Wiener Sport-Club (Austria)

Ground: Sportclub-Platz

Capacity: 5,600

Club Founded: 1883

League: Regionalliga East - 3rd Tier (current level)

Wiener Sport-Club is one of Austria’s most historic football clubs, renowned for its passionate fanbase and proud traditions in Vienna football. Despite spending recent years outside the top flight, the club remains a respected name with a rich heritage and strong community spirit.

Club History

Wiener Sport-Club's origins go back to Vienna Cycling Club, an organisation that soon added fencing and gymnastics sections. Two football clubs, FuAC Vorwärts and Währing, joined forces before merging with the cycling club, known locally as Wiener Radfahrerclub, to form the current club.

More sports were added to their portfolio, while the football team continued playing on the ground on Kainzgasse in the Dornbach district of the city. It had been inaugurated in 1904 and would later become known as Wiener Sport-Club Platz.

The Challenge Cup, a competition between Austrian and Hungarian clubs, was won twice, before WSC, to give them their shortened title, became members of the first Austrian championship in 1911-12, although the competition only featured clubs from the capital.

Sport-Club struggled in the years of the First World War as several players were called up for military duty, leaving the youth side to deputise. Utility star player Karl Braunsteiner lost his life while in Russian captivity in 1916.

The ÖFB-Cup (Austrian FA Cup) began life in 1918-19. WSC lost the first final to Rapid Wien before suffering defeat to SV Amateure. The youngsters had gained valuable experience as the Sports Club became champions of Austria a year later.

For many years thereafter, the team finished in mid-table positions in the league, with one runner-up place their best return. The side reached a couple of ÖFB-Cup finals, losing to First Vienna FC and then Schwarz-Rot Wien.

Under Third Reich rule, Sport-Club were placed in Gauliga Ostmark, one of sixteen top-flight German leagues during the period of Anschluss. They ended the 1954-55 season as Austrian runners-up under coach Hans Pesser with a team including the likes of internationals Rudolf Szanwald, Leopold Barschandt, Josef "Pepi" Hamerl and Erich Hof.

A second national title followed in 1957-58 before the team shocked Italian giants Juventus in the following season's European Cup as they turned around a 3-1 defeat in Turin to win the second leg 7-0 at Prater Stadion with Hamerl scoring four times.

The league title was retained as Sports-Cup went to the quarter final of the European Cup the following campaign before bowing out to Eintracht Frankfurt. That same season saw WSC fall just short of three titles in a row, finishing as runners-up to Rapid Wien.

The triumphant side began to break up, which led to a barren decade until WSC reached the ÖFB-Cup final of 1968-69, where they lost 2-1 to Rapid Wien. Sports-Club also finished as league runners-up in the same season and a couple of campaigns later, on both occasions to Austria Wien.

Rapid would again end dreams of silverware with an aggregate victory after extra time in the 1971-72 ÖFB-Cup final. The ten-team Bundesliga replaced the Staatsliga in 1973-74, with the city of Vienna granted only two places.

WSC dropped down to 2. Liga from where they were promoted as champions in 1976-77, with the team also reaching the ÖFB-Cup final, where they lost the two-legged game against Austria Wien. The experienced August ‘Gustl’ Starek was in the team that ended as Bundesliga runners-up during a golden period for the club. 

Austrian internationals Felix Gasselich and Hans Krankl played for the Sports-Club in the second half of the 80s as the side spent spells in both top two divisions.

They joined fellow Austrian player Christian Keglevits as the team finished in the lower reaches of the table. After seasons of struggle, the team was relegated in 1993-94. Financial troubles burdened the club, leading to bankruptcy and an amalgamation with SV Gerasdorf to play under the title of SpG Wiener Sport-Club/Gerasdorf. 

A restructured Sports-Club went separately again for a couple of years later in Regionalliga Ost. After finishing as runners-up, the team was relegated to the fourth-tier Wiener Stadtliga the following season. The 2000-01 campaign saw WSC climb back a division.

However, finances were in such dire straits that the football section separated in the summer of 2001, becoming FC Wiener Hernals and then Wiener Sportklub. The team went on to win Regionalliga Ost by ten points in 2001-02 before returning twelve months later despite the goals of Christian Stumpf.

Even bigger battles took place off the pitch between the founders of Wiener Sportklub and the original Wiener Sport-Club over their claims of the club's history and traditions. A financial deal was agreed between the two as SK continued playing at Wiener Sport-Club Platz.

The team was known as Wiener Sportklub Wienstrom for a time after a sponsorship deal was struck, as SK didn't threaten the promotion places. However, a downturn led to a low finish, followed by avoiding relegation by one point in 2014-15. 

The poor finishes continued before the parties of SC and SK got together to unite as the team played once again as Weiner Sport-Club from the summer of 2017. The newly structured club looked to make stadium improvements while developing the club as the centre of the Dornbach community with a social commitment and a new culture.

Women’s and youth sides were integrated in an atmosphere of equality. Norbert Schweitzer continued as head coach, taking WSC to fourth place in 2018-19 before being surprisingly replaced by Robert Weinstabl. 

Edvin Merdzic was appointed as trainer in October 2023, as Wiener Sport-Club finished seventh in the league a few months later. Weinstabl later returned for a second spell in charge of the team.

My visit

Wiener Sport-Club 1 ASK Ebreichsdorf 2 

Regionalliga Ost - Friday 6th March 2020

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 1,541 🎟️ €11

I’d planned for a long weekend in Vienna for several months, booking my flights and hotel well in advance. The Coronavirus was still at a manageable level, but concerns were growing across Europe. I put it to the back of my mind as I flew through EasyJet from Stansted.

I’d had an overnight stay in Vienna back in 2001 as part of my Eurorail tour, but felt that I hadn’t got too much out of it. Now armed with information through the internet, I was ready to squeeze every drop out of my few days.

There had been no time to mess about as I arrived at Hauptbahnhof and took a walk through the beautiful Schloss Belvedere before registering to take a bike from one of the stands on the Ring that encircled the city centre.

It was a similar scheme in London; it took me a while to get used to riding, while remembering that they cycle on the other side of the road on the continent! A fantastic few hours were spent as I got on and off to take photos and take in what was some stunning architecture.

Once I'd deposited my bike, I grabbed some food by St. Stephen's Cathedral and took in more central sights before taking the U-Bahn to Längenfeldgasse, which was near the Star Inn Hotel Wien Schönbrunn, my accommodation for four nights.

I couldn’t have chosen much better. The room was large and comfortable in an excellent location for public transport. I didn’t need much rocking on the big bed as I grabbed a siesta before getting freshened up for the evening’s entertainment.

I’d forgotten to use the ATM earlier and was now in a bit of a rush. Little did I know that I walked past one just a few yards from where I’d looked near the station, so I ended up in the shopping complex adjoining Westbahnhof trying to find a dispenser.

After a wild goose chase, I found somewhere that gave me my cash in €50 notes, which wasn’t ideal, but certainly better than nothing. I went downstairs and caught the U6 to Alser Straße from where I jumped aboard the 43 tram, which was fortunately going the right way, more through luck than judgement.

It’s always a comfort heading to a ground for the first time when fans get on wearing colours. The sight of black and white scarves relaxed me no end before I followed the crowd as they alighted at the Hernals stop, from where it was a five-minute walk along Dornbacher Straße before the floodlights came into view.

We took a right up Kainzgasse to the far end of Wiener Sport-Club Platz, where quite a crowd was gathered on Alszeile, which backed onto Dornbach Cemetery. I got in the queue for a ticket and decided to stand for €11. I also grabbed a free A4 programme, left on the shelf at the ticket office window.

Some fans were buying from the street stalls on either side of the road. I noticed a door which looked like it led up to a clubhouse, but I headed straight inside the ground via the corner gate. Once up the steps, I initially went to the left down the side terrace.

This was an open area with a camera gantry. The far end was closed but had a large seated stand. Opposite was a long, low seated stand with standing areas at the rear and what looked like a grill making food. To the right was the open, steep terrace where the vocal fans were gathering. That would do for me!

At the rear, I bought a beer and a chicken schnitzel in a bread roll. That was also a bonus in my book. The beer was decent and apparently brewed locally, to match the ethics of the new WSC. It was like an old fourth division ground back in England. I loved it. An unusual feature was that the stadium only had two corner floodlights. 

Perhaps the man who made Subbuteo was a WSC fan, as they only issued two in their sets?

The teams came out from underneath us behind the goal. I smiled as many of the chants and songs were in English from the home fans. The hosts started off well against table toppers Ebreichsdorf, with Miroslav Beljan and Julian Küssler having early efforts.

In twelve minutes, Küssler put WSC ahead despite the best efforts of a visiting defender on the line. I was so happy that I went for another beer. The game on a lush surface flowed from end to end. The visitors looked to have scored an impressive equaliser that was disallowed for offside.

Sport-Club keeper Glove Kostner was the busier of the two stoppers before he was beaten by a half volley from Ali Alaca on the stroke of half-time. My only criticism of the first half was the propensity of many of the players to go to ground at the slightest touch.

Aside from ten minutes, not long after the restart, WSC were being put to the sword by a very steady-looking Ebreichsdorf outfit. Home coach Weinstabl rang the changes, but I fancied the away side more and more as the game continued.

I wandered down the side to take some photos and get a different perspective on the action, where the gaggle of visiting fans were congregated. They were to be jubilant with five minutes left on the clock when Alaca grabbed his second, which would prove to be the winner.

At full time, I dashed out in the hope of getting served upstairs in the clubhouse called ‘The Flag’. I was the first at the bar. It turned out to be no ordinary football clubhouse. This was like a bohemian nightclub with basic furniture, posters, and graffiti on the wall.

The beer was €3 and excellent. I went next door into another room and got a seat as the venue started filling up with fans who’d cheered their team off and collected up their banners. Then I heard music. I needed to investigate.

It was coming from where I first got served, and what a playlist came on over the following forty minutes or so. I used Shazam on my phone, so I had a reminder of the tracks when I returned home, as it introduced me to some fantastic tunes. In all, it reminded me of the old Tunnel Club in Scarborough from the 90s.

The place was bouncing. I had a couple more pints and was tempted to stay longer, but was wary of getting back, and I’d seen another bar I wanted to visit. I dragged myself away before coming across a pub on the corner of Kainzgasse that must have escaped my earlier attention.

The fantastic Die Schweiger had a huge choice of beer on draught and bottles from all around the world. The helpful staff spoke excellent English as I went for the local dunkel dark beer. I’d had a few beers but was still so happy to be in such a welcoming city with a beer and football culture.

I lamented, not for the first time, how the rest of the world looks to help and speak English, while many of my fellow Brits struggle in their own tongue. One of life’s conundrums and probably best not dwelt on while enjoying fine beers.

On the way to the stadium, I noticed a WSC banner on the wall of Cafe Pub Weinhold with the legend of “Tradition Never Dies”. I thought it was worth a call after the match. Mmm. It was friendly enough in a certain way, but the music was naff as the few remaining drunks sang along to classics such as Angels by Robbie Williams.

A fella sat along from me, smiled a lot, so it wasn’t all bad, but in hindsight, either The Flag or Die Schweiger were better options. I made sure that my large bottle of Gösser lasted before I returned down the road to repeat my outbound journey.

I’d had a long and fulfilling day. Sleep wasn’t going to be an issue. I’d most certainly recommend a trip to Dornbach for football and beer. A fantastic experience was enjoyed.