FC Heilbronn
Encyclopedia
FC Heilbronn is a German association football club
based in Heilbronn
, Baden-Württemberg
formed in 2003 out of a merger between VfR Heilbronn and Heilbronner SpVgg.
(I). The club was briefly submerged in the widespread politically motivated mergers of clubs that took place under the Third Reich in 1934. It re-emerged as Sportverein Heilbronn 96 that same year and by 1937 was again playing as VfR.
Heilbronner Spielvereinigung was the younger side, founded in 1907 as Sportverein Adler. This club joined VfR for the first time in 1907, but was re-formed as a separate side in 1927. They joined Turnerbund Heilbronn in 1933 to form Heilbronner Spvgg 07. Through the years, the new club maintained good relations with VfR Heilbronn in all its incarnations, until the two sides finally merged in 2003.
VfR celebrated few successes during its existence. It became part of the Gauliga Württemberg
, one of sixteen top-flight divisions formed in the 1933 re-organization of German football under the Third Reich, but played only 13 matches of the 1933–34 season before being disqualified after failing financially. The club was soon playing again and won a promotion round playoff in 1941 to return to the Gauliga, where they played two seasons before being relegated.
After the war, Heilbronn earned a string of indifferent results playing in the Amateurliga Württemberg (III) and lower tier play through the late 40s and on into the mid 50s. The team captured the Amateurliga title in 1956 and advanced to the 2. Liga Süd for a single season turn in 1956–57. They were promptly sent down, but returned to second division play in 1962. VfR was again immediately relegated and failed in its attempt to win re-promotion the following season, settling into competition in the Amateurliga Nordwürttemberg (III) for a handful of seasons. Another Amateurliga championship in 1969 and a successful promotion round playoff propelled the team into the Regionalliga Süd where they played as a mid-table side until 1975. The team made regular appearances in the opening rounds of play for the DFB-Pokal
(German Cup) through the 1970s. Over the next three decades VfR tier III, IV and V football until financial problems finally grounded them in 2002.
Heilbronner SpVgg never enjoyed even that level of success, only managing to work their way up to the Landesliga (VI) before the merger.
Following the merger of the two clubs, newly formed FC Heilbronn took up the place of VfR in the Verbandsliga Württemberg. On-going financial woes drove them down to the Landesliga Württemberg (VI) in 2004, where they continue to compete until 2011, when another relagtion took them down to the Bezirksliga Unterland.
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...
based in Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
formed in 2003 out of a merger between VfR Heilbronn and Heilbronner SpVgg.
History
The club was founded in 1896 as Heilbronner Fußball Club 96 and over the next decade assimilated a number of other local clubs beginning in 1900 with a high school team called Schüler Fußball Club. Shortly after that they merged with Württemberger Fußball Club to become Heilbronner Fussballgesellschaft, and in 1907, were joined by FC Amicitia Heilbronn. The team took on the name Heilbronner Fußballvereinigung in 1913 after being joined by Sportverein Adler. They finally became Verein für Rasenspiele Heilbronn in 1920 and started playing in the Kreisliga WürttembergKreisliga Württemberg
The Kreisliga Württemberg was the highest association football league in the German state of Württemberg from 1919 to 1923...
(I). The club was briefly submerged in the widespread politically motivated mergers of clubs that took place under the Third Reich in 1934. It re-emerged as Sportverein Heilbronn 96 that same year and by 1937 was again playing as VfR.
Heilbronner Spielvereinigung was the younger side, founded in 1907 as Sportverein Adler. This club joined VfR for the first time in 1907, but was re-formed as a separate side in 1927. They joined Turnerbund Heilbronn in 1933 to form Heilbronner Spvgg 07. Through the years, the new club maintained good relations with VfR Heilbronn in all its incarnations, until the two sides finally merged in 2003.
VfR celebrated few successes during its existence. It became part of the Gauliga Württemberg
Gauliga Württemberg
The Gauliga Württemberg was the highest football league in the German state of Württemberg and the Prussian province of Hohenzollern from 1933 to 1945...
, one of sixteen top-flight divisions formed in the 1933 re-organization of German football under the Third Reich, but played only 13 matches of the 1933–34 season before being disqualified after failing financially. The club was soon playing again and won a promotion round playoff in 1941 to return to the Gauliga, where they played two seasons before being relegated.
After the war, Heilbronn earned a string of indifferent results playing in the Amateurliga Württemberg (III) and lower tier play through the late 40s and on into the mid 50s. The team captured the Amateurliga title in 1956 and advanced to the 2. Liga Süd for a single season turn in 1956–57. They were promptly sent down, but returned to second division play in 1962. VfR was again immediately relegated and failed in its attempt to win re-promotion the following season, settling into competition in the Amateurliga Nordwürttemberg (III) for a handful of seasons. Another Amateurliga championship in 1969 and a successful promotion round playoff propelled the team into the Regionalliga Süd where they played as a mid-table side until 1975. The team made regular appearances in the opening rounds of play for the DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
(German Cup) through the 1970s. Over the next three decades VfR tier III, IV and V football until financial problems finally grounded them in 2002.
Heilbronner SpVgg never enjoyed even that level of success, only managing to work their way up to the Landesliga (VI) before the merger.
Following the merger of the two clubs, newly formed FC Heilbronn took up the place of VfR in the Verbandsliga Württemberg. On-going financial woes drove them down to the Landesliga Württemberg (VI) in 2004, where they continue to compete until 2011, when another relagtion took them down to the Bezirksliga Unterland.
Honours
- Verbandsliga WürttembergVerbandsliga WürttembergThe Verbandsliga Württemberg 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-V)- Champion: 1979, 1986, 1997, 1999
- Amateurliga WürttembergAmateurliga WürttembergThe Amateurliga Württemberg was the highest football league in the region of the Württemberg FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1945 until the formation of the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Verbandsliga Württemberg below it in 1978.- Overview :The...
(III)- Champion: 1956
- Amateurliga Nordwürttemberg (III)
- Champion: 1969
Recent seasons
The recent season-by-season performance of the club:| Season | Division | Tier | Position |
| 1999–2000 | Oberliga Baden-Württemberg Oberliga Baden-Württemberg The Oberliga Baden-Württemberg is the highest Football League in the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Baden-Württemberg football league system. It is one of eleven Oberligas in German Football, the 5th tier of the German football league system... |
IV | 10th |
| 2000–01 | Oberliga Baden-Württemberg | 3rd | |
| 2001–02 | Oberliga Baden-Württemberg | 15th ↓ | |
| 2002–03 | Verbandsliga Württemberg | V | 11th |
| 2003–04 | Verbandsliga Württemberg | 13th ↓ | |
| 2004–05 | Landesliga Württemberg I | VI | 9th |
| 2005–06 | Landesliga Württemberg I | 3rd | |
| 2006–07 | Landesliga Württemberg I | 5th | |
| 2007–08 | Landesliga Württemberg I | 7th | |
| 2008–09 | Landesliga Württemberg I | VII | 5th |
| 2009–10 | Landesliga Württemberg I | 11th | |
| 2010–11 | Landesliga Württemberg I | 16th ↓ | |
| 2011–12 | Bezirksliga Unterland |
- 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.