Tennis Borussia Berlin

Football club infobox
clubname = Tennis Borussia Berlin


fullname = Tennis Borussia Berlin e.V.
nickname = TeBe, die Veilchen (Violets) | founded = April 9, 1902
ground = Mommsenstadion
capacity = 11,500
chairman =
manager = flagicon|Germany Thomas Herbst
league = NOFV-Oberliga Nord (V)
season = 2007-08
position = 6th
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFF00|body2=FFFF00|rightarm2=FFFF00|shorts2=000000|socks2=FFFF00

Tennis Borussia Berlin is a German football club based in Berlin.

History

The team was founded in 1902 and takes its name from its origins as a tennis and ping-pong club. "Borussia" is a Latinized version of Prussia. In 1903 the club took up football and quickly developed a rivalry with Berlin's leading side "Hertha BSC Berlin". They won their first city league championship in 1932 and repeated in 1941, this time by defeating "Hertha" (8:2) in the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg.

After World War II and into the early 50's, "TeBe" emerged as Berlin's top side but were unable to keep up their form and earn selection to the Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga, formed in 1963. The team played in tier II leagues throughout the 60's and 70's with the exception of two short-lived forays into the Bundesliga in 1974-75 and 1976-77. Most of the 80's were spent playing in the tier III Oberliga or Regionalliga.

Through most of its history "Tennis Borussia" has been afflicted by financial problems but has managed to hang on while many other of Berlin's clubs folded or disappeared in mergers. In 1997-98, a deep-pocketed sponsor brought expensive new talent to the team as they made a run at a return to 2. Bundesliga play which they achieved, winning the Regionalliga Nordost. While initially successful, the bid collapsed as the team's finances failed. They were refused a license and relegated to Regionalliga Nord (III) where they finished last in 2000-01 and so slipped further still to Oberliga Nordost-Nord (IV) the following season, where they still play today.

Name history

Originally, the club was called "Berliner Tennis- und Ping-Pong-Gesellschaft Borussia". In 1913 the club changed its name to "Berliner Tennis Club Borussia". Finally, in 2000 the club adopted its current name "Tennis Borussia Berlin", as the club had always been known under this moniker and to avoid being mistaken as a tennis club.

Honours

* German amateur champions: 1998

Notable past players

*Otto Nerz 1919-1924, manager 1924-1927
*Sepp Herberger 1926-1930, manager 1930-1932
*Karl-Heinz Schnellinger 1974-1975
*Ditmar Jakobs 1974-1977
*Benny Wendt 1976-1977

Recent past:
*Enrico Kern 1998-2000
*Christian Tiffert 1998-2000
*Rene Renno 2000-2001
*Zafer Yelen 2003-2005

External links

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