TuRU Düsseldorf, or Turn-und Rasensport Union Düsseldorf to give them their full title, is a football club from Dusseldorf in the north west of Germany. The club were formed in 1919, after several other clubs were absorbed over the years.
Borussia Düsseldorf merged with Vorwärts Düsseldorf to create Düsseldorf Fußball Klub Union in 1909. The club merged further with Verein für Rasensport Düsseldorf, who were formerly known as Sport Club Athen Düsseldorf and Friedrichstädter Turnverein 1880 in 1919 to create TuRU.
The new club reached the final of the Westdeutcher Fußball Verband in 1922-23, going down 4-3 to Arminia Bielefeld before progressing to the last eight of the national finals before being defeated by Hertha BSC Berlin.
Goalscorer Joseph Lüke was a star player of the day, winning a German cap against the Netherlands while remaining with TuRU until 1926. From 1935-36 TuRU played in Gauliga Niederrhein, one of sixteen premier divisions across Germany during the rule of the Third Reich after having been promoted from the Bezirksliga.
Hans Mengel was in the side between 1937 and 1940 alongside other stars Helmut Albrecht and Walter Graf. Twenty one year old Mengel was capped by Germany in 1938 against Hungary but lost his life fighting on the Western Front in 1941 during conflict.
The team put together several consecutive mid table Gauliga finishes prior to finishing bottom of the table in 1941-42 to drop back down to the Bezirksliga before the club became members of Gruppe II of 2. Oberliga West after the War.
The club moved from their Oberbilker Allee home to the new Stadion an der Feuerbachstraße around this period. A bottom half finish in 1951-52 led to the club dropping to the third level Landesliga Niederrhein after league reorganisation.
A fifth place finish in Gruppe 1 in 1954-55 ensured that TuRU would retain a place in third tier, but in the newly formed Verbandsliga Niederrhein from where they dropped down in bottom place at the conclusion of the 1957-58 campaign to drop to the Landesliga.
Future West German international Fritz Ewert started his career around this time with the club prior to a move to 1. FC Köln. In 1959 Hans-Werner Moors made his TuRU debut, remaining at Stadion an der Feuerbachstraße for ten years before a career in the upper echelons of German and USA football before becoming head coach of several clubs.
Promotion was achieved in 1959-60 to Bezirksklasse Berg-Mark Gruppe 1 where they remained for three seasons before dropping back down. Iceland international midfielder Atli Eðvaldsson played for TuRU in 1989, with the team playing in the fifth tier Verbandsliga Niederrhein in the early 90’s
Future Moroccan international keeper Mohamed Amsif started his career at TuRU as a junior before moving on in 2001. After several years in the lower divisions, TuRU climbed out of the Verbandsliga and then Mittelrheinliga to reach the fourth tier Oberliga Nordrhein.
The team finished in tenth place on their return in 2004-05 as star player Uwe Hagemes was signed by Fortuna Düsseldorf while Steffen Herzberger played a pivotal role prior to Frank Benatelli and then Demir Hotić taking the head coach position.
Their spell lasted three seasons before they were demoted to the Niederrheinliga. The regions football leagues were restructured so that TuRU found themselves in fifth level Oberliga Niederrhein for the 2012-13 season, where they finished as runners-up after promotion from the Verbandsliga.
After a couple of mid table finishes the team ended 2015-16 in fourth place before a couple of seasons in the lower third, with Samir Sisic coaching the side in 2017-18 prior to eighth place the following season in which Jacub Przybylko top scored for ‘Die Tauben’, the Doves.
TuRU found themselves in ninth when the 2019-20 season was suspended owing to the COVID-19 pandemic Takumi Yanagisawa led the goals chart for Franciso Carrasco’s led side.
TuRU Düsseldorf will play in Oberliga Niederrhein for the 2020-21 season.
My visits
The other three sides consisting of open grass banks and hard standing at the bottom. Trees topped the banking giving the ground an enclosed feel. An open bar area stood by the turnstiles.
I left as the youngsters played out their game, thinking how nice it was to see them allowed to play at such a facility. The Ringelsweide pathway led me to Oberbilke Alee, which gave me the opportunity to go underneath another branch of the SBahn.
A walk along Gustav-Poensgen Strasse took me to my budget accommodation at Hotel Schaum, fully complete with a view down to the platforms of the Friedrichstadt station where I managed to get a brief nap before heading off to the evening 2. Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
I thought the Stadion an der Feuerbachstraße to be a super ground and I hoped to re-visit for a game at some point in the future.
TuRU Düsseldorf 3 SC Schwarz-Weiß 06 1 (Saturday 8th August 2020) Friendly (Att: c120)
I’d passed the stadium several times more after previously visiting for photos while on various train journeys in and out of Düsseldorf and had considered heading across to a Sunday match. Unfortunately, the usual 3.30pm kick offs meant any chance of my favourite two matches in a day somewhat remote.
My return came about in unusual circumstances. Basically, the UK had got themselves in a terrible mess throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with many policies making no sense whatsoever.
I’d enjoyed a harmless walk and game of football at Belstone on the Tuesday evening around another fifty or so fans. When I arrived home, I found that the government and FA had put a block on spectators, even at that level, which was the seventh tier of non-league football.
My weekend off work had already been scuppered by the lockdown in East Lancashire where I had booked trains and was to stay with my friends Kes and Julie Roscoe. However, that had to be cancelled, despite their town of Rawtenstall having only one new case of the virus.
Throughout the pandemic I had continued to work, but my mental health was being put to the test, not least through the uncertainty thrown over my proposed retirement and move to Thailand a few months later.
Social media was full of angry and confused non-league football fans and club officials unable to comprehend the decision to play games behind closed doors when supporters and members could use the clubhouses inside grounds but not watch the game.
A Zoom chat with friends in Wales, Australia and Thailand shook me from a dark mood. I checked the internet and found a link to German friendly fixtures where crowds were limited to 300. An idea was hatched. Further investigation led me to return flights for £75 while plenty of accommodation was available.
By Friday afternoon I’d taken a flight from Stansted on a sweltering day to Köln Bonn Airport wearing face coverings throughout before a couple of trains to Düsseldorf. I had been in touch with Marius Eve, a fellow European Football Weekends member on Facebook.
He invited me to a match in Koblenz that evening, but the timings were a bit tight. However, we arranged to meet up for the TuRU match the following day while I eventually got access to my fine room at Belle Etage on Morsestraße.
The Friday evening was exactly what I needed. A nice pizza, a look at the England v Pakistan Test match on my IPad and then a nap before an evening in Aldstadt, one of my favourite places anywhere for a few beers.
Hühnerstall was quiet, while The Irish Pub Bei Fatty - Fatty's was busier and showed both Champions League matches as well as the world snooker championship. The main drag showed little sign of social distancing as people were laughing and having fun.
Marius messaged me with the offer from a friend of his to ferry me around three matches the following day by car, which was greatly appreciated. However, I’d got my heart set on TuRU and that seemed to suit Marius too.
After a few more Alt beers in the ever excellent Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel I grabbed currywurst and fries while taking in the ambience and filming a clip trying to describe my confusions and frustrations.
All the bars had some form of track and trace in place requiring personal details and the staff were first class. Masks were worn by all employees while customers had to wear them whenever going near any unshielded bar areas until taking a seat. It was hardly a shock that the German’s had got it right.
Sleep was not easy. My room was mafting, despite having a fan on all night. Having got up at 5.15am for work all week didn’t help. I walked to Lidl which backed onto Stadion an der Feuerbachstraße and grabbed some provisions and much needed liquids.
Marius mentioned that he hoped that the soaring temperatures wouldn’t cancel our intended game. Some other fixtures had fallen by the wayside. It was certainly hot enough, even at 8.30am. I drifted off back at the room listening to BBC 6 Music in a content mood.
I was a bit early down to the ground arriving around 12.20 for a the 1pm kick off. Admission was €4 and I was given an admittance ticket as well as another one with a number so the club could ensure they didn’t exceed their crowd limit.
My details were added to a sheet on a table for track and trace purposes while hand sanitiser was readily available. I hung around the under the cover of the bar area and bought a welcome bratwurst for €2.80.
Club officials were busy putting out tape so spectators knew where they could go. Lots of arrows made of hazard tape were on the floor to implement a one-way system. They weren’t taking any chances but showed how easily things could be sorted in the UK.
Marius arrived fifteen minutes before kick-off as we settled with Jever beers which were €2.40 a bottle. We’d met briefly among a group down the Aldstadt before a Fortuna game against his side Bayer Leverkusen a couple of years previously. It was good to have a proper chat.
The available seats were designated in the shade of the stand as we took a pew. TuRU started off at a ferocious pace against their near city neighbours and went ahead on eleven minutes through Ismail Cakici before visiting keeper Jan Pillekamp pulled off an outstanding low save from a close range header.
It wasn’t entirely one way traffic, as TuRU goalie Johannes Kultscher had to be on his toes to keep out a couple of speculative efforts. We were joined by Markus, a local Borussia Dortmund fan and groundhopper who looked a thirsty lad. My judgement was proven to be bang on.
TuRU continued to pour forward before doubling their lead on nineteen minutes through Sahin Ayas. Two minutes later it was 3-0 when a header came back off the bar to fall at the feet of Cakici who made no mistake. The drinks break in the fearsome heat must have come as a double relief to the players of Schwarz-Weiß along with their coach David Breitmar.
While the hosts continued to control the game, the away side fared better until half time. I had a little wander in the second half to follow the restrictions while taking a few photos before returning with my round of Brinkhoff beers.
I’d heard “der Englander” in conversation between my pals and some TuRU regulars. Sebi introduced himself when I went to the bar and told me he was coming to the second game of the afternoon at Gerresheim with us. The more the merrier in my view.
TuRU continued playing with ease. Pillekamp pulled off some more good saves and his team were rewarded in the small amount of added time allowed by referee Michael Menden, when Niclas Kuypers slotted home.
We headed across the road to the Volksgarten tram stop while Sebi went on ahead before returning with some welcome bottles of Alt beer. We were soon on our way on the 706 service heading to the derby between TuS and Sportfreunde Gerresheim and more beers.
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