WAF Vorwärts Brigittenau (Austria)

Wiener Athletik Fussball (WAF) Vorwärts Brigittenau is a football club from the Austrian capital of Vienna who carry a complicated history full of name changes and mergers, which could be argued bears no association to the current club. I will leave that for the reader to decide.

Its origins began in 1910 when playing members of Wiener Athletiksport Club such as Adolf Fischera, Johann Andres, Richard Kohn, Karl and Felix Tekusch all decided they wanted a bigger say in the way the club was run.

They decided to form their own club, Wiener Associationfußball-Club which was changed to Wiener Association Footballclub to ensure an abbreviated of WAF rather than WAC to avoid being confused with their former club.

WAF became founder members of the Viennese based Austrian championship in 1911-12, finishing in third spot before the club opened their new Allgemeine Sportzeitung ground on Hütteldorfer Platze, prior to achieving a runners-up place.

WAF were crowned as national champions in 1913-14 with international striker Johann Schwarz top scoring which was backed up with a second place in 1914-15 before World War One stalled the club at the same time as players were ageing.

Despite this, the side never left the top four places with the goals of Leopold Neubauer an outstanding feature until dropping to second bottom in 1919-20 and 1920-21. However, ‘Das Rote’ confounded that form by winning the ÖFB Cup in 1921-22.

Forward player Klein scored both goals in the 2-1 victory against Wiener Amateur SV, who would become Austria Wien a few years later, in front of 15,000 fans at Hohe Warte. Star player Maximilian Gold left the club after the win to be followed by Fischera a year later.

WAF were relegated in 1923-24 which led to further departures of pivotal layers Otto Janczik, Anton Powolny and Anton Kreuzer. Down in II Liga the club entered the first of several mergers by joining forces with SC International Wien to form International AF Wien in 1926.

This was followed a year later by another amalgamation with SC Libertas Wien as the club became known as IAF-Libertas Wien, just avoiding a further relegation in 1927-28. The mergers hadn’t worked so the team withdrew from the league and dropped down to the second tier of the amateur divisions.

The club concentrated more on their athletics section as Austria Wien moved in as tenants to provide top class football in Hütteldorf for local fans. The ground was taken away and demolished by the local authorities in 1934 with the ASKö 20 ground on Hopsagaße given as a replacement.

The grandstand was transported from Hütteldorf and erected at the new venue at Brigittenauer Lände 236 with the football team taking a place in 4. Klasse C, which was won in 1934-35 as players came to join the club in its new facility.

The goals of Richard Marischka took the team to the 3. Klasse D title at the first attempt while other clubs became sub tenants along with sections for athletics, handball and ice hockey, making WAF Platz a local sporting hub.

World War Two led to all the club assets being confiscated while players were called to arms. The ground required huge repairs from bomb damage after the liberation of Austria from Germany. In 1948 WAF were placed in 2. Klasse D from where they were relegated in 1950-51.

The club officials slowly nurtured the young players who gradually progressed with future international Ewald Wieger among them before his move to Austria Wien. Coach Willi Streichsbier led his team to their league championship in 1962-63 to rise to 2. Klasse C.

The club had benefitted from sponsorship from the Südland company before they withdrew as the club had changed their title to WAF XX in January 1964. Two bottom places on the bounce ensued but WAF remained in their same position owing to no relegations at the time.

WAF weren’t to escape in 1966-67. The club recruited young players from the youth hostel on Obere Augartenstrasse who teamed together to win promotion back to 2. Klasse C at the first attempt.

The club was renamed WAF Neuchrist in January 1970 after Opel car dealer Frank Neuchrist became involved leading to promotion to Wiener 1. Klasse in 1971-72. A merger took place with the more successful club FK Leopoldstadt to form WAF KL Leopoldstadt.

This was changed in short time to WAFKL Neuchrist in 1973 at a time that the football club were looking for a new home as WAF Platz was being converted for other sports. The club moved to Leopaldstadt’s ground at Spenadlwiese in Prater.

The changes proved beneficial as the side won Oberliga B in 1974-75 led to promotion to the Wiener Liga, which was the fourth tier of Austrian football. A fourth place followed in 1977-78 before club president Neuchrist retired in 1980.

Player-coach Satorina led his team to runners-up in 1979-80 before the team struggled the following campaign. The club was retitled WAF Leopoldstadt from August 1981 and continued to struggle on and off the pitch as rent at Spenadlwiese was increased.

The local football authorities gave a solution by offering the Brigittenauer Gruabn ground on Meldemannstraße which the club moved into. 500 fans attended the first game at the Gruam. In 1982-83 the team narrowly avoided relegation before picking up the following year thanks to the emergence of Wolfgang Eisen.

Karl Wimmer, the owner of a local car dealership came on board leading to another change of club name, this time to WAFKL Wimmer in the autumn of 1984. Experienced players Robert Sara and Hans Pirkner joined talented youngsters in Brigittenau.

The team finished third in the Wiener Liga in 1985-86 but the club cashed in on some of the young talent in transfer fees which led to an escape from relegation the following campaign. WAF striker Voglsinger finished as the league top scorer in 1987-88.

Eisen top scored in 1989-90 as WAF remained unbeaten at home all season before an artificial pitch was laid at the Gruabn as the teams’ steady performances continued in front of consistently reasonable attendances.

However, WAF were relegated in 1992-93 after two decades in the Wiener Liga after the retirement of President and sponsor Wimmer. The club was retitled WAF Procar in a new sponsorship deal, going on to win promotion at the first attempt while a new clubhouse was opened.

1994-95 saw an immediate demotion from the Wiener Liga to Oberliga B despite the recruitment of a couple of former Bundesliga players. A runner-up spot the following season wasn’t enough to secure promotion. Floodlights were turned on for the first time at the Gruabn in a farewell game for loyal servant Eisen.

After two fifth places, WAF escaped a further relegation in 1998-99. The team then entered a period of ending in mid table with Werner Menzel scoring the goals at WAF Platz prior to another narrow escape from the drop in 2003-04 after the Procar moniker had been dropped.

Poor finances, a drop in attendances and the ill health of chairman Fritz Hermann led to WAF dropping out of Oberliga B before the start of the 2004-05 season as the club was disbanded. FK White Star took over the tenancy of WAC Platz.

A group of youths formed Club06 around the same time, playing as a subtenant at WAF Platz with former Rapid Wien youth coach Harald Haselmayr in charge of team affairs. The new side proved successful, winning a title and rising to 2. Klasse B.

Instead of taking their place, the whole club moved to join FK White Star in Oberliga B who were struggling badly with no players, officials or sponsor. Kick-offs were changed back to 10.30am on Sunday mornings, WAF’s traditional time, to try to attract supporters.

Peter Schrimpl looked after club affairs as the players settled into the team at their elevated status as three steady seasons were completed before the club title was changed to WAF in the summer of 2010.

Back as WAF the team continued to consolidate, with Rene Eisen, son of Wolfgang among the star players. Junior teams were added to the club portfolio while the first team saw lots of changes for the 2011-12 season.

Franz Maresch was appointed as coach for 2013-14 before Andreas Denk returned for a second spell as crowds flocked to the Gruabn with Markus Pistrol’s goals securing fifth place. Meanwhile, the youngsters of another local club, Vorwärts Brigittenau joined WAF’s set up.

WAF were placed in 2. Landesliga following a restructure of the Viennna FA league system with a full merger with Vorwärts following in the summer of 2015, as the club became known as WAF Vorwärts Brigittenau.

A tenth place was followed by the appointment of coach Gerhard Gessl with Zlatan Sibcic scoring the goals in 2016-17 before the 2. Landesliga title was lifted in 2017-18 under coach Khajik Jerjes prior to WAF cementing their Wiener Stadtliga place in 2018-19.

WAF were sitting in twelfth position when the 2019-20 season was abandoned by the COVID-19 pandemic with midfielder Manuel Cerba top of the goals chart.

WAF Vorwärts Brigittenau will play in the Wiener Stadtliga in the 2020-21 season.

My visit

DSG SK 10 3 DSG Pötzleinsdorf 1.SC 4 (Monday 9^th March 2020) DSG Liga (att: c15)

Monday night matches are generally light on the ground in the lower leagues of Europe. I thought that I was going to draw a blank for my final night of my long weekend based in Vienna. Until I delved deep into the website of the Wiener Fußball Verband. The Vienna FA.

There I saw a drop-down menu for the Diözesan Sport Gemeinschaft, the Diocesan Sports Community or church sports in English. This gave details of ten first team divisions with matches usually being played at night at the venues of clubs in the FA set up.

There was a temptation to take in the encounter between DSG ISG Stammtisch and DSG Salzachsturm the previous evening in the second tier Oberliga at the home of Dynamo Helfort. However, tiredness and yearning for a few beers won out on that occasion.

It was still in the balance whether I’d bother with a visit to WAF Gruabn on Monday teatime. I’d gone across the border into Slovakia to visit Bratislava where I enjoyed a few hours sightseeing and visiting football venues along with some obligatory cheap beer.

Indeed, the pub opposite the ground of FC Petržalka saw me finish off in style rather than return to the city before I caught a bus to Petržalka station from where the train took me back to Wien Hauptbahnhof, or so I assume? The beer put me asleep for most of the hours journey.

On alighting I decided to give it a go, not that I was still convinced. However, a train downstairs due a few minutes later towards Handelskai sealed it. After losing my bearings I got reconnected to Google Maps and headed along Stromstraße and then up Pasettistraße.

It was a relief to see the floodlights shining and the sound of the whistle of referee Kadir Özer as I walked behind one end on Schottenaustraße for the 8pm kick-off to find an open gate on the corner of Meldemannstraße. Admission was free to the game, which always assists my mood!

WAF Gruabn was a tidy enough inner-city venue enclosed by a high metal fence. Both sides and behind the goal where I’d entered were slightly above pitch level and banked with hard standing and then grass. The main side had an area of concrete steps with open seating.

The far end, where the main entrance to the venue was found contained all the facilities such as changing rooms, offices and the clubhouse as well as a decking area with picnic tables and chairs.

I hadn’t a clue what standard the game would be, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was unsure whether teams were made up of players who had other clubs on a weekend, but that seemed not to be the case. It was certainly a good competition for players who worked during the day.

The weather was getting very chilly as the first half continued. The visitors took the lead four minutes before the break, through Thomas Riedler but were pegged back in no little time through a strike from SK’s Jakob Katzmayr.

At the break I was in two minds to have a beer and stay a bit longer, but I was feeling the cold so decided to pull the pin and head towards my hotel. I wandered along Adalbert-Stifter-Straße to catch the 11A bus from Leystraße to Heiligenstadt Bahnhof.

Before going to the U Bahn, I took the opportunity of another look at the buildings outside that had intrigued me on my Saturday adventure on my way to Hohe Warte. A friend from back home, Mark Townsend had mentioned Karl Marx Hof, so I read up about them and then took a few photos.

It had been a long day and while I told the publican at Pub Schönbrunn that I intended to be back when I left at closing time the previous evening I was spent and hungry. Instead I alighted the U4 at Margaretengürtel and went for a Burger King meal before returning to the Star Inn Hotel Wien Schönbrunn.

My football adventure around Vienna, and Bratislava had been absolutely first rate and would recommend it to anyone. After a bit more sightseeing the following morning, I flew back to London to enter a very different world.

It transpired that I saw the last football in Austria until who knew when owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, while things started shutting down in England. I saw a game in the last round of non-league matches the following Saturday. Very sad and uncertain days. I had been most fortuitous with my timings.