FSV Frankfurt (Germany)

Fußballsportverein Frankfurt 1899 e.V. is a professional football club that was formed on August 20th 1899, and who are based in the Bornheim district of the large German city of Frankfurt-am-Main.

FSV became founder members of the Nordkreis-Liga in 1909. The league was halted during World War One but a smaller regional championship was held; which ‘Bornheimer’ won in 1917. Once peace was restored the club joined the Kreisliga Nordmain, becoming champions in 1922-23.

It was while competing in Bezirksliga Main that FSV collected more league titles in 1924 and then 1925. The latter saw the club go on all the way to the final of the German Football Championship; where the team went down 1-0 after extra time to 1. FC Nürnberg at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion.

Further Bezirksliga Main titles followed in 1926 and 1927 before the club moved to play in Bezirksliga Main-Hessen in their new Stadion am Bornheimer Hang home from 1931; winning that league in 1932-33. The team went on to become Süddeutscher Meister (Southern Champions) that same season following a 1-0 win against TSV 1860 München.

In 1933 German football was divided into sixteen top flight regional Gauliga divisions under the rule of the Third Reich. FSV were placed in Gauliga Südwest from where they reached the final of the Tschammerpokal, the title given to the German Cup at the time.

In the final Frankfurt lost 3-1 to Rapid Wien in Berlin. The following season saw the team finish as league runners-up before the league was split into two in 1941. FSV played in Gauliga Hessen-Nassau; finishing as runners-up to Kickers Offenbach in 1942-43.

For a short while the club merged with Eintracht Frankfurt to play as KSG Frankfurt before the War came to an end a year later. All sports clubs were dissolved, with FSV reforming as SG Bornheim; before taking back their original title by the end of 1945.

FSV became members of Oberliga Süd; one of five top level divisions in Germany, where they remained as a mid table side before being relegated to 2. Oberliga Süd at the end of the 1961-62 season.

However, the club bounced back and won the 2. Oberliga Süd title at the first attempt. German football was re-organised in the summer of 1963, with the introduction of the Bundesliga. FSV joined the second tier Regionalliga Süd.

Towards the end of the decade the team was relegated to Oberliga Hessen, before regaining their second tier status in 1968-69. Another step beckwards followed before Frankfurt became German Amateur Champions in 1971-72 after defeating TSV Marl-Hüls 2-1.

Another Oberliga Hessen title arrived at Stadion am Bornheimer Hang in 1972-73, before FSV were relegated the following season. More relegation woes followed the following season before another promotion and title came in 1974-75.

FSV Frankfurt once again lifted the Oberliga Hessen crown in 1981-82 and won promotion to 2. Bundesliga. However, the club returned to their former status just twelve months later; where they continued until winning their Oberliga in 1993-94 after finishing as runners-up the previous season.

Once more the clubs spell in the second tier of German football lasted just one season as the team went down to third level Regionalliga Süd after further reconstruction of the league system. Worse was to follow as FSV finished bottom of the league and went down to the fourth tier Oberliga Hessen.

The club took stock and returned to the third tier Regionalliga as champions in 1997-98 where the goals of Andreas Rüppel maintained their status for a season before the side went down to the Oberliga in 1999-00 via the play-offs.

A runnners-up spot followed in 2001-02, 2004-04 and 2005-06 before FSV won promotion back to Regionalliga Süd at the conclusion of the 2006-07 campaign. The momentum continued as Frankfurt lifted the third tier crown and progressed to 2.Bundesliga as Matías Cenci banged in the goals.

Sascha Mölders ended as FSV top scorer in 2010-11 as the side preserved their status before the team ended the 2012-13 campaign in fourth place; just behind the play-off and promotion places as the Albanian striker Edmond Kapllani supplied the goals.

The run in the second tier ended in 2015-16 as FSV finished second bottom in the table and were relegated to 3. Liga. The rot was set in as the club dropped another level at the end of the 2016-17 season as Frankfurt were relegated to Regionalliga Südwest.

FSV narrowly averted a second successive relegation in 2017-18 with coach Alexander Conrad being replaced despite a slight improvement the following season. Thomas Brendel’s team were in the bottom third when the 2019-20 season was finished early owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2020-21 campaign saw FSV finish in sixth position, but the following season saw turmoil in which the team avoided relegation on goal difference. Brendel stood down to be replaced by Angelo Barletta before having to fill in as interim as the appointment didn’t pay off. Tim Görner was eventually put in charge in March 2022.

The goals of Cas Peters saw a marked improvement and fifth place in 2022-23.

FSV Frankfurt will play in Regionalliga Südwest in the 2023-24 season.

My visit

FSV Frankfurt 4 KSV Hessen Kassel 1 (Saturday 21^st October 2017) Regionalliga Südwest (att: 1,989)

The Saturday of my long weekend based around Frankfurt promised much, and had got off to a good start after I’d had a good sleep, a bite to eat, a look in the city and a visit to the fine Stadion am Brentanobad home of Rot-Weiss Frankfurt.

From there I took the U7 service towards Johanna-Tesch-Platz for my first game of the day. The train got busy at Hauptwache as the majority of the vocal fans from Kassel jumped on board. They’d obviously started early!

To my surprise they alighted at the Eissporthalle stop; one before the stadium as far as I could work out. Some even asked me if they were going the right way? Despite this, they followed the masses; perhaps in an attempt to find a bar?

Just one stop later I was at my destination; which was just a few yards from the forecourt to the Frankfurter Volksbank Stadion as Stadion am Bornheimer Hang had been retitled under sponsorship naming rights.

My ticket for the terracing cost €10 from one of the booths outside, with the A4 sized programme an additional €1. I bought a beer for €3.50 just outside the gates, as I was unsure of the facilities inside.

Once inside I was impressed with an ideal venue for a club of FSV’s status. On the right was a long single tiered seated stand, which stood alone and extended past the current ends from its days when it was part of the old lay out, which included an athletics track.

The other three sides all joined together and stood next to the pitch. It consisted of steep open terracing, with a covered seated stand, with all the club and player facilities down one side. A large scoreboard topped the steps at the far end.

Both sides entered the 1pm kick off towards the wrong end of the table. I included FSV in one of my accumulator bets, as I just fancied them. They had a real fanatical fan chanting alone on the steps next to the main seating. There was something about the whole set up that I liked.

Needless to say that a fine bratwurst and a beer was available from a stall at the rear of the terracing; which also had a flat concourse. I was getting stuck in; as were the FSV players out on the pitch.

Robert Schick opened the scoring after just two minutes as he was found with a long ball before firing over Kassel keeper Niklas Hartmann; much to the dismay of the visiting fans for the derby encounter. The goal also made me smile for another reason.

I’m no fan of music being played when a goal goes in. I find it unnecessary; but FSV played an absolute classic “Carnaval in Rio” by Heino. It was so bad that it was brilliant. I described it at the time as a German Harry Belafonte singing “We’re the YRA”.

To have a listen and see the celebrations, click here.

Kassel had a free kick, but the home custodian Marco Aulbach was right behind it. The home support was becoming louder as their team grew in confidence; with singing coming from a group of ultras behind the goal and from a section in the seats.

Schick was denied by Hartmann with an excellent free kick half way through the first period, but there was no rest bite just a minute later when Kouami Dalmeida headed home a cross at the far post after the initial corner had been scrambled clear.

The KSV defence were being ripped apart at will, with FSV extending the lead to 3-0 ten minutes before half time. Newcomer Vito Plut saw his low shot pushed away by Hartmann, right into the path of Léon Bell Bell who finished into an empty net.

I’d really enjoyed the first half, and could have conceivably hung around for the first ten minutes of the second half; but I wanted to be sure I’d be in for kick off at the Commerzbank Arena for Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund.

I called it a day and headed back to Johanna-Tesch-Platz. As we passed the stadium, plenty of punters looked to try and see something from inside; something I experience whenever I go near a stadium.

In the event I missed a real howler from Aulbach present Sergej  Evljuskin with an easy opportunity to give Hessen Kassel some hope as they reduced the score to 3-1. Ten minutes from time Mateo Andačić made it 4-1 for the Bornheimer, after seeing his initial shot saved.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed my time at FSV and would love to return for a full match on another occasion; if only to celebrate along with the sounds of Heino.