FC Heilbronn
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| FC Heilbronn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Verein für Rasenspiele 1896 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1896 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Ground | Frankenstadion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 17,284 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Landesliga Wurttemberg-1 (V) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004-05 | Verbandsliga Wurttemberg (VI), 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FC Heilbronn is a German football club based in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg formed only recently – in 2003 – out of a merger between VfR Heilbronn and Heilbronner SpVgg.
VfR Heilbronn was founded in 1896 as Heilbronner FC. Over the next decade VfR assimilated a number of other local clubs beginning in 1900 with a high school team called Schüler FC. Shortly after that they merged with Württemberger FC to become Heilbronner Fussballgesellschaft, and in 1903, were joined by FC Amicitia Heilbronn. The team took on the name Heilbronner Fußball Vereinigung in 1907 after being joined by SV Adler. They finally became Verein für Rasenspiele 1896 in 1920. The club ran into financial problems in the 30s and withdrew from play for half a year. They dissolved and then re-constituted themselves as Sportverein Heilbronn and by 1941 were again going by the name VfR.
Heilbronner SpVgg was the younger side, founded in 1907 as Sportverein Adler. This club joined VfR for the first time in 1907, but was re-formed as a separate side in 1927. They joined Turnerbund Heilbronn in 1933 to form Heilbronner Spvgg 07. Through the years, the new club maintained good relations with VfR Heilbronn in all its incarnations, until the two sides finally merged in 2003.
VfR celebrated few successes during its lifetime, the best years coming during the 70s when they played a five year stint in the Regionalliga Sud (II) / 2.Bundesliga Sud, from 1969 to 1975. The highlight of that time was their advance to the Round of 16 in the 1970 German Cup through a victory over Kickers Offenbach. After the adventure in the second division, VfR played tier III, IV and V football until financial problems finally grounded them in 2002.
Heilbronner SpVgg never enjoyed even that meagre level of success, only managing to work their way up to the Landesliga (VI) before the merger.
