TSV Kottern

Football club infobox
clubname = TSV Kottern


fullname = Turn- und Sportverein Kottern-St.Mang e.V.
nickname =
founded = 1925
ground =
capacity =
chairman = Thomas Biermeier
manager = Bernd Kunze
league = Bezirksoberliga Schwaben (VII)
season = 2007-08
position = 9th
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TSV Kottern is a German football from Kottern in Kempten, Bavaria.

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History

The team was established on 15 September 1925 as "Freier Fußballclub Kottern" as a worker's sports club. The club was broken up as politically undesireable under the Nazi regime and the membership became part of "Turn- und Sportverein Kottern" as that association's football department. The side played in the senior local level A-Klasse competition throughout the 30s and on into the mid-40s.

Following World War II "Kottern" played in the Kreisliga Schwaben-Süd where they won a title in 1947 but could not accept promotion due to the bad transport situation in the post war days, making travelling to away games very difficult. They won a second title in 1953 and advanced to the Landesliga Bayern (III), the top level competition in the state, where they played from 1954 to 1963, with the exception of the 1959-60 season. German football was re-structured with the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963, and "TSV" was sent down to the Bezirksliga Schwaben-Süd (V), where the club remained in the coming seasons. "Kottern" found itselve relegated to the "A-Klasse Süd in 1970 and 1978 but both times returned to the "Bezirksliga" shortly after.

In October 1971, the club "TSV Kottern" merged with the "TSV St. Mang" to form "TSV Kottern-St. Mang".

The club became part of the newly formed Bezirksoberliga Schwaben (VI) in 1987, and after slipping briefly in 1990, returned to capture the division in 1993 and win promotion to the Landesliga Bayern-Süd (V) for a three season turn.

For the 2007-08 season, "Kottern" was back in the "Bezirksoberliga" and found itself struggeling in the relegation zone. The club terminated its manager, Uwe Zenkner, on 3 December 2007 and hired Bernd Kunze in the hope of improving its situation, the move paying off with a ninth place finish at the end of season.

Rivals

The FC Kempten is "TSV Kottern-St. Mang's" biggest local rival, being also based in the town of Kempten. They last faced each other in the "Landesliga Bayern-Süd" in the 2006-07 season, when both games ended in a draw, 1-1 and 2-2. In the Schwaben Cup however, "Kottern" gained the upper hand, defeating the "FC" 6-5 on penaltys after a 2-2 draw after normal time. With "Kempten" promoted to the "Bayernliga" and "Kottern" relegated to the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben, the "FC" has asserted its supperiority, for now.

Ice hockey department

The "TSV Kottern" also used to operate an ice hockey department from 1950 to April 2007. The clubs senior team left the "TSV" to turn professional and form the "EA Kempten" in 1983. The "TSV" however continued to field an amateur side. With the end of professional ice hockey in Kempten in 2004, the "TSV" once more became the only club in the city. From 2004, the team played in the "Landesliga" (V) for three seasons, after winning the Bavarian "Bezirksliga" (VI) championship and gaining promotion. In April 2007 it was decided to form a new, semi-professional side, the "ESC Kempten" and "Kotterns" ice hockey department joined the new club, ending almost 60 years of tradition at the "TSV".

Honours

* Bezirksoberliga Schwaben champions (V-VI): 1993, 2002, 2005
* Bezirksliga Schwaben-Süd champions (VI): 1991

All-time tables

In the overall tables of the "Landesliga Süd" (1963-2007) and "Bezirksoberliga Schwaben" (1988-2007) the "TSV Kottern" ranks as follows:

Source:Cite web
url = http://www.fcgundelfingen.de/Fussball/Historie/tabellen.htm
title = Overall tables of Bayernliga, Landesliga Süd and Bezirksoberliga Schwaben
accessdate = 2008-03-19
publisher = FC Gundelfingen website

TSV Kottern seasons (from 1989)

External links

* [http://www.tsv-kottern-kultverein.de/ Official team site]
* [http://www.esc-kempten.de/index1.htm "ESC Kempten" website (ice hockey)]

References

ources

* [http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv] historical German domestic league tables (in German)