Goslarer SC 08
Encyclopedia
The Goslarer SC 08 is a German association football club
from the city of Goslar
, Lower Saxony
.
The clubs most notable achievement was winning the tier-five Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost and earning promotion to the Regionalliga Nord
in 2009.
Apart from football, the club also offers hockey
, track and field and archery
as other sports.
The team achieved success for the first time when it earned promotion to the then tier-one Kreisliga Hannover-Südkreis in 1922 after a title in the local northern Harz
championship. It also opened its Osterfeldstadion that year. German football was very regionalised in this era and a large number of local leagues existed at the top-level of football. GSC was grouped in the Kreisliga Südkreis-Group 1, a league made up of eight teams and won by Arminia Hannover
that season, with Goslar coming seventh. The club repeated this result in the following season, and finished one position better in 1924–25. In 1925–26, the team was moved to Group 2 of the league, in exchange for Hannover 96
, but it did not fare well in this league, coming last with only two wins out of fourteen games.
GSC spent only one season in the second tier, earning promotion back in 1926–27. It returned to the Group 2 of the Bezirksliga Südhannover-Braunschweig, where it finished fifth in 1927–28, its best result at this level yet. After no championship being played in 1928–29, the two divisions of the league were merged for 1929–30 and renamed Oberliga Hannover-Braunschweig. It this more competitive league with Arminia Hannover, Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig
in it, GSC performed poorly, remaining without a win and finishing last out of ten clubs.
It was to be the clubs last season in top-flight, in the Gauliga
era that followed from 1933, it failed to advance to the tier-one Gauliga Niedersachsen
or, from 1943, the Gauliga Südhannover-Braunschweig.
The four Landesligas in Lower Saxony
(German: Niedersachsen) were reduced to two leagues from 1949 and Goslar became part of the Amateuroberliga Niedersachsen Ost
, which it won in its first attempt. The club was unsuccessful in gaining promotion to the next level up however, failing in the promotion round to the Oberliga Nord
.
TSV Goslar declined somewhat from there, finishing third in 1951, fourth in 1952 and ninth in 1953. The club also changed its name to the current Goslarer SC 08 that year. In the seasons that followed, the club finished in mid-table but, in 1958–59, it came last in the league and suffered relegation to the third tier.
In 1962, the team returned to the Amateuroberliga, but only for one season, being relegated immediately again. With the introduction of the Fußball-Bundesliga
in 1963, the league slipped to third tier and, from 1964 to 1994, the highest league in the state of Lower Saxony was played as a single division, when the eastern and western group merged. In this era, GSC never made a return to the league, existing as a lower-division amateur club in the region.
In 2003, the club merged with local side SV Sudmerberg to become Goslarer SC 08 Sudmerberg. While the merger is still in place, the usage of the Sudmerberg
in the club name has virtually gone out of use. The following year, the team finished twelfth in the league and was relegated by one point, back to the tier-six Bezirksoberliga Braunschweig. It made an immediate return from there finished tenth in the Verbandsliga again in 2005–06.
With the second-worst support in the league in 2006–07, 156 supporters per game, and the second-worst performance, Goslar-Sudmerberg was relegated once more that year, back to the Bezirksoberliga. The club managed another immediate return from this league in 2007–08, returning to what now became the Oberliga Niedersachsen-West, a name change caused by the disbanding of the Oberliga Nord
.
The 2008–09 season in the Oberliga was a huge success for the club, winning the championship by eleven points and earning the right to play-off for the Lower Saxony championship with western champions VfB Oldenburg
. With only the winner of this two games gaining promotion, GSC lost to VfB at home 1–0 but then won in Oldenburg
2–1 and earned the right to play in the Regionalliga Nord
in 2009–10 on the Away goals rule
. The decisive second game in Oldenburg, held in front of 12,000 spectators, ended with disappointed VfB fans storming the pitch at the end of the game, followed by Goslar fans joining them, which resulted in a fight on the playing field which had to be broken up by the police.
In a pre-season friendly on 7 July 2009, the club played Scottish Premier League
side Heart of Midlothian F.C.
, Goslar losing narrowly 2–1 to the young Hearts side. It was the first game of Hearts pre-season tour of Germany.
After a disappointing season in the Regionalliga Nord GSC had to go down in Oberliga Niedersachsen again. In 2010/11 they reached the 7th rank in it. In the current season they're in first place after played 10 matches (21 October 2011).
Football in Germany
Association football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 26,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the 1. and 2. Bundesliga on top, and the winner of the first...
from the city of Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
.
The clubs most notable achievement was winning the tier-five Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost and earning promotion to the Regionalliga Nord
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany...
in 2009.
Apart from football, the club also offers hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, track and field and archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
as other sports.
1908 – 1945
Formed in 1908, the club entered competitive football three years later, in 1911.The team achieved success for the first time when it earned promotion to the then tier-one Kreisliga Hannover-Südkreis in 1922 after a title in the local northern Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
championship. It also opened its Osterfeldstadion that year. German football was very regionalised in this era and a large number of local leagues existed at the top-level of football. GSC was grouped in the Kreisliga Südkreis-Group 1, a league made up of eight teams and won by Arminia Hannover
Arminia Hannover
SV Arminia Hannover is a German association football club based in Hanover, Lower Saxony.- History :The club was founded in 1910 as FC Arminia Hannover and merged with Rugby-Verein Merkur in 1918, becoming SV Arminia-Merkur. Two years later they re-named themselves SV Arminia Hannover and captured...
that season, with Goslar coming seventh. The club repeated this result in the following season, and finished one position better in 1924–25. In 1925–26, the team was moved to Group 2 of the league, in exchange for Hannover 96
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
, but it did not fare well in this league, coming last with only two wins out of fourteen games.
GSC spent only one season in the second tier, earning promotion back in 1926–27. It returned to the Group 2 of the Bezirksliga Südhannover-Braunschweig, where it finished fifth in 1927–28, its best result at this level yet. After no championship being played in 1928–29, the two divisions of the league were merged for 1929–30 and renamed Oberliga Hannover-Braunschweig. It this more competitive league with Arminia Hannover, Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig is a German association football club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 and won the national title in 1967.-History:...
in it, GSC performed poorly, remaining without a win and finishing last out of ten clubs.
It was to be the clubs last season in top-flight, in the Gauliga
Gauliga
A Gauliga was the highest level of play in German football from 1934-45. The leagues were introduced in 1933, after the Nazi takeover of power by the Sports office of the Third Reich.-Name:...
era that followed from 1933, it failed to advance to the tier-one Gauliga Niedersachsen
Gauliga Niedersachsen
The Gauliga Niedersachsen was the highest football league in the Prussian Province of Hanover and the German states of Bremen, Brunswick, Schaumburg-Lippe and Oldenburg from 1933 to 1945...
or, from 1943, the Gauliga Südhannover-Braunschweig.
1945 – 1994
In post-Second World War Germany, the club, playing under the name of TSV Goslar, gained entry to the tier-two Landesliga Niedersachsen-Braunschweig in 1947. In its first season there, it finished in fourth place. It finished runners-up the following year.The four Landesligas in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
(German: Niedersachsen) were reduced to two leagues from 1949 and Goslar became part of the Amateuroberliga Niedersachsen Ost
Oberliga Niedersachsen
The Niedersachsenliga, sometimes referred to as Oberliga Niedersachsen, is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony . Since 1994, the league was split into a western and an eastern group. From 2010, it returned to a...
, which it won in its first attempt. The club was unsuccessful in gaining promotion to the next level up however, failing in the promotion round to the Oberliga Nord
Oberliga Nord (1947-63)
The Oberliga Nord was the highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.-Overview:...
.
TSV Goslar declined somewhat from there, finishing third in 1951, fourth in 1952 and ninth in 1953. The club also changed its name to the current Goslarer SC 08 that year. In the seasons that followed, the club finished in mid-table but, in 1958–59, it came last in the league and suffered relegation to the third tier.
In 1962, the team returned to the Amateuroberliga, but only for one season, being relegated immediately again. With the introduction of the Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
in 1963, the league slipped to third tier and, from 1964 to 1994, the highest league in the state of Lower Saxony was played as a single division, when the eastern and western group merged. In this era, GSC never made a return to the league, existing as a lower-division amateur club in the region.
International Youth Exchange
In 1968, the club instigated a "Youth Exchange" with Norwegian club Drafn, of Drammen. The deal meant that the youtn team from Drammen visited Goslar August 2nd-14th in 1968, the first ever such "austausch" after WWII. Alternate years the german clubs youth visited Drammen. The deal worked until 1974.1994 – present
When the league, now renamed Verbandsliga Niedersachsen, was split into two regional divisions again in 1994, Goslar gained entry to the eastern one, where it finished tenth in its first year. The team spent its following seasons as a mid-table side again, but came close to promotion in 1999–2000, when it finished third, three points behind the league champion.In 2003, the club merged with local side SV Sudmerberg to become Goslarer SC 08 Sudmerberg. While the merger is still in place, the usage of the Sudmerberg
Sudmerberg
Sudmerberg is a suburb of Goslar on the edge of the Harz Mountains in Germany, which is named after the prominent, 354 metre high hill to the east...
in the club name has virtually gone out of use. The following year, the team finished twelfth in the league and was relegated by one point, back to the tier-six Bezirksoberliga Braunschweig. It made an immediate return from there finished tenth in the Verbandsliga again in 2005–06.
With the second-worst support in the league in 2006–07, 156 supporters per game, and the second-worst performance, Goslar-Sudmerberg was relegated once more that year, back to the Bezirksoberliga. The club managed another immediate return from this league in 2007–08, returning to what now became the Oberliga Niedersachsen-West, a name change caused by the disbanding of the Oberliga Nord
Oberliga Nord
The Oberliga Nord was the fourth tier of the German football league system in the north of Germany. It covered the states of Niedersachsen, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein...
.
The 2008–09 season in the Oberliga was a huge success for the club, winning the championship by eleven points and earning the right to play-off for the Lower Saxony championship with western champions VfB Oldenburg
VfB Oldenburg
VfB Oldenburg is a German association football club based in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony. As of the 2011/12 season they play in the Oberliga Niedersachsenliga, which is at the 5th level of football in Germany.-History:...
. With only the winner of this two games gaining promotion, GSC lost to VfB at home 1–0 but then won in Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
2–1 and earned the right to play in the Regionalliga Nord
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany...
in 2009–10 on the Away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
. The decisive second game in Oldenburg, held in front of 12,000 spectators, ended with disappointed VfB fans storming the pitch at the end of the game, followed by Goslar fans joining them, which resulted in a fight on the playing field which had to be broken up by the police.
In a pre-season friendly on 7 July 2009, the club played Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, Goslar losing narrowly 2–1 to the young Hearts side. It was the first game of Hearts pre-season tour of Germany.
After a disappointing season in the Regionalliga Nord GSC had to go down in Oberliga Niedersachsen again. In 2010/11 they reached the 7th rank in it. In the current season they're in first place after played 10 matches (21 October 2011).
Honours
- League
- Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost (V) champions: 2009
- Bezirksoberliga BraunschweigBezirksoberliga BraunschweigThe Landesliga Braunschweig, called the Bezirksoberliga Braunschweig until 2010, is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the second highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony...
(VI) champions: 2005, 2008
Recent managers
| Manager | Start | Finish |
| Franz Gerber Franz Gerber Franz Gerber is a German former professional footballer who is currently general manager of SSV Jahn Regensburg.-Playing career:... |
2006 | 2007 |
| Goran Barjaktarevic | 2006 | 2010 |
| Manfred Wölpper | 2010 |
Recent seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
| 1999–2000 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost (V) | 3rd |
| 2000–01 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost | 8th |
| 2001–02 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost | 3rd |
| 2002–03 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost | 12th |
| 2003–04 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost | 13th ↓ |
| 2004–05 | Bezirksoberliga Braunschweig (VI) | 1st ↑ |
| 2005–06 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost (V) | 10th |
| 2006–07 | Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost | 15th ↓ |
| 2007–08 | Bezirksoberliga Braunschweig (VI) | 1st ↑ |
| 2008–09 | Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost (V) | 1st ↑ |
| 2009–10 | Regionalliga Nord Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany... (IV) |
Current squad
Stadium
The clubs home ground, the S-Arena, holds 5,001 spectators, 1,206 of those seated. Next to the stadium, the clubs training facilities consist of two more football fields and an artificial pitch. In 2009/2010 the Goslarer SC played in the stadium of Brunswick. The Osterfeldstadion (former name of stadium) was under construction because it didn't meet the requirements of the Regionalliga Nord.External links
- Official team site
- SC Goslar 08 profile at Weltfussball.de
- Groundhopping.de: Goslarer SC 08 Report of the Goslarer SC 08 – BSV Ölper 2000 game, with pictures of the ground
Sources
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables