Union Berlin Triumph Again

An unashamedly partisan post as I reflect on the Berlin derby. 

Union have played Hertha in four competitive fixtures. It's currently one win a piece and on Monday 11th February, in the Olympiastadion, the 74,000+ crowd were treated to a pulsating derby that ended all square. The stadium was full of Union fans and not just in the away end, where over 20,000 were packed in; many not bothering with their allocated seats and congregating around the banners draped over the front of the upper-tier. 

Red flames greet Union Berlin

Make no mistake, this was a triumph for the red and white team from Köpenick. Naturally, in the aftermath, there was talk of two points dropped rather than one point gained. That's inevitable after being 2-0 up and leading the game for well over an hour. The convincing nature of Union's demolition of Hertha in the opening hour will live long in the memory. Again, to be clear, Hertha were restricted to play acting, moaning and did little to test the Union goalkeeper in the first hour of this game. As they became increasingly frustrated the Unioner rallied around their team, becoming increasingly louder as the first half drew to a close. 

The day had started early for the 'Union in Englisch' crowd as we joined forces with the Danish Union supporters and took over the Oscar Wilde pub in Berlin's Mitte district. We were also joined by representatives of the Swedish Unioner and our good friends from the Eiserne Botschafter. Friedrichstraße station was awash with red and white. Even those who were in the 'home' end were wearing Union scarves and were later able to walk freely around the stadium with no hint of trouble. There was an estimated 25,000 Union fans in the ground. Around 30% of the capacity. Without the neutrals and the international fans, who had traveled en masse, the derby probably would not have sold out. As Erik from the Swedish Unioner fan club pointed out, 'Hertha Berlin have spectators and Union Berlin have fans.'  That's not to decry the Ostkurve, who do their best to create an atmosphere. It's just difficult in such a large arena with a running track and music that's played when the home team score.

The differences between the two clubs are stark. Hertha have spent lavishly in comparison to their neighbours, possess a gigantic rented stadium and the 40th and 75th minute were sponsored by firms keen to advertise themselves to the clubs' fans. They also went into the game as clear favourites and were a massive 15 points ahead of Union, and to give some context to Union's achievement, had conceded only 5 goals at home this season before the derby. The best defensive record in the division. Union finished this game with the 3rd worst away defence, in terms of goals conceded, in the league. The top three have now scored a total of 9 goals against the Berliners. Union's advantage is whilst they have garnered only 2 points from these three games, they have scored an impressive 8 goals in reply.

Union made a mockery of the stats and were leading inside 10 minutes. I've no idea what happened as I was probably about a mile away from the action on almost the back row of the upper-tier. Terodde scored - I learned this from someone in front of us who had an app. The delights of modern day football and watching in an international sporting arena. The net bulged and 25,000 Union fans went berserk. Standard stuff at big football games. I was hugging the long haired German, jumping around with my mate Rob and trading high-fives with 'app woman' and her husband. When Union score, whether home or away, I get this feeling of being at one with my fellow fans. I may not be fluent in German but football transcends this. Barriers fall down like a wall as people lose their inhibitions and freely hug strangers. Much as they probably did in Berlin on November 9th 1989.

If you're reading this blog it is unlikely you need a match report. A blow by blow account is not what I can offer. The emotion and tension was that of a derby. You will the clock forward. At one stage in the second half I was sure that the seconds had started to slow down on the huge electronic scoreboard above the Ostkurve. I was worried. Half-time passed with much merriment as a home fan failed with his answer when guessing the amount of stations between Ostkreuz and Köpenick. It's 5 not 4. Ludicrous half-time entertainment from DB - the Hertha sponsors. As ludicrous as the situation on the S-Bahn post-match, as it took us over 2 hours to get back to our side of the city.    

I'd seen Union away in Braunschweig and we'd surrendered the lead twice. The nerves were settled when Mattuschka put the ball on a plate for Nemec. We could see this time and I ended up in the row in front due to the euphoric celebrations. This was 'our time' I thought. I did not dare breathe this out loud to Rob. Don't jinx it I told myself. The atmosphere was incessant. The sound could not escape out of the 'Marathon Gate' as Union increasingly upset Hertha's rhythm and closed down the home side. Union's players were clearly beginning to tire. Mattuschka had put in a tremendous shift, breaking up play, spreading the ball wide to the impressive Zoundi and  playing the role of leader. He rose to the occasion as top players invariably do. He left the field to a rapturous applause from one-third of the stadium.

The Brazilian, Ronny, had been shackled all game. The Union defence had spent an hour and a quarter brushing off their rivals with relative ease. However, they were undone by two set-pieces and it took something special and the help of the referee for Hertha to drag themselves back into the game. Union failed to clear the ball on a couple of occasions in the left full-back area. After the ball pinged about a free-kick was awarded. I was too far away to definitively tell if it was dubious. It appeared so and the referee had long since lost control of the game; brandishing cards at will and removing the ability to make a robust challenge out of the game. 

As fate would have it the free-kick was a carbon copy of the Mattuschka effort that won the derby for Union back in 2011. 'He's too fucking far over,' I muttered as Haas, the Union keeper lined up his wall and stood two yards from his post. The gap was big enough to drive a Russian tank through, the wall failed and the ball ended up in the bottom corner. The Brazilian ran off to jump in the snow. The Unioner broke out in song. It was still a triumph though. We'd twice breached the meanest defence in the league. We'd shown it was not about resources but about team spirit, passionate fans and the pro-pyro lobby will have been happy. Union will likely be fined for the dramatic red flares that lit up the away end. Nonsensical stuff.

The nonsense was far from over though. The game was finished, we trudged off to wait silently together, red and blue, young and old, mother and son, father and daughter, 'auslander' (foreigner) and German. Then it happened. The nonsense. Rival fans were on separate platforms and took advantage of the mounds of snow that had been piled up. A few snowballs were thrown. All good natured. Then someone wearing blue - I won't dignify the idiot with the term fan - threw a glass bottle into the middle of the fans a mere 10 yards from where we were stood. The glass bottle rested near my feet and then we realised someone had been hit. Blood everywhere, the Unioner once again spilling blood for the cause. A sad and unnecessary end to a wonderful weekend. There were woman and children on the platform. Luckily there was no retaliation. 

It was, whilst not in terms of points, a victory for Union and I was proud to be part of it. Nobody expected such a high quality performance. Whilst Union could not mimic the 2011 victory, the performance was a significant improvement and Hertha were made to look poor this time round. Union may not gain promotion this season but only a fool would bet against them making an incredible ascent to the top tier in the next few seasons. Perhaps the next time Union play Hertha, both teams will be in the Bundesliga 1. 

For more images of the derby take a look at the superb www.facebook.com/groundhoppingetc 

International FC Union Berlin supporters - Berlin derby weekend

The score last time at the Olympiastadion

Union in Englisch

Firstly, the name is not serious. Thanks for the correspondence and feedback though. My favourite was that it should be 'English' not 'Englisch.' At present we have a facebook page and Twitter account. We're meeting before the next Union game to discuss website content and to start building the site. We're especially interested in articles on your visits to Union, why Union and of course any pictures. Post them on our page, drop us an e-mail (unioninenglisch@gmail.com) or send us a tweet to @unioninenglisch - it's always great to hear from people.

Stickers available on the day - limited edition

What is the point?

Someone asked me this the other day. I told them to jump. There is no point. You live. You die. Sorry, why have a fan club with information in English - everyone should speak enough German to sort out tickets or they should not bother attending. That's an interesting view but not a view we subscribe to. Firstly, we're made up of a bunch of people from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. English is our common language. We all speak German to varying degrees of success. We all love speaking to the locals and learning about the history of Union. If we can then pass on what we learn to the English speaking world we see that as a good thing. No Dice Magazine has been a big success story recently. An English language magazine all about Berlin football. People told them they were mad. They proved the critics wrong. It's been a huge success.

The Launch

On Sunday at 17:00 we'll be launching the concept of an English speaking supporters group of Eisern Union. Details here about the exhibition. Union is about more than football. It's about community and it's also about the theatre (there is an Union play) and about art. The Eiserne Botschafter (Union Ambassadors) have kindly partnered with us to host our launch event. A massive coup and we're delighted as they have a Union Berlin modern museum which will open as well. It has numerous Union artefacts and is worth a visit in its own right.

The exhibition will feature 32 photographs dating back to 2006. We can exclusively reveal that the prints (300mm by 450mm - pretty big!) will be available to order on the night. They will be €10 each or 2 for €15 (excluding postage and packing). This is simply to cover the costs of the exhibition. Hopefully we'll have some cash in the kitty to fund the website too! If you live abroad (or in Berlin) we'll of course post them out to you in special tubes to protect the prints.

After the exhibition we will be going to an Union pub nearby. An experience in itself. Check out the event page above for details.

What else can I do over the weekend in Berlin?

Clearly there are a lot of international Union supporters in Berlin for the derby on Monday. If you're anything like us you'll be spending the weekend taking in a mixture of culture, football, average food and drinking. To help you with all of these things just read on.

Regular contributor Felix has put together a good list of games that are on over the weekend. Click here to read it. My personal recommendation is the Tennis Borussia game on the Friday night. A gem of a stadium and great club. If you want to see Union place twice during your stay, then it's Union Berlin II vs. Red Bull Leipzig (Regionalliga) at the Jahnsportpark for you!  Handy if you want to brave the elements and take in the legendary Mauerpark flea market prior to the game. For a traditional German breakfast I strongly recommend Entweder Oder which is also nearby. 

Derby Day

As well as our launch event we'll be meeting for a few pre-match drinks on Monday afternoon. Whether you are an Unioner or a Hertha fan, we'd love to see you for a beer. This is a friendly city derby and we're keen to enter in to the spirit of things. We're hopeful the UK Hertha fans will join us as well!

We've decided to travel to the game from Friedrichstraße via the S-Bahn. We needed a pub in close proximity and have opted for an Irish boozer - Oscar Wilde. It serves food, alcohol and is an ideal central meeting point. The plan is to be in there from around 15:00 and depart just before 18:00. If you can't find us then ask at the bar or look for 10 Swedish lads!

Eisern!!! 

The Union Berlin Man Top 10 of 2012

Whilst I have created a top 10 there really is no pecking order here. I started the blog in May and it has just spiralled from there. I continue to make friends through my support of Union Berlin, and that for me, is what it is all about.

There are so many stories, comical incidents and friendships that have occurred already and we're only at the mid-point of the season.

Enjoy some of the goals and links below and of course...

10. My first Union away game on the final day of last season. Zombie Nation time!

9. Eintracht Frankfurt fans storming the away end - Union fans then applauded. Superb banner.

8.  Mattuschka's brace at St. Pauli. Two stunning strikes only beaten by him celebrating with the away fans after the game. To me, symbolic of the bond between fans and players at Union.

7. Attending a play about Union - 'Das Stück Zum Spiel'. Interview with Chris Lopatta to come in 2013. Lead actor, lifetime 'dauerkarte' holder at Union and he helped build the stadium! 

6. Braunschweig away and Nemec's second goal. A real beauty.

5. Terodde's volley against Kaiserslautern. You can find the goal within this blog piece.

4. Weihnachtssingen at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. 22,500 people. Wow. Felix from Groundhopping Etc captured the mood. Check out his Facebook page.

3. Meeting various Eiserne Botschafter members.

2. Silvio's almost comical goal when Union faced Köln & picked up a crucial first 3 points this term.

1. Standing in the freezing cold for over 4 hours to secure a ticket for the Berlin derby.  

Here's to 2013 - Eisern Union!

Ban songs after goals

Click here to find out why.

Hertha BSC v 1. FC Union Berlin - 20:15 Monday 11th February 2013

Updated 23rd November 2012 at 5:30pm with KO date and time

Due to the amount of correspondence I receive about the Berlin derby I decided I'd try and cover some of the main points about tickets for this fixture in a blog piece.


Image courtesy of Offside.com

I want sit/stand in the away end

Unless you're a member or have a season ticket at Union this is going to be difficult. Even with a membership card you only have until Wednesday 14th November at 8pm to travel to the ticket office and you are only eligible for one ticket per person. If you are a member who lives outside Berlin you can e-mail the club. Membership is €80 per season. Details here. You get a free scarf and a few other bits and bobs - chiefly, priority for away games.

Some people on Union forums have decried the fact that the club have not moved with the times and used the internet. Perhaps I am bias but there was something about having the morning off work and standing in the cold for 4 hours. I'm not sure what that something is. The sense of achievement? If you have membership and authorise someone to use the membership card on your behalf then they can buy you a ticket. "Vollmacht" is the German word for this. There was quite a bit of this going on.


Edit: Union have sold their full allocation. Ausverkauft is the German word for this.



When is the fixture?

Sky TV have not chosen their matches for the second half of the season yet. A farcical situation of buying a ticket for a match that could be on one of 4 days across the 2nd weekend in February. Not much help for international fans flying to Berlin for the game I know - unless you fancy coming Friday until Tuesday of course.

Can you buy tickets in the Hertha end yet?

Yes you can. These have been on sale for a while now. The game sold out in 2011 so I see no reason why it won't sell out again. (Edit - less than 5,000 tickets left according to Hertha site)

The official site is here. Block K.1 or Blocks 12 - 14.2 would be a good shout if you're looking to be near the Union faithful. (Edit - no tickets now available near Union fans.)

Is it a poisonous atmosphere like at other derby matches?

Certainly not. A heavy police presence, an alcohol ban in the stadium and away fans herded into the ground like cattle - yes. Bad atmosphere - no. Such points are always subjective of course but I can only go on my own experience. I called Hertha a few days before the game, and was lucky enough to get a ticket for the 2011 derby, as some players had returned their allocation. I was in the expensive seats and a few Union fans jumped up when we scored. Some even wore colours. I would not recommend this but I hope you take my point. This is not Newcastle v Sunderland or Celtic v Rangers. I've not been to a Merseyside derby but it's probably closer to that end of the spectrum than the Manchester derby. As ever, take care.

Traveling with the Union fans to the game

I was fortunate to do this in 2011. The U2 line runs from Alexanderplatz to the Olympiastadion and the journey is very lively. Well worth doing.

Pre-match drinking

Keep an eye on the blog and I'll be covering where and when to have a pre and post-match drink.

Accommodation

Numerous friends have stayed here and been very impressed. A hotel style hostel. Read a few of the reviews.

Where can I party that weekend?

Check out this website from Mogli Oak. They have their finger on the pulse of what is happening each weekend.

I love Berlin and want to move to Berlin!

Do it. For more about Berlin life check out Überlin website, Slow Travel Berlin website and this guide to moving to Berlin which is also hosted by the team behind Überlin. You can ask them anything!

UNVEU


Picture courtesy of Groundhopping etc

Videos from the famous 1-2 win in 2011






Videos courtesy of Groundhopping etc

FC United of Manchester feature FC Union Berlin in matchday programme

Guest post from FC United of Manchester co-owner

I'm delighted to share a guest post that featured in the FC United of Manchester programme yesterday. Peter Thwaites came to Berlin and writes a superb piece on why FC Union are such a pull for English fans who rally against modern football.

About FC United of Manchester

In 2005 FC United of Manchester were formed by a group of Manchester Unites supporters. The catalyst was the Glazer family takeover. They were set up as a community club and are the antithesis to the current Manchester United business model. As the club website states, "The material theft of a Manchester institution, forcibly taken from the people of Manchester, was the tip of a pyramid of destruction, with changing kick off times for the benefit of television, soulless all-seater stadia full of 'new' supporters intent to sit back and watch rather than partake in the occasion, heavy handed stewarding and ridiculously priced tickets propping it all up. By May 2005 some supporters had had enough." You can read more about FC United of Manchester here.

Eisern Union by Peter Thwaites

Berlin has many attractions as a city - museums, nightlife, architecture, eating and drinking not to mention the immense history that hangs over it. But wherever you go in the world there is always football to experience.

Most visiting football fans, I suspect, would gravitate towards Hertha Berlin. Indeed it is worth a visit if only to see the “ground” - the iconic Olympiastadion, originally built in neoclassical style for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and, despite being refurbished in 1993, retaining much of the original architecture and stonework.

But Hertha are not the only show in town or even, in fact, the best. One Friday evening I decided to head out on the S-Bahn to Köpenick, a historic town incorporated into Berlin in 1920 and home to 1. FC Union Berlin. Whilst Berlin is viewed historically as the seat of Nazi power, it was in fact originally a Communist stronghold, particularly among the working class of Berlin. No more so than Köpenick where, on the day Hitler came to power on 30 January 1933, a red flag flew from the chimney of a brewery. The subsequent reprisal from the Nazis followed in June during the “Köpenicker Blutwoche” (week of blood) when 500 people were imprisoned and 91 murdered.

FC Union Berlin (pronounced Un-Yun) were originally a works team, metalworkers, hence the nickname "Eisern Union" (Iron Union). They play at level 2 Bundesliga and their ground is the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. No matter what name we eventually decide on for our ground in Moston, I can guarantee we will not get anything nearly as evocative as the “Stadium near the old Forester's house”! They are a fans-owned club, with a very similar ethos and outlook to FC United, particularly in their opposition to the commercialisation of football.

Köpenick turns out to enjoy a picturesque setting, indeed by a forest and on the banks of the Spree. (I later discover that you can take a boat trip out here from Treptower Park. While you’re at it, visit the fantastic Soviet War Memorial at Treptower, then enjoy a drink on the boat cruise to Köpenick before going on to an Union game – perfect day!)



I walk from the Aldstadt (old town) out to the ground. The first thing I notice is that, despite the capacity being only 17,000 or so, there seems to be a disproportionately high police presence. Union are playing Eintracht Braunschweig but I don’t know whether this is normal or whether the clubs have “previous”. There are some Eintracht fans congregating with cans bought from the garage next to the ground but they don’t seem in any way threatening. I wander around and walk into what I think is the ticket office but is actually the main reception where a nice lady directs me to the next door along.

Despite my “BBC Steps” attempt at the language the guy in the ticket office immediately spots that I’m not German, “Dutch…? Oh, English… great to have English people here!” He advises me that Block P in the main stand would be a good place to stand and sells me a ticket for €11. I didn’t know this at the time but the ground I’m about to go into was refurbished in 2009 and rebuilt by the fans. I don’t mean just through financial contributions – they actually built it! 75,000 man hours, up to 1600 different volunteers supervised by 6 professional builders and saving the club €2.5M! As I come to realise, there are fans clubs in Germany but Union really are a fans club.

So it’s a warm spring Friday evening by the forest, food stalls, drink stalls, plenty of red and white in evidence. The ground inside is very like an old English Division 3 ground but none the worse for that. It’s mainly standing with the long main stand and the area behind one of the goals being the more populated areas. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, much more down to earth than the grandeur of the Olympiastadion. Supporters stand on the terraces enjoying a beer or a fag (the attitude to smoking in Berlin is so relaxed, it’s almost compulsory). I haven’t really read up on the club at this point so I’m unprepared for what happens next.



As the teams come out, something is starting to happen over the loudspeakers and music starts to swell. Behind the goal, a huge transparent flag begins to rise, outlined with black and white images of what I presume are famous players. Then the “Union Hymn” begins. This is “Eisern Union” sung by the East German punk singer, Nina Hagen (not to be confused with Nena who sang “99 Red Balloons”). It’s a surreal mixture of hymn, anthem and heavy rock but an impressive spectacle as the whole crowd joins in.

Some other interesting banners on display; “weil das Herz weiß, was du tun musst” = “Because the heart knows you have to do” and “unsere Liebe, unsere Mannschaft, unser Stolz, unser Verein” = “our love, our team, our pride, our club”.

In the meantime, the Eintracht fans, who are penned into what is appropriately Block Z, set off around a dozen flares simultaneously to welcome their team onto the pitch. They’re completely obscured by smoke for about 5 minutes and any asthma sufferers should look away now.



The atmosphere throughout the match is very similar to what we experience at FC. The actual game itself can hardly live up to that spectacle but is enjoyable nonetheless as Union run out 1-0 winners with mazy dribbling midfielder, Chinedu Ede, catching the eye. I hope to be able to come back for their final home game (v Hansa Rostock) but unfortunately it is restricted to “members only” and is a sell-out, not to mention a 5-4 victory for Union.

There doesn’t appear to be any serious rivalry between Hertha and Union. During the time of the Berlin Wall, Hertha were in the West and Union were in the East. In the East but not of the East. When the Wall came down, one of the first things they did was to play a friendly against each other. In fact the first competitive game between the two didn’t occur until 2011 when Hertha found themselves in 2 Bundesliga, an event which is now repeated this season.

The same cannot be said of Dynamo Berlin however. If Köpenick stuck two fingers up at the Nazis, they were equally at odds with the old East German, GDR regime. FC Union’s bitter rivals were the state sponsored Dynamo Berlin who won 10 consecutive league titles between 1979-1988 due to state sponsored favouritism that extended to fixed transfers and crooked referees. However, once the Wall came down, the patronage that Dynamo had enjoyed from Erich Mielke, head of East Germany's Stasi (the secret police), could no longer help them.

If you find yourself at a football ground in Berlin, you may be taken in by the architecture and the scale and the history of the Olympiastadion but you will surely find your spiritual home closer to the house of the old forester. Eisern Union!


The matchday programme that the article featured in is handed over to the Eiserne Botschafter modern museum

English speaking FC Union Berlin fan club

We're in the process of setting up an English speaking, FC Union Berlin fan club. We're hoping to get expressions of interest throughout 2012/13 season and become an official fan club in time for the 2013/14 season. E-mail unioninenglisch@gmail.com and follow our new Twitter account @unioninenglisch for more details.

Union win fans but not points against Paderborn

I met with a superb crowd before the Union v Paderborn game. There were 9 of us in total. One of the gang was Lewis, a student at the local Uni, in Berlin for 1 semester. Being a man of vast intelligence, after only a short time in the capital he tried to extend his stay by another semester. Sadly, it was not to be but he'll be in Berlin until early next year. He's seen Hertha play. Now it was Union. Read his take on Union below.

The Union atmosphere was like one I've never experienced before. Being a massive Aberdeen fan, it takes heart to admit that the home games I'm used to are pretty dull with a sporadic crowd in low voice.



At the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, it was the complete opposite. I've attended the Olympiastadion twice this season, and despite the Ostkurve 'ultras' being extremely vocal and inspiring, the fact the rest of the stadium was half empty put a slight dampener on the whole 'football experience'.



The Alte Försterei was full to the rafters, each and every fan in unison and full voice. It's just a pity the result on the pitch wasn't quite as satisfying... Despite Paderborn having their fair share of chances, Union did too and wasted them all - striker Adam Nemec was ironically cheered off by the home faithful after being substituted in the 2nd half.



The winner seemed a complete freak goal - the players and fans were as surprised as each other as the ball somehow looped over the keeper and into the net. If there is one thing Union can look at Hertha and be jealous of though, then it's a striker like Ramos who can score a goal or two.



Even so, this and the disappointing result aside, I've definitely been converted to the East side. A full terracing capacity of passionate fans in red and white, chanting their team on in between gulping down a pint of fine German beer, it genuinely is as good as it gets... If only it existed in the north-east of Scotland.

Thanks to Lewis & Felix at Groundhopping etc for the photographs.

The Berlin Derby - Union v Hertha

I was stuck on an aeroplane so missed the biggest game of the season. Luckily my partner in crime was there and has kindly written an excellent blog - thanks Rob, pints on me next time!

If you ask me, football fans are far too keen to panic. Whether it be a fumbling goalkeeper or a misfiring striker resulting in a poor run of form, the default setting is to panic. It may be true when looking at Union’s points tally (1 from 12) to reach for the panic button, but Monday night was about much more than simply getting three points and climbing up the table

The “Stadtmeisterschaft” really means something. I’ve never lived in a city where two teams dominate the footballing landscape. For the uninitiated, Union in the east, the other lot in the west. As an east Berliner I’ve loved going to see Union over the years, but this was going to be my first derby experience.

One of the first and most interesting things I saw was the presence of a few Hertha fans getting a pre-match beer and sausage at an ostensibly Union meet-up point. There was no trouble, no lingering mendacity, just a couple of blokes in the wrong shirt enjoying their wurstchen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there could (or maybe even was) some trouble between rivalling ultras, but from my limited derby experience I can’t imagine that this image is replicated at similar matches.

Just under an hour to kick off and the main stand is RAMMED. I emphasise this because usually you can rock up say half an hour before kick-off and still wiggle into a fairly decent spot on or around the half way line. Instead the Unioner were there in force, flags, scarves and voices at the ready. When the Hertha players came out to warm up, the whistling was deafening. Like I said, this game really means something.



After an inspiring display of choreography from the Union Ultras, the game was finally underway and for the first quarter of an hour or so, things were looking good for Union. I’m not entirely sure if they had a detailed, tactical plan, but the high-tempo up and at ‘em approach seemed to be working. I’ve maintained that Union are one decent striker away from being a consistent top 6 finisher in Liga 2, and the inability to take (or even create) clear cut chances continues to be a problem.



Once Union had huffed and puffed for a bit, Hertha started to settle in to the game and after a slick passing move, Wagner stuck away the first goal after half an hour. The first half rather fizzled out after that, but after two minutes of the second half Union had their first clear cut chance – a header at the back post which Nemec headed wide. A chance none the less, and this gave us some hope that more was to come. Which it did.

Although not before some Unioner with whom we were standing marked us out as a couple of foreigners and asked us how we ended up at the game. In our Denglish we told them our stories and in no time at all they were educating us about Leipzig’s Liga 4 team. Unlike much of Berlin, where an English accent is an invitation to holding a conversation in English with a German in possession of an American twang, Unioner are always more than welcome to put up with a litany of grammatical mistakes.

After 69 minutes a cross found its way to the diminutive Quiring at the back post who forced the ball in with a crouching diving header. And the crowd went nuts, I mean really nuts. We were jumping and hugging our new mates from Leipzig and I can honestly say it was one of my most euphoric moments watching Union. With twenty minutes to go it was honours even and with the momentum of the goal, Union were looking good to at least make sure it was honours even.



Hope is a funny emotion; I suppose the antithesis to panic in many ways. Whilst panic induces blind pessimism, hope allows a form of unfounded optimism to wash over the soul and increases expectancy to the point where you truly believe that anything is possible. Well, for at least three minutes last night I had hope, and then after conceding a free kick following a nothing foul, Ronny drilled a low, left foot shot from around 22 yards that squirmed under keeper Haas.

And that was that really, the game ran away from Union, and despite the introduction of Silvio, we were unable to convert pressure and desire into chances or even shots on goal.

Still, come full time the Union fans were in full voice. We believe in our club and players and despite the result remain dedicated to the cause

Eisern Union!

A few stats from last term

1. FC Union Berlin were heavily reliant on home form last term. They had a tumultuous start, with heavy a heavy 4-0 defeat to eventual champions Greuther Fürth and an away thumping by rivals Dynamo Dresden. However, they recovered well and at the mid-way stage occupied 7th place, although were already 8 points adrift of the solitary play-off spot. Worryingly Union’s form dipped in the second half of the season. They won only 6 from 17 yet still managed a very respectable 7th spot based on their early season promise. Silvio was Union’s top score with 8 goals in 2011/12 and it is this lack of fire-power that most concerns me. Coupled with a stand being redeveloped and the ground feeling somewhat peculiar, Union will do well to emulate last terms finishing position.

2. St Pauli must be fancied to make a return to the top flight after narrowly missing out on a play-off spot on goal difference last season. They were quick out of the blocks and notched 6 wins in 8 in early 2011. However, as the season wore on, St.Pauli flagged and after being 2nd with 12 games to go finished 4th level on points with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

3. Last time Hertha were relegated they engineered a quick return to the Bundesliga 1 despite a 2-1 reverse at home to Union. This is the fixture that Union fans were looking out for and as luck would have it, I’ll be on a Lufthansa flight back from a wedding in the UK when this game takes place, on Monday 3rd September at 20:15. Hugely disappointing. The return leg in west Berlin is in March.

4. Dynamo Dresden and Energie Cottbus are both close to Union (in German terms) and as such can be counted on to be lively affairs – if not on the pitch then certainly on the terraces. If you believed the authorities and the media these are games to be avoided but I travelled safely to Cottbus last term and found both sets of supporters’ behaviour impeccable. Energie visit Union on Saturday 29th September at 13:00 whilst Dresden do not visit until April next year. Union scored 5 goals, took maximum points and did not concede against these two sides last season at home. More of the same please in the two home games this term.

5. St Pauli did the double over Union last time out with the game in Hamburg being most notable for an incident that will warm the cockles of those who enjoy seeing the game being played in the right spirit. The game was poised at 1.1 when a St Pauli player accidentally handled the ball in to the net after a failed attempt at a diving header. He admitted the infringement although it had been missed by the officials. St Pauli went on to win the game notching late on.

Fans, fireworks and full-time

When German official Wolfgang Stark blew the final whistle in the Esprit Stadium last night, it was clearly the the beginning of an inquest that could be far reaching for German football. German football fans in particular - the night was a nadir for pitch invasions and Pyros. Both were ill timed, caused disruption to the ebb and flow of the game and became the talking points. A real shame in a two-legged relegation play-off that ended 4-3 to Fortuna and condemned Hertha to a second relegation in three seasons.

By way of comparison, the first-leg in Berlin had passed with little incident. I was in attendance last week and took a few snaps.

Dark clouds hover over the Olympiastadion, a pre-cursor of what we were to expect from this clash

I was on the back row so a superb view of the action

The Berlin bear flag partially obscured

Fortuna fans with a flare after the second goal much to the mirth of the Hertha faithful

A youth with a t-shirt that he can wear for all of next season as Hertha will again look to bounce back immediately

The tie was finely poised at 2-2 on the night and 4-3 to Fortuna on aggregate, when in the 6th minute of added on time, hundreds of Düsseldorf fans mistakenly thought that Stark had blown for full-time and invaded the pitch to celebrate. The fans had started to leave their seats as early as the 85th minute, forming a cordon of people around the advertising hordings, constantly being watched by police and stewards but not moved on.

The match had such an inordinate amount of injury time, not due to one moron as was the case at Manchester City at the weekend, but several. Hertha fans had launched fireworks on the pitch when they went 2-1 down on the night. Hertha fans clearly thought that the 4-2 aggregate scoreline was unassailable. Moments earlier they had lost their goal scorer and arguably their biggest threat in Ben-Hatira, who was booked for a challenge that you can't get away with in modern football. It was a second yellow but could have easily been a straight red in 2012. Ten years ago, a clever official would have given him a warning and the game would have been all the better for the decision.

Germany is very much the home of 'proper football' in terms of fans though. The matchday experience is envied by the English fans who have a sanitised version of the game. All topics for another day of course but last night will be a stick that the German FA can beat the pro-pyro lobby with. @valedave made a point on Twitter last night that the good work of the pro-pyro lobby has been undone in one night. In one moment. Not a moment of madness but one of spite and ill feeling. Hertha have felt aggrieved all season. A freakish amount of own goals being their latest gripe - one in three goals conceded of late have been own goals. That's football Hertha fans.

When you consider the way Manchester City came back from 2-1 down to score two vital goals to win the Premiership, it was telling that Hertha scored in the 85th minute. Could a side in blue score 2 goals in quick succession? Without all of the added on time this goal would have came at around 78 minutes giving them almost quarter of an hour to salvage their top tier status. Would they have found a goal in this time? Would they have been slightly less drained of emotion and spirit? They had to go across to their own fans midway through such a crucial game and urge them to calm down and stop throwing fireworks on to the pitch.

The game sparked to life after only 25 seconds when Düsseldorf's Beister hammered in a shot from just outside the penalty area. The sot curled away from the Hertha goalkeeper and the visitors could have let this early setback derail them. However, staying true to their sponsors (DB, who had laid on discounted travel) they charged forward at every opportunity, often leaving themselves exposed to the counter attack and long balls down the channels. Unfortunately, as with DB, the game would also feature delays.

Hertha's possession finally bore fruit when a free-kick was whipped in from the left and Ben-Hatira rose and powered his header in to the bottom corner past the hapless Ratajczak. At 1-1, Hertha needed to be aware that a second Fortuna goal would mean they needed 3 goals in normal time. However, another goal for Hertha would force the tie in to extra-time.

It was parity as the sides went in at half-time and Hertha coach, Otto Rehhagel, was clearly using every ounce of his forty years of managerial experience, by keeping the Fortuna players waiting, as Hertha took their time entering the field for the re-start. The half was only 10 minutes old when Ben-Harita received his marching orders and 4 minutes later Hertha were 4-2 down on aggregate.

The goal Hertha scored on 85 minutes was overshadowed by the scenes that followed. If the Fortuna fans had waited for the game to be finished before celebrating wildly on the pitch then they would have the moral high ground. As it is, there was talk of Hertha consulting lawyers on Twitter last night and at the very least the game will be remembered for the images below rather than the seven goal thriller and feast of football that it was. Two Berlin derby games next season though - can't wait.

Hertha fans pelt the playing surface with missiles causing a long delay

Fans ready to invade the pitch

The early pitch invasion. It could have far reaching consequences for the home side

Hertha fans boxed in by the riot police

Absurd scenes when you consider there was over a minute of added on time left

Players eventually leave the pitch after 100 minutes

Match starts again after 116 minutes - a goal for Hertha would have caused a riot

Fortuna fans celebrate - this time the final whistle had been blown

118 minutes until the game could be finished

Hertha players were camera shy last night. The rumour was that the Berlin teams press officer wanted to keep them out of the spotlight after such tense scenes

Es war ein Spiel, über das noch lange geredet werden wird – und der sportliche Ausgang stand trotz des Finalcharakters lange im Hintergrund.

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Relegation Play-offs - protecting the 'big' clubs?

On Thursday evening Hertha face Fortuna Dusseldorf in the first leg. Fortuna are out of form and have won only 4 times since the turn of the year. The official Bundesliga helpfully divides the season in to two 17 game tables. Handy for the statto. The fact Hertha have managed to force their way in to the Relegation Play-offs is highly significant for both Berlin sides. The Union fans I spoke with all want the same outcome in the Oympiastadion - a Fortuana win. They want the Berlin derby next year and who can blame them after last season.

Sunderland fans do not have fond memories of Relegation play-offs. When Laurie McMenemy said he would take Sunderland out of the old Second Division, few expected he would face the ignominy of being the first Sunderland manager to relegate the former 'Bank of England club' into the third tier of English Football. The Guinness Book of Records is clearly written by someone who has indulged in too many of its sponsors beverages, as McMenemy is still rated as one of the twenty most successful managers in English post-war football. You only have to watch the Coogan-esque 'Do I Not Like That' documentary to see the clueless and sycophantic Geordie in action. Painfull viewing.

The more knowledgeable/sad among you may point to the "test matches" of the late 1800s - that pitted sides against each other from the First Division and newly formed Second Division - as being the first "play-offs". In the days of no promotion the bottom three and top two fought it out using a complex system. I'll not be offering any analysis I am afraid.

The relegation play-offs were introduced in to the English football league at the start of the 1986/7 season. In May 1987 Sunderland finished 20th and faced Gillingham with the second leg at Roker Park. Whilst Sunderland managed to level the tie they were relegated on away goals after an epic encounter at their old home. This format of relegation play-off lasted only two seasons and 1990/1 saw the introduction of the format that prevails today.

The principle of the play-offs is very clear in England. It extends the interest in the league for a large number of clubs giving them something to play for. Instead of the top three being promoted the top 2 are promoted and places 3-6 enter the lottery for promotion. The case for the play-offs here in Germany is much less clear cut.

If we compare the Championship in England, with the Bundesliga 2 in Germany, in my view there are two critical differences. The Championship is arguably less competitive so needs a play-off system to keep the league competition alive for as long as possible. You would be hard pressed to find anyone in disagreement with this point. The play-off system in the Bundesliga appears to want to protect the bigger clubs (offering third bottom in the Bundesliga 1 an escape route via the play-offs) rather than enhance the league competition in the German second tier. Dusseldorf finished third but nobody in mid-table was vying for 6th place as they were in The Championship. For these two reasons I'd be disgruntled if I were a Fortuana Dusseldorf fan and relieved if I supported the West Berliners.

Being a Sunderland fan, an FC Union convert and a lover of the underdog, I will be rooting for the away side this evening. KO time is 20:30. Expect an overview over the weekend. You can sign up via e-mail on the right hand side of this page or follow me on Twitter below. Please do so and thanks for reading. The blog has been up 1 week and has received almost 2,500 views, largely due to the official FC Union site highlighting the blog on their Facebook page, with the classic headline "Unioner aller Länder... auch in Cottbus dabei ;-)." The icing on the cake was a Union fan describing the whole blog as the "hammer". No greater praise.

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Bundesliga, 34. Spieltag Preview

It is doubtful that I will make a habit of commenting on the top tier of German football. The league gets enough coverage as it is. However, all Union fans will be keeping a close eye on today's proceedings at the Olympiastadion on the last match day of the season.

When the Berlin wall came down people from the east came in droves to watch Hertha BSC - two days after the wall fell Hertha played SG Wattenscheid and the fixture attracted over 11,000 east Germans. A fan friendship developed and a subsequent friendly between Hertha and Union attracted over 50,000 fans.

Whilst the rivalry may not be fierce, most Union fans will be glad to see Hertha relegated - last season Union even managed to beat Hertha on their own patch.

Union fans celebrate with red flares as they beat Hertha 2-1 in the Olypiastadion last season. My debut at the home of Hertha.

Hertha are currently languishing second from bottom and their only hope of survival involves beating 1899 Hoffenheim today and hoping that FC Köln do not manage to cause an upset against Bayern and take all three points. If Hoffenheim beat Bayern the Hertha result is immaterial. It does not bode well for either side though as one of them must face a play-off due to finishing third bottom.

Hoffenheim's away form is mixed and they have lost as many (8) as they have won and drew. However, Hertha have the second worst home record in the division and the strange atmosphere of the often half empty Olympiastadion has showed, as they have garnered a measly 12 points at home thus far. Most clubs would be pleased with Hertha's impressive average attendance - it's over 53,000.

It would be a brave man to back Hertha to win this afternoon and avoid relegation. They would then have to beat one of the three Bundesliga 2 teams, who are still in contention for third spot, via the play-offs if they were to retain their Bundesliga status.

However, the last day of the season is prone to throwing up surprises and Hoffenheim have nothing to play for. At least Hertha can cling to the fact that Bayern players will be playing for a place in the Champions League Final although they have already comfortably secured second spot and qualification for The Champions League next season and may be in wind-down mode, keen to avoid any injuries.

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