VfB Helmbrechts

Last updated

VfB Helmbrechts
Vfb Helmbrechts.gif
Full nameVerein für Bewgungsspiele Helmbrechts 98 e.V.
Founded3 March 1921
GroundFrankenwaldsportstätte
Capacity14,000
ChairmanRudi Rau
ManagerMarco Bogdanovic
LeagueKreisliga Hof (VIII)
2015–16Kreisklasse Hof-West (IX), 1st (promoted)

The VfB Helmbrechts is a German association football club from the city of Helmbrechts, Bavaria.

Contents

The club's most notable era was when it was playing in the 2nd Oberliga Süd, then the second tier of the German football league system, from 1955 to 1963.

History

1921 to 1945

The club was formed on 3 March 1921, and played its first game of football one month later. [1] VfB did not have a proper ground until 1924 and competitive matches were rare in the early years. It won the local C-Klasse championship that year and earned promotion to the B-Klasse. The following season, the B-Klasse championship could be won and the VfB moved up to the A-Klasse.

After a number of attempts, Helmbrechts won the A-Klasse championship in 1931 and earned promotion to the tier-two Kreisliga, where it played against well-known local sides like SpVgg Weiden and FC Bayern Hof.

With the rise of the Nazis to power, league football in Germany was restructured in 1933. In Bavaria, the Gauliga Bayern was introduced with the Bezirksligas as the leagues below. Helmbrechts earned promotion to this league in 1934. In this league, the club performed well, earning upper table finishes until 1939. With the outbreak of the Second World War, VfB ceased to compete in league football.

1945 to 1998

The club restarted its football life in the local third division in 1946, earning a championship there and promotion to the tier-two Landesliga Bayern. [2] After one season there, it had to step down once more. The club failed in promotion round in 1951, to return to what had now become the Amateurliga Bayern but, in 1953, the expansion of the league to two regional divisions allowed the club to return. [3]

As a new club in the Amateurliga Nordbayern, VfB took out the championship straight away in 1954–55, also winning the Bavarian championship when beating southern champions FC Penzberg, and earned the right to compete for promotion to the 2nd Oberliga Süd. In a group with Borussia Fulda and Amicitia Viernheim, it won promotion finishing first, moving up alongside FC Penzberg, SpVgg Neu-Isenburg and VfR Heilbronn. [4]

Its first four seasons in the second division proved a tough time for the VfB, living under permanent relegation threat. In 1956, only one point saved the club; the other years were not as desperate. In 1959, 12,000 spectators turn up to see the local derby against Bayern Hof, a 3–2 victory for Helmbrechts. [5] The 1959–60 season saw the best performance by the club in its eight 2nd Oberliga years. At the winter break, it led the league, but in the end it fell two points short of Jahn Regensburg in second place and finished fourth. [6] This season remained a unique experience for the club, the following one saw only a mid-table finish. In 1961–62, it escaped relegation by two points once more. [7]

Changes to the German league system in 1963, the introduction of the Fußball-Bundesliga and the Regionalligas below meant, VfB would have had to finish ninth or better to retain its second division status. This mark was missed by two points in eleventh place and the club had to return to the now single-division again Amateurliga Bayern. [8]

Upon return to the Amateurliga, Helmbrechts had a good first year, finishing fourth. The second season wasn't quite as good with only a seventh place and from then on the club resided in the lower half of the table. By 1971, after six difficult years, VfB suffered relegation to the tier-four Landesliga Bayern-Nord. [9]

In the Landesliga, Helmbrechts slowly worked its way up, finishing fourth in 1972, third in 1973 and second in 1971, but only the league champion was eligible for promotion at that time. After this, results dropped off but the club remained an upper table side in this league, finally winning a championship and promotion back to what was now the Oberliga Bayern in 1979. [10]

Back in Bavarias highest league, 6,300 spectators saw the derby against Bayern Hof, a 1–1 draw. [11] VfB experienced a couple of good Oberliga years with a sixth place in 1982 the highlight but in 1983, the club was relegated back to the Landesliga once more. After a third place in 1984, four second places followed in a row from 1985 to 1988 but the team failed each of those four years in the promotion round. The club terminated this unique achievement by winning the league in 1988–89 and earning direct promotion. [12]

VfB lasted for only two seasons in the Bayernliga before having to return to the Landesliga in 1991. After a disappointing eight place in 1992, 1993 saw another Landesliga title and promotion. The club remained in the Oberliga Bayern for the next four seasons without being able to break through to the upper half of the table. The 1996–97 season became the club's last in the upper reaches of Bavarian amateur football. Financially troubled, the club finished last in the league, 23 points clear of a non-relegation rank. VfB decided at the end of the season, not to take up its spot in the Landesliga for the next season but instead to play in the A-Klasse (VIII) where its reserve side played in 1996–97. [13]

Insolvency

In 1998, the VfB had to declare insolvency but a new VfB Helmbrechts club was immediately formed, adopting the 98 to its name in reference to its rebirth. [14]

The club made a quick on-the-field recovery, earning promotion to the Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost (VII) in 2000. After a number of average seasons in this league, it took out the championship in 2004 and earned promotion to the Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken. From this league, after initially achieving good results, the club was relegated again in 2008. [15]

In 2008–09, the club played in the tier-eight Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost, suffering another relegation, now to the Kreisliga. [16] At this level, in 2009–10, the club was yet again relegated, now to the tier-ten Kreisklasse Frankenwald. After two seasons the club started to make a recovery, winning a league championship in 2012 and being promoted back to the Kreisliga from where it dropped back to the Kreisklasse in 2014. After a Kreisklasse championship in 2015–16 the club returned to the Kreisliga.

Honours

League

Recent seasons

The recent season-by-season performance of the club: [17] [18]

SeasonDivision Tier Position
2000–01Bezirksliga Oberfranken OstVII6th
2001–02Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost8th
2002–03Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost4th
2003–04Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost1st ↑
2004–05 Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken VI4th
2005–06Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken7th
2006–07Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken11th
2007–08Bezirksoberliga Oberfranken16th ↓
2008–09Bezirksliga Oberfranken OstVIII15th ↓
2009–10Kreisliga HofIX13th ↓
2010–11Kreisklasse FrankenwaldX2nd
2011–12Kreisklasse Frankenwald1st ↑
2012–13Kreisliga HofVIII12th
2013–14Kreisliga Hof10th ↓
2014–15Kreisklasse Hof-WestIX5th
2015–16Kreisklasse Hof-West1st ↑
2016–17Kreisliga HofVIII
Promoted Relegated

Related Research Articles

SpVgg Bayreuth

SpVgg Bayreuth is a German football club based in Bayreuth, Bavaria. Apart from coming within two games of earning promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979, the club also reached the quarter finals of the DFB-Pokal twice, in 1977 and 1980.

The Landesliga Bayern sits at step 6 of the German football league system and is the third highest level in the Bavarian football league system, below the Bayernliga and organised in five regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Bundesliga was established. From 2012, when the Regionalliga Bayern was established, the Landesligas were expanded from three to five divisions.

Bavarian football league system

The Bavarian football league system of the Bavarian Football Association ranks within the German football league system. Its highest division, the Regionalliga Bayern, is currently the fourth tier of German football. The lowest league in Bavaria is currently the C-Klasse, which is the 12th tier of German football.

The Landesliga Bayern-Nord was the sixth tier of the German football league system in northern Bavaria. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.

The Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd, until 2008 named Landesliga Hessen-Süd, is currently the sixth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.

The Amateurliga Südwest was the highest football league in the region of the Südwest FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Südwest below it in 1978.

The Amateurliga Rheinland was the highest football league in the region of the Rheinland FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Rheinland below it in 1978.

The 1. FC Bamberg was a German association football club from the town of Bamberg, Bavaria.

TSV Amicitia Viernheim

The TSV Amicitia Viernheim is a German association football club from the city of Viernheim, Hesse. Due to the close proximity of Viernheim to Baden-Württemberg, the club plays in the league system of this state.

SC Opel Rüsselsheim

The SC Opel Rüsselsheim is a German association football club from the city of Rüsselsheim, Hesse.

VfR Pforzheim

The VfR Pforzheim was a German association football club from the city of Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club achieved notability by playing in Germany's second division in the 1965–66 season. In 2010. the club merged with 1. FC Pforzheim to form 1. CfR Pforzheim.

TSG Backnang 1919

The TSG Backnang Fussball is a German association football club from the city of Backnang, Baden-Württemberg. The club's most notable time was between 1965 and 1976, when it reached as far as Germany's second division for one season.

SG Germania Wiesbaden

SG Germania Wiesbaden is a German association football club from the city of Wiesbaden in Hesse.

TBVfL Neustadt-Wildenheid

The TBVfL Neustadt-Wildenheid is a German association football club from the city of Neustadt bei Coburg, Bavaria.

ASV Cham

The ASV Cham is a German association football club from the city of Cham, Bavaria. The club's most notable achievement was playing in the second division from 1950 to 1962.

The TSV Straubing was a German association football club from the city of Straubing, Bavaria. The club achieved notability by playing in the second division from 1950 to 1961.

ATS Kulmbach

The ATS Kulmbach is a German association football club from the city of Kulmbach, Bavaria.

The 1945–46 season of the Landesliga Bayern, the second highest association football league of the German football league system in Bavaria at the time, was the inaugural season of the league. The first season of the league marked the restart of league football in Bavaria after the end of the Second World War.

The VfB Friedberg is a German association football club from the town of Friedberg, Hesse.

References

  1. VfB Helmbrechts website – History (in German), accessed: 7 April 2009
  2. Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform(in German) author: Ludolf Hyll, page: 148, accessed: 7 April 2009
  3. Die Bayernliga 1945–1997(in German) publisher: DSFS, page: 22 & 26, accessed: 7 April 2009
  4. Die Deutsche Liga Chronik(in German) publisher: DSFS, page: I 40, accessed: 7 April 2009
  5. VfB Helmbrechts website – History (in German), accessed: 7 April 2009
  6. Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform(in German) author: Ludolf Hyll, page: 201, accessed: 7 April 2009
  7. Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform(in German) author: Ludolf Hyll, page: 209, accessed: 7 April 2009
  8. Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform(in German) author: Ludolf Hyll, page: 213, accessed: 7 April 2009
  9. Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform(in German) author: Ludolf Hyll, page: 246, accessed: 7 April 2009
  10. Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv – Bavarian Landesliga tables (in German) accessed: 7 April 2009
  11. VfB Helmbrechts website – History (in German), accessed: 7 April 2009
  12. Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv – Bavarian Landesliga tables (in German) accessed: 7 April 2009
  13. Die Bayernliga 1945–1997(in German) publisher: DSFS, page: 133, accessed: 7 April 2009
  14. VfB Helmbrechts website – Der Verein (in German), accessed: 7 April 2009
  15. Manfreds Fussball Archiv – Bavarian league tables accessed: 7 April 2009
  16. Bezirksliga Oberfranken Ost table 2008–09 Bayliga.de, accessed: 7 April 2009
  17. Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv (in German) Historical German domestic league tables
  18. Fussball.de – Ergebnisse Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in German) Tables and results of all German football leagues

Sources