Nußdorfer AC is a football club from the suburb Nussdorf in the north of the Austrian capital of Vienna. Having been formed in 1907 the team began playing its matches on a pitch at Halterauwiese.
NAC shared a venue with FC Ostmark Wien in Ober Döbling as they competed in the second tier Zweite Klasse A in 1911-12, the first season of the NÖFV championship. The winners of the top division were declared national champions although the competition only covered the Viennese region.
The side were relegated in 1912-13 before moving into a ground of their own on Grinzinger Straße in 1914. A return to the second level was negotiated in 1915-16 with Josef Blum in the side before he moved to First Vienna and became one of Austria’s ‘Wonderteam’.
NAC finished fourth in 1919-20 before being relegated from Zweite Klasse Nord in 1923-24. The 1935-36 season saw Nußdorfer go back up to the ÖFB second national level after a win against Slovan in the final match.
However, the jump proved too much as the side went down from Division Zwei Nord twelve months later. During the Anschluss of World War Two Austrian football became part of the German set up with Gauliga Ostmark and then Gauliga Donau-Alpenland becoming one of sixteen top level divisions.
By 1942-43 NAC had been promoted to Gruppe B of the second tier 1. Klasse Wien where they finished in third place before moving to 1. Klasse Wien Nord with another third spot in 1944-45 before Austria was liberated with Nußdorfer being relegated to the third tier.
Another demotion followed before promotion was won to the Wiener Liga in 1956-57 before finishing bottom of the table in 1958-59. Fortunately, there was no relegation that season which NAC capitalised upon by winning the competition in 1959-60.
The side survived a season before being relegated from Regionalliga Ost in 1961-62 prior to a third place Wiener Liga finish in 1963-64 before the title followed in 1967-68 with future Austrian international Peter Persidis in the team. NAC’s second tier Regionalliga spell lasted just one season.
Following league restructuring the Wiener Liga became a fourth level competition in 1974-75 from which Nußdorfer were relegated in 1979-80 under head coach Kurt Rinder before he was replaced by Ferdinand Mateju.
Werner Seifert was appointed as coach in 1983, remaining at the helm for a couple of years with Anton Beran stepping up from looking after the under 18 squad in 1986. NAC Platz received a makeover with an artificial pitch, new clubhouse and surrounds in 1993.
Rudolf Ludwig, Fritz Hiess, Ronald Otte and a returning Rudolf Ludwig all had spells as head coach in a difficult era as several stalwarts on the pitch ended their careers. Heinz Strebele took over the coaching post in 1998 before former player Helmut Hodosi took over.
Rene Finster became coach in 2003 as the team continued with several mid table finishes in Wiener Stadtliga before relegation was suffered in 2005-06. Helmut Keiblinger became the new coach in October 2006 as the season ended in a decent run to avoid relegation.
NAC secured safety in the fifth tier Oberliga B season of 2007-08 after former Rapid Wien player Johann Pregesbauer was acquired to take the coaches job before he was replaced by former man Keiblinger.
A third place was achieved in 2008-09 before an improvement of one place the following season as players had been recruited. In 2010-11 NAC raced to the Oberliga B title with Georg Lubas finishing with 36 goals under coach Horst John.
Back in the Wiener Stadtliga, Nußdorfer finished as runners-up in 2011-12 with Abraham Aurohom finishing as leading scorer before coach John surprisingly resigned. Franz Kurz took over before John was reinstated a few months later.
The club sponsor ended his deal with NAC in the summer of 2013 leading to most players and coaches departing as the cash dried up. Günter Gold took control of the side which was relegated to the newly formed 2. Landesliga at the end of the 2013-14 campaign.
A second relegation was narrowly avoided as coach Christian Kinauer was replaced by Anton Grubesic before a club patron stabilised the club’s position by financing the building of an indoor tennis hall to bring in continual income.
Mehmet Ali Korucu was appointed as coach in the summer of 2015 as the ship was stabilised with a midtable finish. A couple of eleventh places ensued as Olivier Nocella took over team affairs in April 2018.
The team dropped a couple of places in 2018-19 after Markus Buchinger came in to lead the team in which Dominik Hofer top scored during the winter break. NAC were placed in twelfth spot when the COVID-19 pandemic abandoned the 2019-20 campaign.
Nußdorfer AC will play in 2. Landesliga Wien in the 2020-21 season.
My visit
FC Adrenalin 07 2 SV OMV Gänserndorf 12 (Saturday 7th March 2020) Friendly (att: c18)
It was the second day of a long weekend visit to Vienna and I had already visited a couple of interesting venues, including the immense Hohe Warte home of First Vienna FC, which was nearby to the ground of Nußdorfer AC and can be seen here.
I’d planned the trip for several weeks, with it getting attention after I mentioned it on Twitter. Local man and Austria Wien fan Hans got in touch and offered me some valuable advice. I was to meet him for the evening match at the Generali-Arena later in the day.
Hans had helpfully found me a friendly match at NAC Platz with a 10am kick off between two local lower league sides, with FC Adrenalin the tenants of the venue. I arrived as the teams were huddled by their respective benches on the far side at the half time break.
I’d taken the 38A bus from Heiligenstadt Bahnhof by the historic Karl Marx-Hof housing which dropped me off at the Fernsprechamt stop just outside the entrance to the ground. Admission was free as I passed a couple of clay tennis courts.
I was delighted to see that the refreshment hut was open for business as I hadn’t yet eaten. The kind lady who spoke excellent English behind the counter sorted me out with a beautiful chicken schnitzel in a roll with a coffee for €4.70. I settled in the open seating to enjoy my food and some football.
The hosts played their football in 1. Klasse B Wien; the eighth level of national football with the away side from 40km away competing in 2. Klasse Marchfeld which was the sixth level of the national set up as part of the Niederösterreich, Lower Austria FA region. The teams had got together for the match to retune after the winter break.
This was unknown to me until research for this page, as was the half time score on my arrival which I later found out was 5-0 to Gänserndorf. To further compound the mystery Adrenalin scored twice at the start of the second period.
Gabriel Delano struck a stunning free kick past keeper Rene Broom before Alexandros Lamprou reduced the arrears further on sixty-six minutes. The scorer of the first goal was what some observers may call a character. He immediately got on my wick.
If Delano wasn’t moaning at referee Markus Bittner, it was at his colleagues who got it. In fairness he wasn’t a bad player, but he gave the impression he thought he was better than he really was. I fell about laughing when he collided with a team mate he’d earlier berated and had to be helped off.
Suddenly, the game changed. I don’t know whether the away team were on the grog during the break or they thought they’d give their hosts a chance. Whatever, they stepped on the gas and blew Adrenalin away as they scored seven goals in seventeen minutes past tiny sized keeper Georg Bäck.
Patrick Heffermejer got a couple to add to his first half strike. Nico Horvath had already netted before scoring three more. Manuel Steinkogler also scored to add to his earlier effort. Delano finally pushed his luck too far and received a yellow card while Bäck performed some miracles despite letting in twelve.
The full time whistle must have sounded like a Mozart Symphony to Adrenalin coach Walter Blazicek and his team. I had a chuckle on my way out. I’d enjoyed myself and been fed. Fantastic all round, and it was free!
I caught the bus shortly after and went on my way visiting more clubs including the next one, Floridsdorfer AC and then seeing the first half at ASK Elektra before meeting Hans for the Bundesliga match. Happy days.
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