FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt

Football club infobox
clubname = FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt


fullname = Fußball-Club Rot-Weiß Erfurt e. V.
nickname =
founded = January 26, 1966
ground = Steigerwaldstadion
capacity = 20,000
chairman = flagicon|Germany Rolf Rombach
manager = flagicon|Germany Karsten Baumann
league = 3rd Liga (III)
season = 2007-08
position = Regionalliga Nord (III), 7th
pattern_la1=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b1=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra1=_whiteshoulders
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b2=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra2=_whiteshoulders
leftarm2=000000|body2=000000|rightarm2=000000|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000

FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt is a German football club based in Erfurt, Thuringia.

History

Foundation to WW2

The club has roots that go back to a cricket club founded in 1895. As they broadened their interests they came to be called "Sport Club Erfurt". The club was a founding member of the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB or German Football Association) in 1900 and in 1904 they joined the Verband Mitteldeutscher Ballspielvereine (Central German Football League). The side won the league championship in 1908-09 and advanced as far as the semi final of the national round where they lost to the eventual champion. While "Erfurt" did manage to play for a number of seasons in the premier level Gauliga Mitte, formed after 1933, they failed to earn any honours.

Post WW2 era

In the aftermath of World War II the Allies banned all organizations, including sport and football clubs. In 1946, the Soviet occupation authorities permitted the organization of five district sports clubs in Erfurt. "SG Erfurt West" encompassed the area of the city once served by "SC Erfurt 1895" and "VfB Erfurt" and drew footballers who had played for these clubs. Success came quickly with an appearance in the 1948 Thueringer final, followed by a title in 1949. A quick series of name changes went hand-in-hand with a series of failed cup and final appearances: as "Fortuna Efurt" in 1949, "KWU Erfurt" in 1950, and "BSG Turbine Erfurt" in 1951. In 1954 and 1955, "Turbine" captured consecutive East German national titles, but then slipped back into the pack and out of tier I for the first time in 1959. The team was up and down between the first and second divisions through the 60s, being relegated three times, but always winning immediate promotion. Like other East German clubs at the time they suffered as the best players were routinely plucked to play for favoured clubs with politically powerful sponsors.

1960s, 70s & 80s

East German football underwent major changes in 1965 with the creation of "pure" football clubs in the place of broadly generalized sports clubs. The number one football sides of "SC Turbine Erfurt" and "BSG Optima Erfurt" were merged in 1966 and revived the name "FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt", while the more junior sides stayed with their original clubs. "Rot-Weiss" was unusual for its time in that the club did not have a name that honoured some socialist virtue. In 1980 "Rot-Weiss" appeared in the East German Cup final, losing to Carl Zeiss Jena (3:1).

Reunification to present

German re-unification and the merger of the leagues of East and West Germany in the early 90's brought exciting times to "Rot-Weiss". A third place finish in the NOFV-Oberliga Nordost in 1990-91 earned them a spot in the 2. Bundesliga for the next season, as well as a turn in the UEFA Cup where they went out against eventual winner "AFC Ajax Amsterdam" in the second round. That effort made them the last side to appear internationally for East Germany.

Through the 90s and into the new millennium "Rot-Weiss" remained a tier III side. They had a close call in 2001 when they avoided relegation only because "SSV Ulm 1846" was denied a license because of its financial difficulties. During this time the club went to the league final seven times and came away as Thuringian champion each time. Unfortunately, they were never able to make it past this point and were always subsequently put out in the first round of the German Cup. In 2004, the club made its way back into 2.Bundesliga, but finished dead last and so currently plays in Regionalliga Nord (III). In 2008, Erfurt finished in 7th place in Regionalliga Nord and so qualified for the new 3rd Liga.

Recent seasons

Current squad (2008-09)

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

External links

* [http://www.rot-weiss-erfurt.de Official team website]
* [http://www.rwe-community.de RWE-Community]
* [http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/erfurt.html Abseits Guide to German Soccer]