TBVfL Neustadt-Wildenheid
Encyclopedia
The TBVfL Neustadt-Wildenheid is a German association football club
from the city of Neustadt bei Coburg
, Bavaria
.
The club is a merger of TBV Wildenheid and VfL 07 Neustadt. The later archived notability by playing in the 2nd Oberliga Süd
from 1954 to 1963.
.
The VfL Neustadt was formed in 1907.
The club surfaced as a force in Bavarian football after the Second World War, earning promotion to the tier-two Landesliga Bayern
(northern group) in 1946. It only lasted for two seasons at this level, in 1948, when the league was reduced to one single group it was relegated again.
The club made a return to Bavaria's highest league in 1950, winning the 2nd Amateurliga Oberfranken-Ost and coming second in the following promotion round. The Landesliga Bayern had been renamed to Amateurliga Bayern in 1950, along with the introduction of the 2nd Oberliga Süd as the new second division in Southern Germany. VfL took out the Amateurliga title in its first season there 1950–51 but failed in the promotion round to the 2nd Oberliga. Coming third on equal points with VfR Aalen
and ASV Feudenheim, it lost 0–1 to the later in a decider.
The following season, VfL finished second in the league, one point behind champions FC Amberg. With Heinz Wittig, the club had a player selected for the German team that finished fourth at the 1952 Summer Olympics
. After a seventh place in 1953, the league was once more divided into two regional groups, north and south and VfL became part of the northern group again. In 1953–54, it took out the title in this league. A Bavarian title game was not played and VfL advanced to the 2nd Oberliga promotion round. In this competition, the club came first and, alongside southern Bavarian champions SpVgg Weiden
, won promotion to the second division.
VfL established itself as a mid-table side in its new league, staying out of relegation trouble. In its second season, 1955–56, the club set a home attendance record when 11,000 saw a 1–3 loss to FC Bayern Munich
who would finish second in the league and earn promotion back to the Oberliga Süd.
In the 2nd Oberliga, considered a semi-professional league, VfL would pay its players DM 60 a month to play for the club. The rise of the club from the Easy German was made possible by employers like Siemens
and local sponsors.
The 1957–58 season became the most successful for the club, finishing third and within four points of Oberliga promotion, which went to SV Waldhof Mannheim
and TSG Ulm 1846. The next season was almost as successful, coming fourth but seven points clear of a promotion spot. After this, VfL declined somewhat.
In the 1959–60 season, the club finished twelfth and, to avoid relegation, Fritz Walter
was hired temporarily as a coach. The club continued in the following year to struggle against the drop to the Amateurliga, with the gap to the relegation ranks getting smaller every season. In 1961–62, it saved itself by two points only.
Changes to the German league system in 1963, the introduction of the Fußball-Bundesliga
and the Regionalligas below meant, VfL whould have had to finish ninth or better to retain its second division status. This mark was missed by six points in twelfth place and the club had to return to the now single-division again Amateurliga Bayern.
Back in the third division, VfL finished sixth in its first year but then came only 16th in 1965 and was relegated to the tier-four Landesliga Bayern-Nord
. It managed a second place finish in this league in 1965–66 but then fell away to became a mid-table side until suffering another relegation, now to the Bezirksliga, in 1971. VfL immediately recovered and earned promotion back to the Landesliga, finishing fourth in this league in 1972–73. A period of upper-table finishes followed, culminating in a second place in 1978. From there, results declined and the club was relegated once more in 1981, never to return to this level of play.
Its glory years a thing of the past, the club played as a lower amateur side in the 1980's and 90's. In 1993, it made a return to the Bezirksliga, which was now the seventh tier, but lasted for only two seasons until 1995. It returned for another season in 1997–98.
. In 2003, it had to sell its stadium, the Stadion an der Sonneberger Straße, and clubhouse to SV Türk Gücü Neustadt to stay afloat. On 30 May 2005, the club had to merge with local amateur side TBV Wildenheid to survive, a step not universally accepted by all members, some of the older ones having left the club in protest. For a while after the merger, the club played under the name of Kickers Neustadt-Wildenheid, rising from the Kreisklasse back to the Bezirksliga.
.
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 Neustadt bei Coburg
Neustadt bei Coburg
Neustadt bei Coburg is a town in the district of Coburg in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 15 km northeast of Coburg, as its name indicates.-Local sudivisions:...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
The club is a merger of TBV Wildenheid and VfL 07 Neustadt. The later archived notability by playing in the 2nd Oberliga Süd
2nd Oberliga Süd
The 2nd Oberliga Süd was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the south of Germany from 1950 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the three states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hessen.-Overview:...
from 1954 to 1963.
History
While the TBV Wildenheid throughout its existence played as a lower amateur side, reaching the tier-four Landesliga Bayern-Nord for one season in 1968–69, the VfL Neustadt became quite a successful side during the 1950's and early 1960's. The club should not be mistaken with the VfL Neustadt/Weinstraße, a club from Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
.
VfL Neustadt
The club surfaced as a force in Bavarian football after the Second World War, earning promotion to the tier-two Landesliga Bayern
Landesliga Bayern
In the Bavarian football league system, the Landesliga Bayern is the second hightest level, below the Fußball-Bayernliga and organised in three regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Fußball-Bundesliga was established...
(northern group) in 1946. It only lasted for two seasons at this level, in 1948, when the league was reduced to one single group it was relegated again.
The club made a return to Bavaria's highest league in 1950, winning the 2nd Amateurliga Oberfranken-Ost and coming second in the following promotion round. The Landesliga Bayern had been renamed to Amateurliga Bayern in 1950, along with the introduction of the 2nd Oberliga Süd as the new second division in Southern Germany. VfL took out the Amateurliga title in its first season there 1950–51 but failed in the promotion round to the 2nd Oberliga. Coming third on equal points with VfR Aalen
VfR Aalen
VfR Aalen is a German football club based in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg.-History:The club was founded on 8 March 1921 out of the football department of the gymnastics club MTV Aalen and has led a largely unremarked existence as a lower division side...
and ASV Feudenheim, it lost 0–1 to the later in a decider.
The following season, VfL finished second in the league, one point behind champions FC Amberg. With Heinz Wittig, the club had a player selected for the German team that finished fourth at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...
. After a seventh place in 1953, the league was once more divided into two regional groups, north and south and VfL became part of the northern group again. In 1953–54, it took out the title in this league. A Bavarian title game was not played and VfL advanced to the 2nd Oberliga promotion round. In this competition, the club came first and, alongside southern Bavarian champions SpVgg Weiden
SpVgg Weiden
SpVgg Weiden is a German association football club from the city of Weiden, Bavaria.Playing in the tier-four Regionalliga Süd in 2010–11, the club had to declare insolvency after being more than Euro 1 million in debt...
, won promotion to the second division.
VfL established itself as a mid-table side in its new league, staying out of relegation trouble. In its second season, 1955–56, the club set a home attendance record when 11,000 saw a 1–3 loss to FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
who would finish second in the league and earn promotion back to the Oberliga Süd.
In the 2nd Oberliga, considered a semi-professional league, VfL would pay its players DM 60 a month to play for the club. The rise of the club from the Easy German was made possible by employers like Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and local sponsors.
The 1957–58 season became the most successful for the club, finishing third and within four points of Oberliga promotion, which went to SV Waldhof Mannheim
SV Waldhof Mannheim
SV Waldhof Mannheim is a German association football club, located in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club today has a membership of over 2,400.-History:...
and TSG Ulm 1846. The next season was almost as successful, coming fourth but seven points clear of a promotion spot. After this, VfL declined somewhat.
In the 1959–60 season, the club finished twelfth and, to avoid relegation, 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:...
was hired temporarily as a coach. The club continued in the following year to struggle against the drop to the Amateurliga, with the gap to the relegation ranks getting smaller every season. In 1961–62, it saved itself by two points only.
Changes to the German league system in 1963, 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...
and the Regionalligas below meant, VfL whould have had to finish ninth or better to retain its second division status. This mark was missed by six points in twelfth place and the club had to return to the now single-division again Amateurliga Bayern.
Back in the third division, VfL finished sixth in its first year but then came only 16th in 1965 and was relegated to the tier-four Landesliga Bayern-Nord
Landesliga Bayern-Nord
The Landesliga Bayern-Nord 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....
. It managed a second place finish in this league in 1965–66 but then fell away to became a mid-table side until suffering another relegation, now to the Bezirksliga, in 1971. VfL immediately recovered and earned promotion back to the Landesliga, finishing fourth in this league in 1972–73. A period of upper-table finishes followed, culminating in a second place in 1978. From there, results declined and the club was relegated once more in 1981, never to return to this level of play.
Its glory years a thing of the past, the club played as a lower amateur side in the 1980's and 90's. In 1993, it made a return to the Bezirksliga, which was now the seventh tier, but lasted for only two seasons until 1995. It returned for another season in 1997–98.
Merger
The new millennium saw VfL in desperate financial trouble with the real threat of having to declare insolvencyInsolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
. In 2003, it had to sell its stadium, the Stadion an der Sonneberger Straße, and clubhouse to SV Türk Gücü Neustadt to stay afloat. On 30 May 2005, the club had to merge with local amateur side TBV Wildenheid to survive, a step not universally accepted by all members, some of the older ones having left the club in protest. For a while after the merger, the club played under the name of Kickers Neustadt-Wildenheid, rising from the Kreisklasse back to the Bezirksliga.
Current
The club played in the Bezirksliga Oberfanken-West (VIII) as a mid-table side in 2008–09, before winning the league the following year and earning promotion to the Bezirksoberliga OberfrankenBezirksoberliga Oberfranken
The Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken is currently the 7th tier of the German football league system in the Bavarian Regierungsbezirk of Upper Franconia...
.
League
- Amateurliga Bayern (III)
- Champions: 1951
- Runners-up: 1952
- Amateurliga Nordbayern (III)
- Champions: 1954
- Landesliga Bayern-NordLandesliga Bayern-NordThe Landesliga Bayern-Nord 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....
- Runners-up: (2) 1966, 1978
- Bezirksliga Oberfranken-West (V-VIII)
- Champions: (2) 1972, 2010
Recent seasons
The recent season-by-season performance of the club:| Season | Division | Tier Bavarian football league system The Bavarian football league system of the Bavarian Football Association ranks within the German football league system. Its highest division, the Fussball-Bayernliga, is currently the 5th tier of German football. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the 4th tier of the league system... |
Position |
| 2004–05 | Kreisklasse Coburg-Kronach 1 | IX | 1st ↑ |
| 2005–06 | Kreisliga Coburg-Kronach | VIII | 1st ↑ |
| 2006–07 | Bezirksliga Oberfanken-West | VII | 6th |
| 2007–08 | Bezirksliga Oberfanken-West | 10th | |
| 2008–09 | Bezirksliga Oberfanken-West | VIII | 10th |
| 2009–10 | Bezirksliga Oberfanken-West | 1st ↑ | |
| 2010–11 | Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken The Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken is currently the 7th tier of the German football league system in the Bavarian Regierungsbezirk of Upper Franconia... |
VII | 12th |
| 2011–12 | Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken |
- With the introduction of the BezirksoberligasBezirksoberligen BayernThe seven Bezirksoberligas Bayern are the third highest level of the Bavarian football league system, below Oberliga and Landesliga. They are the 7th tier of the German football league system.-Overview:...
in 1988 as the new fifth tier, below the LandesligasLandesliga BayernIn the Bavarian football league system, the Landesliga Bayern is the second hightest level, below the Fußball-Bayernliga and organised in three regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Fußball-Bundesliga was established...
, all leagues below dropped one tier. With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3rd Liga3rd LigaThe 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2nd Bundesliga2. Fußball-Bundesliga- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, all leagues below dropped one tier.
Further reading
- Festschrift zur 60-Jahrfeier des VfL 07 Neustadt bei Coburg 60th Anniversary book of the VfL Neustadt
Sources
- Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897–1988 History of Southern German football in tables, author: Ludolf Hyll
External links
- Official team site
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables