Bundesliga Thread - 2023/24

[West Yorks Owl]

Thanks. Had looked it up as well but couldn't find a translation which made sense, other than the "blamage" embarrassment so I knew it was somewhat mocking Saarbrücken. The support from both teams sounded great.

Went to Hertha v Schalke a couple of weeks ago and it was a great experience, huge home support and electric atmosphere which I understand is perhaps not the norm for Hertha due to their stadium layout and typical attendance figures. Also been in the away end at Dortmund v Hoffenheim and enjoyed the experience as well.

Having said all that, my local club which I support has a longstanding "friendship" with Kaiserslautern due to the two sides meeting in the UEFA cup in the late 90s. Still groups of each others fans go to and from Scotland/Germany to visit games. Been at a couple of Killie games this season when fairly large groups of Kaiserslautern fans have been over for the weekend. So all in all, probably much to your disappointment as a Frankfurt native, Kaiserslautern are the German club who get the support from me. Hoping they avoid relegation and beat Leverkusen/Dusseldorf in the final. I'll visit the Fritz Walter at some point, don't know when but I'll definitely do so.

All rivalries aside: The Betzenberg/Fritz Walter Stadion is one of my absolute favourite grounds in all of Germany and I am pretty sure most people, who have been there, would agree.

Hard to believe now but when Wednesday played in the UEFA Cup in the 92-93 season we drew Kaiserslautern in the 2nd round, so I got to see us play at the Fritz Walter Stadion.

From what I remember it was a nice ground and cracking atmosphere, flags, flares etc something at that time alien to English grounds.

Shame we went out and it was not to be repated again, as I really enjoyed the 2 games that I went too.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

Hard to believe now but when Wednesday played in the UEFA Cup in the 92-93 season we drew Kaiserslautern in the 2nd round, so I got to see us play at the Fritz Walter Stadion.

From what I remember it was a nice ground and cracking atmosphere, flags, flares etc something at that time alien to English grounds.

Shame we went out and it was not to be repated again, as I really enjoyed the 2 games that I went too.

Lucky you. I'd have loved to have went when Kilmarnock played over there but I was too young at the time. A Kaiserslautern side featuring world cup winner Youri Djorkaeff amongst others, it's such a fall from grace they've had since.

You're right about the atmosphere. So different, so enjoyable to be a part of. Whether I could do it as the norm every single week over here is another matter but it's good on occasion.

 

[West Yorks Owl]

Lucky you. I'd have loved to have went when Kilmarnock played over there but I was too young at the time. A Kaiserslautern side featuring world cup winner Youri Djorkaeff amongst others, it's such a fall from grace they've had since.

You're right about the atmosphere. So different, so enjoyable to be a part of. Whether I could do it as the norm every single week over here is another matter but it's good on occasion.

Similar to us that they now seem to fluctuate between the 2nd & 3rd Tier, although they were in the Bundesliga just over a decade ago, where as we are currently 24 years and counting out of the top flight. Which might as well be 124 years as it's never coming back :)

 

[bavarian blue]

I saw Kaiserslautern secure the league in Köln in 1991. There was certainly some party down by the Rhein that evening.

 

[Bembeltown]

Lautern had indeed an incredible fall from grace. I definitely miss them in the top flight, they are our biggest derby (and Offenbach, but chances that we are crossing path with them are slim or pretty much non existent).

These days our matches against Mainz are considered a derby by the press/media and it makes sense to a certain extent as they are around the corner, but some of the younger generation have no idea what it was like playing against Lautern. Derby against Mainz is just not on the same level in terms of support, hatred and atmosphere.

But that's pretty much the state of the Bundesliga at the moment. Lot of very small clubs without a following which barely sell out home or away while Hamburg, Lautern, Schalke, Nürnberg etc rot away in the second tier.

Getting all of the old guard back in the Bundesliga would be amazing and singlehandedly would propell the Bundesliga to the number 1 league in terms of attendances, both home and away and support/atmosphere.

There are just so many stories between the clubs that pretty much are non existent when we play against Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim etc. It's just...yeah whatever. Empty away section, shit atmosphere here we go again.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

Lautern had indeed an incredible fall from grace. I definitely miss them in the top flight, they are our biggest derby (and Offenbach, but chances that we are crossing path with them are slim or pretty much non existent).

These days our matches against Mainz are considered a derby by the press/media and it makes sense to a certain extent as they are around the corner, but some of the younger generation have no idea what it was like playing against Lautern. Derby against Mainz is just not on the same level in terms of support, hatred and atmosphere.

But that's pretty much the state of the Bundesliga at the moment. Lot of very small clubs without a following which barely sell out home or away while Hamburg, Lautern, Schalke, Nürnberg etc rot away in the second tier.

Getting all of the old guard back in the Bundesliga would be amazing and singlehandedly would propell the Bundesliga to the number 1 league in terms of attendances, both home and away and support/atmosphere.

There are just so many stories between the clubs that pretty much are non existent when we play against Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim etc. It's just...yeah whatever. Empty away section, shit atmosphere here we go again.

I watched Kaiserslautern last season (or possibly the previous?) vs Mannheim. Realise they have quite a rivalry and there appeared to be a good atmosphere but that may be along the lines of Frankfurt vs Offenbach?

From afar, the atmosphere at BMG v Koln always seems intense. St Pauli vs Rostock too, and apparently just about anyone vs Dresden (are Dresden the Millwall of Germany or what?).

The support both home and away throughout the leagues is top class, especially considering the size of the country. From Kiel to Munich you're as well booking a week off work!

You mention Hoffenheim, and I get it with their home crowd. Small place, not much tradition, but their away support at Dortmund was very loud throughout. Fully enjoyed their company. But I realise they aren't to many people's taste as per Leipzig, Wolfsburg and perhaps Leverkusen.

 

[Bembeltown]

I watched Kaiserslautern last season (or possibly the previous?) vs Mannheim. Realise they have quite a rivalry and there appeared to be a good atmosphere but that may be along the lines of Frankfurt vs Offenbach?

From afar, the atmosphere at BMG v Koln always seems intense. St Pauli vs Rostock too, and apparently just about anyone vs Dresden (are Dresden the Millwall of Germany or what?).

The support both home and away throughout the leagues is top class, especially considering the size of the country. From Kiel to Munich you're as well booking a week off work!

You mention Hoffenheim, and I get it with their home crowd. Small place, not much tradition, but their away support at Dortmund was very loud throughout. Fully enjoyed their company. But I realise they aren't to many people's taste as per Leipzig, Wolfsburg and perhaps Leverkusen.

Mannheim and Kaiserslautern indeed have a rivalry and it is similar to Offenbach and us. Both Mannheim and Offenbach are the closest rival, however there have always been a couple of leagues between Frankfurt/Kaiserslautern and their "smaller" rival.

So chances of meeting are relatively slim and the only time we met Offenbach in recent years was through the cup. Was carnage when we played them for the first time in 30 years at their place. Managed to get tickets but unfortunately only in the Offenbach section and it was hard to stay undercover especially when we finally won and our very own Jermaine Jones decided it was a good idea to celebrate his winning penalty in front of their hardcore section. I decided to leave the ground when the hools started to climb over the fences...;-)

Funny enough Frankfurt and Mannheim have a long standing friendship and I am pretty sure there were Frankfurt Ultras present at the Lautern/Waldhof match you watched.

Those stickers are usually a sure indicator (Frankfurt and Mannheim, Martial Arts and hard liquor)


In terms of other interesting games St. Pauli - Rostock is pretty much a political statement. Far left versus far right. Rostock in my opinion is the equivalent of Millwall. They have a very large and passionate hooligan/Ultras scene, but they are so far on the right side of the spectrum that I can't have respect for them. I mean the have been known to celebrate the burning of refugee shelters with banners at their games. And the club itself only speaks of "a small amount of individuals", even though everyone knows Rostock's fanbase is openly racist, homophobe, transphobe etc.

If any of the bigger teams plays against them it's always considered "high risk".

Dresden are very well supported and again have a very passionate fanbase, they travel in numbers and fully embrace their East German identity (like most East German fans, they consider themselves to be "harder" than their West German counterparts).

They famously made a huge banner with stolen scarfs of other teams and the scarves formed the letters to "Wessi Ultras aufs Maul", which loosely ttranslates to "Beat up West German Ultras".
I think it was Köln supporters who then made a similar banner when visiting Dresden which read "Beat up Dresden" made out of stolen Dresden scarves.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

Mannheim and Kaiserslautern indeed have a rivalry and it is similar to Offenbach and us. Both Mannheim and Offenbach are the closest rival, however there have always been a couple of leagues between Frankfurt/Kaiserslautern and their "smaller" rival.

So chances of meeting are relatively slim and the only time we met Offenbach in recent years was through the cup. Was carnage when we played them for the first time in 30 years at their place. Managed to get tickets but unfortunately only in the Offenbach section and it was hard to stay undercover especially when we finally won and our very own Jermaine Jones decided it was a good idea to celebrate his winning penalty in front of their hardcore section. I decided to leave the ground when the hools started to climb over the fences...;-)

Funny enough Frankfurt and Mannheim have a long standing friendship and I am pretty sure there were Frankfurt Ultras present at the Lautern/Waldhof match you watched.

Those stickers are usually a sure indicator (Frankfurt and Mannheim, Martial Arts and hard liquor)
View attachment 112824

In terms of other interesting games St. Pauli - Rostock is pretty much a political statement. Far left versus far right. Rostock in my opinion is the equivalent of Millwall. They have a very large and passionate hooligan/Ultras scene, but they are so far on the right side of the spectrum that I can't have respect for them. I mean the have been known to celebrate the burning of refugee shelters with banners at their games. And the club itself only speaks of "a small amount of individuals", even though everyone knows Rostock's fanbase is openly racist, homophobe, transphobe etc.

If any of the bigger teams plays against them it's always considered "high risk".

Dresden are very well supported and again have a very passionate fanbase, they travel in numbers and fully embrace their East German identity (like most East German fans, they consider themselves to be "harder" than their West German counterparts).

They famously made a huge banner with stolen scarfs of other teams and the scarves formed the letters to "Wessi Ultras aufs Maul", which loosely ttranslates to "Beat up West German Ultras".
I think it was Köln supporters who then made a similar banner when visiting Dresden which read "Beat up Dresden" made out of stolen Dresden scarves.

Interesting, I enjoy reading stuff like this. Always find the culture of "friendships" and rivalries of sides you perhaps wouldn't expect an interesting read, again so different from UK where friendships amongst clubs aren't a thing. Well, City and West Ham tend to get along now that I mention....=)

 

[deano ou812]

Bayern are going to get hammered by arsenal on Tuesday night absolutely awful 2 up now 2-2 at HT ..

 

[rowarta]

Bayern are going to get hammered by arsenal on Tuesday night absolutely awful 2 up now 2-2 at HT ..

Bayern now losing :-)