FSV Frankfurt

Football club infobox
clubname = FSV Frankfurt


fullname = Fußballsportverein Frankfurt 1899 e.V.
nickname = Bornheimer, Sportverein
founded = August 20, 1899
ground = Stadion Am Bornheimer Hang
capacity = 24,000 (10,300 after renovation
chairman = Julius Rosenthal
manager = Tomas Oral
league = 2. Bundesliga
season = 2007-08
position = Regionalliga Süd, 1st
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=ffffff|socks2=FFFFFF

FSV Frankfurt is a German football club based in the Bornheim district of Frankfurt, Hesse and founded in 1899. The club plays in the shadow of larger and much more successful "Eintracht Frankfurt", but has recently returned to 2^nd tier football. FSV Frankfurt also fielded a highly successful women's team, which was disbanded in 2006.

History

The pinnacle of the team's achievement was a losing appearance in the 1925 national final, 0:1 to 1. FC Nürnburg, and the capture of a German amateur title in 1972 in a 2:1 victory over "Marl Hüls". The club contested the 1938 Tschammerpokal final, predecessor of today's German Cup, and were beaten 1:3 by "Rapid Vienna".

The club played in the "Bezirksliga Main", then the "Bezirksliga Main-Hessen" throughout the 1920's and 30's. After capturing the championship of the VSFV (Verband Süddeutscher Fussball Vereine or Federation of South German Football Clubs) in 1933, "FSV" went on to play in the "Gauliga Südwest", one of sixteen top-flight divisions formed that same year in the re-organization of German football under the Third Reich. They consistently earned mid-table results there with the club's best finish being a second place in 1939. In 1941 the Gauliga Hessen was split into the Gauliga Westmark and the Gauliga Hessen-Nassau with "FSV" playing in the latter division. The team finished a close second to "Kickers Offenbach" in 1943 and in 1944 merged briefly with "SG Eintracht Frankfurt" to play as the wartime side (Kriegspielgemeinschaft) "KSG Frankfurt". The following season the Gauliga collapsed with the advance of Allied armies into Germany as World War II drew to a close.

After the war occupying Allied authorities order the dissolution of all organizations in Germany, including sports and football clubs. "Frankfurt" was re-established as "SG Bornheim" but had taken on their old identity again by late 1945. The team resumed play in the first division Oberliga Süd where they played undistinguished, middling football until relegated at the end of the 1961-62 season. The Bundesliga, Germany's first top-flight professional league, was formed in 1963. "FSV" joined the Regionalliga Süd and remained a regular tier II side from the early 60's through to the early 70s when they slipped to third division play. The club returned to the second tier in 1975 a year after the formation of the 2.Bundesliga, playing in the 2nd Bundesliga Süd. In 1981 the northern and southern divisions of this league were combined and as a perennial lower table side "FSV" was delivered to the third division Oberliga Hessen (III). The club made a single season cameo appearance in the combined league in 1982-83 before once again falling back.

They played in the Regionalliga Süd (III) in 2007-08 after seven seasons in the Amateur Oberliga Hessen (III). Winning the championship of the Regionalliga Süd (III), the club has been promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga for the season 2008-2009.

Recent seasons

Current squad

"For recent transfers, see List of German football transfers summer 2008."

Women's department

The women's team won three championships and five cups, even completing a double in 1995, but was retired after the 2005-06 season due to financial weakness. In its time FSV had many German top football players, including national record scorer Birgit Prinz, who left in 1998 for local rival 1. FFC Frankfurt

Honours

*German Championship: 1986, 1995, 1998
*DFB-Pokal winner: 1985, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996

Notable past players

The following players have been capped for Germany at least 50 times:

*Birgitt Austermühl
*Steffi Jones
*Sandra Minnert
*Birgit Prinz
*Sissy Raith
*Sandra Smisek
*Britta Unsleber

Other sports departments

As a sports club "FSV" has had at various times departments for athletics, boxing, darts, handball, ice hockey, and tennis.

The women's football team has enjoyed considerable success, including three national championships and five German Cups, between 1986 and 1998. The section folded after the 2005-06 season due to financial difficulties.

Honours

* German vice-champions: 1925
* South German champions : 1933
* German Cup finalist: 1938
* German amateur champions: 1972
* Bezirksliga Main (I) champions: 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
* Bezirksliga Main-Hessen (I) champions: 1933
* 2nd Oberliga Süd (II) champions: 1963
* Oberliga Hessen (III-IV) champions: 1969, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1994, 1998, 2007

External links

* [http://www.fsv-frankfurt.de Official team site]
* [http://www.senseless-crew.de Fan site]
* [http://www.bornheimer-hang.de Bornheimer Hang: FSV-Blog der Frankfurter Rundschau]

References

* [http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/fsv.html The Abseits Guide to German Soccer]
* [http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das Deutsche Fussball-Archiv] Historical German league results (in German)
* [http://www.eufo.de/football/ger/fsv_furt.htm eufo.de] European club profiles and current rosters