arena

Capacity: 54,600

Address: Arena-Straße 1, 40474 Düsseldorf

Colours:  Red white

Nickname: Die Flingeraner (Flinger is the district of Düsseldorf where the club was founded)

Borussia Mönchengladbach

It will take you about 90 minutes to get to Mõnchengladbach – a large town not far from the border with Holland. The most notable thing about this place is its football team – Borussia Mönchengladbach. This club dominated German football in the 1970s. Its players were amongst the first sporting superstars and their adventurous style of play captivated fans in Germany and beyond. Today Borussia is the third best-supported team in Germany, with gates of over 50,000 every week and over 70,000 members. The fans inside the Borussia Park stadium generate an atmosphere that is guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

Many games are completely sold out, so it’s a really good idea to buy tickets before you come to Germany. This will also save you money as your ticket entitles you to free match day travel to and from the ground on local transport.

These are the best ways to get hold of tickets:

• Use the online ticket shop. Although everything is in German, the ticket portal is easy to use.

• Call the ticket hotline (0039 1806 181900). There will always be someone who can speak to you in English and advise you on the best place to sit.

• Send an email to the club explaining what you want (info@borussia.de).

BORUSSIA-PARK is a long way from the city centre, but getting there is not a problem. On match days, a fleet of shuttle buses transport fans from behind Mönchengladbach station to the ground. The same service also operates from nearby Rheydt station (opposite Platform 4).

I would advise you to aim to arrive well before kick-off. This will give you time to visit the FanHaus and the beer garden.

The FanHaus is just beyond the carparks at the southern end of the stadium. It is run by and for the fans. It has bars, food outlets, TV screens and music as well as indoor and outdoor seating areas. On match-days, it is heaving with fans of all ages eating Bratwurst, drinking beer, singing and chanting. Look out for the Liverpool bar, which celebrates a longstanding friendship between fans of the two clubs.

The beer garden is right next to the ground, in front of the club shop. Next to stalls selling food and drink there are benches and tables where thousands of fans gather before every game.

You can use cash to buy food and drink inside the ground. There are outlets on every level and block selling soft drinks, beer, tea and coffee, as well as a wide variety of fast food including, of course, chips and sausage.

You do need to pay a one euro deposit for your beer glass, which you return at the end of the game. Or you might want to hang onto it. Although made of plastic they are covered with designs and logos and make great souvenirs.

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Going to watch Borussia Mönchengladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach at a glance

Website: https://www.borussia.de/english/home.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/borussia.global

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Borussia_en

Email: info@borussia.de

Telephone: +49(0) 1805 181900

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.borussia-ticketing.de/default.aspx

Ground: Borussia-Park

Capacity: 54,067

Average attendance 16/17: 51,494

Address: Hennes-Weisweiler-Allee 1, 41179 Mönchengladbach

Colours: Green white black

Nickname: die Fohlen (the foals)

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Leverkusen is a large town between Düsseldorf and Cologne.  For over a century it has been the home of Bayer – the multinational pharmaceutical company. The local football club, founded originally by Bayer employees, is called Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Some people cruelly call this club ‘Neverkusen’ because of its history of just missing out on the big prizes. But many argue that it is one of Germany’s most successful clubs. A member of the Bundesliga every year since 1979, Leverkusen has ended nineteen of those years in one of the top five places. The club has appeared in the Champions League nine times and the Europa League seven times.

A visit to Bayer 04 Leverkusen is also the perfect starting point for people new to Germany and its football culture:

• It is easy to reach by public transport – a 60-minute train journey from Dortmund and a 20-minute walk from the station to the ground.

• It has a spectacular, modern stadium which is designed to bring every spectator close to the action and to maximise the atmosphere.

• The club has one of the most family-friendly set-ups in the Bundesliga.

• The team plays an exciting and highly entertaining brand of football.

The simplest way to get tickets is to call the club’s ticket hotline (0049 214 5000 1904). There is always someone there who can speak English and who can advise you on the best places to sit. You could also use the Online Shop. This way you can choose exactly where to sit and you can use the Print@Home facility to print your ticket before you leave.

Getting to the BayArena could not be easier. There are frequent trains from Düsseldorf to Leverkusen. You just follow the signs at the station for the Sportpark. Then you walk through a park, following the signs for the BayArena, which will appear after about 15 minutes through the trees on your left.

Extensive modernisation and refurbishment in 2007 have turned this stadium into one of the most attractive, comfortable and fan-friendly venues you are ever likely to visit. With a maximum capacity of 30,000, there are enough fans to generate a sense of occasion without it being overwhelming – and the closeness of all seats to the action makes sure everyone gets a good view and maximises the atmosphere.

Inside the stadium, there are all the usual food and drink outlets, a club shop, a creche and free WiFi. If you download the Live-App, you can access live, real-time data about the game.

The only possible complication is that you can’t use cash inside the ground. Instead, you need to get a BayArena card from one of the kiosks once you arrive. You pay a 10 euro deposit and then put as much money as you want onto the card, which you then use for every purchase.

At the end of the game, you go back to the kiosk to get your deposit and any unspent money back.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen at a glance

Website: https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bayer04leverkusen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bayer04fussball

Email: info@bayer04.de

Telephone: +49(0) 214 5000 1904

Online Ticket Shop: https://ticketshop.bayer04.de/SpielAuswahl

Ground: BayArena

Capacity: 30,210

Average attendance 16/17: 28,428

Address:   122, 51373 Leverkusen

Colours: Red black

Nickname: die Werkself (works eleven – because of links to local pharmaceutical firm Bayer)

Borussia Dortmund

According to  Forbes Borussia Dortmund is the 11th most valuable football club in the world.

It has well over 100,000 members, making it one also one of the best supported.  With an average of over 80,000 the club has the highest attendance in the Bundesliga.

There are 55,000 season ticket holders, and there is waiting list of 10,000.

The club has been in the Bundesliga for 49 years and ranks third in the all-time table.

Dortmund is still owned and heavily influenced by its fans.  It could make more money by replacing some places for fans with hospitality boxes and by raising prices – but the club refuses to do this.  Instead, it is determined to live within its means and to bring out the best in the players already in the squad, rather than buying success on the international transfer market.  It has invested heavily in its academy, which regularly produces high-quality players.

In recent years Dortmund teams have become renowned for their playing style which is characterised by passion, hard work, technical quality, high-pressing and quick transition from defence to attack.

They have been the only club to come close to challenging Bayern Munich for dominance of German football.  In 2015/16 they remained contenders until the second to last game of the season.  Up to 1,000 English fans take budget airline flights each match day to Dortmund to see a game the Signal Iduna Park. And they come back buzzing from the experience.  If you get the chance, go and experience for yourself the noise and passion of the yellow wall of fans standing behind the home goal.

The Signal Iduna Park is one of the best known and most beautiful stadiums in the world, and with a capacity of 81,719, it also one of the biggest.

But it is the fans who make a visit to the Signal Iduna Park one of the most exciting and awe-inspiring experiences you can have in football.

The Südkurve, which has places for 25,000 fans, is the largest standing section of any ground in Germany.  This is where you will see the famous ‘Gelbe Wand’ – Yellow Wall –   where row after row of passionate fans, all dressed in the club’s colours shout, cheer, chant and sing their support from start to finish. Although the Südkurve is the loudest and most passionate section of the stadium, the entire crowd gets behind the team.  Visiting teams have to not only play against one of the top teams in Europe but also in a cauldron of emotion.

BVB could easily fill the stadium with season tickets, probably even if they put up prices. The club could also generate more money by reducing the number of seats and installing more boxes for corporate entertainment. But true to BVB’s fan-focussed ethos, the stadium is designed to fit in as many fans as possible, prices are kept relatively low and a proportion of tickets are kept for general sale each week.

The stadium is about 3 kilometres from the city centre, but it’s easy to get there by public transport. It has its own station where local trains arrive every 15 minutes (look out for RB52 and RB59). Or you can take the underground (U45) to the stop ‘Westfalenhallen’ and walk the last five minutes.

Tickets for all BVB games sell out very quickly, so you should arrange your tickets well before you set off. You can get tickets online and use  Print@Home to print your ticket before you set off.  The club also offers an attractive package which includes ticket and two nights in a hotel for 209.00 euros per person.

A standing place  (if you can get one) will cost you 16.70 euros.  Prices for seats start at 31.20 euros.  There might be a 20% surcharge for games against Bayern Munich and – of course – FC Schalke 04.

You can’t use cash inside the stadium. Instead, you need to get hold of a Stadiondeckel from one of the many operatives inside the stadium.  You tell them how much cash you want to load onto it and then use it as a debit card whenever you buy anything to eat or drink.  After the game, you can get back any money you have not yet spent.

There is free wi-fi in the stadium and if you download the BVB-App, you can get stories, background information and live data before, during and after the game.

 

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Borussia Dortmund at a glance

Website: http://www.bvb.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BVB

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bvb

Email contact form: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/bvb/de/bundesliga/channel/shop/index/contact

Telephone: +49 (0) 1806 51 5304

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/bvb/

Ground: Signal Iduna Park

Capacity: 81,359

Average attendance 16/17: 79,653

Address: Sportweg, 44139 Dortmund

Colours: Black yellow

Nickname: BVB

1 FC Köln

1 FC Köln was founded in 1948 when two other clubs (Kölner Ballspiel Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07 merged)

Thirty years of success
From the 1960s to the early 1990s they were one of Germany’s most successful clubs.
After winning the Oberliga West for three successive seasons and playing in Europe in 1962/63, Köln were selected to play in the newly formed professional Bundesliga in 1963 – and in fact were the first champions.
They were second in 1964/65 and won the cup in 1967.

The 1970’s saw FC Köln reaching three cup finals, losing three but winning in 1977.
1977/78 was the club’s most successful season – they emerged as champions and retained the cup.
They won the cup for a fourth time in 1983, reached their first European final in 1986 (losing to Real Madrid) and finished second in the Bundesliga in 1988/89 and 1989/90 and were losing cup finalists in 1991.

 Mixed fortunes
Since the early 1990s , the club has experienced many ups and downs. Relegated to the second Bundesliga in 1998, they have moved regularly between the two top tiers for the last twenty years.
The club ended the 2013/14 season as worthy 2 Bundesliga champions and was promoted back to the Bundesliga and then enjoyed three successful years at the top tier finishing 12th, 9th and 5th. Qualification for the Europa League in 2017/18 meant that Cologne fans saw international football for the first time in 25 years. Unfortunately, their high hopes were soon dashed. Despite a change of manager and unwavering support the team failed to recover from a disastrous start to the season and was relegated to the 2 Bundesliga.

Honours

German Champions
Winner (3): 1961/62, 1963/64, 1977/78, ,
Runners-up (7): 1960, 1963, 1965, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1990
2 Bundesliga
Winner (3): 1999/00, 2004/05, 2013/14
Runners-up (1): 2003
German Cup (DFB Pokal)
Winner (4): 1968, 1977, 1978, 1983
Runners-up (6): 1954, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1980, 1991
UEFA Cup
Runners-up (1): 1986
Florida Cup
Winners 2015

Nickname and mascot
The clubs nickname is die Geißböcke, which means the billy goats.
Their mascot is also a billy goat – and always called Hennes after Hennes Weusweiler who was a long serving player and manager.
The fans refer to their team simply as FC (pronounced, and sometimes written Effzeh)

Local rivals
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Bayer Leverkusen
Fortuna Köln (currently two divisions further down
Fortuna Düsseldorf(currently one division further down)

Colours : Red and white

Famous names
Rainer Bonhof
Dieter Müller
Toni Schumacher
Bernd Schuster
Lukas Podolski
Pierre Littbarski

Stadium

FC Köln play at the Rheinenergie Stadion on Aachener Strasse.
Thoroughly renovated in 2003, it has a capacity of 50000. Like a lot of British grounds, it is designed so that spectators are close to the pitch, which makes for a hugely exciting atmosphere.
If you have the time, you might want to take a look at the FC Museum, which sets out the club’s sixty year history.

Tickets

You can buy tickets online and have them sent to you at home. The ticket shop website is in German, but is very straightforward.
You can also buy tickets at the stadium before the game.(but of course local derbys and games against the very top teams are likely to sell out quickly).
Prices are between € 16 and € 63.
Away fans sit behind the goal on the North Side.


Directions

On matchdays there are special trams which will take you directly from Cologne station and Neumarkt to the stadium.

You can also get there by yourself if you want :
From Cologne station, take the underground (U16 or U18) to Neumarkt, and then the tram (No. 1 – going to Weiden West) to a stop named after the stadium – RheinEnergie Stadion.
Your match ticket will entitle you to free travel to and from the ground.

1 FC Köln at a glance

https://fc.de/fc-info/home/?L=2

Telephone: +49 (0) 221/260 11 221

Tickets: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/fckoeln/de/bl/channel/shop/

Nearest airports: Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf

Local transport:

https://www.vrsinfo.de/englisch/the-vrs/vrs-about-us.html

Ground: Rhein-Energie Stadion

Capacity: 50,997

Average attendance 18/19: 49,547

Address:  Aachener Straße 99, 50933 Köln

Colours: Red white

Nickname: Die Geißböcke (the billy goats)

SC Paderborn

The British Army of the Rhine once had a huge barracks at Paderborn, and over the years thousands of young Brits have gone to SC Paderborn 07 for their football while away from home.

The club can trace its roots rights back to 1907 when one of its many predecessor clubs was founded. The club we know today was formed in 1985 following a merger of two local sides and adopted its current name in 1997. Between then and 2005 Paderborn played in regional leagues and for the last 12 years, apart from one season in the Bundesliga, has moved between the 2nd and 3rd divisions.

Last year the club came very close to making history as the first football club to drop from the Bundesliga to the fourth division in three successive seasons. Having earned promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2013/14 Paderborn endured a miserable season in the top division, finished bottom and dropped straight back into the 2 Bundesliga. In 2015/16 the misery continued, and Paderborn came bottom again. A third successive relegation in 2016/17 was avoided despite finishing in 18th place yet again because 1860 München, having been relegated from 2 Bundesliga, failed to meet DFB financial deadlines. As a result, the Bavarian club was refused a professional licence and put into a Regionalliga. This allowed Paderborn to hang onto league status.

The Benteler-Arena was opened in 2008. It has a capacity of 15,000, with 5,800 seats and 9,200 standing places. All parts of the ground are covered.

Standing tickets cost 10 euros and seats cost between 20 and 27 euros. You can buy them at the Online Ticket Shop and at the club shop.

You can get to Paderborn from the main Ruhrgebiet cities in about 2 hours. The cheapest way to travel is to buy a Schöner Tag Ticket. It costs 30 euros for one person and 44 euros for up to five. It lets you travel for a whole day (after 9 am) right across North Rhine-Westfalia and on any train except Intercity, EC and Thalys.

Your match ticket entitles you to free local bus travel from the town centre to the stadium. The number 68 towards “Schöne Aussicht” will take there from the station in about 15 minutes. You get off at “Arena/Almeaue”.

SC Paderborn at a glance

Website: http://www.scp07.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meinSCP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SCPaderborn07

Email: info@scpaderborn07.de

Telephone: +49(0) 5251 8771907

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/scp07/

Ground: Benteler Arena

Capacity: 15,000

Average attendance 16/17: 5,541

Address: Paderborner Straße 89, 33104 Paderborn

Colours: Black white blue

FC Schalke 04

Do you want to see top quality football played with skill, passion and commitment in front of a capacity crowd in one of the best stadiums in the world?

Do you want to visit a football club which is proud of its long and distinguished history?

Do you want to sit or stand amongst 61,000 real fans who know their football?

Do you want to be part of an amazing sporting spectacle?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then FC Schalke 04 is the ideal Bundesliga destination for you.

Schalke 04 is one of the oldest, biggest and best-known clubs in the Bundesliga.  It is also one of the most successful.  Seven times German champions, Schalke has won the German Cup five times and the UEFA Cup once.

The Veltins Arena is without a doubt one of the finest stadiums in the world.

It opened in 2001 and quickly established itself as a first class entertainment venue.  Fans have flocked here to see top music acts like U2, Robbie Williams and Bruce Springsteen, sporting events such as the 2010 World Ice Hockey Championships and boxing  – as well as football, of course.

It can accommodate 61,973 football fans. There are 16,307 standing places, giving the club the second largest standing area in the Bundesliga.  There is a retractable roof, and withdrawable pitch and all seats provide a fantastic view of the action.  As you would expect, facilities and food outlets are also of a very high standard.

You will not go hungry or thirsty at the Veltins Arena.  According to the club’s website, there are 15 small restaurants, 50 grilling stations and 35 cafes – all connected by a 5km long beer pipe. On a typical match day, they will sell 14,000 sausages, 43,000 rolls, 40,000 litres of drink.

Getting there from the city centre is very straightforward.  You go out of the station, down some steps to the underground and catch tram 301.  Your stop is conveniently called ‘Veltins Arena’, and your destination is about five minutes away.

The stadium stands on its own and out of town, so you would think that there would not be much to do before the game.  But the club has gone to great lengths to cater for fans who arrive early.  There are kiosks selling food and drink on all the walkways to the ground.  Beyond the training grounds – which are open to the public – there is a huge fan shop and a bar/restaurant.  As a result, you are likely to see thousands of fans in the area two or three hours ahead of kickoff.

There is a cashless payment system throughout the arena.  While this is extremely convenient for regular fans and reduces delays when buying food and drink, it can be a bit daunting for the one-off visitor from overseas.  Using the system, however, is very straightforward.  When you get inside, go to one of the countless kiosks issuing ‘Knappenkarten’.  The card is free, and you can load on as much money as you are likely to spend.  When you want to buy something you hand over your card and then say what you want.  They will then take the cost from your card.  If you don’t spend all your money, you can get a refund before you leave.

Going home is not quite a simple as arriving.  Although extra trams and buses are laid on, moving 60,000 people is time-consuming, and so it can take you a while to get back to the town centre.  Similarly, Gelsenkirchen station and departing trains can be crowded for a while after games.

My advice would be not to rush home.  If you can, stay for a drink or two after the game.  Stop off for something to eat in the city centre before catching your train.

Before every game, the entire stadium stands and sings along to the miners’ anthem: ‘das Steigerlied’.  At the same time, black and white footage of mining scenes is shown on the big screen.  This moving tribute to those who have gone before will give you goosebumps.  The song dates back to the 16th century and is sung in mining areas all over Germany, as well as at political rallies. It’s about miners preparing for a long hard shift and hoping to get back to the surface safely.  It starts and ends with the traditional miners’ greeting of ‘Glück auf’.

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Understanding Schalke 04

FC Schalke 04 at a glance

Website: http://www.schalke04.de/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/S04.en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/s04_en

Email: kundenservice@schalke04.de

Telephone: +49 (0) 180 622 1904

Online Ticket Shop: https://store.schalke04.de/tickets/schalke-04-spiele/heimspiele/

Ground: Veltins-Arena

Capacity: 62,271

Average attendance 16/17: 60,703

Address: Arenaring 1, 45891 Gelsenkirchen

Colours: Blue white

Nickname: die Königsblauen (the royal blues), die Knappen (the miners)

VfL Bochum

Like many German football clubs, VfL Bochum 1848 proudly carries the date of its birth in its name.  Although it’s not quite a straightforward as it would at first appear, the club’s name and history are intertwined. In 1848 a gymnastics club called Turnverein zu Bochum was formed.  The new club was then banned for political reasons in 1852 and re-established in 1860.  In 1904 the date of its birth was added to the club name and football was first played in 1911.  There was another name-change in 1924 to Turn-und Sportverein Bochum 1848, before all three Bochum sports clubs were re-organised by the Nazis into a club called VfL Bochum. In 1949, over one hundred years after the first sporting organisation was formed, the football section was defined as a separate entity carrying its current name VfL Bochum 1848.

The 30,000 seater Vonovia Ruhrstadion is designed so that spectators are as close as possible to the action and no seat is more than 30 metres from the pitch.  This creates an intense atmosphere.

Apart from local derbies, games are rarely sold out, so you can probably get a ticket on the day.  If, like me, you like to plan ahead, use the Online Ticket Shop.  You can choose and pay for your seat and even print out your ticket before you leave home.  You can also get a ticket at the tourist information office at Huestraße 9. There will be someone there who can speak English and who can advise you on where best to sit.

Another advantage of getting a ticket ahead of the game is that your ticket entitles you to free travel on public transport to and from the ground.

Getting there is straightforward. From Bochum central station you take an underground train (U308), which soon goes overground, and get off at the stop called Vonovia Ruhrstadion.  The stadium is across the road.  It is worth getting there well before kickoff. The area around the ground is usually teeming with fans well before it opens, meeting friends, eating sausage or drinking beer.

Before going inside take a walk to the back of the stadium. There is a covered area with catering outlets and a shop. Images of miners and pitheads on flags, scarves and souvenirs point to the town’s history. Interestingly, unlike most German football fans, you will see quite a few people wearing scarves celebrating good relations with Bayern Munich.  You might well also see a few Leicester City scarves, as there has been a link between the two sets of fans for over ten years.

VfL Bochum 1848 at a glance

Website: http://www.vfl-bochum.de/site/start_en.htm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meinVfL/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vflbochum1848ev

Email:   info@vfl-bochum.de

Telephone: +49 (0) 235951848

Online Ticket Shop: https://eventimsports.de/ols/vflbochum1848/

Ground: Vonovia Ruhrstadion

Address: Castroper Straße 145 44791 Bochum

Capacity: 29,299

Average attendance 16/17: 16,933

Colours:  Blue and white

Nickname: die Unabsteigbaren (those that can’t be relegated)

VfL Osnabrück

The full name of this old club is Verein für Leibesübungen von 1899 e.V. Osnabrück. Its story started in 1899 when a number of “wild” clubs came together to become Fußball Club 1899 Osnabrück. The club’s early history is a complicated story of mergers, splits and name changes – and the current name first appeared in 1925.

After the war, the club was placed in Oberliga Nord where it did well in a league which also contained Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen and FC St Pauli. When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Osnabrück joined the second tier Regionalliga Nord and then the 2. Bundesliga. Despite coming close on several occasions, the club was never able to gain promotion to the Bundesliga.

In 2009 VfL Osnabrück was relegated to the 3. Liga where it has remained for the last eight seasons.

The Bremer Brücke first opened in 1931, but it has been refurbished a number of times and thanks to a recent expansion now has a capacity of 16,667 with 10,475 standing places. A standing ticket costs 11 and a seat between 25 and 29 euros.

There is an online shop and you can also order tickets by phone (49180301899) and at the Tourist Information Office on Bierstraße. There are two Fan Shops – one at the stadium and one on Krahnstraße. They also sell tickets.

Osnabrück is just about within reach of Düsseldorf – it will take you about two and a half hours to get there, with one change. The cheapest way to travel is with the SchönerTag Ticket – 30 euros for one person and 44 euros for up to five travellers and valid for a whole day from 9 am on trains (except for IC and EC), trams, buses and underground right across North Rhine-Westfalia. Plan your journey on the VRR website.

Bus numbers 91, 92, 31, 32, 33, 81, 82 will all take you from the station to the Bremer Brücke.

VfL Osnabrück at a glance

Website: http://www.vfl.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VfLOsnabrueck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vfl_1899/

Email: info@vfl.de

Telephone: +49(0) 541 770870

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.lms-ticket.de/vfl-osnabrueck/ajax.aspx?sub=Home

Ground: Osnatel Arena

Capacity: 16,667

Average attendance 16/17: 9,231

Address: Scharnhorststraße, 49084 Osnabrück

3. Liga

Whenever I am in Germany, I try to take in at least one 3. Liga game before or after a Bundesliga encounter. It’s a very different experience, but I have never been disappointed.

The crowds are smaller. This makes it easier to get a ticket. For most games at most clubs, you can pay on the day. The smaller scale means stewards and officials are more relaxed, helpful and welcoming. And of course, you don’t have to wait for as long for food and drink or waste half-time queuing for the toilets. Not having to use public transport with 50,000 others makes arriving and leaving much simpler.

Many 3. Liga grounds are either new or recently refurbished, so facilities are usually excellent. Food and drink is cheaper and often of better quality than in bigger outfits. Most stadiums have more standing places and you feel much more involved.

These clubs are within range of Düsseldorf.

MSV Duisburg

Real football fans are loyal and true and stick with their team through the bad as well as the good times. They don’t defect to other clubs in search of glory. They keep coming back year after year.  Each new season begins with the expectation of better things to come, and each game with the hope of a good performance.

The followers of MSV Duisburg are most definitely real football fans. They have had precious little to celebrate for years, and they have had more than their fair share of bad times.

Their club – nicknamed the Zebras after its blue and white striped kit – was once a force to be reckoned with. But since the 1980s, fans have endured the torture of following one of German football’s ‘elevator’ sides up and down the divisions.  And yet they still come in their thousands each week to get behind their team.

MSV Duisburg plays in the snappily named Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, which opened in 2005. It has a capacity of 30,000, including 7,000 standing places, cost 43 million euros to build and is one of the most modern venues in Germany.

Games are rarely sold out, so you can usually get tickets on the day.  You can also order tickets in advance from the online shop and then use the Print@home facility to print them before you set off.  The online shop is unfortunately only in German, but it’s easy enough to work your way through. You can also get a ticket at the Ruhr Visitor Centre in the town centre (in CityPalais on Königstraße). Standing tickets cost 11 euros and seats from 15 euros. Your ticket entitles you to free travel on public transport (except intercity trains) to and from the game.

Travelling to see MSV not difficult. The 934 bus will take you from Stop 5 outside the station and drop you off right in front of the stadium.

The S1 train between Dortmund and Solingen stops at a local station called DU Schlenk Bf, which is only ten minutes walk away.

MSV Duisburg at a glance

Website: https://www.msv-duisburg.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MSV.Duisburg/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSVDuisburg

Email: info@msv-duisburg.de

Telephone: +49(0) 20393100

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/msv/

Ground: Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena

Capacity: 31,500

Average attendance 16/17: 14,174

Address: Margaretenstraße 5-7, 47055 Duisburg

Colours: Blue white

Nickname: Die Zebras

Preußen Münster

300,000 people live in Münster – and 50,000 of them are students. It’s an old, historic city that was founded in the early middle ages and its rich history is reflected in its many old buildings.

Münster claims to be Germany’s bicycle capital. The bicycle is the most common way for residents to get around and there is a car-free ring around the city centre. The city also recently won an award for being one of the nicest places to live in the world.

SC Preußen 06 Münster was founded in 1906 and was a founding member of the German Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963. The club’s greatest achievement was to come second in the German championship in 1951. In recent years Preußen Münster has struggled with financial difficulties and inconsistent performance and for a time they dropped out of the professional leagues altogether. Recent improvements have led to promotion to the 3. Liga in 2011 and steady top-half finishes every year.

They play in the Preußenstadion and last season achieved a highly respectable average attendance of 7,220.

Games are rarely sold out, so you can probably get a ticket on the day.  If you like to plan ahead, use the Online Ticket Shop.

A standing ticket costs 12.80 euros. Seats cost between 20.50 euros and 24.90 euros. Unless you really need to sit during the game, I would advise you to buy a ticket for Block L. This is the most popular area of the ground, so you will get the chance to stand amongst lots of very vocal fans. At the same time, you will be able to see and hear the hard-core fans behind the goal.

You can get to there by bus (1, 5 and 9 from the station to “Preußenstadion”), but it’s just as easy to go on foot.

As you leave the station follow the signs for the Altstadt. After about five minutes you will reach a wide tree-lined path which runs around the town centre. Turn left here and follow the path until you reach a roundabout. Take the third exit onto Hammer Straße and just keep walking until you get to the stadium.

When it was built in 1926, this was one of the most modern in Germany. Although the club is implementing a programme to bring it up to date, this is most definitely not the case today. But in my opinion, that is why it’s such a great place to experience German football.

If you prefer a bit of comfort and protection from the weather, there is a covered seated section along one side of the pitch (Blocks A to F). The opposite stand (Blocks K and L) is also covered, but standing only. This section gets really full and generates a great atmosphere. The hard-core fans gather behind the goal in Blocks M, N and O. This section is not covered.

There is an open space just inside the stadium which contains stalls selling very reasonably priced food and drink. This is a great place to have a Bratwurst and a beer before the game. There are also outlets behind the stands on either side of the pitch.

Preußen Münster at a glance

Website: http://www.scpreussen-muenster.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scpreussen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Preussen06

Email: info@scpreussen-muenster.de

Telephone: +49(0) 251 987270

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.eventimsports.de/ols/scpreussen/

Ground: Preußenstadion

Capacity: 15,000

Average attendance 16/17: 7,075

Address: Hammer Straße, 48153 Münster

Colours: Black white green

Nickname: Preußen

Colours: Purple white

Nickname: Lila-Weiß (the lily whites

Regionalliga West

Below the 3. Liga German football is divided into regional leagues. Regionalliga West is the one nearest to Düsseldorf and contains several interesting clubs.

Rot-Weiß Essen

Rot-Weiß Essen (or RWE) is the classic Ruhrgebiet football club, and its history is inextricably linked to that of the region.

Founded next door to a mine, right in the middle of Germany’s industrial heartland the club had a ready supply of fans wanting a distraction from their tough daily lives, and a steady stream of young men who saw football as the only alternative to life down the pit or in the steelworks.  As a result, RWE flourished in the first half of the 20th century.

The club’s fall since the 1960s mirrors the decline of traditional heavy industries in the Ruhr region and the accompanying economic, social and cultural changes.

In recent years the club has faced daunting financial problems and has languished in the shadow of bigger neighbours like Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund. The 1953 Cup Winners and 1955 Champions now play their football in the fourth-tier Regionalliga West and relegation is a constant worry.

But like many across the region, RWE fans remain loyal to their club.  They are proud of their heritage and doggedly determined to achieve a better future.  They cheer on their club in a brand new stadium built in partnership with the city.

Their motto is:

RWE war wer – RWE ist wer – RWE bleibt wer!

(RWE was  special – RWE is special – RWE will always be special)

Stadion Essen is one of the nicest venues to watch a game of football.  It’s brand new and has a capacity of 20,650, including 9,040 standing places. The ground is very compact and comfortable.  Wherever you sit or stand, you have a clear view and are close to the action on the pitch. Prices for food and drink are very reasonable – you will get a beer and a Bratwurst for under 5 euros.

Standing places cost 10 euros and seats up to 18 euros. You can buy them on the day or order ahead with the online ticket shop. The site is in German but working your way through it is straightforward. It will cost you an extra 6.90 euros to have them sent to your home address.

The simplest way to get there is by train. Take any train from Düsseldorf to Duisburg, where you change onto the S2 towards Dortmund. You get out at Essen-Bergeborbeck, and it’s then a short walk to the ground.  There are also plenty of buses and a tram (SB16) from Essen station.

Rot-Weiß Essen at a glance

Website: http://www.rot-weiss-essen.de/start/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rot.Weiss.Essen1907

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rot_Weiss_Essen

Email:  info@rot-weiss-essen.de

Telephone: +49 (0)201 – 86 144 0

Online ticket shop: https://www.lms-ticket.de/rot-weiss-essen/ajax.aspx?sub=shop&id=65dfb51a-6747-4eee-8a1f-aeaf914e3753

Ground: Stadion Essen

Capacity: 20,650

Average attendance 2016/17: 7,865Address: Hafenstraße 97A, 45356 Essen

Colours: Red white

Alemannia Aachen

Aachen’s history dates back to the early middle ages and for many years it was the home of the German kings who ruled the Holy Roman Empire.  It is also home to Alemannia Aachen. Founded in 1900, it is one of Germany’s oldest football clubs. The club currently plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga West (finishing 7th in 2016/17). Despite its relatively lowly status, Alemannia Aachen has a large, passionate and hugely loyal fanbase and the Tivoli stadium is well worth a visit.

It is one of Germany’s newest grounds. It was designed very much with the football fan in mind. A third of its 32,000 places are designated for standing and the structure of the terraces aim to maximise the atmosphere. Average attendance in 2016/17 was 6,500. So you will almost certainly be able to get a ticket on the day.

A direct train from Düsseldorf to Aachen will take about 90 minutes. The cheapest ticket to get will be a Schöner Tag Ticket. To get to the ground, you take the bus 51 (towards Baesweiler Reyplatz) and get off at Sportpark Soers. On match days there are also shuttle buses to and from the ground.

Alemannia Aachen at a glance

Website: http://www.alemannia-aachen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlemanniaAachen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alemannia_AC

Email contact form:

https://www.alemannia-tickets.de/alemannia-tickets/ajax.aspx/kontaktanfrage.html

Telephone: +49(0)18011

Online ticket shop: https://www.alemannia-tickets.de/alemannia-tickets/

Ground: Tivoli Stadion

Capacity: 32,960

Average attendance 2016/17: 6,506

Address: Krefelder Straße 205, 52070 Aachen

Colours: Black yellow

Rot-Weiß Oberhausen

SC Rot-Weiß Oberhausen plays in the Niederrheinstadion, which has a capacity of 21,318, including 16,000 standing places.

Built in 1926, the stadium has been renovated several times – most recently in 1998 – and is a comfortable, modern, fan-friendly place to watch football.

When planning your visit you might want to bear in mind that there is a running track between the pitch and the stands, so you don’t want to stand or sit too far back. You also need to be aware that some parts of some stands are not covered – and it does rain quite often in the Ruhrgebiet.

Unless it’s a local derby, you will be able to buy a ticket on the day.  It will cost you 8.50 euros for a standing place with the hardcore fans on the Emscherkurve, and between 17.00 and 20.00 euros for a seat.

If, like me, you prefer to get your ticket beforehand, go to the STOAG-Kundencenter (a customer service centre) at the station.  There is also an Online Ticket Shop.

Your ticket entitles you to free travel on public transport to and from the game and getting there could not be simpler. Take the RE3 or RE5 train to Oberhausen Station. On match days a fleet of fan buses take fans to and from the ground.

Rot-Weiß Oberhausen at a glance

Website: https://www.rwo-online.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rwoberhausen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWO_offiziell

Email: info@rwo-online.de

Telephone: +49(0) 2 08 970 97 0

Online ticket shop: https://www.lms-ticket.de/rwo/

Ground: Stadion Niederrhein

Capacity: 21,316

Average attendance 2016/17: 2,094

Address: Lindnerstraße 2-6, 46149 Oberhausen

Colours: Red white

Fortuna Köln

If you like underdogs, then Fortuna Köln is the team for you. The club was founded in 1948, worked its way through the leagues to join the Bundesliga in 1973, but spent most of the last forty years in lower divisions.

After a brilliant run (knocking out Braunschweig, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund on the way) Fortuna made it to the 1983 German Cup Final only to lose to local rivals 1. FC Köln. In 1986 they narrowly missed out on promotion.

From 1967 to 2000 the club had massive financial support from its millionaire president, Jean Löring, but when he was ousted in 2000, the club drifted back down the divisions, declared bankrupt and dissolved in 2005.

The current club was re-formed in 2008 and made it back into the third division two years ago.

Fortuna plays at the Südstadion. This is quite a small stadium, with uncovered standing on three sides. There is a covered area with seats on one side where you can sit wherever you want. You can buy beer and sausages inside the ground and there is also a stall selling scarves, shirts and memorabilia.

Unless it is a local derby, you will probably be able to buy a ticket on the day. If you do want to buy in advance, there is an Online Ticket Shop. Choosing to use the Print@Home service means you can print your ticket before you set off. The only complication is that you have to register before you can order.

The best atmosphere is on the East side (Stehplatz Mitte). This is where the loudest fans gather.

You can get to the ground using public transport. Outside Cologne station, you take the underground (U5) to Friesenplatz and change there onto the S12 going towards Zollstock. You get off at Pohligstrasse (6 stops) and you can see the Süd Stadion from there.

You go in at Gate 3 if you are sitting and Gate 2 if you are standing.

Fortuna Köln at a glance

Website: https://www.fortuna-koeln.de/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fortunakoeln

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fortuna_koeln

Email: service@fortuna-koeln.de

Telephone: +49(0) 221 998966121

Online Ticket Shop: https://www.koelnticket.de/fortuna-koeln/

Ground: Südstadion

Capacity: 11,748

Average attendance 16/17: 2,128

Address: Siegburger Straße 215, 50679 Köln

Colours: Red white

Find out more about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

The fall of the Berlin Wall: how it changed East German football.

The fall of the Berlin Wall – 9th November 1989

The 9th November was the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – the concrete monstrosity that had divided a city and a country since 1961. This month people across the world, and particularly in Germany, have been recalling that fantastic evening when the crossing points opened and citizens of the communist East Germany flocked into the western half of Berlin. It was a significant moment in the gradual fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In less than a year Germany would be reunited. What is more, life in both halves of the country would change forever. And the fall of the Wall also meant massive changes to football – particularly in the eastern part of the country.

East German football before the fall of the Berlin Wall

East German football was good at youth level. The national team won tournaments in 1965 and 1970, were European champions in 1986  and came 3rd in the Youth Cup in 1987. Above all, there was a strong system to identify and develop talented young players who were then developed by excellent youth coaches.

The national team was less successful. Some say this is down to the East German political system which focussed on the group rather than the individual – so when things went wrong, there was no one individual able to step forward and take the lead. Former players themselves have said they lacked often nerve on the big occasion. As foreign travel was very restricted it might simply be that East German players lacked international experience.

East German football clubs – some interesting names but little success

East German teams were certainly not the strongest in Europe, but the likes of Fiorentina, Inter, Leeds, Porto, Juventus and Barcelona all lost games there. Magdeburg won the Cup-Winners Cup in 1974, and Carl Zeiss Jena reached the final in 1981.

The communists saw football not just as a sport, but also as part of education and nation-building. So when they communists took over after the war, they renamed many traditional teams.

  1. Clubs with Dynamo (Dresden, Leipzig) in their name were linked to the security police – the infamous Stasi
  2. The inclusion of the word Vorwärts (forwards) meant a link to the armed forces (
  3. Works teams included industry references in their names: for example Chemie Leipzig, Lokomotiv Leipzig, Stahl Brandenburg
  4. Clubs with no affiliations – for example, FC Magdeburg

Top politicians used clubs as personal playthings. Players and sometimes whole teams were moved at the direction of powerful men such as Eric Mielke – (head of the Stasi)  and Harry Tisch (Union boss). There were informers in every team because the authorities were terrified that top players would abscond to the west. Because the party decided which referees got to officiate international games, there was always a suspicion that disputed decisions went to the teams favoured by party leaders.

How did German football come together?

1990-91 was the last season of divided football. By the beginning of the next season, football had reunited. Which East German team joined which division in an expanded structure was decided partly by performance over the previous season and partly by competition. The top two teams – Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden were given places straight away. The next four teams – Erfurt, Halle, Chemnitz and Jena – joined the 2. Bundesliga. The bottom six teams and the two who would have won promotion from the league before played a qualifying competition for a final two places. The two winners were Lokomotive Leipzig and Stahl Brandenburg.

What happened next?

Wealthy West German clubs flocked eastwards snapping up established players and promising trainees. As a result, by 1995 150  former first division players had moved to Bundesliga clubs.

Top players who moved westwards at this time included Matthias Sammer (Stuttgart) Andreas Thom(Leverkusen), Ulf Kirsten (Leverkusen), Jörg Stübner (dropped to amateur leagues) Thomas Doll (Hamburg), Frank Rohde(Hamburg) Rico Steinmann (1 FC Köln) Rainer Ernst (Kaiserslautern) Dirk Schuster (Braunschweig) Most players, who had benefited from excellent coaching, thrived in the west. Others never entirely adjusted to the changes. Jörg Stübner, for example, found himself beset by self-doubt and never played at the highest level again.

All East German clubs struggled in this new world. Unscrupulous agents fleeced players and officials not used to the ways of capitalism. A strong fanbase was not enough to stay afloat if these fans could not afford Bundesliga prices. Because of these pressures, clubs struggled to hold on to good players and gradually dropped through the divisions. Some East German football clubs disappeared altogether.

Hansa Rostock were relegated at the end of the first season. Although the club enjoyed ten years in the Bundesliga from 1995 Rostock now play in 3. Liga.

Dresden survived in the Bundesliga for four years, but accumulated massive debts along the way. Now they play in 2 Bundesliga.

And none of the six clubs who joined the second division are still playing at that level. Three – Halle, Chemnitz and Jena  are in the 3. Liga. Erfurt and Lok Leipzig are one division lower and Stahl Brandenburg, who came third in the last Oberliga season are now in the 6th tier Brandburgliga.

But it wasn’t all bad news. Other East German clubs emerged from the shadows to eventually hold their own in the new world. Energie Cottbus has managed two three-year stints in the Bundesliga. Union Berlin won promotion to the Bundesliga last season. Erzgebirge Aue, a small village to the far east of the country are holding their own in the 2 Bundesliga.

Where are the top teams from 1991?

These tables show the top teams from East and West Germany at the end of the 1990-91 season and where they are playing today. It’s interesting to see how many big names from the West are still around, but how few from the East.

 

Oberliga 1991

Today

Hansa Rostock 3. Liga
Dynamo Dresden 2. Bundesliga
Rot Weiß Erfurt Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Halle 3. Liga
Chemnitzer FC 3. Liga
Carl Zeiss Jena 3. Liga
Lokomotive Leipzig Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Stahl Brandenburg Brandenburgliga (6th tier)
Stahl Eisenhüttenstadt Dissolved 2016
1. FC Magdeburg 3. Liga
FC Berlin Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Sachsen Leipzig Dissolved 2011
Energie Cottbus Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Viktoria Frankfurt Brandenburgliga (6th tier)
Union Berlin (promoted) Bundesliga
FSV Zwickau 3. Liga

Bundesliga 1991

Today

Kaiserslautern 3. Liga
Bayern München Bundesliga
Werder Bremen Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga
Hamburger SV 2. Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart 2. Bundesliga
1.FC Köln Bundesliga
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga
SG Wattenscheid Declared insolvent 2019
Fortuna Düsseldorf Bundesliga
Karlsruher SC 2. Bundesliga
VfL Bochum 2. Bundesliga
1.FC Nürnberg 2. Bundesliga
FC St Pauli 2. Bundesliga
Bayer 05 Uerdingen 3. Liga (now KFC Uerdingen)
Hertha Berlin Bundesliga
Schalke 04 (promoted) Bundesliga
MSV Duisburg (promoted) 3. Liga
Stuttgarter Kickers (promoted) Oberliga Baden-Württenberg (5th tier)

Where can I find out more about East German football?

Books about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

The German football season comes to an end

Another German football season is over.

Who were at the winners and losers?

Which teams will be playing where next year?

 

The Bundesliga – excitement right to the end

Yet again Bayern München are Bundesliga champions, but Borussia Dortmund chased them to the very last game. For a time it even looked as if Dortmund might be able to knock Bayern off their pedestal. As recently as February the Munich team were seven points behind. Although Bayern eventually inched ahead, only two points separated the two teams on the final day. Despite beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 2:0 Dortmund finished the season two points behind the champions. Had Bayern lost against Frankfurt on the same day, Dortmund would have won the league.

The best of the rest

Dortmund will join third and fourth-placed RB Leipzig and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in next season’s Champions League.

The final day defeat to Dortmund means Borussia Mönchengladbach miss out on a Champions League place. But they will join VfL Wolfsburg in the Europa League. Eintracht Frankfurt had a brilliant season, playing exciting and attractive football. for a while had a real chance of finishing in the Bundesliga top four. Instead, by finishing 7th they have just pipped Werder Bremen to the final Europa League qualifiers slot.

Going down

At the other end of the table 1 FC Nürnberg, Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart drop down to the second tier.  

Coming up

1 FC Köln have bounced back to the first division after just one season in the second division. They are joined by SC Paderborn 07 who end a rollercoaster five-year sequence of crises, relegations, promotions and changes of coach by finishing second.

Union Berlin just missed out on automatic promotion, but beat VfB Stuttgart in the promotion/relegation playoffs.

Biggest disappointment

FC Schalke 04 fans are probably this season’s most disappointed supporters. A second place finish in 2017/18 and the prospect of European football meant there was huge anticipation in the Veltins Arena that the Gelsenkirchen club would start to fulfil its huge potential. As it turned out Schalke finished 14th and only just avoided relegation.

German football teams in Europe

In 2018/19 German clubs under-performed in Europe. TSG Hoffenheim and FC Schalke 04 failed to progress past the group stage and both Bayern and Dortmund were eliminated in the first knockout stage by Liverpool and Spurs.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen and RB Leipzig were knocked out of the Europa League at the group stage.

Eintracht Frankfurt bucked the trend and came agonisingly close to reaching the final of the Europa League – losing a penalty shootout to Chelsea in the semi-final.

2 Bundesliga – another drop for Ingolstadt

MSV Duisburg and 1 FC Magdeburg are automatically relegated to the third division. They are joined by Ingolstadt 04 who failed to beat Wehen Wiesbaden to avoid the drop.

3. Liga – Osnabrück have a fantastic season

VfL Osnabrück, Karlsruher SC and Wehen Wiesbaden all go up.

VfR Aalen, Fortuna Köln, Sportfreunde Lotte, Energie Cottbus drop down to the Regionalligen.

Their places will be taken by Viktoria Köln, Chemnitz FC, Waldhof Mannheim and Bayern II.

DFB Cup – another trophy for Bayern

On 25 May Bayern München beat RB Leipzig in the cup final in Berlin, winning all three domestic trophies yet again.

The top three leagues 2019/2020

Find out more about German Football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

The DFB Pokal – the German FA Cup

The German FA Cup gets underway

The German equivalent of the FA Cup is called the DFB Pokal. And like the FA Cup it is organised so that as many clubs as possible have a chance to take part. There are 64 clubs in the first round: all the Bundesliga and 2 Bundesliga teams as well as the top four from the third division. The other places are taken by the winners of regional cup competitions. This makes regional competitions about more than local rivalries as in theory any club has the chance to progress to the final rounds.

If you are planning to be in Germany in August – perhaps for the start of the football season – why not include a cup game in your plans?

DFB Pokal - The German FA Cup

Giant killing always a possibility

The DFB – the German Football Association – organises the cup to provide lower league clubs with additional income as well as opportunities for their fans to see bigger teams. And of course, as in the UK, giant killing is part of the magic of the cup.

The first round is seeded and the draw is made from two pots. The first consists of all the Bundesliga sides and the top 14 from the 2 Bundesliga. The second pot contains the rest. The first game is always played at the home ground of the team from the second pot.

Cup clashes to look out for

This year’s draw took place at the German Football Museum in Dortmund on 15 June and the first round games will take place between the 9th and 12th August. We will learn exact days and times nearer the event, but we already know there will be some very interesting encounters.

Bayern München are up against Energie Cottbus who last played in the Bundesliga in 2009. Cottbus were relegated to the fourth division last season, so on paper should not cause Bayern too many problems – but the team will be keen to make up for last year’s disappointments with a strong performance.

Bayer Leverkusen travel 50 miles west to play Alemannia Aachen. Although currently in the fourth division Aachen have a large and passionate fanbase who will see the game as more than just a derby. The crowd will be loud and noisy.

Borussia Dortmund go few miles down the Rhine to play KFC Uerdingen who are managed by former Dortmund stalwart Kevin Grosskreuz. Uerdingen are currently renovating their stadium and will be playing home games this season at the Merkur Spiel-Arena – home of Fortuna Düsseldorf. Given the proximity of the two cities and the passion of both sets of fans, we can expect a high turnout.

The DFB Pokal - the German FA Cup. VfL Osnabruck could provide a first round upset

The best chance of a slip-up?

Another interesting cup clash is between newly promoted VfL Osnabrück and RB Leipzig. Osnabrück had a wonderful season last year and their players will be brimming with confidence. They also have vocal and passionate fans who will fill the Bremer Brücke stadium, create a great atmosphere and make life very uncomfortable for Leipzig’s superstars.

The first round draw of the DFB Pokal – the German FA Cup

  • Energie Cottbus vs. Bayern Munich
  • KFC Uerdingen vs. Borussia Dortmund
  • Ulm vs. Heidenheim
  • Wacker Nordhausen vs. Aue
  • Verl vs. Augsburg
  • Drochtersen/Assel vs. Schalke
  • Wehen Wiesbaden vs. Cologne
  • Karlsruhe vs. Hannover
  • Villingen vs. Düsseldorf
  • Waldhof Mannheim vs. Eintracht Frankfurt
  • Rödinghausen vs. Paderborn
  • Salmrohr vs. Kiel
  • Magdeburg vs. Freiburg
  • Eichstätt vs. Hertha Berlin
  • Ingolstadt vs. Nuremberg
  • Saarbrücken vs. Regensburg
  • Oberneuland vs. Darmstadt
  • Dassendorf vs. Dresden
  • Chemnitz vs. Hamburg
  • Delmenhorst vs. Werder Bremen
  • Kaiserslautern vs. Mainz
  • Würzburg vs. Hoffenheim
  • Osnabrück vs. RB Leipzig
  • Lübeck vs. St. Pauli
  • Viktoria 1889 vs. Bielefeld
  • Rostock vs. Stuttgart
  • Duisburg vs. Fürth
  • Baunatal vs. Bochum
  • Alemannia Aachen vs. Leverkusen
  • Sandhausen vs. Gladbach
  • Halle vs. Wolfsburg
  • Halberstadt vs. Union Berlin

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Find out more about German Football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

Building the Yellow Wall: The Incredible Rise and Cult Appeal of Borussia Dortmund – A Review

Understanding Borussia Dortmund

Have you ever wondered why Borussia Dortmund has such devoted supporters? Do you want to know how this old club came to have the most famous stand in Europe – the Yellow Wall?

This excellent book by Uli Hesse will give you the answer to these and many more questions about Borussia Dortmund and its Yellow Wall.

A fan’s perspective

It starts at one of the low points in recent history, telling the story from the perspective of a 10-year-old fan of the moment in 1986, when Dortmund, mired in financial problems and struggling on the pitch looked sure to be relegated from the Bundesliga and might have gone out of business altogether. The fan in question was Lars Ricken who was to be a member of Dortmund’s Champions League-winning team ten years later.

Stormy beginnings

The book then goes right back to the beginning of the last century when a group of determined young men set up a football team against the fierce opposition of their church and priest and tells the story of this Borussia Dortmund from then until the present day. The book ends with a beautiful description of Jason Sanchez’s first game for Borussia Dortmund when he scored a goal and assisted another.

Local rivals

It covers the fierce rivalry with neighbours FC Schalke 04, the successes in the league and Europe, the financial bubbles and the near disasters of the early 2000s. There are stories and anecdotes and descriptions of dramatic moments. It covers the fans and their culture – and, of course, that Yellow Wall.

More than just a football book

However, this is much more than yet another football book full of match reports and statistics.

Uli Hesse is a Borussia Dortmund fan and an experienced, well-connected journalist. So he tells the story of his club through the eyes of the supporters, players, managers and business leaders. He also knows the rich history of Dortmund and the Ruhrgebiet – Germany’s industrial heartland – and understands how vital local clubs are to their communities.

The result is entertaining and highly accessible. Hesse’s gift for scene-setting and story-telling brings key moments to life. His journalist’s insistence on research, detail and accuracy makes his account credible. Above all, his passion for football, his club and his region shine through.

“Building the Yellow Wall” is one of the best football books I have ever read and is a superb example of how to write entertaining and engaging non-fiction.

Also by Uli Hesse

Going to watch Hertha Berlin

Going to watch Hertha Berlin is a must for any football trip to Berlin. The full name of this historic club is Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892. Hertha BSC was one of the founder members of the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB), which came together in 1900, and of the Bundesliga, which was founded in 1963. Since 1997 Hertha have spent all but two seasons in the Bundesliga and came 10th in 2017/18.

Hertha Berlin’s nickname is “die alte Dame”, which means “the old lady. The club’s colours are blue and white.

Stadium

Since 1963 Hertha have played in the Olympiastadion, which was initially built for the 1936 Olympics.

It has the highest permanent seating capacity in Germany (74,475) and is the second largest stadium in the country (the largest is Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park). Average attendance in 2017/18 was 45,319.

Despite its age, the stadium has had several major renovations and now has a partial roof.

The German national team plays here, and the stadium hosted six matches in the 2006 world cup.  It is also used for cup finals, including the 2015 Champions League final.

Olympiastadion - Home to Hertha Berlin

Tickets

Prices start at 15 euros. There is an online ticket shop. You can also order tickets by phone (+49 (0)1806 – 51 53 01) or email via a contact form on the website.

Getting to Berlin

Berlin has two international airports.

Berlin-Tegel is to the north-west of the city and Berlin-Schönefeld to the south-east. The two airports run a combined website, which will give you a good idea of departure points.

Getting into town is simple:

  • From Tegel, bus 128  will take you to “Kurt-Schumacher-Platz” where you can take the U6 underground into the city centre.
  • The S9 and S45 trains link Schönefeld to the city transport system. A taxi will cost about 25 euros.

There are regular trains between Berlin and Leipzig. You can order a ticket with Deutsche Bahn or Loco2.

Getting to the Olympiastadion

The club website has clear instructions (in English) to help you get to the ground.

You can get all the way to the Olympiastadion by underground (U2), train (S5) and bus (M49 and 21)

Inside the Olympiastadion

There is a cashless payment system inside the ground: you buy a card which is charged with 10 euros and use it to buy food and drink.  If you need more, you can top it up at machines, and if you don’t spend it all, you can get a refund after the game.

Other things to do in Berlin

You could spend weeks in Berlin and still not see and do everything this fantastic city has to offer. Assuming you are only here for a couple of days and will be spending at least some of your time on football, here a few things and places you might like to try.

See the city from a double-decker bus

A 24-hour hop-on-hop-off bus ticket costs 22 euros and lets you see all the main sights, getting off and on as the mood takes you. There are two routes. If you stayed on board all the time, each would take you two hours. If you pay 34 euros, you can also take a boat trip. There is a commentary in English, and it’s a great way to work out the geography of the city and decide what you want to do next.

Spend a morning in the city centre.

There are several key sights all within walking distance of each other:

The Brandenburg Gate

This was initially conceived as an arch of peace, but it has often been used to glorify war and military power. For example, in 1933 the Nazis staged a massive torchlight procession through the gate to signify the start of their “1,000 Year Reich”.

During the Cold War, the gate was right next to the Berlin Wall. It was here that US President Reagan gave his famous speech after the Wall was removed, and today it is used as a setting for events, celebrations and concerts.

Reichstag

The German parliament meets here. The building is topped by a magnificent domed roof, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. If you walk to the top, you can enjoy outstanding views of the city. An audio guide tells you about the building and its history, as well as identifying the main structures nearby. For security reasons, you have to book this visit in advance and bring your passport with you.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

This monument, which is sited between the Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz, was built in remembrance of the Jews murdered by the Nazis during their reign of terror. It consists of thousands of concrete blocks.

Potsdamer Platz and the Sony Centre

Once the centre of Berlin, this large square was devastated during the war. And then, because the Berlin Wall cut it in two, it remained a wasteland until the 1990s. Since reunification, it has been renovated. The Sony Centre is a quite remarkable modern collection of restaurants, shops, offices and appartments. The architect, Helmut Jahn, wanted to create a sheltered public space with as much light as possible and so placed a huge textile roof over the square in the centre. At night there is a constantly changing light display in the roof which you can see right across the city. You can find out more about this intriguing place here (https://www.sonycenter.de/en/architecture)

If you are interested in cinema and TV, you might like to visit the Museum for Film and Television (https://potsdamerplatz.de/en/entertainment-culture/around-the-potsdamer-platz/deutsche-kinemathek/), which hosts a permanent exhibition about the history of the industry in Germany.

Checkpoint Charlie

When the city was divided by the Berlin Wall, there were several heavily guarded crossing points between East and West. This is probably the most famous.  There is a museum showing the desperate measures East Germans adopted to try and escape – and how brutally the East German regime tried to stop them. Find out more here (https://www.visitberlin.de/en/mauermuseum-museum-haus-am-checkpoint-charlie-wall-museum)

Wander down the Kurfürstendamm

This 2 miles long tree-lined boulevard is packed with shops, restaurants and pavement cafes. Before the Wall came down this was pretty much the centre of West Berlin, and it still feels more like a city in the west of the country. Right next to the “Ku’damm” you will find the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. This is the ruin of a church which was hit by bombs in 1943. It has been left unrestored as a reminder of the costs of way. One of the centrepieces of the exhibition inside is a cross made of nails retrieved from the rubble of Coventry Cathedral, which was also destroyed during the war.

Visit the Berlin War Memorial

Most of the wall which cruelly divided this city from 1961 to 1989 has been removed, but this 1.4-kilometre stretch has been left to remind us of what it was like to be in a city divided by concrete, barbed wire and machine guns. You can walk along the ‘death zone’ between the inner and outer walls. Of course, the floodlights, guard dogs and trip wires have been removed, but a watchtower remains and displays explain just how brutally the East German authorities stopped their citizens from leaving. There is also a free exhibition at the visitor centre which describes the history of the Wall and tells the stories of the people who tried to escape – some were successful, many lost their lives trying to reach the West.

If you go to the nearby station (Nordbahnhof), you will find a fascinating exhibition about ‘ghost stations’. Several underground and S-Bahn lines still used by West Berliners ran under the Wall and across the entire city. The stations in the East were closed off to prevent escapes, and so these trains would slow down and pass through these stations without ever stopping.

Visit the DDR Museum

(https://www.ddr-museum.de/en)

If you are interested in the Cold War or want to find out what life was like in the communist German Democratic Republic, you should spend some time in the DDR Museum. It’s packed with interactive displays and exhibits which bring back what it must have been like to live under this regime.

Go to a bar and watch more football.

This post by City Hostel Berlin lists some of the best places to enjoy a beer and a game

Find out more about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4  Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

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