SV Alsenborn
Encyclopedia
The SV Alsenborn is a German football club
from the city of Enkenbach-Alsenborn
, Rheinland-Palatinate.
The club became famous in Germany in the 1970s as a village club attempting to win promotion to the Fußball-Bundesliga
. For a time, it was coached by German football legend Fritz Walter
, who wrote a book about the club, titled Aufstieg einer Dorfmanschaft (English: Rise of a village team).
The club was often seen as a football "miracle", considering how highly it achieved with a mostly amateur team from a small village.
In 1933, with the rise of the Nazis to power, the club conformed to the new powers; while another football club in town was formed whose membership exclusively consisted of social democrats.
The club, for most of its history, played in the lower amateur leagues of the Südwest (English: Southwest) region. In 1945, it renamed itself to SV Alsenborn but continued its existence as a village sport club.
The clubs fortunes fundamentally changed in the 1960s when the retired captain of Germanys 1954 FIFA World Cup
winning squad, Fritz Walter
, moved to town. Walter became the coach of the side who was playing at this stage in the local A-Klasse, then the fifth tier of the German football league system
in the region.He would remain coach for three years, a highly successful spell.
While watching the 1962 European Cup Final
in Amsterdam
, Walter and Hannes Ruth, another former 1. FC Kaiserslautern
player, vowed to build up the little club and take it to the top level of German football.
With a number of former Kaiserslautern players in its squad, SVA started to win promotions straight away, winning the A-Klasse in 1963, the Bezirksliga in 1964 and then, on first attempt, winning the Amateurliga Südwest
(III) in the 1964–65 season.
With this title, the club earned promotion to the Regionalliga Südwest, then the second tier of German league football.
In 1967–68, it won its first league championship, nine points clear of TuS Neuendorf. This qualified both clubs to take part in the promotion round to the Fußball-Bundesliga. In this, out of five teams in its group, SVA finished third on level points, when only the first place entitled to promotion.
The next season saw a repeat of the league championship, sitting on equal points with Neuendorf but having scored considerably more goals. Again, the club went to the promotion round and despite its failure to gain a point from its two games against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
, the club stayed in contention for promotion to the very end by winning every other of its games. In the last round, against Hertha Zehlendorf
, on 22 June 1969, it needed a win for promotion but lost 0–3 instead and Oberhausen went up, being one point ahead of SVA. At the end of the season, the club had to sell one of its best players, Lorenz Horr, who was then a record transfer for the German Bundesliga. The club also lost its championship-winning coach, Otto Render, in a car accident shortly after.
In 1969–70, the team won the league title for a third consecutive time, beating FK Pirmasens
by three points. Taking part in the promotion round for a third time, too, the club also finished third in its group, not coming as close to promotion as it was in 1969. In the German Cup, the club managed to hold the then rising star of German football, Borussia Mönchengladbach
, to a 1–1 draw after extra time, to lose the replay 1–3 a few days later, quite an achievement for the small club.
In its three years in the Bundesliga promotion round, the club played all its home games in the considerably larger stadium in Ludwigshafen.
The club continued to be a strong team in the Regionalliga after 1970, earning a fifth and third place in the following seasons, but not being able to repeat its performance from the time between 1967 and 1970. From 1972, the club slipped down the ranks, coming eighth and tenth in 1973 and 1974.
The year 1974 saw changes in the German league system. The five Regionalligas were disbanded in favor of two new 2nd Bundesligas, of which the 2nd Bundesliga Süd was the one SV Alsenborn aimed to qualify for.
SVA managed to qualify for the new league, the qualification system taking the last five seasons into account. However, the club held the last qualifying spot for the new league, five points ahead of 1. FC Saarbrücken
. The SVA then found its license for the next season revoked on financial grounds as well as its home ground not being up to scratch, and 1. FCS was admitted instead. The club went through the various levels of appeal and at times the case was ruled in its favor but in the end the German Football Association
ruled against the club. The situation brought back memories of 1963, when Saarbrücken was awarded a place in the Bundesliga for similar reasons. In 1963, like in 1974, the rumor was that the German Football Association
chairman Hermann Neuberger
, a native of the Saarland
and honorary member of the 1. FC Saarbrücken, held its protecting hand over the club, to the disadvantage of the SV Alsenborn. But despite all outrage, the SVA had to step down to the third division and the 1. FCS stayed up, earning promotion back to the Bundesliga in 1976.
(IV). Four seasons there saw a sixth place in 1979 as its best result but by 1982, it was back in the tier-five Bezirksliga Westpfalz. It earned a championship there in the 1982–83 and returned to the Verbandsliga straight away.
Three seasons with a third place in 1985 followed before having to return to the Bezirksliga. In 1988, another relegation took the club back to where it once, in the early 1960's, came from, the A-Klasse.
With the promotion of the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to the Fussball-Bundesliga in 2008, a village club finally archived what Alsenborn aimed for in the late 1960s.
In its later Regionalliga days, the clubs stadium was expanded to hold 16,000 spectators but nowadays it is reduced to a still very oversized 8,000. The stadium is decorated with posters of the 1960s Bundesliga promotion games. The old standing ranks are somewhat overgrown and the grand stand looks rather quaint.
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 Enkenbach-Alsenborn
Enkenbach-Alsenborn
Enkenbach-Alsenborn is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the northern edge of the Palatinate forest, approx. 10 km north-east of Kaiserslautern...
, Rheinland-Palatinate.
The club became famous in Germany in the 1970s as a village club attempting to win promotion to 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...
. For a time, it was coached by German football legend Fritz Walter
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
, who wrote a book about the club, titled Aufstieg einer Dorfmanschaft (English: Rise of a village team).
The club was often seen as a football "miracle", considering how highly it achieved with a mostly amateur team from a small village.
From 1919 to the 1960s
The club was formed on 15 September 1919, by 19 foundation members, under the name of FV Alsenborn.In 1933, with the rise of the Nazis to power, the club conformed to the new powers; while another football club in town was formed whose membership exclusively consisted of social democrats.
The club, for most of its history, played in the lower amateur leagues of the Südwest (English: Southwest) region. In 1945, it renamed itself to SV Alsenborn but continued its existence as a village sport club.
Rise
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
winning squad, Fritz Walter
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
, moved to town. Walter became the coach of the side who was playing at this stage in the local A-Klasse, then the fifth tier of the German football league system
German football league system
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
in the region.He would remain coach for three years, a highly successful spell.
While watching the 1962 European Cup Final
1962 European Cup Final
The 1962 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam, on 2 May 1962, that saw S.L. Benfica play against Real Madrid. Benfica defeated their opponents 5–3, to win the European Cup for the second successive season. That was the first final played by...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Walter and Hannes Ruth, another former 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
player, vowed to build up the little club and take it to the top level of German football.
With a number of former Kaiserslautern players in its squad, SVA started to win promotions straight away, winning the A-Klasse in 1963, the Bezirksliga in 1964 and then, on first attempt, winning the Amateurliga Südwest
Amateurliga Südwest
The Amateurliga Südwest was the highest football league in the region of the Südwest FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Südwest below it in 1978....
(III) in the 1964–65 season.
With this title, the club earned promotion to the Regionalliga Südwest, then the second tier of German league football.
Regionalliga Südwest years
The club spent the first two seasons in the new league settling in, earning mid-table finishes.In 1967–68, it won its first league championship, nine points clear of TuS Neuendorf. This qualified both clubs to take part in the promotion round to the Fußball-Bundesliga. In this, out of five teams in its group, SVA finished third on level points, when only the first place entitled to promotion.
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is a German association football club in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed as Oberhausener SV in December 1904 out of the merger of Emschertaler SV and the football enthusiasts of Oberhausener TV 1873...
, the club stayed in contention for promotion to the very end by winning every other of its games. In the last round, against Hertha Zehlendorf
Hertha Zehlendorf
The Hertha Zehlendorf is a German association football club from the suburb of Zehlendorf, Berlin.The club, one of the largest football clubs in the country, has a strong youth department which has developed a number of international players, not just for Germany and having won two national youth...
, on 22 June 1969, it needed a win for promotion but lost 0–3 instead and Oberhausen went up, being one point ahead of SVA. At the end of the season, the club had to sell one of its best players, Lorenz Horr, who was then a record transfer for the German Bundesliga. The club also lost its championship-winning coach, Otto Render, in a car accident shortly after.
In 1969–70, the team won the league title for a third consecutive time, beating FK Pirmasens
FK Pirmasens
FK Pirmasens is a German association football club in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate. The team was formed as the football section of the gymnastics and sports club TV Pirminia Pirmasens in 1903 and became independent in 1914. They took on their current name in 1925...
by three points. Taking part in the promotion round for a third time, too, the club also finished third in its group, not coming as close to promotion as it was in 1969. In the German Cup, the club managed to hold the then rising star of German football, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
, to a 1–1 draw after extra time, to lose the replay 1–3 a few days later, quite an achievement for the small club.
In its three years in the Bundesliga promotion round, the club played all its home games in the considerably larger stadium in Ludwigshafen.
The club continued to be a strong team in the Regionalliga after 1970, earning a fifth and third place in the following seasons, but not being able to repeat its performance from the time between 1967 and 1970. From 1972, the club slipped down the ranks, coming eighth and tenth in 1973 and 1974.
The year 1974 saw changes in the German league system. The five Regionalligas were disbanded in favor of two new 2nd Bundesligas, of which the 2nd Bundesliga Süd was the one SV Alsenborn aimed to qualify for.
SVA managed to qualify for the new league, the qualification system taking the last five seasons into account. However, the club held the last qualifying spot for the new league, five points ahead of 1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken
1. FC Saarbrücken is a German association football club based in the city of Saarbrücken, Saarland. The club began its existence as the football department of Turnverein Malstatt formed in 1903...
. The SVA then found its license for the next season revoked on financial grounds as well as its home ground not being up to scratch, and 1. FCS was admitted instead. The club went through the various levels of appeal and at times the case was ruled in its favor but in the end the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
ruled against the club. The situation brought back memories of 1963, when Saarbrücken was awarded a place in the Bundesliga for similar reasons. In 1963, like in 1974, the rumor was that the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
chairman Hermann Neuberger
Hermann Neuberger
Hermann Neuberger was a German football official, and from 1975 to 1992 the seventh president of the Deutscher Fußball-Bund DFB.- External links :*...
, a native of the Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
and honorary member of the 1. FC Saarbrücken, held its protecting hand over the club, to the disadvantage of the SV Alsenborn. But despite all outrage, the SVA had to step down to the third division and the 1. FCS stayed up, earning promotion back to the Bundesliga in 1976.
Decline
From this point in 1974, the club rapidly declined. SVA was not competitive in the third division Amateurliga Südwest and within two seasons suffered another relegation, to the Bezirksliga Westpfalz. In this league, the club managed to earn a second place in 1977–78, winning promotion to the new Verbandsliga SüdwestVerbandsliga Südwest
The Verbandsliga Südwest is currently the 6th tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga it was the 5th tier of the league system.-Overview:...
(IV). Four seasons there saw a sixth place in 1979 as its best result but by 1982, it was back in the tier-five Bezirksliga Westpfalz. It earned a championship there in the 1982–83 and returned to the Verbandsliga straight away.
Three seasons with a third place in 1985 followed before having to return to the Bezirksliga. In 1988, another relegation took the club back to where it once, in the early 1960's, came from, the A-Klasse.
Current
In 2008–09, the club played in the Kreisliga Kaiserslautern (IX), finishing in seventh place.With the promotion of the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to the Fussball-Bundesliga in 2008, a village club finally archived what Alsenborn aimed for in the late 1960s.
Honours
- League
- Regionalliga Südwest (II) champions: 1968, 1969, 1970
- Amateurliga SüdwestAmateurliga SüdwestThe Amateurliga Südwest was the highest football league in the region of the Südwest FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Südwest below it in 1978....
(III) champions: 1965 - Bezirksliga Westpfalz (V) champions: 1983
Recent seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
| 2003–04 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern (VIII) | 10th |
| 2004–05 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern | 6th |
| 2005–06 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern | 6th |
| 2006–07 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern | 6th |
| 2007–08 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern | 7th |
| 2008–09 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern (IX) | 7th |
| 2009–10 | Kreisliga Kaiserslautern |
Stadium
DFB Cup appearances
The club has qualified for the first round of the German Cup five times:| Season | Round | Date | Home | Away | Result | Attendance |
| 1965–66 DFB-Pokal | First round | 22 January 1966 | Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :... |
SV Alsenborn | 2–1 | |
| 1968–69 DFB-Pokal | First round | 22 January 1969 | SV Alsenborn | MSV Duisburg MSV Duisburg MSV Duisburg is a German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed "the Zebras" for their traditional striped jerseys, the club was one of the original members of the Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.-Early years:... |
2–1 | |
| Second round | 15 February 1969 | FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
SV Alsenborn | 3–1 | ||
| 1969–70 DFB-Pokal | First round | 8 April 1970 | SV Alsenborn | FC Schalke 04 | 1–5 | |
| 1970–71 DFB-Pokal | First round | 12 December 1970 | SV Alsenborn | Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth... |
1–1 aet | |
| First round replay | 30 December 1970 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | SV Alsenborn | 3–1 | ||
| 1971–72 DFB-Pokal | First round -first leg | 4 December 1971 | SV Alsenborn | Fortuna Düsseldorf Fortuna Düsseldorf ' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga... |
0–0 | |
| First round – second leg | 15 December 1971 | Fortuna Düsseldorf Fortuna Düsseldorf ' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga... |
SV Alsenborn | 3–0 |
Further reading
- Aufstieg einer Dorfmanschaft Rise of a village team, author: Fritz WalterFritz WalterFriedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.-Early club career:...
, ISBN 3831118469
External links
Sources
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables