1899 TS Hoffenheim

[Basil Fawlty]

Second in the bundesliga, a village of 3,000. Six years ago they were in the sixth tier of German Football, the equivalent of Conference North. Unbelievable achievement. My hat goes off to them, could they do the impossible and win the Bundesliga?!

 

[Zesh Rehman]

Bit like Gretna, but better

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Bit like Gretna, but better

Yes they're like Gretna, but they've got a proper stadium of 30,000. They also have a millionaire chairman.....

 

[Zesh Rehman]

But do you know what sort of crowds they get?

 

[Basil Fawlty]

But do you know what sort of crowds they get?

Somehow they fill their stadium week in week out.

 

[Man of Harveys]

It's an interesting story: when they first got promoted, the DFB had to warn fans from threatening their billionaire chairman, due to the perceived injustice of having their own Abramovic - one fan got arrested for having a banner with his picture with a crosshair on it.

But since the season's gone on, both the fact that he's been investing so much in developing local talent, plus the out and out attacking style of their play - even by Bundesliga standards, which year after year has most goals per game in Europe, of course - has won loads of people over. I think 1-2 of their players will be showing England how it's done in Berlin on Wednesday.

 

[fatboy]

Do you think they can win the French league Kev?

 

[Nemesis]

Somehow they fill their stadium week in week out.

Only because their head coach learned everything he knows whilst playing for Southwick...


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...olution-spices-up-the-bundesliga-1012141.html

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Yes they're like Gretna, but they've got a proper stadium of 30,000. They also have a millionaire chairman.....

They currently play their 'home' games in Mannheim whilst their new 30k stadium is being built.

Can they win the league? With a bit of luck they could....they still have to play Bayern twice though.


P.S. They lost to Hertha the other week

 

[shaun_rc]

I think Hoffenheim is pretty close to Heidelburg, so guess they must be getting their fans from there too.

I did ask a German friend about them, who was quite non-committal due to the millionaire backer. I couldn't believe seeing them at the top of the Bundesliga either, but the real situation doesn't sound as romantic as it first looked.

Also at the top of the Bundesliga are Bayer Leverkusen. Another team with few fans but loads of cash, being the works team of the Pharmaceutical company...

 

[Gully]

I reckon the equivalent of this in England would be seeing Histon in the Premiership...that would be a bit of a story wouldn't it!

 

[Bozza]

It is a great story, but is it any more fantastic than what Hull have done given their 92nd out of 92 status ten years ago today?

 

[Gully]

Hull is a large city somewhere in the north of England, Hoffenheim is a village...I reckon that is some achievement.

 

[Gully]

Do Hertha get good attendances at the Olympic Stadium, or is it a bit like Queens Park at Hampden?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Do Hertha get good attendances at the Olympic Stadium, or is it a bit like Queens Park at Hampden?

The crowd seemed quite fickle when I watched them. It was around 40-45 thousand at the start of last season then dwindled a bit as the team dropped down the league and winter set in. The bigger opponents always result in a bigger crowd though: Bayern was a sell-out last season and last week they got 52 thousand against Hamburg.

I've got a ticket for the Koln game next week.