KFC Uerdingen 05

history

KFC Uerdingen 05 is a German football club in the Uerdingen district of the city of Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The one time Bundesliga side enjoyed its greatest successes in the 1980s, but is today mired in sixth tier play.

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History

The club was founded on 17 November 1905 as Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. On 1 August 1919, following World War I, FC was joined by Sportvereinigung des Realgymnasiums Urdingen. During World War II from 1941-45 the club played as part of the combined wartime side Kriegspielgemeinschaft Uerdingen alongside VfB 1910 Uerdingen (which was known from 1910-19 as Sport-Club Preussen Uerdingen). That partnership continued after the war with the two clubs playing as Spielvereinigung Uerdingen 05. On 20 February 1948 VfB became independent again and in 1950 SpVgg resumed its original identity as FC Uerdingen 05.

In 1953, the club merged with Werkssportgruppe Bayer AG Uerdingen, the local worker's sports club of the chemical giant Bayer AG, becoming FC Bayer 05 Uerdingen. Bayer withdrew its sponsorship of the football team in 1995 at which time the club took on the name Krefelder Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. Bayer continues to support the non-footballing departments of the club as Sport-Club Bayer 05 Uerdingen.

Uerdingen played in the amateur local leagues throughout its early history. By early 1960s they had advanced as far as the Amateurliga Niederrhein (III) where they would play until 1971 when they stepped up into the Regionalliga West (II). The club then enjoyed a succession of strong finishes: a second place result in 1974-75 earned them promotion to the top flight Bundesliga, where they finished dead last. After three seasons in the second tier 2.Bundesliga Nord, another second place finish returned Uerdingen to the Bundesliga in 1979, this time for a two year stay. The club would go on to enjoy its most successful years through the 1980s. They returned to the Bundesliga in 1983 and earned a best-ever third place result there in 1986. Uerdingen also captured the German Cup in 1985 with a 2:1 victory over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Legendary in the club's history from this time is their victory over Dynamo Dresden in the quarter-finals of the 1986 European Cup Winners Cup. Down 0:2 after the first leg away and behind 1:3 by half-time at home in the return leg, Uerdingen came storming back with six unanswered goals to win 7:3.

In 1987, Uerdingen also became the first club to win both the German under 19's and under 17's championship in the same season.

The team spent the first half of the 1990s as an "elevator crew" bouncing up and down between the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga. After the 1995 season Bayer withdrew its sponsorship of the football team which has suffered chronic financial difficulties ever since. Uerdingen took up their final year of play in the Bundesliga in the 1995-96 season as Krefelder Fußball-Club Uerdingen 05. By the turn of the millennium they had slipped through the second division and into third division play. The club's persistent financial problems led the DFB (German Football Association) to deny them a license for play in the Regionalliga Nord (III) in 2003 despite a mid-table finish and they were relegated to the Oberliga-Nordrhein (IV).

Veteran manager and Fortuna Düsseldorf legend Aleksandar Ristić was put in charge of the team as German football was reorganized with the introduction the new 3. Liga in 2008-09. KFC attempted to qualify for the restructured Regionalliga (IV), but failed in its attempt and was instead relegated to the Verbandsliga (VI) after finishing 13th.

KFC has struggled with financial difficulties in recent years, and its efforts to raise money included auctioning on eBay the right to coach the squad for one match and inviting childhood fan Pete Doherty to a league match.

Honours

German Cup: 1985

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992

European Cup Winners' Cup: Semi-finals 1986

Youth

German Under 19 championship
- Champions: 1987
German Under 17 championship
- Champions: 1987

Recent league finishes

:1974/75 - Promoted to the 1. Bundesliga :1975/76 - 18th place (relegated) :1976/77 - 2. Bundesliga :1977/78 - 2. Bundesliga :1978/79 - Promoted to the 1. Bundesliga :1979/80 - 15th place :1980/81 - 18th place (relegated) :1981/82 - 2. Bundesliga :1982/83 - Promoted to the 1. Bundesliga :1983/84 - 10th place :1984/85 - 7th place :1985/86 - 3rd place :1986/87 - 8th place :1987/88 - 11th place :1988/89 - 13th place :1989/90 - 14th place :1990/91 - 17th place (relegated) :1991/92 - Promoted to the 1. Bundesliga :1992/93 - 17th place (relegated) :1993/94 - 2. Bundesliga :1994/95 - 15th place :1995/96 - 18th place (relegated) :1996/97 - 2. Bundesliga :1997/98 - 2. Bundesliga :1998/99 - 2. Bundesliga (relegated)