SC Verl

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SC Verl

Full name

Sportclub Verl von 1924 e.V.

Founded

September 6, 1924

Ground

Stadion an der Poststraße

Capacity

5,000

Chairman

Peter Mankarz

Manager

Mario Ermisch

League

Oberliga (IV)

2005-06

2nd





Home colours





Away colours

SC Verl is a German football club based in Verl, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was founded in 1924, and for fifty years played in the lower Westphalian leagues without causing much stir before rising to the higher echelons of amateur football.

1 History
2 Famous players
3 Club culture
4 External links

[edit] History

The club played in the Landesliga Westfalen (V) through the 70s until winning promotion to the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost (IV) in 1978. In 1979 they qualified for the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) for the first time where they defeated third division club VfB Oldenburg and fourth tier Spvgg Elversberg before going out to 2.Bundesliga side Stuttgarter Kickers.

The capture of the Verbandsliga title in 1986 put the club into the Oberliga Westfalen (III), at that time the highest amateur class in German football. In 1991 they won the title in that league, and participated in the promotion round for the 2. Bundesliga. SC Verl stood to be the smallest town to ever field a German pro football team, but failed to advance. In 1992 they won the Westfalenpokal and again qualified for the DFB-Pokal, but lost an all-amateur match in the first round.

In 1994 the number of third-tier footballs leagues in Germany was reduced from ten to four and Verl qualified for the newly formed Regionalliga West/Südwest. They finished as runners-up in the first season, second only to Arminia Bielefeld. The club won its third Westfalenpokal in 1999 and in first round of German Cup play put out the Bundesliga's Borussia Mönchengladbach 6:5 on penalties. They were in turn eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt, the second Bundesliga club they faced in the competition (0:4).

After the German league system was restructured again in 2000 the number of third-tier leagues was reduced from four to two and Verl again qualified for play in the highest amateur class. In 2003, a 15th place finish in the Regionalliga Nord (III) saw the team sent down after 17 consecutive seasons in the third tier. Since then they have played in the Oberliga Westfalen (IV), where they have earned two second place finishes in the last three seasons as they try to fight their way back up.

[edit] Famous players

SC Verl has seen many players who would go on to pro careers, the most notable being Arne Friedrich who played his last amateur season with the club before joining Arminia Bielefeld in 2000. He would go on to appear for the national side and currently captains Hertha BSC Berlin.

[edit] Club culture

SC Verl followers share a heartfelt rivalry with nearby FC Gütersloh whose supporters look down on the "village club", while SCV supporters in their turn tease the "big city club" over its inconsistent performance and financial woes.