Overshadowed by Red Bull: The Other Two Leipzig Clubs, a History Largely Forgotten and a Present Mostly Unnoticed

The old main stand at 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig's Bruno-Plache Stadion home is a relic from a bygone era and whilst the terracing around the ground is no doubt functional it too would not look out of place in a black and white photograph. Similar sentiments could easily be aired if you visited cross town rivals BSG Chemie Leipzig at their Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark home. However, this is of course not the Leipzig your average modern day football fan has come to know. But whilst Bundesliga high flyers RasenBallsport Leipzig are a fairly new addition to German football currently playing in the lower echelons of German football Lokomtoive and Chemie can trace their roots back to the days of the Berlin wall and the communist state in the East.

Currently overshadowed by their new city neighbours, since reunification both Lok and Chemie have struggled facing bankruptcy and reformation with a sole Bundesliga season between them. But once upon a time, both clubs were big name successful sides often competing against the greatest names in not just East Germany but across Europe. In 1987 Lok themselves even appeared in a European final. However, theirs is a history largely forgotten and a present mostly unnoticed.

The RasenBallsport Leipzig story is one by now well known. The Red Bull Empire looking to invest in German football bought a fifth tier side based just outside Leipzig in 2009, renamed and completely rebranded them, moved them into the city's main stadium rebuilt for the 2006 World Cup and took them to the top flight Bundesliga. With football struggling in the city and a fantastic arena going largely unused Red Bull tapped into the city's potential and now have a team regularly playing in front of 40,000 spectators. The club's full name of RasenBallsport Leipzig, often shortened to RB Leipzig (RB for Red Bull), came about because of rules stating German clubs can not change their name for sponsorship reasons meaning Red Bull Leipzig was out of the question. RasenBallsport translates as 'Lawn Ball Sports'.

The Red Bull club, however, is hated by many football supporters across the country who dislike the way they have bought success and the fact that they are run by a large corporation and have very little in the way of fan membership, something very uncommon in German football.

Just as English football did not start in 1992 with the formation of the Premier League, football in Leipzig did not start with Red Bull in 2009. 'Lok' can trace their roots back to VfB Leipzig a club formed in 1893 but were dissolved after the war. In the early years of German football, VfB were one of the country's top sides and were, in fact, the country's first ever football champions in 1903. The club was reformed as SG Probstheida and after several dissolutions and mergers forced upon them by the East German state became 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in 1966. Chemie were also able to trace their history back to several previous clubs whilst various similar mergers ended with BSG Chemie Leipzig being formed in 1950, and although the club were dissolved by the state a few years later they reformed in 1963. Along with Lok, Chemie continued in that latest guise until the wall came down without any further meddling as both clubs became prominent forces in East German football.

The story of football in Leipzig during the early years after the war with varying teams, name changes, mergers, and clubs being dissolved, is a little confusing and in truth maybe not quite as simple as I have made out. I wouldn't want to go into too much detail, however, and bore the reader, but it's worth noting that one derby match between two Leipzig sides in 1956 saw over 100,000 spectators turn up to watch at the old Zentralstadion, still today the highest ever attendance for a match in the whole of Germany.

With clubs in East Germany generally run by the state, Lok were overseen by the state owned railways company. The club never won the top tier DDR-Oberliga but were three times runners up and four times won the East German Cup. Lok regularly competed in European competitions and in 1973-74 reached the semi finals of the UEFA Cup losing 4-1 on aggregate to Tottenham Hotspur whilst in 1986-87 they went one better...

In 1986-87 Lok made it to the final of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup. Having struggled to a 3-1 aggregate victory over Glentoran of Northern Ireland in round one, Austria's Rapid Wien were then defeated 3-2 on aggregate with a 2-1 home win after extra time in the second leg. A 2-0 aggregate victory over Swiss side Sion in the Quarter Finals set up a semi final tie with Bordeaux from France.

It was a tale of two 1-0's for Bordeaux and Lok, the first leg in France saw a 1-0 win for visitors Lok who then lost the second leg at home by the same scoreline to force extra-time and penalties. That semi final second leg was played at Leipzig's Zentralstadion, a venue much larger than Lok's usual home. The stadium since replaced by the World Cup venue where RB Leipzig currently play was rocking with almost 75,000 in attendance as the city turned out in force to support Lok's quest for European glory. A third minute goal put the visitors ahead and a further 87 minutes of regular time followed by 30 minutes of extra-time saw no further goals and so the 1-1 aggregate scoreline. The dreaded penalty shoot out would have to be used to determine who would make the final. Both teams took seven penalties and both missed their second, Lok scored all of their other six whilst Bordeaux 6-5 down saw their seventh penalty saved by goalkeeper Rene Müller. Lokomotive Leipzig were heading for the final where they would face Ajax of Amsterdam. The scenes inside the stadium were jubilant and the noise was deafening. The city of Leipzig had a team in a European final.

Played at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, the 1987 Cup Winner's Cup final was won by a single goal scored by Marco Van Basten for Ajax after just twenty minutes. Managed by Dutch legend Johan Cryuff the Ajax squad also featured Frank Rijkaard and a young Dennis Bergkamp but despite losing the match Lok gave a good account of themselves.

On the other side of town, Chemie Leipzig, ran by the local chemical plant, were twice DDR Oberliga champions winning the title in 1951 and 1964 whilst in 1966 they also won the East German Cup. Their 1951 title win came via a play-off with Turbine Erfurt after the sides finished the season level on points whilst in 1964 the regime had allocated the city's best players to Lok only to see a seeingly weaker Chemie side beat them and everyone else to the title. Although a top flight regular in the 1970s and 1980s the club failed to win any further trophies. Chemie did appear in the European Cup in 1964-65 which is something Lok never managed but they lost in the first round and unlike their crosstown neighbours were never really regulars in European competition. However, whilst Lok were generally seen as the more dominant force of the two as the decades went on, they could not compete with the success of Dynamo Dresden and later Dynamo Berlin or indeed Chemie's success in those early years.

It is claimed that some people disliked Lok because of their ties to the communist regime whilst Chemie were by some seen as the club of the people. In truth, however, under the East German regime, both teams were equally popular domestically, and Lok on occasion drew massive crowds at the main Zentralstadion for big European nights.

Then came reunification... A country split in two once again became one. In 1990 before the final season of football in East Germany Chemie merged with a club just south of Leipzig called SV Chemie Böhlen and this newly merged club went under the name FC Sachsen Leipzig. The final season of before reunification (1990-91) was massive with league positions helping decide the make up of East German football post unification. Finishing seventh and twelfth respectively neither Lok or the new name Sachsen secured an automatic position in either the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga in the new unified Germany. Both clubs had to participate in an end of season play-off group to see which division they play in the following season, 2. Bundesliga or the regional leagues.

The play-off group consisted of four sides and home and away fixtures against each with Lok winning both derbies. The first match saw Sachsen lose 1-0 at home whilst the second fixture saw Lok conjure up a 4-0 demolition to spark wild scenes in the Bruno-Plache Stadion. Lok then clinched qualification to the 2. Bundesliga in their last play-off match with another commanding win, this time over cup finalists Eisenhüttenstadt. Sachsen, on the other hand, missed out and would be playing regional league football the following season.

For reunification Lok decided they fancied a name change themselves and became VfB Leipzig, a name which conjured up memories of the pre war glory years. Glory briefly appeared on the horizon when in 1993 a third placed finish saw the team promoted to the top-flight Bundesliga but the club, however, finished last the following season and were promptly relegated back down to the second tier. A steady drop down the divisions followed and by 1998 Lok were in the fourth tier. By 2004 they were bankrupted and went out of existence. In 2001 Sachsen had also succumbed to bankruptcy having spent all their life post reunification in the third tier. The club survived but after a second bankruptcy in 2009 managed two more years before folding.

1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig were formed as successors to the bankrupted VfB and currently play in the fourth tier Regionalliga Nordost. As for Sachsen, when they went out of existence two successors were formed. The first  SG Sachsen Leipzig went bankrupt in 2014 and were replaced by another side called LFV Sachsen Leipzig who currently play in the ninth tier of German football, whilst the second club fan led BSG Chemie Leipzig, recently promoted to the fourth tier, are generally seen as the true successors to the previous club.

Since reunification, there have been struggles not just on the pitch but also off it. After reunification, many top East German players were offered lucrative contracts in the west and without the money to compete East German clubs struggled, but in Leipzig, there has also been other problems. Leipzig is a football mad city yet until Red Bull came along attendances for many years had been terrible, going to watch football in Leipzig had become unfashionable. But why?

Throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and into the current decade, games involving Lok and/or Sachsen/Chemie were often marred by violence. The derbies between the two may be what some might call a 'tasty affair', but the violence for derbies and other games has caused many fans to stay away. Some locals have even described fans of the two sides as being 'childish' with banning orders for the worst offenders when it comes to violence being commonplace. In recent times Lok have been known to have a strong right wing support, in some cases far right, whilst currently, Chemie fans tend to be more left wing. This has driven many fans away feeling they do not identify themselves with the messages fans of each club are sending out. 

In the last few years, however, things have begun to calm down and attendances at both clubs are slowly beginning to rise, albeit Lok's average of 3051 last season and Chemie's 2795 are well below what both clubs achieved in the 1970s and 1980s and pale in comparison to the 38380 average gate at RB Leipzig last time around.

Still, after years of post reunification financial trouble and bankruptcy, in their current guises, both clubs are beginning to find their feet. Lok who are trying to shake off their extremist far right tag finished sixth in the Regionalliga Nordost last season and find themselves joint top eight games into the new campaign with promotion to the third tier a stated ambition. Chemie meanwhile currently sit eleventh in the same division after last season finishing top of the fifth tier NOFV-Oberliga Süd.

Neither club is RB Leipzig and neither want to be. Whist RB is a corporate machine for the masses ran by the Red Bull Empire, Lok and Chemie are both community orientated clubs that have far more fan influence in terms of how they are run. Recapturing the top flight glory days from behind the wall seems a fantasy, but steady improvement is the aim of the game with both clubs having every intention of sticking around. Leipzig doesn't have to be all about Red Bull, in this city there is definitely room for all three clubs and they all can hopefully prosper in their own way.

Newcastle Benfield; The Club at the Heart of one of Newcastle's East End suburbs.

Situated between a small housing estate and a secondary school in a nondescript suburb it has to be said that Sam Smith's Park is a world away from the Premier League ground that sits just over three miles away. But whilst Newcastle United is a club mostly surrounded by doom and gloom with an owner nobody wants and a fanbase at times divided things look a little more harmonious at near neighbours Newcastle Benfield.

With Newcastle often described as a 'one club city', you could almost be forgiven for thinking there is only one team in town, Benfield fans, however, would most definitely disagree. Having said that, with attendances usually averaging in the low hundreds and in stark contrast to the 50,000+ plus who often turn up down the road, the fact that Newcastle United and Newcastle Benfield both hail from the same city is probably where the similarities end.

Crossing the iconic Tyne Bridge from Gateshead into Newcastle Upon Tyne sees you enter a thriving city famous for it's warm welcome and it's world renowned nightlife. Right in the centre of town, the magnificent Grey's Monument sits at the top of Grey Street a street once voted the Best Street in Britain by Radio 4 listeners due to its stunning architecture which includes the majestic Theatre Royal. The city's splendid Quayside is another destination popular with tourists and it's contemporary Millenium Bridge takes you across to the old Baltic Flour Mill now an art gallery and the modern, built to impress, Sage music venue that both sit on the Gateshead side of the river. Some claim the Sage is Tyneside's answer to the Syndey Opera House, whilst interestingly Sydney's Harbour Bridge was modelled on Newcastle's very own Tyne Bridge. You can't complete a tour of Newcastle City Centre, however, without visiting the Cathedral on the HIll where the Premier League stars strut their stuff. Otherwise known as St Jame's Park, unlike many modern out of town stadiums the home of Newcastle United sits right in the heart of the city centre. Away from the city centre though, there is another local football team making a name for themselves albeit situated in far less glamorous surroundings...

Arriving from the city centre, when you disembark from your train at Walkergate Metro station and walk down the stairs to ground level you find yourself on a small main road amongst the neat bungalows and semi-detached houses of this small rather plain East End suburb. Walk further up Benfield Road and you'll find a small NHS medical centre to your left and a school to your right, turn right past the side of the school, you could almost miss it, past the brick houses and through the car park, you are here, welcome to Newcastle Benfield Football Club.

Newcastle Benfield were formed as recently as 1988, almost 100 years after their Premier League neighbours, and spent their first fifteen years plying their trade in the Northern Alliance until they joined the Nothern League in 2003 where they achieved immediate promotion from Division Two to Division One. Currently residing in Northern League Division One which is the ninth tier of English football they have in recent times became a well known name on the local non-league scene developing a small but loyal following who can often be spotted in their blue and white Benfield shirts on matchdays.

In 2009 the club completed a Northern League league and cup double, but the club had first come to real prominence in non-league circles when they reached the fourth (final) qualifying round of the FA Cup in 2006.

Having already progressed through two rounds Benfield won 2-0 at then Conference North side Hyde United in what was a big big upset. In the next round, Benfield defeated Guiseley 1-0 away from home and although Guiseley were a division below Hyde at the time it was nonetheless still a hugely impressive result. It was also a result that put them one win away from the first round proper. 927 people crammed into Sam Smith's Park when York City then of the Conference came to town for the fourth qualifying round tie but despite putting in a stellar performance Benfield sadly lost 1-0.

Two years later Benfield reached the third qualifying round and again reached that stage in 2017 when 403 turned up for the visit of National League North side Kidderminster Harriers. One visiting fan thinking he was clever said to me "I bet this is the biggest crowd you've ever had," upon which I replied, "no, over 900 were here when we played York City about ten years ago." As someone who is a regular watcher of North East non-league football I happened to be present for the York City tie, and in attendance again, I was to witness similar scenes against Kidderminster who like the Minstermen would also run out 1-0 winners.

At Benfield's home ground the aesthetics of the stadium are fairly pleasing on the eye, and with this compact non-league arena mostly surrounded by somewhat striking trees, it is actually a rather scenic place to watch football. Situated close to the East Coast mainline, on matchday's the rumble of trains is an occasional accompaniment to the shouts and cheers of the Benfield crowd. Two small seated stands sit either side of the pitch both of which have a small section of covered terracing next to them. Behind the goals, one end is rather empty and forlorn looking whilst the other end houses a clubhouse, players changing facilities, and even a newly built gym. 

Benfield are a family club at the heart of the community and more than just the eleven players on the pitch. Outside of matchday's the club house serves Sunday lunches every week, and hosts Bingo on a Thursday evening, whilst the club recently hosted a summer family fun day with a bouncy castle, inflatable slide, penalty shoot-out competition, and in the evening a disco inside the club house.

My latest trip down Benfield Road is for another FA Cup tie. Benfield last year lost to Workington via a replay and again they face the same opposition in the same competition. It is a preliminary round tie and Workington having been relegated last season now sit just one division above their hosts.

Benfield are currently managed by ex-Newcastle United youngster Stuart Elliott, Elliott never made a first team appearance for the Magpies but went on to make 88 Football League appearances for various clubs before dropping into non-league football. Whilst at Northwich Victoria he played alongside another man who would also go on to play a vital role at Newcastle Benfield. Still at the club aged 41, Elliott's ex Vics colleague striker Paul Brayson is another ex Newcastle United youngster but he left the club in 1998 to join Reading for £100,000. Brayson went on to play for various other league and non-league clubs before joining Benfield several years ago where he has regularly been the star of the show.

Elliott's men have a crowd of 248 for company when Workington come to town for a second season running and this includes club mascot Leo the Lion who is walking around the ground greeting spectators (the club are nicknamed the lions). Another point of interest is that the visitors rather amusingly have someone on their substitutes bench named Sam Smith!

The home side more than holds their own in the first half and the game is tied at 0-0 during the interval. It's a sweltering hot August day and at half time I head for some refreshments. In terms of catering facilities the small 'Snack Attack' food bar attached to the club house is far from the worst I've seen on the local non-league scene and given the conditions the ice cold cans of pop and bottles of water are too good to turn down. I also opt for a slice of some homemade looking cake titled 'Back to School Cake'. Delicious stuff.

The stalemate continues into the second half until late on when a Workington defender blocks the ball with his hands in the box and the home side are awarded a penalty. Dennis Knight slots home to give Benfield the lead and most of the crowd are delighted. The hosts then hold on through until full-time to leave the visitors going home disappointed.

Another pleasant afternoon at Sam Smith's Park as Newcastle Benfield again do themselves proud against higher division opposition and this time actually win. An excellent start to the season has seen the club not only progress in the cup but also lose only one of their opening six league games. Pyramid restructuring means three promotion places are up for grabs in Division one of the Northern League this season and this will no doubt be on the club's mind as the season progresses. With their Premier League city rivals seemingly lurching from one crisis to another, it's great to see one club from Newcastle enjoying themselves. These may seem like dark times for football in the city, but amongst haze, the small shining light of community based club Newcastle Benfield is most definitely peering through.

English Football and the Spanish City - The Beautiful Game in Whitley Bay

Probably not too many people outside of the North East are aware of Whitley Bay Football Club but Preston North End fans of a certain age certainly will be! In 1989, Preston then of the old Third Division visited the North East coast to face the non league side in an FA Cup second round tie and a packed crowd of over 3,000 witnessed one of those classic cup shocks. In front of John Motson and the Match of the Day cameras, Whitley Bay then of the Northern Premier League triumphed by two goals to nil to reach the FA Cup Third Round for the first and only time in their history and send Preston home with their tales firmly between their legs. 

Although I wasn't present on that famous day I have over the years seen several cracking FA Cup ties at Whitley Bay's Hillheads Park home and the most recent came last Saturday. I was there on a warm but damp summers day as Whitley Bay began another cup campaign, however, this being the extra preliminary round stage it was light years away from the third round, or to be precise eight victories. The visitors were Hebburn Town a club on the up. Suffering financial problems several years ago new investment had seen them finish second in the EBAC Northern League last season. The Northern League sits at step five in the non league pyramid and with extra promotion places this time around due to pyramid restructuring Hebburn are no doubt aiming for one of those spots. Playing in the same division, after a somewhat successful past Whitley Bay have been struggling in recent years finishing as low as thirteenth the previous season during which they lost 9-0 at home to none other than Hebburn Town.

Whitley Bay never did make it to Wembley in the 1989-90 season losing 1-0 away at Rochdale in round three, but they are a club who later made a name for themselves, at least in these parts, by reaching three Wembley finals in a row and winning them all. The Bay's Wembley successes came in not the FA Cup but the lesser known FA Vase, a competition for clubs in the lower reaches of non league football. Whitley Bay first won the competition in 2002 when the final was played at Villa Park whilst Wembley was being rebuilt and then won it at the home of football three seasons running in 2009, 10, and 11. Other than Billericay Town who have a trio of Vase Triumphs no other team has won the competition more than twice.

Situated next to an ice rink, Hillheads Park is one of the more impressive grounds in the Northern League with an excellent main stand on one side and covered terracing on the other, the latter being the only real upgrade since 1989 and that Preston game. There is in fact terracing most of the way around the pitch and proper concrete terracing to boot I must add! The ground has a definitely more than acceptable club shop for the level they play at which sells various club related trinkets and also has a couple of shelves of second hand football books. There is also a storeroom jam packed full of old programmes for sale from numerous matches involving clubs at all levels. Quite a collection. The Seahorse Pub clubhouse also does a roaring trade on match days as does the resident burger van, and Tommy's tea hut, named after club stalwart Tommy Moody who recently passed away.

If you want to visit Hillheads it's a twenty minute walk from Whitley Bay town centre. Ten miles from Newcastle Upon Tyne Whitley Bay is situated right on the coast just north of the mouth of the River Tyne and has over the years been a popular seaside tourist destination, albeit not quite as famous a name as other English seaside towns. It's once bustling nightlife has quietened down a little in recent years with the pubs and bars of nearby Tynemouth currently proving more popular, but until recently bank holiday drinking sessions in Whitley Bay used to be very much a top attraction in the area. One pub is formerly a fire station. 

The town is perhaps most famous for the Spanish City indoor funfair with its iconic dome. Although the building fell into disrepair in the 1980s, it recently reopened fully refurbished with a couple of upmarket bars and restaurants as well as a function room for weddings. One wonders if this might help reinvigorate the town's nightlife? The local coastline has some excellent beaches in particular Longsands beach in Tynemouth. Tynemouth also has an impressive aquarium, whilst nearby North Shields has a very popular fish quay which like the Spanish City is an excellent choice for food and drink.

You could spend all day sampling the delights of Whitley Bay and the surrounding areas but if you are like me you would no doubt before long end up at the town's football ground, and my FA Cup visit saw the hosts 2-1 down at half-time. Brad Hird ran onto a through ball and rolled it past the keeper to give the home side the lead but Whitley then conceded two penalties. Former Newcastle United youngster Louis Storey was brought down and Graeme Armstrong slotted home from the spot on 38 minutes to draw the sides level whilst three minutes later he fired home again from spot to put the visitors ahead having been himself fouled in the box.

A header after latching onto a free-kick saw Storey put Hebburn 3-1 up early in the second-half and 3-1 soon became four thanks to an own goal from Callum Anderson. Armstrong then completed his hat-trick with a third penalty after he'd been pushed in the back whilst two late goals for Hebburn completed the rout. In the 84th minute, Thomas Bott was sent off for a second bookable offence and shortly afterwards a cross from Carl Taylor saw a bullet header from Jack Donaghy make it six whilst in acres of space on the right hand side Taylor was able to find the far corner to make it seven just before the end.

7-1 to Hebburn was the full-time score, not quite as impressive as last season's result here but I'm sure they won't complain too much! As the match drew to a close the visiting support in the 448 strong crowd were belting out Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth' with an obvious amendment to the lyrics. Excellent stuff from the Hebburn fans and I can confirm Hebburn definitely is an actual place on this planet, my uncle lives there! 

The home support might not have enjoyed the game but for the neutral, it was an excellent day out at a first rate non league venue. Hillheads Park is one of my favourite non league grounds in the region, it's just a shame they don't have a better team to play there.

DFB-Pokal First Round Round-Up

Germany’s DFB-Pokal (Cup) got underway this weekend with sixty four teams comprising of last seasons Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga sides, the top four teams from last season’s 3.Liga, and varying other selected teams including the winners of Germany’s Regional Cup competitions with these usually open to teams from the third tier and below. The competition is seeded and lower-ranked teams are given home advantage.

On Friday night there was a trio of matches. 1985 pokal winners third tier KFC Uerdingen temporarily playing their home games in Düsseldorf whilst their own ground is being upgraded went down 2-0 to top flight visitors in the shape of Borussia Dortmund whilst 3.Liga side FC Ingolstadt lost 1-0 to 1. FC Nürnberg of the 2. Bundesliga and Borussia Mönchengladbach won 1-0 at second tier side SV Sandhausen thanks to a nineteenth minute goal.

Saturday saw two Bundesliga giants suffer defeat at the hands of lower division opposition. 1. FSV Mainz 05 went down 2-0 away at third tier 1. FC Kaiserslautern who were themselves in the top flight no so long ago. A 53rd minute penalty from Manfred Starke put the home side in front and they grabbed a second in the 90th minute. A crowd of 4,198 packed into the Sportclub Arena as Regionalliga minnows SV Verl appearing in the pokal for the first time in nine years hosted FC Augsburg, the home side were 2-0 up after 23 minutes and although the visitors pulled one back from the penalty spot seven minutes from time Verl held on for a famous victory.

Third tier Würzburger Kickers lost to top flight opposition on penalties, the club came from 2-0 down to force extra-time at home to 1899 Hoffenheim and goals for Hoffenheim on 99 minutes and Würzburger on 114 minutes saw the tie finish 3-3 before Würzburger missed two penalties to lose the shoot out 5-4 in front of over 10000 spectators at the Flyeralarm Arena.

It was a case of tenth time still unlucky for fifth tier FC 08 Villingen, the club had appeared in the competition nine times previously and lost in the first round on each occasion - appearance number ten would not halt that run though the club did not disgrace themselves Over 8000 spectators saw them take a 42nd minute lead from the spot at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf but the visitors ran out 3-1 winners after extra-time.
Amongst other results, Saturday also saw comfortable wins for Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04.

On Sunday, 2-0 and then 3-1 down Regionalliga side SV Rödinghausen forced extra-time at home to Bundesliga returnees SC Paderborn thanks to a brace from Lars Lokotsch. But with no further goals, the tie ended 3-3 and the visitors won 4-2 on penalties to disappoint most of the 2,236 crowd at the Häcker Wiehenstadion. Three more matches on Sunday were decided on penalties. Newly promoted second tier side Wehen Wiesbaden came from 2-0 down to secure a draw with 1. FC Köln and came from 3-2 down in extra-time to force a shoot out which they lost 3-2 whilst third tier Chemnitzer FC lost 6-5 on penalties to second tier Hamburger SV after a 2-2 draw. As for the third shoot out, 2. Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli came from 2-0 down after 55 minutes to lead fourth tier VfB Lübeck 3-2 in extra-time but Lübeck then equalised to force the penalty kicks and St. Pauli won the shoot-out 4-3. Lübeck's previous pokal appearance had seen them lose 3-0 to the same opposition three years earlier.

Second tier VfL Osnabrück lost 3-2 at home to RB Leipzig whilst Leipzig were joined in round two by fellow Bundesliga sides Werder Bremen, Hertha BSC, and Union Berlin who all won comfortably on Sunday.

Monday saw the final games of round one and Mathias Fetsch scored in the second minute of injury time to secure a 3-3 draw and extra-time for third tier Hallescher FC against top flight VfL Wolfsburg, but Wolfsburg scored twice in extra-time to win 5-3. Holders FC Bayern München meanwhile won 3-1 at fourth tier FC Energie Cottbus.

Results in full:

Fortuna Favours the Brave! The Story of Cologne's Cup Final

Some were sat on the rooftops of overlooking houses trying to catch a glimpse whilst thousands more crammed onto the terraces below, and that day they would watch something truly sensational. West German Second Division (2. Bundesliga) side SC Fortuna Köln had one sole top flight Bundesliga campaign to their name whilst visitors Borussia Dortmund (BVB) were three times German champions. It was April 1983 when BVB visited Fortuna for a DFB-Pokal (German Cup) semi final, they were hammered 5-0. For Fortuna, a final against big name crosstown opposition would be in store. 

After that stunning semi final victory fans of Fortuna had to wait until two days later to find out who their opponents in the final would be, and when Bundesliga giants and city neighbours 1. FC Köln beat VfB Stuttgart it set up the incredible prospect of an all Köln (Cologne) cup final. This would be and still is, the only time two teams from the same city have met in a DFB-Pokalfinale.

Fortuna Köln were essentially minnows in West German football and the club who in 1973-74 spent to date their only season in the top flight had not made their second tier debut until 1967. In 1983 they were managed by Martin Luppen, the man who had overseen their promotion to the Bundesliga ten years earlier had returned to the club in 1980. Drawing far bigger crowds, City rivals FC Köln who were at the time managed by the late great Dutch coach Rinus Michels, had themselves come from humble beginnings, but quickly rose to become founder members of the Bundesliga and had twice won the league title. The previous season they had finished runners up for the third time and would go on to finish fifth that year. In the domestic cup, when they met Fortuna in that 1983 final it was their eighth DFB-Pokalfinale with themselves having won the competition three times previously. Fortuna Köln, however, had never appeared in the final before.

Fortuna started their cup run by defeating fellow 2. Bundesliga side SC Freiburg 2-0 at home in round one, Fortuna then faced third tier SSV Ulm away from home. A 0-0 draw after extra time saw a 3-0 replay win at home before a trip to Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig in the next round. 

In the league, Braunschweig were struggling at the wrong end of the table but against a team from the division below they were expected to book their place in the quarter finals. Fortuna, however, had other ideas. Dieter Schatzschneider who had joined a year earlier from Hannover 96 where he'd scored 131 goals in 160 matches twice found the net in the first half to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Braunschweig pulled one back midway through the second half but Fortua held on for a very impressive victory and one that would set up a quarter final clash with another Bundesliga side - Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Fortuna travelled about 35 miles north west to Gladbach's Bökelbergstadion to face their near neighbours who just six years earlier had been runners up in the European Cup final and were managed by the legendary Jupp Heynckes. Fortuna were expected to lose comfortably and when they went 2-0 down after 47 minutes it seemed they were facing the impossible. In an incredible turn of fortune, however, goals from Gerd Zimmermann and Bernd Grabosch saw the sides level after 73 minutes in what was an unbelievable comeback for the unfancied second tier side. Extra-time came and went without a winner and so it was back to Cologne for a replay.

When Gladbach came to town roughly 14,000 spectators squeezed into Fortuna's modest Südstadion home, a venue three sides uncovered and complete with an athletics track. Fortuna more than held their own in the first half and when on the stroke of half-time a free kick from Florian Hinterberger was fired into the box from the right Schatzschneider was there to head home. From 2-0 down in the first match Fortuna were now winning in the replay.  

Schatzschneider would go on to become the 2.Bundesliga's all-time record goalscorer with 154 second tier goals to his name and that afternoon was to win the match for Fortuna by scoring a second. First, however, West German international Lothar Matthäus drew the visitors level from the penalty spot. Matthäus would go on to help West Germany win the World Cup seven years later but could not stop Gladbach suffering a shock defeat to Fortuna that day. A penalty was also how Fortuna retook the lead, with Schatzschneider firing past Ulrich Sude in the Gladbach goal after Hinterberger had been brought down. 2-1 Fortuna and they were in the semis.

Defeating Gladbach was a famous scalp for Fortuna, but it would soon be overshadowed by an even more stunning result when BVB made the hour long journey south to Cologne for what would turn out to be a very memorable semi-final clash for Fortuna. With a potential final against city neighbours FC Köln instore for Fortuna if they pulled off another shock the home side were bound to be 'up for the cup' as they say, and so it would transpire. As for the other Cologne side, in their cup run, they had beaten Bayer Uerdingen by three goals to one in the first round and then defeated Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a club where Fortuna's Hinterberger later made his name, by the same scoreline in round two. FC Köln then defeated Stuttgarter Kickers 5-1 at home in round three before putting five without reply past FC Schalke 04 in the quarter finals. VfB Stuttgart the more illustrious city neighbours of FC Köln's third round opponents were to visit them in the semi finals. Before that, however, it was Fortuna who would take centre stage.

Fortuna chairman Jean Löring had over years pumped a lot of money in the club and no doubt to help bring days like this. Löring resisted calls to move to the semi final to a bigger venue and once again the terraces at the Südstadion were packed as the semi final kicked off. Twelve Deutsche Mark's (about £3) had been the cost of the cheapest ticket for the match whilst some were being resold at far in excess of face value. With the game a complete sell out thousands were unable to gain entry and it seemed that every possible vantage point overlooking the diminutive stadium was occupied.

The 5,000 visiting supporters amongst the 14200 full house saw their side behind after just six minutes thanks to that man Schatzschneider. A hero in previous rounds, Schatzschneider slotted home into the bottom left hand corner from a crowded box to make it 1-0. Those inside the stadium could scarcely believe it, could another shock be on the cards? 

Well, 1-0 soon became 2-0 and maybe the unexpected really was going happen. Fortuna broke forward on 20 minutes, they were ruthless on the counter attack, and it was Dieter Lemke who fired a low drive into the net from just outside the six yard box. Thirteen minutes later and 2-0 became 3-0, this was Roy of the Rovers stuff from Fortuna. Jürgen Baier picked up the ball and took several touches forward before smashing it home from just outside the box, cue wild scenes. The fans were going berserk in the stands.

3-0 was the half-time score but things quietened down a little in the second half and it wasn't until 86 minutes that we saw goal number four. Erich Sauk fired the ball into the box and Schatzschneider was there to hit it home on the volley. Two goals against Braunschweig, two against Gladbach, and now two against BVB. Schatzschneider was in dreamland, Fortuna Köln were in dreamland, and more importantly, they were heading to the cup final. There was also time for a fifth when Hermann-Josef Werres slotted home from close range after a low through ball free-kick right at the death. And that was it, 5-0 against one of the Bundesliga's biggest names. Fans streamed onto the pitch at full-time, they couldn't believe it. Incredible stuff. Dortmund, meanwhile, responded to the humiliation by promptly firing coach Karlheinz Feldkamp.

As for FC Köln, they secured their final place with a 3-2 victory over Stuttgart after extra time. An all Cologne final that no one could have dreamt of was suddenly a reality.

After the semi finals in early April, both winners had to wait until June 11 for their big cup final clash. A disappointing end to Fortuna's league campaign saw them miss out on what would have been a remarkable promotion, but maybe their minds were elsewhere? In the weeks leading up to the final, there was talk of little else. Throughout the beer halls of Cologne, it seemed that enthusiastic punters discussed nothing but the upcoming match as they drank their local Kölsch beer. The excitement was at fever pitch. 

The DFB-pokalfinale is currently in its 35th year of being played at Berlin's Olympiastadion, but at the time of the 83 final, they were using various venues around the country to host the showpiece event. Naturally, it was decided that years final would be played in Cologne, specifically the Müngersdorfer Stadion where FC Köln played their home games. The ground was full to capacity on cup final day with over 60,000 in attendance, and although technically giving Fortuna's opponents home advantage it was the only suitable venue in the city.

The final kicked off to a cacophony of klaxons and early on it was Fortuna who looked the better side. If their opponents thought this would be a walk in the park they were sadly mistaken. Fortuna's semi final drubbing of BVB certainly wasn't looking like a fluke based on this showing. Plus, despite FC Köln having home advantage on paper, in reality, huge numbers of the 60,000 sell out crowd seemed to be supporting the underdog, something coach Michels had predicted beforehand. It seemed in Cologne they had a soft spot for the little guy. 

Midway through the first half, Fortuna broke forward and it looked as if yet more dreams might come true. However, when Schatzschneider eventually drove a shot from a difficult angle West Germany's no.1 keeper Harald Schumacher had no trouble parrying the ball away and after the subsequent melee in the box, it was cleared to safety. It was only a few minutes later when a long drive from Fortuna's Hans-Jürgen Gede hit the woodwork, FC Köln were starting to get worried. Having said that, even though time and time again Fortuna broke forward, FC Köln generally defended well, forcing Fortuna to try long range efforts like Gede's. Arguably FC Köln's best chance of the first period came from a corner, but as the header from captain Gerhard Strack that followed seemed to drift down and wide Paul Steiner could not quite get a foot onto the end of it. There were other chances for FC Köln just before the interval but Stephan Engels fired his shot wide whilst shortly afterwards a Strack header from a corner was easily stopped by Bernd Helmschrot in the Fortuna goal.

The game stood goalless at the break. There had been more promising football from FC Köln as the first half began to draw towards a close but it was Fortuna who overall had looked the better side. What would occur in the second half? The city of Cologne waited with bated breath.

Schatzschneider scuffed a shot over the bar early into the second half whilst not long afterwards Baier hit the side netting. There were chances at both ends though with Herbert Neumann driving the ball wide for FC Köln. An overhead kick from Schatzschneider also flew wide, but the breakthrough came at the other end midway through the second period. A Neumann through ball saw Klaus Allofs fire the ball across goal and when Helmschrot tried to push the ball clear Pierre Littbarski was there to break Fortuna hearts. 68 minutes on the clock and Littbarski had slotted the ball home to give FC Köln the lead. Relief for FC Köln supporters but if anything the celebrations were a little subdued. Many had hoped to see the city's second team complete a remarkable cup run with a famous victory but instead they had fallen behind. Allofs fired high and wide from a free-kick shortly afterwards as FC Köln looked to kill off the game with a second. A late Hinterberger shot forced Schumacher to push the ball wide and sadly it wasn't to be for Fortuna. FC Köln were the cup winners, Fortuna Köln's heroics had finally ended in defeat at the final hurdle.

A few days after the match the two finalists were afforded a reception at the town hall. For the victors only light applause, for the gallant losers loud cheers. The little club from the Zollstock suburb of the city with its limited fanbase had suddenly captured the hearts of a whole metropolis. Those who would normally support Fortuna's bigger neighbours had seemingly fallen in love with their lesser cousins.

Despite Fortuna's heroics, FC Köln were, however, still the number one team in the city, and when the following season got underway normal service was resumed. This new found love for Fortuna didn't last long as FC Köln continued to draw larger crowds than their neighbours, often six or seven times higher, sometimes more. Two years after that 1983 final FC Köln would find themselves runners up in UEFA Cup, and towards the end of the decade they would twice more finish runners up in the Bundesliga. In recent years FC Köln have spent the odd season in the 2. Bundesliga but Fortuna's position in the second tier is no more. Finally relegated in 2000, they've spent the years since moving between the third, fourth, and fifth tiers of German football, whilst last seasons relegation back to the fourth tier Relgionalliga West saw Cologne's third team FC Viktoria Köln head in the other direction to replace them in the 3. Liga. That famous cup run seems all but a distant memory now!