Were top of the table in the Bundesliga until this weekend. They got turned over 5-0 by lowly 14th placed Leverkusen. Fans chanted always look on the bright side of life.

It's not just us; it happens. UTC

That makes sense cos I read on teletext that Union Berlin were enquiring about signing Kevin Long in the winter transfer window

Been some eventful few years for Union. Promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019 for the first time. Qualified for the Conference League last season, were drawn against Ajax today. And top of the Bundesliga with a budget dwarfing the teams around them.

For so long Berlin's been a sleeping giant. Mad fact goes something like Berlin is the only capital city in Western Europe, or Europe, where a club from the capital hasn't won the top league. Hertha have the money but are never settled upstairs and Union are the ones who've unexpectantly been flying the flag for Berlin.

Some atmosphere too down there at the Old Forester's House.

Pickles wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 2:34 pm

Been some eventful few years for Union. Promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019 for the first time. Qualified for the Conference League last season, were drawn against Ajax today. And top of the Bundesliga with a budget dwarfing the teams around them.

For so long Berlin's been a sleeping giant. Mad fact goes something like Berlin is the only capital city in Western Europe, or Europe, where a club from the capital hasn't won the top league. Hertha have the money but are never settled upstairs and Union are the ones who've unexpectantly been flying the flag for Berlin.

Some atmosphere too down there at the Old Forester's House.

Can't edit but it's bugging me. I meant Union have a smaller budget than the sides around them.

Pickles wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 2:34 pm

Been some eventful few years for Union. Promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019 for the first time. Qualified for the Conference League last season, were drawn against Ajax today. And top of the Bundesliga with a budget dwarfing the teams around them.

For so long Berlin's been a sleeping giant. Mad fact goes something like Berlin is the only capital city in Western Europe, or Europe, where a club from the capital hasn't won the top league. Hertha have the money but are never settled upstairs and Union are the ones who've unexpectantly been flying the flag for Berlin.

Some atmosphere too down there at the Old Forester's House.

For a large part of the last 70 odd years Berlin was not the capital of Germany, or the part of Germany where all the wealth was concentrated at least. From that point of view it is no surprise that success on the football field was concentrated elsewhere in Germany.

Pickles wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 2:34 pm

Been some eventful few years for Union. Promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019 for the first time. Qualified for the Conference League last season, were drawn against Ajax today. And top of the Bundesliga with a budget dwarfing the teams around them.

For so long Berlin's been a sleeping giant. Mad fact goes something like Berlin is the only capital city in Western Europe, or Europe, where a club from the capital hasn't won the top league. Hertha have the money but are never settled upstairs and Union are the ones who've unexpectantly been flying the flag for Berlin.

Some atmosphere too down there at the Old Forester's House.

Can imagine Cardiff City struggling

Chobulous wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 4:54 pm

For a large part of the last 70 odd years Berlin was not the capital of Germany, or the part of Germany where all the wealth was concentrated at least. From that point of view it is no surprise that success on the football field was concentrated elsewhere in Germany.

Three quarters of Berlin was prosperous and part of West Germany (though as you say, not the capital). Whether that included the football teams, I don't know, but I would have thought that any Berlin team winning the league in that period would count for this particular record.

Hertha were twice German champions in the 30s, though it wasn't just a league so technically the point is correct.

Even discounting that it wasn't the capital while the wall was up, football in Berlin was generally chaotic and not very good (and plagued with various bribe and matchfixing scandals)

There's a poster on here who is a regular on Union over the last ten years or so and has taken me on a couple of games and will be able to tell you lots about Berlin football culture, but as the secondbestdave on here says, Berlin football has been chaotic.

It's a football club for their fans which sounds like a cliche but it's not in this case. The whole thing is built on the relationship between fans and players - if we didn't have away fans in this country then the atmosphere would suffer tremendously, but Union wouldn't bat an eye if they never had away fans again - the 20,000 fans sing non stop only about their own team - never about the ref or the away fans, never complaining. No pretence, nothing plastic, nothing fake, no glory hunters - football in its purest form - good quality, good facilities, good experience but far removed from £100 tickets, £100,000 a week players and £100,000,000 tv. Steampunk football. If football never 'progressed' from Jimmy Hill then we'd all be experiencing this.

Don't know how to do a like but this

Went to my first Union game before they got in the Bundesliga. No heirs and graces there. Ranks up the there with one of best away day trips although you'd struggle to get a ticket there presently. Union fans would be happy to get enough points to survive each year, Urs Fischer is working miracles there.

KLClaret wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:41 pm

Don't know how to do a like but this

Click on the button with the three dots in it.
There is a drop down menu, click on like and you’ve cracked it.

Great thread. Union Berlin sound like everything good in football. As distortiondave says: 'football in its purest form'.

Yeah, whatever the exact fact - safe to say the city of Berlin has underachieved in football terms. Absolutely enormous, brilliant place. Loads of teams, too. And one of them, Tasmania Berlin, are the worst Bundesliga side ever.

Selby Claret wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:01 pm

Can imagine Cardiff City struggling

Good point if aimed straight.

No side from Cardiff has ever won the Welsh Premier. Inter Cardiff were runners up 4 times, but they were really Sully, so more Penarth than Cardiff.

And we're any of us alive the last time that hibs or hearts won the league in Scotland?

And another 'small club' SC Freiburg are now second in the Bundesliga

My pal won the money on Pointless with Union Berlin as his pointless answer.

timshorts wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 07, 2022 9:51 pm

Good point if aimed straight.

No side from Cardiff has ever won the Welsh Premier. Inter Cardiff were runners up 4 times, but they were really Sully, so more Penarth than Cardiff.

It was directed from a position of strength, yes

Union were in the old GDR while hertha were West Berlin