1. FC Kleve
Encyclopedia
1. FC Kleve is a German association football club
from the city of Kleve
, North Rhine-Westphalia
very near the Dutch border. The club was established in 2000 out of the merger of VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve and Sportclub Kleve 63. The footballers are today part of a larger sports club that also has departments for aerobics
, gymnastics, Karate
, and tennis.
Following World War II, SC made occasional appearances as a lower table side in third tier football in the Amateurliga Niederrhein. Following the reorganization of German football and the formation of the top-flight Bundesliga in 1963, SC managed another three season of third division play (1963–64, 1969–71) before slipping back to lower level local competition.
This team merged with Turnclub Merkur and Clever Schwimm-Sportclub in 1920 to form Verein für Turn- und Bewegungsspiele Cleve. A new association known as VfL 95 Merkur Cleve was formed out of this club the following year and they quickly re-adopted the traditional name VfB 03 Cleve. After 1925 this side also used the form "Kleve". In January 1946, VfB joined SuL Kleve, itself formed through the 1936 merger of VfB Lohengrin 1921 and FC Sparta 1921 Kleve, to create VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve.
Like SC, VfB made occasional appearances in third tier football in the Amateurliga Niederrhein and had a similarly undistinguished record at that level.
(IV) where they competed until 2008, when the club earned promotion to the new Regionalliga West
.
VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve
1. FC Kleve
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 Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
very near the Dutch border. The club was established in 2000 out of the merger of VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve and Sportclub Kleve 63. The footballers are today part of a larger sports club that also has departments for aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
, gymnastics, Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, and tennis.
Sportclub Kleve 63
SC Kleve was founded in 1906 as Fussball Club Cleve and merged with Spieleverein 1909 Cleve in 1917 to create FC Hohenzollern Cleve. Two years later the club was briefly known as Verein für Jungend und Volksspiele Cleve before becoming part of Turnverein Cleve 1863. In 1924, the footballers left to form an independent club called Sportclub Cleve 1863. After 1925 the city was known as "Kleve" and the sports club adopted the same form.Following World War II, SC made occasional appearances as a lower table side in third tier football in the Amateurliga Niederrhein. Following the reorganization of German football and the formation of the top-flight Bundesliga in 1963, SC managed another three season of third division play (1963–64, 1969–71) before slipping back to lower level local competition.
VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve
The Lohengrin side was established in 1903 as VfB Cleve and was made up largely of workers from the "van-den-Berghschen Margarinewerke" earning them the nickname "de Botter". The club's home field was built with the support of the margarine company and on 16 October 1910 was the site of the first international match between Germany and Holland held on German soil (1:2).This team merged with Turnclub Merkur and Clever Schwimm-Sportclub in 1920 to form Verein für Turn- und Bewegungsspiele Cleve. A new association known as VfL 95 Merkur Cleve was formed out of this club the following year and they quickly re-adopted the traditional name VfB 03 Cleve. After 1925 this side also used the form "Kleve". In January 1946, VfB joined SuL Kleve, itself formed through the 1936 merger of VfB Lohengrin 1921 and FC Sparta 1921 Kleve, to create VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve.
Like SC, VfB made occasional appearances in third tier football in the Amateurliga Niederrhein and had a similarly undistinguished record at that level.
1. FC Kleve
These key predecessor sides were acknowledged with the adoption of the name 1. FC Kleve 1863/1903 in the 2000 merger that formed the present-day club. In 2003, 1. FC won its way to the Oberliga NordrheinOberliga Nordrhein
The Oberliga Nordrhein was the highest Football League in the region of Nordrhein which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1978 to 2008. In its last season, it was one of nine Oberligas in German Football, the 4th tier of the German football league system...
(IV) where they competed until 2008, when the club earned promotion to the new Regionalliga West
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is the fourth tier of the German football league system since its introduction in 2008. It covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia and is one of three leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga...
.
Current squad
Honours
SC Kleve 63- Landesliga Niederrhein-2 (IV) champions: 1969
VfB Lohengrin 03 Kleve
- Landesliga Niederrhein-2 (IV) champions: 1995
1. FC Kleve
- Landesliga Niederrhein-2 (VI) champions: 2002
- Verbandsliga Niederrhein (V) champions: 2003