1. SC Feucht (Germany)

1. SC Feucht is a football club from the small town of Feucht, located a few miles outside Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The club was formed in June 1920 as Fußball Club Feucht by a group of enthusiasts who met in the restaurant Zur Krone, where Kreissparkasse stands today.

A pitch was created on Regensburger Straße next to the forestry. The club was retitled as Sportclub Feucht in 1923, and while membership figures were promising, the finances were in a poor state. The club was dissolved in 1925 but reformed as 1. SC Feucht, a couple of years later. 

The team played in the local Kreisklasse I, being crowned as champions in 1932-33. It is unclear how they fared from that time until after World War II. At this point, Feucht started to play matches at Alten Siedlung at a new sports ground. In 1957-58, the team won the local Klasse A title and progressed to 2. Amateurliga, where they remained for a couple of seasons.

Coach Kurt Ucko led Feucht to further success in A-Klasse and then in 1966-67, as the Gruppe Nord championship was won and promotion to the national league system with a place in the Landesliga Bayern-Nordost.

However, this elevation proved a step too far as the team was relegated after just one season. Under the club management of Friedrich Neumeier, a new home ground was created on Waldstraße, which included four pitches, bowling alleys, tennis courts and a clubhouse.

Established coaches Horst Leupold, "Zapf" Robert Gebhard, Gustav Flachenecker and Heiner Vitzethum all had spells at the club.

None were able to lead the club back into the national leagues. A relegation back to A-Klasse Neumarkt was suffered in 1976-77, while finances required for the maintenance of the club facilities caused further financial distress. Coach Erich Tauchmann led the side to promotion in 1983-84 with another A-Klasse title.

A further promotion to the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken followed in 1991-92 under the leadership of Harald Zeilinger. Player-Coach Sigi Susser helped take the side to an excellent fifth place in their debut season at the higher level. Feucht won the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken in 1994-95 and were promoted to the fifth national tier, Landesliga Bayern-Mitte. 

After a season of consolidation, the team went on to win the Landesliga to reach the Bayernliga. The club facilities were renovated, with Waldstadion created with a capacity of 3,500. Norbert Hofmann took over as coach in 1998 as the team stabilised their position and went on to finish in third place in 1999-00.

Coach Roland Seitz and returning sporting director Dieter Nüssing put together a new line-up after Feucht had narrowly avoided relegation to be crowned as Bayernliga champions in 2002-03, scoring over 100 goals in the process. Feucht were rewarded with promotion to the third-tier Regionalliga Süd. 

The club continued to strengthen its infrastructure with a hotel, restaurant, as well as the upgrade of the facilities around the Waldstadion. The opening game of the 2003-04 season against 1. FC Saarbrücken attracted a capacity crowd. However, remaining in the Regionalliga was a step too far financially. 

The club took voluntary relegation to the Bayernliga after just two seasons, despite finishing above the drop zone. Finances continued to trouble Feucht, who paid for their earlier investments as the coaching staff and players left the club. New coach Robert Ziegler put together a side that managed to stave off relegation.

Boardroom arguments led to the departure of Ziegler in March 2006, with several others following suit. Relegation to the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte followed in 2006-07, where they only just stayed up by a play-off victory against SC Eltersdorf.

The club only managed to finish the season after an agreement was reached with a former chairwoman to prevent bankruptcy. Creditors, volunteers and patrons ensured that 1. Sc Feucht survived. Vanco Timov took over as coach for the 2007-08 season with a very young side. Roland Winkler took control of the following season, which ended in relegation to the seventh level, the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken.

Klaus Mösle arrived as coach in the summer of 2011, leading the team to a title win before the Bezirksoberliga Mittelfranken was dissolved at the end of the campaign as the German league system was reorganised.

Feucht had the opportunity to qualify for the newly extended Bayernliga but lost out in a championship round when, after a win against SV Buckenhofen, they lost to DJK Don Bosco Bamberg, meaning the club rejoined the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte.

The club was promoted once again in 2013-14 to the Bayernliga Nord, while strengthening off the pitch in the boardroom. The team finished in mid-table to continue the stability as Manfred Kreuzer oversaw team management.

Feucht ended the 2016-17 season in the relegation play-off places. Defeats against FSV Erlangen-Brück and SpVgg Jahn Forchheim saw the club go down once again, this time to Landesliga Nordost. Feucht finished the 2017-18 season in third place as the club looked to rebuild the club from the youth sides upwards. 

Head coach Florian Schlicker was in charge during the 2018-19 campaign as the goals of Stephan König helped his team to second place. The same forward was at his best the following season as Feucht finished top of the table when the Coronavirus outbreak halted the season, with the club awaiting news on a possible promotion.

The normal duration of two seasons was made into one, making it 2019-21, seeing Feucht win their title to be rewarded with promotion to the fifth-tier Bayernliga Nord. Serdal Gündogan came in as trainer for the 2022-23 campaign, which saw the side continue to consolidate its higher status.

Max Forstmeier was appointed as chief trainer in the summer of 2023. His side was relegated despite the goals of Tarkan Ücüncü. Back down a level in Landesliga Nordost Bayern, Feucht finished tenth with Felix Spielbühler in the trainer's role. 

1. FC Feucht will play in Landesliga Nordost Bayern in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

FC Feucht 3 FC Lichtenfels 0 (Friday 28th September 2018) Landesliga Bayern Nordost (att: 171)

My three-day trip to Germany was coming to a close, but the late flight back from Nuremberg to Stansted allowed me to find some action before the return journey. The excellent Groundhopper App came to my assistance in finding this game.

In the weeks leading up it looked like I’d have a choice, including the Regionalliga derby between the second sides of 1. FC Nürnberg and SpVgg Greuther Fürth. However, that had been changed to a Saturday afternoon fixture.

Feucht looked like a decent venue on Google Maps, so that would do fine, even if the 7pm kick-off would mean I missed the last twenty minutes or so. It was definitely a better option than the pub or sitting around at the airport.

It had been another beautiful day, and I returned from the stunning town of Bamberg in good spirits after a good walk and trying out three brewery pubs. I grabbed some goulash soup and a frikadelle at Nuremberg station before catching an early train to Feucht.

The S-Bahn service had several Nürnberg Ice Tigers ice hockey fans on board heading to their match at the Arena next door to Max-Morlock-Stadion. It was a five-minute walk from Feucht station under the main road and then down Sternstraße to Waldstadion.

The location meant that I didn’t get a look at the town, which was on the other side of the railway, but I was more than happy to have a mooch around the ground where youngsters were practising their skills on the outside pitches.

Admission was €7, with free team sheets available in a holder on the other side of the gate. The weather was chilling as darkness fell, and I was glad that I’d taken my sweater while leaving the rest of my gear in a locker at Nuremberg station. Waldstadion was a neat venue dominated by a smart seated stand on the far side. 

There was open terracing on either side and then opposite, interrupted by the players' tunnel. Both ends had open flat standing. Trees at each end gave the arena an enclosed feel. The club hotel was outside the ground, but the building continued inside, with its restaurant and bar and beer garden. Facilities all around the complex were in good order. 

I declined any beer owing to the temperature and wanting to be in tip-top condition for my flight. I tried sitting in the stand pre-match, but the music coming through the speakers was just too loud. It’s great seeing youngsters getting involved at clubs, but sometimes, the quality control on the volume can leave a little to be desired.

Just before kick-off, I succumbed to the aroma from the griddle along with a disappointing lukewarm coffee. The two smaller and skinnier Nürnberg Bratwurst in a roll were outstanding and as good as I’d ever tasted. The fellas at the counter had explained something to me of which I hadn’t the foggiest. It became clear what it was when I handed the mug back to them and they chased after me with my €1 deposit.

The teams emerged from the changing rooms and down a path to the pitch led by female referee Barbara Karmann and two young linesmen. Feucht were looking to consolidate their position in the top three, while the visitors were struggling at the other end of the table. The players took the field to Hells Bells from AC/DC, which was ironically played quietly. 

A couple of fans sat supporting Feucht with large flags on poles, trying to recreate the big match modern phenomenon. Ms Karmann certainly knew how to blow long and hard on her whistle, as she was about to display in a game without any real malice. She still managed to show seven yellow cards to somewhat bewildered players.

It took just three minutes for the hosts to take the lead as Nico Wessner rose to head home a corner from Yasar Kaya, who would star throughout the game with his fine ball play and wonderful deliveries from set pieces.

The lead was doubled after five minutes through the same combo as Wessner’s glancing header from Kaya’s long free kick was too much for Christoph Kraus in the Lichtenfels goal, who could have done better.

There was a real danger of the game becoming a rout, and it could well have done so if Stephan König and Felix Spielbühler hadn’t spurned decent chances. König missed an even easier opportunity in the thirty-seventh minute to make it 3-0.

A shocking header from defender Martin Hellmuth had put in König, but his weak header failed to trouble Kraus. The referee certainly didn’t take any backchat from players, and I was impressed when she cautioned a visiting player for petulance.

Half-time heralded an opportunity for further exercise as I did a couple of laps of the pitch, trying to warm up. Alexander Grau seemed to have given his Lichtenfels team a good talk during the break. They were certainly more resolute afterwards. Feucht were still the better side and increased their lead in fifty minutes. 

König finally got his name on the scoresheet as he benefited from another sumptuous free kick from the boot of Kaya. It was time for me to head off. As it turns out, I didn’t miss any more goals but just a few bookings as Ms Karmann gave her pea a right hammering inside the whistle. I wasn’t upset when my warm train arrived a couple of minutes late.

The excellent Nuremberg U-Bahn system had me at the airport earlier than I anticipated. I kept in touch with scores from elsewhere, waiting for my call to board. Despite a slightly late take off, I managed to catch my National Express coach at Stansted after a jog and luck at passport control.

I eventually got home at 1.30am with just a few hours’ sleep before heading to Silver Jubilee Park to catch the Hendon players and fans coach to Dorchester. I wouldn’t have swapped it for the world.