Today’s game sees 14th versus 6th in the 3. Liga.
The “3.Liga” was introduced into the pyramid in 2006, the latest of many re-organisations of the system, probably the most significant of which in modern eyes was the introduction of the Bundesliga (1.Bundesliga) in 1963 and the 2.Liga (2. Bundesliga) in 1974. The main effect of these changes has always been to shift the point of the pyramid at which the football structure becomes regionalised- currently at the 4th level, ie immediately below the 3.Liga.
In case you’re interested, the reason it is called the “3.Liga” rather than the “3. Bundesliga” is because it is overseen by the DFB (‘German Football Association’) rather than by the DFL (‘German Football League’). The very first champions of the 3. Liga were none other than 1. FC Union Berlin (U.N.V.E.U.).
If there’s one thing that gets changed more often than the pyramid system it is the nomenclature and naming of the football clubs. Nearly every German football club has a bewildering history of mergers, splits, name changes, re-boots and tweaks. I know English clubs do this as well, but to nowhere near the same extent. Let’s take today’s home team, FC Viktoria Köln 1904, as a fairly random example. You’d think the ‘1904’ might indicate more than a century of stability?
Here we go.
1904 – formed as FC Germania Kalk.
1909 – Germania Kalk merged with FC Kalk to form SV Kalk 04.
1911 – SV Kalk 04 merged with Mülheimer FC to form VfR Mülheim-Kalk 04.
1918 VfR Mülheim-Kalk 04 are re-named VfR Köln 04.
1943 – VfR Köln 04 unite with Mülheimer SV to form the ‘wartime team’ named KSG VfR 04 Köln/Mülheimer SV 06.
1946 – after the war VfR Köln 04 resume as before.
1949 – VfR re-unite with previous wartime partners Mülheimer SV to become SC Rapid Köln 04.
1957 – SC Rapid Köln merge with slightly more successful local rivals SC Preußen Dellbrück to create SC Viktoria Köln 04.
1994 – SC Viktoria Köln 04 merge with SC Brück to form SCB Preußen Köln.
2002 – SCB Preußen Köln are re-named SCB Viktoria Köln.
2007 – a minor point, but the badge is redesigned to something closer to the modern version.
2010 – SCB Viktoria Köln become insolvent and a new club, FC Viktoria Köln, is created.
2011 – FC Viktoria Köln, now languishing, perform a takeover/merger with the slightly more successful FC Junkersdorf, in a move which enables them to jump up the pyramid. And here we are, with Viktoria Köln now relishing life in the 3. Liga !
Phew! I’m off to watch the football.
