Today’s clash sees 10th battling 12th in the NOFV-Oberliga Nord (tier 5), which kind of sounds like a season’s-end winding down snore-a-thon…
….until you realise this is currently a 15-team division.
So still plenty to play for in this.
The NOFV-Nord (North East German Football Association) was formed in 1991, when the East German league pyramid was integrated into the unified German one. At the time of its formation it was actually part of the 3rd tier of the unified pyramid (it is now in the fifth) – ie before the introduction of the Regionalliga level in 1994. The Regionalligas then became the new 3rd tier, inbetween the Bundesliga 2 and the Oberliga.
When the 3.Liga was introduced in 2008, this then pushed the Regionalligas down into tier 4 and the Oberligas down into tier 5. Confused? You will be.
The German football pyramid explained :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_football_league_system
FSV Rathenow are located in the attractive but slightly bar-light town of Rathenow, about 45 minutes from Berlin Spandau on the RE4 train. FSV = Fußball Sportverien = Football Sport Club. Optik comes, unsurprisingly, from their association with a local optical company. The best thing about them (so far) is that the walk to the ground is through a nice bit of forest. I like it when the the walk to the ground is through a nice bit of forest (U.N.V.E.U.).
Time for the footer. Off we trot.
