ASK Voitsberg
Encyclopedia
ASK Voitsberg is an Austrian
football club
located in Voitsberg
, a town in the state of Styria in the south-east of the country. They currently play in the Austrian Landesliga
, the fourth tier of Austrian football.
; the ASK stands for Arbeiter Sports-Klub, the English translation being worker’s sports club. In the first decades of existence the team played in black and white and competed in various regional leagues in Styria. In this period, they competed in the top state league only once, finishing 7th and bottom place in 1925. This league was known as the Steiermark 1. Klasse, the modern equivalent being the Landesliga Steiermark division of the fourth tier Austrian Landesliga
.
of Austria
into Nazi Germany
between 1938 and 1945, the club name was changed to Grün-Weiß Krems Voitsberg and the team colours became green and white.
In this period the club enjoyed its first league title, winning the Steiermark 2. Klasse or Styrian second league for the 1937–38 season. The club was promoted to a newly formed league for the 1938–39 season, the Bezirksklasse Süd, which included teams from the top state leagues in both Styria and neighbouring state Carinthia
. The Bezirksklasse Süd was only in existence for one season, and Grün-Weiß Krems Voitsberg performed very poorly, finishing bottom of ten teams with no wins, two draws, 16 losses and 63 goals against.
, the club promptly reverted its official name back to ASK Voitsberg, and rejected the green and white colours in favour of their traditional black and white. The club languished in lower state leagues for several years until returning to the top Styria league, then known as Landesliga Steiermark, for the 1950–51 season. The team finished this campaign narrowly avoiding relegation in second-bottom ninth place. This league was extended to twelve teams for the 1951–52 season, and ASK Voitsberg finished in the bottom half of the table for several seasons until coming fifth in the 1956–57 season.
The club continued to compete in this league into the 1960s, enjoying a successful campaign in 1961–62, winning the title, becoming Styria state champion and gaining promotion to the central division of the then second tier Austrian Regional League. In 1962–63, however, the club finished second bottom of the Austrian Regional League central in 13th place and was relegated back to the Landesliga Steiermark.
ASK Voitsberg won the Landesliga Steiermark again in 1966–67, and in 1967–68 avoided relegation from the Austrian Regional League Central by finishing mid-table. The team kept their place in this league until becoming relegated for a second time in 1970–71.
The team was confined to the state and regional leagues for the next decade. In 1974, the regional leagues lost status due to the creation of the nationwide Austrian Football First League
division, which became the second tier league immediately below the Austrian Bundesliga
. The Austrian Regional League Central was also temporarily disbanded, and the winners of the three state leagues (Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria
) would instead face a play-off competition to send one club to the First League. In 1982–83, the club won both the Landesliga Steiermark title and the promotional play-off, reaching the First League for the first time. In 1983–84, it finished in a respectable 12th position of 16 teams in its first season in a national division. Despite finishing 9th the following season, the club was relegated back to the regional leagues along with all clubs who did not achieve a top five position as a result of league restructuring.
(which was restored in 1994–95) and the fourth tier Landesliga Steiermark
, winning the latter on two occasions in 1994–95 and 2006–07. In 2010–11, the club finished bottom of the Austrian Regional League Central, and will compete in the Landesliga Steiermark once again in 2011–12. Speaking in June 2011, manager Jürgen Auffinger told a Styrian amateur football website that while relegation was a big disappointment, he believed the team had enough quality to make a swift return to the Austrian Regional League Central. In the 2010/11 season, the club had the second oldest team in the division and was only one of three clubs whose players were all of Austrian nationality. In recent seasons the club has also competed in the Austrian Cup
.
Markus Hiden
Wilhelm Huberts
Herbert Ninaus
Milivoje Novakovič
Marko Stanković
Football in Austria
Football is a popular sport in Austria, second only to alpine skiing. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB , was founded in 1904 and has been a member of FIFA since then.-League system:...
football club
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
located in Voitsberg
Voitsberg
Voitsberg is a small city in the district of Voitsberg in Styria, Austria, with a population of c. 9,700 as of 2009. It grew upon the St. Margaret church at the Tregistbach river and was first mentioned in 1220 as Civitas. Remains of the Greisenegg palace and Obervoitsberg castle can be seen...
, a town in the state of Styria in the south-east of the country. They currently play in the Austrian Landesliga
Austrian Landesliga
The Austrian Landesliga is the fourth tier of football in Austria. It is divided into nine conferences - one for each Austrian state:*Burgenland: Landesliga Burgenland*Lower Austria: 1...
, the fourth tier of Austrian football.
Early years
ASK Voitsberg was formed in 1921 as part of a general sports club that also participated in other activities such as boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
; the ASK stands for Arbeiter Sports-Klub, the English translation being worker’s sports club. In the first decades of existence the team played in black and white and competed in various regional leagues in Styria. In this period, they competed in the top state league only once, finishing 7th and bottom place in 1925. This league was known as the Steiermark 1. Klasse, the modern equivalent being the Landesliga Steiermark division of the fourth tier Austrian Landesliga
Austrian Landesliga
The Austrian Landesliga is the fourth tier of football in Austria. It is divided into nine conferences - one for each Austrian state:*Burgenland: Landesliga Burgenland*Lower Austria: 1...
.
Under the Nazi occupation
During the annexationAnschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
into Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
between 1938 and 1945, the club name was changed to Grün-Weiß Krems Voitsberg and the team colours became green and white.
In this period the club enjoyed its first league title, winning the Steiermark 2. Klasse or Styrian second league for the 1937–38 season. The club was promoted to a newly formed league for the 1938–39 season, the Bezirksklasse Süd, which included teams from the top state leagues in both Styria and neighbouring state Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
. The Bezirksklasse Süd was only in existence for one season, and Grün-Weiß Krems Voitsberg performed very poorly, finishing bottom of ten teams with no wins, two draws, 16 losses and 63 goals against.
The post-war years
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the club promptly reverted its official name back to ASK Voitsberg, and rejected the green and white colours in favour of their traditional black and white. The club languished in lower state leagues for several years until returning to the top Styria league, then known as Landesliga Steiermark, for the 1950–51 season. The team finished this campaign narrowly avoiding relegation in second-bottom ninth place. This league was extended to twelve teams for the 1951–52 season, and ASK Voitsberg finished in the bottom half of the table for several seasons until coming fifth in the 1956–57 season.
The club continued to compete in this league into the 1960s, enjoying a successful campaign in 1961–62, winning the title, becoming Styria state champion and gaining promotion to the central division of the then second tier Austrian Regional League. In 1962–63, however, the club finished second bottom of the Austrian Regional League central in 13th place and was relegated back to the Landesliga Steiermark.
ASK Voitsberg won the Landesliga Steiermark again in 1966–67, and in 1967–68 avoided relegation from the Austrian Regional League Central by finishing mid-table. The team kept their place in this league until becoming relegated for a second time in 1970–71.
The team was confined to the state and regional leagues for the next decade. In 1974, the regional leagues lost status due to the creation of the nationwide Austrian Football First League
Austrian Football First League
The Austrian Football First League is the second highest professional division in Austrian football. It contains 10 teams and is run in the same fashion as the Austrian Bundesliga...
division, which became the second tier league immediately below the Austrian Bundesliga
Austrian Bundesliga
The Austrian Football Bundesliga is the highest-ranking national league club competition in Austrian football. It is the competition which decides the Austrian national football champions, as well the country's entrants for the various European cups run by UEFA.The Austrian Bundesliga, which began...
. The Austrian Regional League Central was also temporarily disbanded, and the winners of the three state leagues (Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
) would instead face a play-off competition to send one club to the First League. In 1982–83, the club won both the Landesliga Steiermark title and the promotional play-off, reaching the First League for the first time. In 1983–84, it finished in a respectable 12th position of 16 teams in its first season in a national division. Despite finishing 9th the following season, the club was relegated back to the regional leagues along with all clubs who did not achieve a top five position as a result of league restructuring.
Recent seasons
Since then, the club has competed in the third tier Austrian Regional League CentralAustrian Regional League Central
The Austrian Regional League Central is a third-tier division of Austrian football re-introduced in the 1994–95 season. It covers the Austrian states of Carinthia , Styria and Upper Austria.The teams competing in the 2009–10 season are:...
(which was restored in 1994–95) and the fourth tier Landesliga Steiermark
Austrian Landesliga
The Austrian Landesliga is the fourth tier of football in Austria. It is divided into nine conferences - one for each Austrian state:*Burgenland: Landesliga Burgenland*Lower Austria: 1...
, winning the latter on two occasions in 1994–95 and 2006–07. In 2010–11, the club finished bottom of the Austrian Regional League Central, and will compete in the Landesliga Steiermark once again in 2011–12. Speaking in June 2011, manager Jürgen Auffinger told a Styrian amateur football website that while relegation was a big disappointment, he believed the team had enough quality to make a swift return to the Austrian Regional League Central. In the 2010/11 season, the club had the second oldest team in the division and was only one of three clubs whose players were all of Austrian nationality. In recent seasons the club has also competed in the Austrian Cup
Austrian Cup
The Austrian Cup, in German: ÖFB-Cup is an annual football competition held by the Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB.It has been held since 1919, with the exception of the time of the Anschluss between 1939 and 1945 and the period between 1950 and 1958 when the competition was deemed of...
.
Stadium
ASK Voitsberg play their home matches in Voitsberg’s Hans Blümel Stadion. The stadium’s capacity is 2000. The team’s average home attendance for the 2010-11 season was 640.Current squad
As of 6 July 2011.Notable players
René AufhauserRené Aufhauser
René Aufhauser is an Austrian football player who currently plays for LASK Linz.- Career :In the early part of his career he had stints at ASK Köflach, ASK Voitsberg and Red Bull Salzburg...
Markus Hiden
Markus Hiden
Markus Hiden is an Austrian professional footballer.-Career:The West Steirer began with the football game at home SV Ligist. About the ASK Voitsberg and DSV Leoben, he found the way to Sturm Graz, 1998, he was there Austrian masters, and Austrian Bundesliga. About SV Ried went his way in 2001 at...
Wilhelm Huberts
Wilhelm Huberts
Wilhelm Huberts , also Willi or Willy Huberts is a former Austrian football player.-Club career:...
Herbert Ninaus
Herbert Ninaus
Herbert Ninaus is a former Austrian and later Australian National Football player and manager.- Career :Herbert Ninaus began his career with his brother Erwin Ninaus at FC St. Veit, after which he, and later his brother, moved to first division side GAK.The winger soon debuted in the Austrian...
Milivoje Novakovič
Milivoje Novakovic
Milivoje Novakovič is a Slovenian footballer who plays for 1. FC Köln and the Slovenia national team.-Club career:...
Marko Stanković
Marko Stankovic
Marko Stanković is an Austrian - Serbian football player. He currently plays for FK Austria Wien.-External links:* - Sturm Graz* * *...
Achievements
- Landesliga SteiermarkAustrian LandesligaThe Austrian Landesliga is the fourth tier of football in Austria. It is divided into nine conferences - one for each Austrian state:*Burgenland: Landesliga Burgenland*Lower Austria: 1...
:- Winners (5): 1961/62, 1966/67, 1982/83, 1994/95, 2006/07
- Steiermark 2. KlasseAustrian 2. LandesligaThe Austrian 2. Landesliga is the fifth tier of football in Austria. It is divided among the Austrian states by one or more conferences. The champions of each conference are promoted to the Landesliga....
:- Winners (1): 1937-38
External links
- http://www.askvoitsberg.at/ - Official website
- http://www.facebook.com/ASK.Voitsberg - Facebook page