ASV Herzogenaurach
Encyclopedia
The ASV Herzogenaurach is a German association football club
from the city of Herzogenaurach
, Bavaria
.
The history of the club is strongly interwined with the Sports equipment
manufacturer Adidas
, then just a local company and sponsor of the ASV and its rivalry to FC Herzogenaurach
, which was sponsored by another local company, Puma
.
and working class background.
for the 1968–69 season, the club was offered a sponsorship by the Puma AG. Seeing an opportunity to gain wider recognition, Adidas however moved in instead, becoming the main sponsor of the club. Puma was already since November 1967 a sponsor of the clubs local rival, the FC Herzogenaurach. The rivalry between Puma and Adidas, which is in truth the rivalry of the two brothers who owned the companies then, Rudolf Dassler
and Adolf Dassler
, predates the rivalry of the two football clubs, stretching back to 1948.
Through the influence of Adidas, the club managed to gain the current German champion, FC Bayern Munich
, for a friendly, which was played on 23 July 1969 in front of 6,000 spectators, a 1–9 defeat for the ASV.
In the Landesliga, the club met its local rival once more, the FCH having earned promotion to the league in 1966. The first season there together, ASV finished fourth while the FC came third, the clubs being separated by one point. The season after, the FC won the league and earned promotion to the Amateurliga Bayern (III) while the ASV came third. The ASV had to wait another two seasons to do the same and win the league and promotion in 1972.
The 1973–74 season became the most successful for the club to date. It won the Amateurliga Bayern title while its local rival found itself relegated from the league. Due to a restructering of the German football league system
however, the five Regionalligas where replaced by the two 2nd Bundesligas
, no promotion from the third to the second tier was available that season. The right to play in the German amateur football championship
instead was only a small consolidation and the club was knocked-out by the SSV Reutlingen
in the quarter finals.
The club managed to attract the FC Bayern Munich for another friendly however and on 29 July 1974, 7,000 spectators saw the Bavarian champion earn a 2–2 draw against Bavaria's most successful club.
The 1974–75 season saw another respectable performance, finishing fourth in the league. After this, the club went into decline, having to play against relegation, which became a fact in 1977, the year its local rival FC earned its return to the Amateurliga Bayern. While the FCH managed to stay in Bavaria's highest amateur league until 1981, the ASV could not archive to return to it. Instead, it was left with a large dept from its Bayernliga years and hopes to finally pay off the last of it in 2008.
The late 1970s also saw the rise of two promising young footballers in Herzogenaurach who went to school together. Günther Güttler, who played for the ASV and later joined FC Bayern Munich and Lothar Matthäus
, who played for the FC and became Germanys most capped footballer. Matthäus could not play for the ASV even though it had at that time the better under-19's side, because his father worked for Puma.
The ASV lost its Landesliga status in 1987, when a player revolt over unpaid travel expenses made it lose its complete team and it had to field its youth side instead. The club declined rapidly and was handed down all the way to the lowest division, the C-Klasse. Sponsor Adidas had by then mostly withdrawn its support, too.
A small revival followed in 1998, when the club briefly rose to the local Kreisliga again but it could not sustain this level and was promptly relegated again.
In 2009-10, ASV won its league and earned promotion to the Kreisklasse, where it met FCH once more. While its rival earned promotion in 2010-11, ASV was a distant last in the league and relegated.
The old rivalry between the two clubs may have lost some of its punch, as has the local rivalry between the two sports brands. The town of Herzogenaurach is certainly not as divided any more as it once was. In March 2007, a merger of the three local clubs was even discussed, the ASV and FC together with the SC Nord should form one club which would then be capable to reach Regionalliga level.
The rivalry of the two companies, and with it to some extend the local football club issue, gained some international attention during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany, when a number of international news organisations picked up on it.
, the most well-known of those being:
Football in Germany
Association football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 26,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the 1. and 2. Bundesliga on top, and the winner of the first...
from the city of Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is probably best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma.-Geography:...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
The history of the club is strongly interwined with the Sports equipment
Sports equipment
Sports equipment is a general term for any object used for sport or exercise. Examples of sports equipment include:-Exercise equipment:Examples for exercise include swiss balls, weights, equipment for the gym...
manufacturer Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, then just a local company and sponsor of the ASV and its rivalry to FC Herzogenaurach
FC Herzogenaurach
The 1. FC Herzogenaurach is a German association football club from the city of Herzogenaurach, Bavaria.The history of the club is strongly interwined with the Sports equipment manufacturer Puma, then just a local company and sponsor of the FC and its rivalry to ASV Herzogenaurach, which was...
, which was sponsored by another local company, Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
.
Early years
Formed in 1919 under the name Sportclub Pfeil, it changed its name to Freie Union and later, after the Second World War, to ASV Herzogenaurach. During the Nazi era, the club was outlawed and disbanded due to its unionistTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and working class background.
Rise
The club existed as a local amateur side until the mid-1960s, when a championship in the A-Klasse Mittelfranken-Gruppe 3 (VI) in 1966 earned it promotion to the Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord (V). Another promotion followed in 1968, after a championship in the Bezirksliga. Entering the Landesliga Bayern-MitteLandesliga Bayern-Mitte
The Landesliga Bayern-Mitte is currently the 6th tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga it was the 5th tier of the league system....
for the 1968–69 season, the club was offered a sponsorship by the Puma AG. Seeing an opportunity to gain wider recognition, Adidas however moved in instead, becoming the main sponsor of the club. Puma was already since November 1967 a sponsor of the clubs local rival, the FC Herzogenaurach. The rivalry between Puma and Adidas, which is in truth the rivalry of the two brothers who owned the companies then, Rudolf Dassler
Rudolf Dassler
Rudolf Dassler was the German founder of the sportswear company PUMA and the older brother of Adidas founder, Adolf "Adi" Dassler. The brothers were partners in a shoe company Adi started, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik...
and Adolf Dassler
Adolf Dassler
Adolf "Adi" Dassler was the founder of the German sportswear company Adidas....
, predates the rivalry of the two football clubs, stretching back to 1948.
Through the influence of Adidas, the club managed to gain the current German champion, FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, for a friendly, which was played on 23 July 1969 in front of 6,000 spectators, a 1–9 defeat for the ASV.
In the Landesliga, the club met its local rival once more, the FCH having earned promotion to the league in 1966. The first season there together, ASV finished fourth while the FC came third, the clubs being separated by one point. The season after, the FC won the league and earned promotion to the Amateurliga Bayern (III) while the ASV came third. The ASV had to wait another two seasons to do the same and win the league and promotion in 1972.
Bayernliga years
While the FC had enjoyed two good seasons in the highest league in the state, it did not so well when the ASV joined it there and with a third place in 1972–73, the Adidas-club finished above the Puma-team for the first time in years.The 1973–74 season became the most successful for the club to date. It won the Amateurliga Bayern title while its local rival found itself relegated from the league. Due to a restructering of the German football league system
German football league system
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
however, the five Regionalligas where replaced by the two 2nd Bundesligas
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, no promotion from the third to the second tier was available that season. The right to play in the German amateur football championship
German amateur football championship
The German amateur football championship was a football competition in Germany, existing from 1950 to 2000, organised by the German Football Association, the DFB.-Overview:...
instead was only a small consolidation and the club was knocked-out by the SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen
SSV Reutlingen 05 is a German association football club from Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg.- History :The club was founded as FC Arminia Reutlingen and was re-named SV Reutlingen 1905 in 1910. The club fused with 1...
in the quarter finals.
The club managed to attract the FC Bayern Munich for another friendly however and on 29 July 1974, 7,000 spectators saw the Bavarian champion earn a 2–2 draw against Bavaria's most successful club.
The 1974–75 season saw another respectable performance, finishing fourth in the league. After this, the club went into decline, having to play against relegation, which became a fact in 1977, the year its local rival FC earned its return to the Amateurliga Bayern. While the FCH managed to stay in Bavaria's highest amateur league until 1981, the ASV could not archive to return to it. Instead, it was left with a large dept from its Bayernliga years and hopes to finally pay off the last of it in 2008.
The late 1970s also saw the rise of two promising young footballers in Herzogenaurach who went to school together. Günther Güttler, who played for the ASV and later joined FC Bayern Munich and Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
, who played for the FC and became Germanys most capped footballer. Matthäus could not play for the ASV even though it had at that time the better under-19's side, because his father worked for Puma.
Decline
Back in the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte, the ASV tried hard to regain Amateurliga Bayern status, finishing second three times in a row in 1978, 1979 and 1980. The first two times, it missed out on top-spot by only one point, in 1979 to local rival FC. After this, the club declined further and was never in contention for the Landesliga title again. The FC didn't fare much better, fluctuating between Landesliga and Bezirksliga after its final relegation form the now Amateur-Oberliga Bayern in 1981. By 1989, both Herzogenaurach clubs had left the Landesliga for good.The ASV lost its Landesliga status in 1987, when a player revolt over unpaid travel expenses made it lose its complete team and it had to field its youth side instead. The club declined rapidly and was handed down all the way to the lowest division, the C-Klasse. Sponsor Adidas had by then mostly withdrawn its support, too.
A small revival followed in 1998, when the club briefly rose to the local Kreisliga again but it could not sustain this level and was promptly relegated again.
Current
The club played in the A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund (X) in 2008–09, the lowest level of play in the region, and finished 3rd in this league in 2008–09. Its old rival the FC Herzogenaurach had fallen down not quite as far in the league system, playing one level above in the Kreisliga Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund (IX) in 2008–09.In 2009-10, ASV won its league and earned promotion to the Kreisklasse, where it met FCH once more. While its rival earned promotion in 2010-11, ASV was a distant last in the league and relegated.
The old rivalry between the two clubs may have lost some of its punch, as has the local rivalry between the two sports brands. The town of Herzogenaurach is certainly not as divided any more as it once was. In March 2007, a merger of the three local clubs was even discussed, the ASV and FC together with the SC Nord should form one club which would then be capable to reach Regionalliga level.
The rivalry of the two companies, and with it to some extend the local football club issue, gained some international attention during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany, when a number of international news organisations picked up on it.
League
- Amateurliga Bayern (III)
- Champions: 1974
- Landesliga Bayern-MitteLandesliga Bayern-MitteThe Landesliga Bayern-Mitte is currently the 6th tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga it was the 5th tier of the league system....
(IV)- Champions: 1972
- Runners-up: (3) 1978, 1979, 1980
- Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord (V)
- Champions: 1968
- A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund 2
- Champions: 2010
Recent seasons
The recent season-by-season performance of the club:| Season | Division | Tier Bavarian football league system The Bavarian football league system of the Bavarian Football Association ranks within the German football league system. Its highest division, the Fussball-Bayernliga, is currently the 5th tier of German football. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the 4th tier of the league system... |
Position |
| 2003–04 | A-Klasse Erlangen Forchheim-Süd | IX | 4th ↑ |
| 2004–05 | Kreisklasse West Erlangen/Forchheim | VIII | 14th ↓ |
| 2005–06 | A-Klasse Pegnitzgrund | IX | 11th |
| 2006–07 | A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund | 7th | |
| 2007–08 | A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund | 4th | |
| 2008–09 | A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund | X | 3rd |
| 2009–10 | A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund 2 | 1st ↑ | |
| 2010–11 | Kreisklasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund 1 | IX | 15th ↓ |
| 2011–12 | A-Klasse Erlangen/Pegnitzgrund | IX |
- With the introduction of the BezirksoberligasBezirksoberligen BayernThe seven Bezirksoberligas Bayern are the third highest level of the Bavarian football league system, below Oberliga and Landesliga. They are the 7th tier of the German football league system.-Overview:...
in 1988 as the new fifth tier, below the LandesligasLandesliga BayernIn the Bavarian football league system, the Landesliga Bayern is the second hightest level, below the Fußball-Bayernliga and organised in three regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Fußball-Bundesliga was established...
, all leagues below dropped one tier. With the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 and the 3rd Liga3rd LigaThe 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
in 2008 as the new third tier, below the 2nd Bundesliga2. Fußball-Bundesliga- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, all leagues below dropped one tier. - Source: Bavarian amateur league results BFV website
Seasons
A comparison of the two clubs order and placings during their Bayernliga and Landesliga years:| Season | First | League | Place | Second | League | Place |
| 1966–67 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte (IV) | 11th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord (V) | |
| 1967–68 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 11th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord | 1st ↑ |
| 1968–69 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 3rd | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 4th |
| 1969–70 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 1st ↑ | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 3rd |
| 1970–71 | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern (III) | 5th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 5th |
| 1971–72 | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 7th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 1st ↑ |
| 1972–73 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 3rd | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 12th |
| 1973–74 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 1st | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 17th ↓ |
| 1974–75 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 4th | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 2nd |
| 1975–76 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 14th | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 3rd |
| 1976–77 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 17th ↓ | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 1st ↑ |
| 1977–78 | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 15th ↓ | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 2nd |
| 1978–79 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 1st ↑ | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 2nd |
| 1979–80 | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 7th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 2nd |
| 1980–81 | FC Herzogenaurach | Amateurliga Bayern | 16th ↓ | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 12th |
| 1981–82 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 9th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 13th |
| 1982–83 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 5th | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 16th ↓ |
| 1983–84 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 14th | FC Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord | ↑ |
| 1984–85 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 12th | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 16th ↓ |
| 1985–86 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 6th | FC Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord | 2nd |
| 1986–87 | ASV Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 17th ↓ | FC Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord | 1st ↑ |
| 1987–88 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 7th | ASV Herzogenaurach | Bezirksliga Mittelfranken-Nord | 16th ↓ |
| 1988–89 | FC Herzogenaurach | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | 19th ↓ | ASV Herzogenaurach | A-Klasse (VII) |
- Source: Das deutsche Fussball Archiv
- Yellow denotes both clubs played in the same league.
Games
The Herzogenaurach derby in the Bayernliga and Landesliga:| Season | League | Teams | Home | Away |
| 1968–69 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 1–0 | 1–5 |
| 1969–70 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| 1972–73 | Amateurliga Bayern | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| 1973–74 | Amateurliga Bayern | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| 1978–79 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 1–2 | 2–2 |
| 1981–82 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| 1982–83 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 2–2 | 4–2 |
| 1984–85 | Landesliga Bayern-Mitte | ASV Herzogenaurach – FC Herzogenaurach | 2–2 | 4–2 |
- Source: Manfreds Fussball Archiv Tables and results of the Bavarian amateur leagues
Former players
The club had a couple of players in its ranks who later played in the Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, the most well-known of those being:
- Dietmar BeiersdorferDietmar BeiersdorferDietmar Beiersdorfer is a former footballer and coach. He began his coaching career with Hamburger SV in 2003 and served as sporting director of the Austrian team FC Red Bull Salzburg between 2010 and April 2011.-Career:...
, played for Hamburger SVHamburger SVHamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
and Werder Bremen - Günter GüttlerGünter GüttlerGünter Güttler, is a former German football player and manager of the German low-tier football club SpVgg Weiden.- Honours :As player:* Bundesliga Champion: 1980–81* DFB-Pokal Winner: 1981–82...
, (until 1980), played for FC Bayern Munich, 1. FC Nuremberg, Waldhof Mannheim, FC Schalke 04FC Schalke 04Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
External links
- Official team site
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German domestic league tables
- 1.FC Herzogenaurach – Spielklassen 1916 – 2006 FC Herzogenaurach website – History 1916 to 2006