Bottrop – 118,000 inhabitants: VfB Bottrop was founded more than 100 years ago in 1900. However, the club has long since passed its prime or, as football historian Hardy Grüne once said: The club is the “prime example of the tragic loser”. While the team still played in the second and third leagues in the post-war period, they can now be found in the district league (level 7).
Bremerhaven – 114,000 inhabitants: Although the port city has four teams in the Bremer Oberliga (level 5), it was not enough for any of the clubs. While OSC Bremerhaven played in the second division for a short time in the 1970s, it can now be found in a table behind SFL Bremerhaven, Leher Turnerschaft and FT Geestemünde.
Erfurt – 214,000 inhabitants: Hard to believe, but the state capital of Thuringia also currently has no club in the first four leagues. FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt has not been part of the regional league since the 2020/21 season after the club had to file for bankruptcy. The former GDR champion is now playing for a return to the professional field.
Erlangen – 113,000 inhabitants: Although Erlangen in Central Franconia is a big city, none of the city’s clubs has made it into one of the top four leagues. SC Eltersdorf (picture) and ATSV Erlangen are currently playing in the Bayernliga Nord. For some time, there has been speculation about a possible merger of the two clubs.
Göttingen – 119,000 inhabitants: Rumors of possible merger plans are also floating around in Göttingen again and again. Because so far it has not been enough for any club beyond the fifth division. There the SVG Göttingen currently plays in the upper league of Lower Saxony.
Gütersloh – 101,000 inhabitants: The golden years of FC Gütersloh seem to be over. The team currently plays in the Oberliga Westfalen and thus the fifth division, although it was still in the second division in the late nineties. Will that change again in the next few years?
Hamm – 180,000 inhabitants: The best-placed clubs in the city of 180,000 are currently Westfalia Rhynern (fans here in the picture), who played in the regional league for a short time, and Hammer SpVg. Both teams are represented in the Oberliga Westfalen and thus the fifth division. SC Eintracht Hamm almost made it into the second division in the 80s. The club has now merged with SV 26 Heessen and can be found in the Westphalia district league (League 7).
Heidelberg – 161,000 inhabitants: So far, no football club in Heidelberg has achieved great football successes. The most successful club, SG Heidelberg-Kirchheim, once only made it to the top division and currently plays in the Rhein-Neckar regional league just like the Freie Turner Kirchheim.
Heilbronn – 127,000 inhabitants: Not far away is Heilbronn in the north of Baden-Württemberg. There they counted on VfR Heilbronn for a long time. After all, the team played in the second division for eight seasons in the 50s, 60s and 70s. After bankruptcy and some mergers in the early 2000s, a new VfR Heilbronn was founded in 2018. Today it is only enough for the district league.
Herne – 156,000 inhabitants: There are two former second division clubs in the city: Westfalia Herne and DSC Wanne-Eickel. But the successes of that time are only a reminder of better times today. Westfalia currently plays in the Oberliga Westfalen, the DSC in the Westfalenliga.
Ludwigshafen am Rhein – 172,000 inhabitants: The largest city in the Palatinate has already made it into the regional league twice with a football club: Both FSV Oggersheim and SV Südwest Ludwigshafen were once represented in the third division, but have since been relegated. The current hobbyhorse Arminia Ludwigshafen just misses the four highest leagues and currently plays in the upper league (League 5).
Moers – 104,000 inhabitants: From the Oberliga to the Kreisliga, this is the fate MSV Moers has to cope with, which was still playing in the third division at the end of the 1970s. The city’s SV Scherpenberg, on the other hand, plays in the regional league (League 6).
Mülheim an der Ruhr – 171,000 inhabitants: Mülheim an der Ruhr also has a club with a strong decline. Because between 1974 and 1976 1. FC Mülheim played in the 2nd Bundesliga (here in the picture). Today it is only enough for the district league A and thus league 8. Things are going better for the DJK Blau-Weiß Mintard, the Mülheimer FC and the VfB Speldorf. You play in the national league (league 6)
Neuss – 154,000 inhabitants: In the post-war period, VfR Neuss made it into the state league and thus the highest amateur class of its time. But these days of success are numbered for a long time. Today you can find the club in the district league.
Pforzheim – 126,000 inhabitants: Despite the merger of the former successful clubs Pforzheim, 1. FC and VfR, to form 1. CfR Pforzheim (here in the picture), the team currently only makes it into the top division (League 5). Before the merger, the two teams were also represented in higher leagues.
Recklinghausen – 111,000 inhabitants: At the moment, no club from Recklinghausen makes it beyond the district league. Genclikspor, SF Stuckenbusch and SG Suderwich are currently doing best at league level 8. With 1. FC Recklinghausen, they had a major league team in the city in the 80s and 90s. But the club went bankrupt and its successor, FC 96, only made it into the district league A.
Remscheid – 111,000 inhabitants: FC Remscheid was last able to attract attention with the involvement of Thorsten Legat (picture) as a coach from 2015 to 2016. Today they are far from the former game in the second division. The FCR can currently be found in the regional league (level 6).
Reutlingen – 116,000 inhabitants: The successes in the higher leagues of SSV Reutlingen 05 are also long gone. While the club has been playing in the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg (level 5) for ten years, it was still playing for the German championship in 1950 and was later in the second division.
Salzgitter – 104,000 inhabitants: The most successful teams in Salzgitter at the moment are KSV Vahdet and SC grid. Both teams play in the regional league (level 6). In the 1970s, SV Union Salzgitter was seen as a potential climber to the second division – and narrowly failed. Today the team only has enough for the district league (level 7).
Siegen – 103,000 inhabitants: Sportfreunde Siegen, which was founded in 1899, is considered the flagship of the city. In 2005/06 the team even made it to the second division, but was relegated again after one season. In recent years, the club played alternately in the Regionalliga West and the Oberliga Westfalen (League 5), in which the sports fans are also currently.
