SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 — MSV Duisburg (27-05-2023)

On Saturday morning, we go to a game in the 3. Liga (Third Division), which conveniently plays at 13.30, so you can either watch the 1. Bundesliga at 15.30 afterwards or, as we do, drive to an evening game in another country. On the agenda, SV Waldhof Mannheim 07, a team that I have wanted to see for decades. Years ago, I sponatenously made a detour to watch them play, still in the Regionalliga (fourth division), but it was totally sold-out, as they play for promotion.

We arrive early to the Carl-Benz-Stadion but there are already hundreds of people milling around in the nice sun. This time it is far from sold out. We buy a ticket (EUR 32) at the ticket office and enter the stadium. Everything looks old, concrete, and worn-down.

Oddly enough, the Carl-Benz-Stadion has been built only in 1994, less than 30 years ago – from the sight, we thought it was at least from the 1950s. It is heavy concrete all around and has a lot of seemingly make-shift, mostly glass, extensions.

The stadium has a capacity of 27,000 but today there are only, officially, 9,414, of which at least 1,000 from MSV Duisburg, 286 km north. In this last game of the season, neither Mannheim nor Duisburg plays for anything, being 7th and 12th in the league, respectively.

I first hit the food stand. The choice is relatively limited as there is only one type of stand that sells food around the stadium. The offer is sausages and fries, basically. I get a currywurst with fries (EUR 6.50), which is remarkably big and cheap, although the quality is not too high (particularly the sausage is burnt).

Although it is not busy, there is a real football atmosphere. Mannheim is a workers’ town and Waldhof prides itself as the home of “working class football” (in English). Fans wear a staggering variety of club t-shirt and jerseys, including from fan clubs. Last year, I visited the fan shop downtown, which rivals that of first division teams.

Before the game starts, the legendary SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 team of 40 years ago is honored – the so-called “Waldhof Buwe”. This team achieved promotion to the 1. Bundesliga, a feat never repeated since. I still remember their legendary coach and cult figure Klaus “Schlappi” Schlappner, pacing around on the sideline wearing a typical hat.

Although the stadium is quite empty, it is great weather and the fan, both home and away, are singing throughout the game. In the 6th minute, a great pass from the back brings a Waldhof striker alone in front of the goalie, after a long run, and he finishes cool: 0-1. A perfect counter.

In the 13th minute, a Duisburg free kick is headed on top of the crossbar. Five minutes later, an excellently executed attack with a few short passes in the box is finished from close to the goal: 0-2. This is also the half time score. At half time the club and fans celebrate a Fanbetreuer (kind of a social worker for fans), who is retiring after decades of working work with fans at the fan project. It is a truly touching tribute by the ultras, who also loudly whistle the president of the club, who is clearly not beloved.

The second half is a bit slow. The game is clearly played and neither team wants to go all out. The atmosphere remains good but rather cozy than boisterous. In the 71st minute a Duisburg defender plays the ball back to his goalie, but the latter is walking back and can’t see the ball, so a Waldhof striker (who was just in the game) gets the ball and finishes easy in the far corner: 3-0.

As we have an evening game in France, which is a three hour drive and we barely have three hours, we leave the game in the 75th minute. Later, we hear that the final score is 3-1, so this picture is of the pre-final score.

SV Waldhof Mannheim 07 is a dream for every groundhopper is into real football! Here, modern football with sky boxes and Asian tourists is still far away. It truly is Working Class Football! We probably saw them at the least interesting time, i.e. last game of a disappointing season, and it was still a great experience. Go see them!

Sportfreunde Lotte – SC Fortuna Köln (10-03-2018)

 

After the FC Emmen game on Friday night, we only have a one-hour drive to our first Saturday game in Lotte, Germany. The local club, Sportfreunde Lotte, is one of a few teams class “Sports Friends” – we earlier visited Sportfreunde Siegen – which you cannot pass on. We arrived at the stadium early, which meant that we were still well in time after having been sent back because I had candy with me.

 

Unfortunately, they no longer use the beautiful, original name, Sportpark am Lotter Kreuz, but instead have named it after a sponsor: Frimo Stadion. Whatever the name, it is a makeshift stadium, with four different size stands, all looking pretty basic. It can hold 10,059, which seems a bit much, and this afternoon there were officially 1.819.

 

We bought a ticket (€20) for the (seated) stand behind the goal (Westtribune), again just next to the “hardcore” home fans. There were also some 100 away supporters, having made the modest 200 km trek north from Cologne, who celebrated the 70^th birthday of their club SC Fortuna Köln.

 

Germany’s 3. Liga (Third Division) is comparable to the second division in most smaller countries in terms of quality of play, while the atmosphere is often (much) better. Before the game they play the club anthem of SC Fortuna Köln without home fans whistling.

 

The game is between the fourth from bottom (Lotte) against the fourth on top (Köln). The crowd is clearly local, all ages, and quite a lot of family with kids. The game starts well for the hosts, who have a few a few decent shots in the first twenty minutes.

 

After some 30 minutes the visitors have their first moment, you can barely call it a chance, but the rebound goes well over. Eight minutes later a long pass ends up in the box, is controlled well, and tipped into the goal from 3 meters: 0-1 for Fortuna! The home fans seem resigned. Lotte has two more chances, but half time score remains 1-0.

 

The second half starts explosive. Lotte has an attack and the striker gets a slight touch in the box. He wants a penalty, but doesn’t get it. In the 52^nd minute Fortuna has a good chance, but the goalie saves. That same minute the hosts kill themselves, as a player gets a (deserved) red-yellow card. Oddly enough, the next chance is for Lotte, which have a long attack, which ends with a great shot from 16 meters, which goes just wide of the crossbar.

 

In the 60^th minute Fortuna has a free kick, which is a long ball into the box, where it hits a knee, but is saved by defender just before the goal line. The corner leads to a good chance but the striker hits it too softly. In a direct counter Lotte almost scores, but the goalie saves.

 

Fortuna sits further and further back. At one time, Lotte has a corner kick and the furthest Fortuna player is 20 meters from his own goal. Consequently, Lotte dominates much of the game, despite being with only 10 men. Still, in the 74^th minute the visitors have a counter, go into the box, slips a bit, pulls back, and puts it cool in the far corner: 0-2. Game over.

We leave soon after, to make sure we make the next game in Belgium, but later see that the final score didn’t change. Overall a quite enjoyable afternoon, but Sportfreunde Lotte is definitely among the less exciting hops in the 3. Liga.

SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach – DSC Arminia Bielefeld (23-05-2015)

 

I didn’t even know about the SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach until my brother suggested we would go and see them. Unfortunately, that trip fell through, but I found a way to work it into my May 2015 Groundhop (Long) Weekend. Grossaspach is so small that it is discussed as “the main village” in the “community” of Aspach, Baden-Württemberg, which in total has a mere 8,000 people. On top of that, it is completely in the middle of nowhere, half an hour north of Stuttgart, but 13 km from the closest motorway exit.

I arrive just in time for the fairly early kick-off of 13:30. To my dismay, this completely marginal football club from a tiny village has a brand-new stadium, horribly named Mechatronik Arena, which holds 10,000 people, almost 1,5 times as many as the total population of the Aspach community. Record attendance is just under 6,000 and most of its games in the 3. Liga (Third Division) draw far fewer.

I park close to stadium and walk up to the closest stand, which turns out to be the one for the away fans. I actually first thought that the home team played in blue-black-white, as there are so many away fans. As I have to leave early to make it to an early evening game in France, I decide to join them (only realizing later that this might make it harder to leave early).

I buy a ticket for the (standing only) away stand for €10. Here I find myself between thousands of hardcore Arminia Bielefeld fans, who have come to see their team becomes champions and get promoted to the 2. Bundesliga (Second Division). DSC Arminia Bielefeld has always been one of those teams that moves between the First and Second Division – I saw them in the First Division many years ago – so it must have been painful for their many fans to see them in the Third Division.

While there is an amazing atmosphere, this is because I am in the away stand. There are some 3,500 people in the stadium and at least half of them made the five hour drive south from Bielefeld. Sonnenhof has only 30-40 young fans that are singing.

The football is not that good. There is just one chance, for Bielefeld, in the first 15 minute. Sonnenhof is in the lower half of the table, but safe from relegation, while Bielefeld just needs not to loose to secure the championship. This does not create the best incentives for an attractive game.

 

In the 17^th minute a Sonnenhof header hits the hand of a Bielefeld defender, but the referee does not give the foul and saves the guests from a penalty. Five minutes later a clear foul in the box is again not punished, as the referee says that the ball was played (it was not).

Like many Bielefeld fans I start to wander around, get a sausage, and look at the group of some fifteen away fans that sit outside of the stadium. Given that tickets were still available, I assume they have a stadium ban, but nevertheless traveled with the other fans to celebrate the championship. It is an odd sight, but it is good to see that the police are fairly relaxed about them and let them be.

I walk back into the stand and see that a half chance of Bielefeld goes far over and wide. Not much else happens in the next fifteen minutes. Half time score: 0-0.

 

During half time I get to talk to a couple of Bielefeld supporters, who are fascinated that I came to the game as a groundhopper and eve more fascinated that I will (try to) see a game in France later that day. The conversation is more interesting than the game, which is why I return to the stand five minutes after the second half has started.

As it is very difficult to leave the stadium from the away fans section, and the game is going slower and slower, I leave 30 minutes early (something I normally never do). On my way to the next game, almost 3 hours away, I hear on the radio that Bielefeld has won 0-1 and has became champions of the 3.Liga. I'm happy for the many Bielefeld fans who made the trip, with or without stadium ban.

Still, I wonder how the experience would have been if SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach had played a normal 3. Liga team, such as VFL Osnabrück or Borussia Dortmund II. I imagine it would have been quite depressing: 1,000 mostly silent people in a soulless stadium of 10,000.

SC Fortuna Köln – SV Stuttgarter Kickers (28-02-2015)

After the Patro Eisden MM game we had driven to Cologne to spend the night –which, with a slight delay because of GPS confusion, worked out well. We decided to drive early to the stadium to find a convenient parking spot. After parking the car opposite from the stadium, we took the tram into the city for some sightseeing.

At 13:45 we were back at the Südstadion (South Stadium), home of Die Fortunen, the second team of Cologne. The stadium is integrated into a residential area in (what used to be) the south part of the city. As we returned, it was lively around the stadium, particularly in front of the ticket offices, but more cosy than busy.

Going to the second, let alone third, team of a city is what groundhopping is all about. So, seeing a game between the second team of Cologne and the second team of Stuttgart was really the ultimate experience! Both are well-established teams in the lower leagues of German football, currently playing in the 3. Liga (third Division). After buying our (awesome) tickets, for 14 euro each, we joined the home fans at the uncovered standing-only tribune.

The Südstadion opened in 1979 and was renovated in both 2012 and 2014. It is a classic German stadium, with a track around the pitch, which can hold almost 15,000 people. According to the official game report there were 1,568 people at this particular game. Roughly 300 had made the 366 km (228 miles) trip north from Stuttgart.

The game starts quite furious, with good chances on both sides in the first two minutes. In the 5^th minute a good Fortuna counter is saved by the Kickers goalie. In the 19^th minute things go south for the home team: a defender looses the ball and fouls his opponent. Stuttgart converts the penalty: 0-1.

Despite several good chances Fortuna is unable to score a goal. In contrast, the Kickers sit back and counter. In the 40^th minute a good attack ends with a brilliant finish: 0-2. The fans around us increase their quite humorous sarcasm, while some still believe. One clearly hurt Fortuna fan asks rhetorically: “Man kann doch nicht gegen so eine Gurkentruppe verlieren” (One cannot really loose against such a group of pickles, can one?”). Half time score is 0-2.

During half-time several home fans tell us that this is the worst game of Fortuna Köln this season and that they are normally much better. We hope this is true, for them, as so far they haven’t been playing very well.

And the second half doesn’t get much better. For example, in the 62th minute the visitors easily cut through the home defense, but the shot is stopped by the goalkeeper.

As the complaints increase near the end of the game, and even the most hardcore optimists cannot see a way out, an easy counter of the Kickers leads to a shot that is deflected to the cross bar by the goalie. In the 85^th minute the hosts have their first good attack of the second half, but the striker hits the Stuttgart goalkeeper. Final score: 0-2.

Although we probably indeed saw the worst home game of the season, the experience did not disappoint. Somehow, the smaller club in the big city has the most authentic football atmosphere and SC Fortuna Köln is a good example of this.