VFC Plauen
Encyclopedia
VFC Plauen is a German association football club
from the city of Plauen
, Saxony.
division titles in 1930 and 1931. German football was re-organized into sixteen top flight divisions under the Third Reich in 1933 and VFC spent a single season in top tier play, the Gauliga Sachsen
, before being relegated.
Following the end of World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in the country, including football and sports clubs. The club was re-established as SG Plauen-Süd in 1945, re-named ZSG Zellwolle Plauen in 1949, and then re-named again in 1950 to BSG Rotation Plauen. After a merger with BSG Sachsenverlag Plauen that same year, the team won promotion to East Germany's second division DDR-Liga in 1951 and played at that level until being sent down through league restructuring after the 1954–1955 season. They were again re-named in 1954, becoming BSG Wismut Plauen.
Plauen returned to second division play in 1964 as BSG Motor WEMA Plauen where they delivered uneven results until being relegated in 1973. They would languish in lower division play until a resurgence that would come about soon after German re-unification in 1990 that would begin with the side re-claiming its traditional identity as 1. VFC 1990 Plauen. A championship in the Landesliga Sachsen
(V) was followed by a dismal campaign in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd
that saw the club give up 108 goals while netting only 12 and finishing dead last in the division. VFC soon recovered, earning a second Landesliga title in 1994 to return to the Oberliga. In 1996 a successful campaign there led to another title and promotion to the third division Regionalliga Nordost
. The club once again found itself sent down through league restructuring in 2000, landing in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd (IV) where they play today.
VFC has been one of the most dominant teams in the division over the past several seasons, consistently earning top three finishes. In 2004 they finished atop the table and took part in qualification play for the Regionalliga Nord
(III) but failed to advance after being beaten by the reserve side of Hertha BSC Berlin
on goal difference (2:4, 3:2). Finishing third in the 2007/08 season, Plauen qualified for the reformed Regionalliga Nord.
Among the club's recent achievements are Sachsenpokal wins in 1999 and 2004, as well as another appearance in the final in 2006. Their cup victories led to participation in the German Cup tournament: in 1999 they were able to advance out of the first round with a 1:0 win over Alemannia Aachen
before being put out 1:2 by Stuttgarter Kickers
; in 2004 they went out early against Arminia Bielefeld
(1:2).
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 Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, Saxony.
History
The club was founded as 1. Vogtländischer Fußballclub Plauen and took part in the competition of the VMFV (Verband Mitteldeutschland Fußball Verein or Federation of Middle German Football Teams). They enjoyed some success in the early 30s when they captured consecutive local VogtlandVogtland
The term Vogtland refers to a region reaching across the German free states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and into the Czech Republic . The name of the region contains a reference to the former leadership by the Vögte of Weida, Gera and Plauen, which translates approximately to advocates or lord...
division titles in 1930 and 1931. German football was re-organized into sixteen top flight divisions under the Third Reich in 1933 and VFC spent a single season in top tier play, the Gauliga Sachsen
Gauliga Sachsen
The Gauliga Saxony was the highest football league in the German state of Saxony from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gau Saxony replaced the state Saxony.-Overview:The league was introduced in 1933,...
, before being relegated.
Following the end of World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in the country, including football and sports clubs. The club was re-established as SG Plauen-Süd in 1945, re-named ZSG Zellwolle Plauen in 1949, and then re-named again in 1950 to BSG Rotation Plauen. After a merger with BSG Sachsenverlag Plauen that same year, the team won promotion to East Germany's second division DDR-Liga in 1951 and played at that level until being sent down through league restructuring after the 1954–1955 season. They were again re-named in 1954, becoming BSG Wismut Plauen.
Plauen returned to second division play in 1964 as BSG Motor WEMA Plauen where they delivered uneven results until being relegated in 1973. They would languish in lower division play until a resurgence that would come about soon after German re-unification in 1990 that would begin with the side re-claiming its traditional identity as 1. VFC 1990 Plauen. A championship in the Landesliga Sachsen
Landesliga Sachsen
The Sachsenliga, formerly referred to as Landesliga Sachsen, is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Saxony,...
(V) was followed by a dismal campaign in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd
NOFV-Oberliga Süd
The NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of former East Germany. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier of the league system. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony...
that saw the club give up 108 goals while netting only 12 and finishing dead last in the division. VFC soon recovered, earning a second Landesliga title in 1994 to return to the Oberliga. In 1996 a successful campaign there led to another title and promotion to the third division Regionalliga Nordost
Regionalliga Nordost
The Regionalliga Nordost was the third tier of the German football league system in the states of former East Germany and West-Berlin from 1994 to 2000. As such, it was almost identical in territorial cover to the old DDR-Oberliga....
. The club once again found itself sent down through league restructuring in 2000, landing in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd (IV) where they play today.
VFC has been one of the most dominant teams in the division over the past several seasons, consistently earning top three finishes. In 2004 they finished atop the table and took part in qualification play for the Regionalliga Nord
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the northern and eastern part of Germany. It covers ten of the sixteen states of Germany...
(III) but failed to advance after being beaten by the reserve side of Hertha BSC Berlin
Hertha BSC Berlin
Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side...
on goal difference (2:4, 3:2). Finishing third in the 2007/08 season, Plauen qualified for the reformed Regionalliga Nord.
Among the club's recent achievements are Sachsenpokal wins in 1999 and 2004, as well as another appearance in the final in 2006. Their cup victories led to participation in the German Cup tournament: in 1999 they were able to advance out of the first round with a 1:0 win over Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen
Alemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play...
before being put out 1:2 by Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers
Stuttgarter Kickers is a German association football club that plays in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, founded on 21 September 1899 as FC Stuttgarter Cickers...
; in 2004 they went out early against Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
(1:2).
Current squad
Stadium
VFC Plauen plays its home matches in the Vogtlandstadion Plauen located at the north end of town adjacent to a forest. The original stadium area was prepared in 1934 and then enlarged in 1937 with a grandstand area having a capacity of 4,200 spectators. After the war facilities for athletics were added and the site modernized. Today the stadium will hold 12,000 (1,400 seats) and has floodlights and an electonic scoreboard.Honours
- Landesliga SachsenLandesliga SachsenThe Sachsenliga, formerly referred to as Landesliga Sachsen, is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Saxony,...
(V) champions: 1991, 1994 - NOFV-Oberliga SüdNOFV-Oberliga SüdThe NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of former East Germany. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier of the league system. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony...
(IV) champions: 2004 - NOFV-Oberliga SüdNOFV-Oberliga SüdThe NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of former East Germany. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier of the league system. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony...
(IV) thirds: 2008 - Sachsenpokal (Saxony Cup) winners: 1999, 2004
Notable coaches
- Frank Papritz (1993–1999)
- Hans-Ulrich Thomale (1999–2000)
- René Müller (2001–2003)
- Tino Vogel (2003–2006)
- Stefan Persigehl (2006–2007) Hermann Andreev (2007–2009)
- Jens Starke (2009)
- Ronald Färber (2009)
External links
- Official team site
- Abseits Guide to German Soccer
- Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv historical German football league tables (in German)
- eufo.de European football club profiles