VfL Neckarau
Encyclopedia
VfL Neckarau is a German association football club
from the district of Neckarau in the city of Mannheim
, Baden-Württemberg.
. The newly formed association was known as Verein für Leibesübungen 1884 Neckarau. The following year Athletik-Sportverein Neckarau became part of the club, while earlier partner TV Jahn Neckarau became an independent club again in 1924.
(I).
They remained in first division play until the end of World War II in 1945. In 1939, the team narrowly missed demotion. Despite being beaten 2:0 by SpVgg Sandhofen in relegation play, they avoided being sent down when league reorganization expanded their division allowing VfL to stay up in the Gauliga Baden-Staffel Nord. They rebounded and took the division title in 1941, but were quickly eliminated from the national playoffs after a poor showing in their qualification group. They also made their only appearance in national cup play that year when they took part in the opening round of the Tschammerpokal, predecessor to today's German Cup (DFB-Pokal
), where they were eliminated 0:4 by FV Metz. From 1943–45, VfL played as part of the combined wartime side Kriegspielgemeinschaft Neckarau alongside SpVgg Mannheim.
appeared for the national side
in 1950 in their first international after World War II.
The team resurfaced in the Amateurliga Nordbaden
(III) in 1957–58, capturing a title there, but failing in their bid to win promotion to second tier competition. They remained in the Amateurliga until 1964, capturing the title there again in 1962, before crashing to a 15th place finish and falling to the Landesliga Rhein-Nord (IV). Neckarau again rebounded and advanced to the Regionalliga Süd
(II) to play a single season in 1968–69. After a second place finish in the Amateurliga Nordbaden the next year, the club took part in the national amateur championship and advanced as far as the semifinals where they were put out by SC Jülich (1:0, 1:3).
The club played in the Amateurliga Nordbaden (III) through the 70s and 80s, becoming a fourth division side after league restructuring in 1978. VfL slipped to lower tier play in 1990 and is currently part of the Landesliga Rhein-Neckar (VII) after spending some time in the Kreisliga Mannheim (VIII).
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 district of Neckarau in the city of Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Baden-Württemberg.
Foundation and early years
The current day club came out of a long string of mergers of predecessor sides. On 9 September 1907, Fuβball-Club Germania 1904 and Fuβball-Club Allemannia 1905 united to form Fuβball-Vereinigung 1907 Neckarau. In 1921, FV in turn merged with the gymnastics clubs Turnverein 1884 Neckarau and Turnerbund Jahn Neckarau (which had formed its own football department in 1914), while playing in the Kreisliga OdenwaldKreisliga Odenwald
The Kreisliga Odenwald was the highest association football league in the northern part of the German state of Baden and the southern part of the state of Hesse from 1919 to 1923...
. The newly formed association was known as Verein für Leibesübungen 1884 Neckarau. The following year Athletik-Sportverein Neckarau became part of the club, while earlier partner TV Jahn Neckarau became an independent club again in 1924.
Into the top flight
The first appearance by VfL on the national stage came with their participation in the regional Süddeutschland qualifying round for the German championship in 1927. They again took part in qualification play in 1929 and 1932, but came away unsuccessful each time. Following the reorganization of German football into 16 top-flight divisions under the Third Reich in 1933, Neckarau became part of the Gauliga BadenGauliga Baden
The Gauliga Baden was the highest football league in the German state of Baden from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gau Baden replaced the state Baden....
(I).
They remained in first division play until the end of World War II in 1945. In 1939, the team narrowly missed demotion. Despite being beaten 2:0 by SpVgg Sandhofen in relegation play, they avoided being sent down when league reorganization expanded their division allowing VfL to stay up in the Gauliga Baden-Staffel Nord. They rebounded and took the division title in 1941, but were quickly eliminated from the national playoffs after a poor showing in their qualification group. They also made their only appearance in national cup play that year when they took part in the opening round of the Tschammerpokal, predecessor to today's German Cup (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...
), where they were eliminated 0:4 by FV Metz. From 1943–45, VfL played as part of the combined wartime side Kriegspielgemeinschaft Neckarau alongside SpVgg Mannheim.
Post war
Following the conflict, the club was re-established as VfL 1884 Mannheim-Neckarau. The renewed association included the memberships of TV Jahn Neckarau and Arbeiter Turn- Sportverein Neckarau, a worker's club which had been disbanded in 1933 as politically undesirable under the Nazi regime. The footballers captured the title in the Landesliga Nordbaden (II) in 1946 and advanced to first division play in the Oberliga Süd. They fared poorly in their next two campaigns and were sent down in 1948. The following season, a vice-championship in the Landesliga was followed by a failed promotion attempt. VfL captured the division in 1950 and then beat TSG Ulm 3:0 to return to the Oberliga Süd (I). They struggled through the 50s, lasting only two seasons in the Oberliga before slipping through the Landesliga and into lower level play. Fritz BaloghFritz Balogh
Fritz Balogh was a German footballer.During the Second World War, Balogh played as a forward for VfL Neckarau. On November 22, 1950 he participated in his first and only international in the German national team, a 1-0 victory against Switzerland...
appeared for the national side
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in 1950 in their first international after World War II.
The team resurfaced in the Amateurliga Nordbaden
Amateurliga Nordbaden
The Amateurliga Nordbaden was the highest football league in the region of the Nordbaden FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1945 to the formation of the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Verbandsliga Nordbaden below it in 1978.- Overview :The...
(III) in 1957–58, capturing a title there, but failing in their bid to win promotion to second tier competition. They remained in the Amateurliga until 1964, capturing the title there again in 1962, before crashing to a 15th place finish and falling to the Landesliga Rhein-Nord (IV). Neckarau again rebounded and advanced to the Regionalliga Süd
Regionalliga Süd
The Regionalliga Süd 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 southern part of Germany...
(II) to play a single season in 1968–69. After a second place finish in the Amateurliga Nordbaden the next year, the club took part in the national amateur championship and advanced as far as the semifinals where they were put out by SC Jülich (1:0, 1:3).
The club played in the Amateurliga Nordbaden (III) through the 70s and 80s, becoming a fourth division side after league restructuring in 1978. VfL slipped to lower tier play in 1990 and is currently part of the Landesliga Rhein-Neckar (VII) after spending some time in the Kreisliga Mannheim (VIII).
League
- Gauliga BadenGauliga BadenThe Gauliga Baden was the highest football league in the German state of Baden from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gau Baden replaced the state Baden....
(I)- Champions: 1941
- Bezirksliga Rhein-SaarBezirksliga Rhein-SaarThe Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar was the highest association football league in the German state of Saarland, the Bavarian region of Palatinate and the northern-most part of Baden from 1927 to 1933...
(I)- Champions: 1929
- Bezirksliga RheinBezirksliga RheinThe Bezirksliga Rhein was the highest association football league in the northern part of the German state of Baden and the Bavarian region of Palatinate from 1923 to 1927, when the league was replaced by the Bezirksliga Rhein-Saar.- Overview :...
(I)- Champions: 1927
- Landesliga Nordbaden (II)
- Champions: 1946, 1950
- Landesliga Rhein-Nord (IV)
- Champions: 1965
- Amateurliga NordbadenAmateurliga NordbadenThe Amateurliga Nordbaden was the highest football league in the region of the Nordbaden FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1945 to the formation of the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Verbandsliga Nordbaden below it in 1978.- Overview :The...
(III)- Champions: 1958, 1968
- Verbandsliga NordbadenVerbandsliga NordbadenThe Verbandsliga Baden 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 :...
(V)- Champions: 1988
- Kreisliga Mannheim (VIII)
- Champions: 2011
Recent seasons
The recent season-by-season performance of the club:| Season | Division | Tier | Position |
| 2005–06 | Kreisliga Mannheim A1 | VII | 1st |
| 2005–06 | Kreisliga Mannheim | 4th | |
| 2006–07 | Kreisliga Mannheim | 7th | |
| 2007–08 | Kreisliga Mannheim | 2nd ↑ | |
| 2008–09 | Landesliga Rhein-Neckar | 15th ↓ | |
| 2009–10 | Kreisliga Mannheim | VIII | 8th |
| 2010–11 | Kreisliga Mannheim | 1st ↑ | |
| 2011–12 | Landesliga Rhein-Neckar | VII |
- 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.
External links
- Official team site
- Abseits Guide to German Soccer
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables