Favoritner Athletikclub, also known as FavAC, is a football club that was formed on August 1st 1910 that is based in the district of Favoriten, just to the south of the centre of the Austrian capital of Vienna.
The football club was formed when members broke away from Bowling Club Favoriten in December 1910 and were allocated a place in Wiener 2. Klasse football. The first Austrian championship, albeit Vienna based, was held in 1911-12. Fav AC started in Zweite Klasse C.
The team progressed to II Liga in 1933-34 winning the Nord section in 1934-35 and then defeating SK Slovan Vienna on aggregate in the play-off at the same time rival club Favoritner Sportclub were relegated from the top flight, meaning that the two clubs exchanged places.
The team were relegated in 1937-38 prior to being placed in Bezirksklasse Wien A as the German Anschluss took effect during the war years. The division would be renamed as 1. Klasse Wien by the time FavAC were relegated in 1942-43 before returning to the Sud section for the 1943-44 campaign.
The Österreichische Fußballmeisterschaft returned in 1945-46 with FavAC finishing in the relegation places in Wien 2. Klasse A before returning to the second tier Wiener Liga for a single season in 1950-51 from where they dropped to the Landesliga.
That competition had become the third level after a nationwide expansion of the national leagues when FavAC returned, again just for one season, in 1951-52. 1955-56 marked another promotion campaign, but again the sides spell in the Wiener Liga lasted just twelve months.
FavAC came up again from local football in 1958-59 before consolidating their position for several seasons before being relegated in 1966-67. In 1974-75 the Wiener Liga became one of the competitions at the fourth level of national football.
FavAC climbed back before winning its title in 1976-77 to rise to the third tier Regionalliga Ost where the progression continued as they crowned as champions at the first attempt. In 2. Division a tenth place was followed by demotion in 1979-80.
SV Stockerau were defeated in the Regionalliga Ost play-offs in 1980-81 as FavAC returned to the second division. The club stabilised at the new status before being promoted to the top flight Bundesliga as runners-up in 1982-83.
Their spell would last two seasons among the elite before going back down in 1984-85. The following season saw play-off divisions to decide on club positions after another restructuring of the leagues. FavAC were placed in Regionalliga Ost for 1986-87.
A couple of fourth places ensued followed by a third and then the league title in 1990-91. Once again, the top two divisions took the form of three play-off divisions in 1991-92. The form of FavAC saw them go forward to the Mittlere middle group.
In the second tier of the Bundesliga the team were relegated in 1993-94. However, the Regionalliga Ost was won at the first attempt to herald an immediate return to 2. Division. Fav AC went back down in 1996-97 amid severe financial woes as they failed to complete the season.
The club entered an amalgamation with 1. Simmeringer SC of the Wiener Liga to play as SG FavAC/Simmering. FAC AC provided the players to play under the Simmering name in the Wiener Liga.
However, both teams were relegated so the merger was annulled with FavAC being forced down to the fifth level Oberliga A whose title was won in 2001-02 to forge a return to the Wiener Stadtliga.
The goals of Sasa Dimitrijevic fired the side to third place in 2007-08 before a fifth place in 2009-10 under coach Hannes Rolka. Under the sponsorship title of Cashpoint FavAC finished in thirteenth place in 2011-12 followed up by sixth the next season.
Zeljko Ristic was appointed as coach in June 2013 with Igor Jovic arriving in the role in January 2016 as FavAC continued to struggle in the league before a slight improvement came in 2016-17 after the sponsors moniker was dropped.
Tomislav Kraljevic and Dimitrijevic provided the goals as the side from Favoriten finished in third place in the Wiener Stadtliga season of 2017-18 followed by sixth in 2018-19. The club decided to relay the pitch and put in new drainage at Kennergasse in the summer of 2019.
Unfortunately, the works failed to bed in leading to problems through the 2019-20 campaign. FavAC were in thirteenth place in the 2019-20 season when it was abandoned owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Favoritner AC will play in the Wiener Stadtliga in the 2020-21 season.
My visit
Saturday 7th March 2020
It was day two of my long weekend based in Vienna and I woke in good form following a cracking night out at Wiener-Sports-Club. I was ready to explore the city and take in lots of football venues, two halves of matches followed by the Bundesliga match at Austria Wien.
A ten minute walk from my Star Inn Hotel Wien Schönbrunn accommodation took me to the tram stop at Margaretengürtel from where I caught the number 8 service to Gellertplatz through vibrant districts as markets and shops opened for the day.
I’d stayed quite near to my destination on my overnight visit during my Eurorail holiday in 2000 so I was keen to call again. If only the internet and the same information had been available back then, but it certainly whetted my appetite for further adventures.
From the tram stop in took five minutes to find the entrance to FavAC Platz on the corner of Kennergasse and Wieselburger Gasse. The gate was open next to a sign advising the afternoon’s match was postponed.
The fixture against WAF Vorwärts Brigittenau had originally been my afternoon choice followed by a short journey to the Generali Arena. Hans. A local afficionado and Austria Wien fan had given me the heads up about the state of the pitch and the likely cancellation.
The pitch was a mess alright. There was evidence of the materials used in its work still near the entrance of a decent enough inner city venue. A good stand was the main feature on the far side, with an open area and the clubhouse opposite.
Just a little flat standing and grass bank stood behind either goal. An all-weather training pitch was located behind the far goal. While a good standard for the Wiener Stadtliga, it must have been a struggle to stage Bundesliga games at the ground.
Once done with photography I took the stroll to Troststraße U Bahn station where a U1 train ferried me to Schwedenplatz where I transferred to the U4 line to Heiligenstadt to take a look at the astonishing Hohe Warte stadium home of First Vienna, which can be viewed here.
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