The 50+1 rule in the Bundesliga is not only being talked about positively these days. While for some it protects German football from excesses and dubious businessmen, others see it as a reason for the sporting decline in international comparison. For most football fans in the country, the rule is not up for grabs. This is also shown by the real boom in membership numbers.
Almost all clubs from the DFL area have experienced massive growth in membership in recent years. The decision to become a member of one’s own favorite club may have various reasons. For some it is an expression of their being a fan, for others it is about having a say in matters of club policy, for others it could be about having better chances on the competitive ticket market. At FC Bayern, for example, where every home game is sold out, it should be an advantage to have a membership card.
Bayern, BVB and Schalke among the top 10 worldwide
The people of Munich welcomed their 300,000th member to the club in February, thereby cementing the subscription champions’ position as the football club with the most members in the world. In the international top 10, about which there is sometimes different information, Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 are generally listed. According to current information from the magazine, the two arch-rivals from the Ruhr area separate sports picture only around 1000 members in favor of the black and yellow.
Two other clubs on the threshold of 100,000
In addition to the three clubs mentioned, other clubs have also made significant gains in recent years. Eintracht Frankfurt and 1.FC Köln have passed the 100,000 member mark, while Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburger SV are very close. According to the magazine, the 36 first and second division clubs for the new season have a total of just over 1.75 million members. With the clear upward trend in many clubs, it should only be a matter of time before the sound barrier of 2 million members is due.
Membership figures of the 36 Bundesliga clubs for the new season
1. FC Bayern, 300,000
2. Borussia Dortmund, 175,000
3. FC Schalke 04, 174,000 (2nd Bundesliga)
4. Eintracht Frankfurt, 131,000
5. 1.FC Cologne, 127 376
6. Borussia Monchengladbach, 98,000
7. Hamburger SV, 95,000 (2nd Bundesliga)
8. VfB Stuttgart, 83 107
9. SC Freiburg, 59 000
10. Union Berlin, 56 312
11. Hertha BSC, 46 057 (2. Bundesliga)
12. Werder Bremen, 42 407
13. FC St. Pauli, 36,500 (2nd Bundesliga)
14. Bayer Leverkusen, 33,000
15. 1.FC Nuremberg, 27 509 (2nd Bundesliga)
16. Fortuna Düsseldorf, 27 200 (2. Bundesliga)
17. 1.FC Kaiserslautern, 25 100 (2nd Bundesliga)
18. VfL Bochum, 24,162
19. Hansa Rostock, 23,700 (2nd Bundesliga)
20. FC Augsburg, 22 560
21. Hanover 96, 22,000 (2nd Bundesliga)
22. VfL Wolfsburg, 21,500
23. FSV Mainz 05, 16,600
24. SV Darmstadt, 13,400
25. Karlsruher SC, 12,000 (2nd Bundesliga)
26. TSG Hoffenheim, 11 000
27. 1.FC Magdeburg, 10,492 (2nd Bundesliga)
28. SC Paderborn, 8 451 (2nd Bundesliga)
29. 1.FC Heidenheim, 8 100
30. VfL Osnabrück, 7,200 (2nd Bundesliga)
31. Eintracht Braunschweig, 6,366 (2nd Bundesliga)
32. Holstein Kiel, 3,506 (2nd Bundesliga)
33. SpVgg Greuther Furth, 2,628 (2nd Bundesliga)
34. SV Elversberg, 1,950 (2nd Bundesliga)
35. RB Leipzig, 940
36. SV Wehen Wiesbaden, 657 (2nd Bundesliga)
(Information via sports picture)
2023-08-01 16:18:17
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