Blau-Weiss Berlin

Football club infobox
clubname = Blau-Weiß Berlin


fullname = SV Blau-Weiss Berlin e.V.
nickname =
founded = 1890,1992
ground = Rathausstraße, 12107 Berlin
capacity = 1000
chairman =
manager = Orad Marjanovic
league = Bezirksliga Berlin, Staffel 1 (VIII)
season = 2007-08
position =8th
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pattern_b1=_whitehorizontal
pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=0000FF
body1=0000FF| rightarm1=0000FF
shorts1=0000FF
socks1=0000FF
pattern_la2=
pattern_b2=_bluehorizontal
pattern_ra2=
leftarm2= FFFFFF
body2= FFFFFF
rightarm2= FFFFFF
shorts2= 0000FF
socks2= 0000FF|

Blau-Weiss Berlin (Blau-Weiß Berlin) is a German football club based in the Mariendorf district of the city. The side is the successor organization to "SpVgg Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin" which was formed out of the merger on July 27, 1927 of "Berliner FC Vorwärts 1890" (November 1890) and "Berliner Thor- und Fussball Club Union 1892" ("BTuFC Union", June 1892).

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History

Predecessors

Predecessor sides "Vorwärts" and "Union" were both founding members of the DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association) at Leipzig in 1900. "Vorwärts" enjoyed early success with local championships in 1902, 1903 and 1921. In that last championship year, they also sent four players to the national side and played in the German final, which they lost 0:5 to "1.FC Nürnberg". "Union" took the national title in 1905 with a 2:0 win over "Karlsruher FV".

Immediately after the 1927 merger of these to sides the club was relegated from top-flight football in the city. The following season a third side, "Arminia 1906 Berlin", joined the newly created club which started to slowly improve returning to the Oberliga Berlin-Brandenburg (I) in 1931. Within a couple of years German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions with "Blau-Weiss" joining the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg.

World War II and postwar period

The club was sent down after a last place finish in 1937 but came storming back to win the division title in [1938}-39. "Blau-Weiß" captured a second division title in 1942 and finished third overall nationally. After World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in the country, including sports and football associations. The club was later re-formed as "SG Mariendorf" which eventually broke up into three separate sides: "SpVgg Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin" (re-established in 1949), "SC Krampe Berlin", and "SC Mariendorf".

"SG Mariendorf" played first division football from 1946 until being relegated in 1948. "Blau-Weiß" re-joined the top tier Oberliga Berlin in 1950 where they played as a lower to mid-table side until finally being relegated in 1960. After three seasons in the Amateurliga Berlin (II), which included a division title win in 1963, the club secured a place in the newly formed Regionalliga Berlin (II).

Once again a lower to mid-table side the club's performance improved in the early 70s leading to a Regionalliga title in 1973 and a failed participation in the promotion rounds for the top-flight Bundesliga. League re-organization at the end of the 1973-74 season led to the breakup of the existing Regionalliga: first place "Tennis Borussia Berlin" was promoted to the Bundesliga, runner-up "Wacker 04 Berlin" joined the newly formed second tier 2. Bundesliga, while third place "Blau-Weiss" landed in the Amateurliga Berlin (III).

From Bundesliga to bankruptcy

A poor finish in 1978 led to the club's relegation and they spent the next handful of seasons bouncing between third and fourth division play. "Blau-Weiß"'s return to what was now the Oberliga Berlin (III) in 1984 was accompanied by a division title and their second participation in the promotion rounds for the 2. Bundesliga. This time the club was successful and two seasons later surprised with a second place finish that led to advancement to the top-flight Bundesliga in 1986. "Blau-Weiß" found itself overmatched in the senior professional circuit and was quickly relegated, spending another five seasons in the 2. Bundesliga before declaring bankruptcy in 1992. The club was quickly re-constituted as "SV Blau-Weiss Berlin" and resumed play in the lowest tier city league. By 1996 they had worked their way back up to the sixth division Landesliga Berlin.

Honours

BTuFC Union
*German champions: 1905

Berliner FC Vorwärts 1890
*German vice champions: 1921

SpVgg Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin
*Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg champions: 1939, 1942
*Amaturliga Berlin (II) champions: 1963
*Oberliga Berlin (III) champions: 1984

Trivia

* Thorball or torball was a German word in use in the 1890s and early 1900s for the sport of cricket. Several early clubs playing the new "English" games of football, rugby, and cricket incorporated it into their name. The term never caught on and did not enter into common usage, soon being abandoned by sports clubs. Today torball may be used to refer to a form of football played by the blind or vision-impaired.

* "Vorwärts Berlin" was a successful, but un-related, Soviet-era East German side that appeared in the first division DDR Oberliga between 1951 and 1971, capturing six East German national titles and two East German Cups. Today this club plays as "FC Viktoria Frankfurt".

Notable players

* Ernst Lehner
* Karl-Heinz Riedle (1986-1987)
* René Vandereycken (1986-1987)
* Selçuk Yula (1986-1987)
* Rainer Rauffmann (1991-1992)
* ("Vorwärts 1890") Albert Weber

External links

* [http://www.svblauweiss.de/ Official team site]
* [http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/bwberlin.html Abseits Guide to German Soccer]