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Die Lincoln Green Army hat sich beim Stadionheft "The Imp" des Lincoln City FC ordentlich ins Zeug gelegt und dort einen ganzseitigen Bericht über ihren Besuch im wunderschönen Lübeck beim glorreichen VfB platziert.
Russ hat eine -nennen wir es mal Hommage- verfasst, die die Erlebnisse von ihm und seinen Freunden während ihres Junggesellen-Abschieds (siehe auch: Aus Fremden wurden Fans und Alte Green Riege Army) recht anschaulich und pointiert wiedergibt.
Der Artikel liegt auch als Grafik (ca. 260 kB, eingescannter Beitrag aus "The Imp") vor, der Link öffnet ein neues Fenster, zum ansehen hier klicken.
Wer noch mehr über die "Roten Kobolde (Red Imps)" aus Lincolnshire erfahren möchte:
Und hier der Original-Artikel:
PROST!
Anyone off to the Fatherland in the near future?
Well you could do a lot worse than a visit to the Hanseatic City of Luebeck in Northern Germany where Red Imps fans can be afforded a particularly grand welcome from the fans of the City’s football team VfB Luebeck.
For this is now an unlikely bastion of Lincoln City supporters. So much so that they’ve already quietly invaded Sincil Bank this summer and then snuck back to the region of Schleswig Holstein during the pre-season as photographic proof will testify.
So how an earth did a load of Germans from a fourth-tier side end up having a deep rooted affection for Lincoln City?
Well like so many other good stories, this one begins with a Stag Weekend… In fact, not one but two.
A close friend of mine Ash Chain agreed to have his Stag Do in Munich. There we sampled the fine ale in Hofbrauhaus and went to watch Bayern Munch play Hamburg. A game Hamburg subsequently won 2-1. So after enjoying the weekend in the company of jubilant HSV fans, we decided that for my Stag Do, we would sample the delights of Germany’s Second City, and not necessarily for the snug surroundings provided by the Reeperbahn… Oh don’t pretend you don’t know what the Reeperbahn is!
You know!
Now you’re remembering memories…
So with Hamburg playing on the Sunday, we decided to follow our craving for lower league football and head for Lubeck a team who play in the equivalent of the 4th League in Germany and 40 minutes journey by train. Our numbers had swelled to nine, so I made the gentlemanly move to pre-warn the locals that a group of drunken Englishmen were headed their way.
The locals stunned that we’d followed through with our emailed promise greeted us with fantastic hospitality …
The 1 Euro a beer flowed and we were welcomed like long-lost fans. So much so that little is remembered of their 1-0 win that afternoon. And the start of a love for VfB Luebeck had begun.
And their mutual love of our club in turn flourished.
So who are your new favourite German team you ask?
They play in the Regional League North, which is Division Four but regionalised into three divisions. Last season they finished 3rd in a league that only the Champions are promoted to the Third Division proper. And the side is made of prominently of young players in their early twenties. This means that the talent is often snapped up by the bigger clubs quickly, not least because of the fact that the club almost went out of business recently due to spiralling debts and was forced to apply for bankruptcy just three years ago. They survived but have been feeling the pinch since after their flirtation with lofty wages and even loftier ambitions. Seven years ago they made the DFB Pokal (FA Cup) Semi Final losing 3-2 to Werder Bremen, before sliding down the leagues.
Famous players you may of heard of are few and far between, however the club was managed by former Manchester City Striker and humorously named Uwe Fuchs not long back. I bet you uttered “Uwe Fuchs” name aloud didn’t you?… Don’t be so childish!
The city is immensely picturesque and the island in which the Old Town sits on has official UNESCO World Heritage status.
But it’s the football you Imps fans should be lured by. Not least the fan culture in Germany which is second to none. Tickets are cheap and affordable, and fans are knowledgeable and passionate about their side. And any football match that can be watched whilst quaffing litres of beer and ruthlessly demolishing abnormal amounts of sausage, sounds a reasonable day-out to me. And this passion for the club stops not with the fans, the players of the club, especially those of VfB Luebeck are not reserved in their vociferously displaying their loyalties to the club - attending BBQ’s, functions and generally behaving akin to the supporters. In fact fans would be insulted if players didn’t join them for a Post-Match beer!
And to drop them in it, when I have been there it is the players standing on the tables leading the singing! In footballing standards there is not much difference in their league and our very own Blue Square Premier, so you'll feel at home.
So next time you venture over to the Fatherland you might like to drop into the Lohmoule Stadion on matchday. Head for the bar behind the F Block that has Lincoln City Shirts and Scarfs draped all over it and be afforded a fine VfB Luebeck welcome. I can’t promise you free beer though.
And before you enquire, yes, I have pre-warned them about our Dambusters celebration…
And yes, they are still wanted to be Lincoln City fans!
All the best
Russ Taylor
Please note: Russ Taylor was not paid any royalties by the Luebeck Tourist Board for this article.
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