Rot Weiss Ahlen

Rot Weiss Ahlen
Full name Rot Weiss Ahlen e. V.
Founded 1996
Ground Wersestadion, Ahlen
Ground Capacity 12,500
Chairman Dirk Neuhaus
Manager Marko Antwerpen
League Regionalliga West (IV)
2014–15 Oberliga Westfalen (V), 2nd ↑

Rot Weiss Ahlen is a German football club based in Ahlen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Until 2006 the club was known as LR Ahlen for its major sponsor, but underwent a name change when the sponsor withdrew its support after the team was relegated to the Regionalliga (III) in that year.

History

The club has its roots in the local sides of the early 1900s formed by coalminers who played pickup games after work. In 1917, Freie Sportclub Union (FSCU) Ahlen was founded and became one of the region's best known teams, playing in the second tier leagues of the time. The rise of the Third Reich saw the club disbanded as over three-quarters of its members were foreigners making the side politically unpalatable to the regime. A new club, Tus Germania Ahlen, was formed in 1933. This side merged with the strong local club Wacker Ahlen to create the town's largest sports association.

After World War II attempts to rebuild local teams failed until members of eight pre-war clubs came together to form Turn- und Sport Ahlen in 1948. The new side went on to many decades of routine play in the local upper leagues. In 1991, TuS were faced with a financial crisis and demotion to lower level play. A local benefactor, Helmut Spikker, helped bail the team out through the support provided by his firm, cosmetics manufacturer LR International.

Now on a firm footing TuS Ahlen enjoyed an impressive run of success through the early 90s beginning with a Berzirksliga Westfalen (VII) title in 1992 and promotion to the Landesliga Westfalen (VI). In each of the following three seasons TuS earned another championship and promotion; out of the Landesliga, through the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost (V) and Oberliga Westfalen (IV), leading to the Regionalliga West/Südwest (III).

Logos of Tus Ahlen and LR Ahlen

Leichtathletik Rasensport Ahlen was formed on 1 June 1996 when TuS Ahlen merged with Blau-Weiß Ahlen to begin play in the Regionalliga West/Südwest in 1996–97. The club's rise was stalled and they made a bid again move up by signing a number of players with Bundesliga experience for 1998–99. However, they could only manage a sixth place finish and subsequently unloaded their expensive talent. Living more within their means, the side earned promotion with a second place result in 1999–2000 and a 2–1 victory over 1. FC Union Berlin in the playoff round to advance to the 2. Bundesliga. Ahlen's best result came in their debut in the second tier when they ended sixth. The team slipped to become a lower tier side and lingered for another five seasons before a 17th place result led to their demotion in 2006.

After being relegated LR Ahlen lost the support of its major sponsor and underwent a name change to become Rot Weiss Ahlen on 31 May 2006. Chairman Spikker also left the club at the end of August with his successor being vice-president Heinz-Jürgen Gosda. The team returned to 2. Bundesliga play after finishing as champions of the Regionalliga Nord in 2007–08. With the end of the 2009–10 season, Ahlen was relegated to the 3. Liga, and the following year to the fifth NRW-Liga despite a 17th place finish outside the drop down zone because of insolvency.

Since 2012 the club has been playing in the tier five Oberliga Westfalen until a runners-up finish in 2015 earned it promotion to the Regionalliga West.

Recent seasons

Year Division Position
1999–2000 Regionalliga West/Südwest (III) 2nd (promoted)
2000–01 2. Bundesliga (II) 6th
2001–02 2. Bundesliga 8th
2002–03 2. Bundesliga 12th
2003–04 2. Bundesliga 12th
2004–05 2. Bundesliga 13th
2005–06 2. Bundesliga 17th (relegated)
2006–07 Regionalliga Nord (III) 13th
2007–08 Regionalliga Nord 1st (promoted)
2008–09 2. Bundesliga (II) 10th
2009–10 2. Bundesliga 18th (relegated)
2010–11 3. Liga 20th (original 17th;relegated due to insolvency)
2011–12 NRW-Liga 17th
2012–13 Oberliga Westfalen 9th
2013–14 Oberliga Westfalen 9th
2014–15 Oberliga Westfalen 2nd (promoted)
2014–15 Regionalliga West (IV)

Honours

The club's honours:

Current squad

As of 14 March 2016

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Germany GK Arne Kampe
2 Germany DF Nico Lenz
3 Germany DF Timo Achenbach
4 Germany DF Rene Lindner
5 Germany DF Christopher Heermann
6 Germany MF Felix Bechtold
7 Germany MF Daniel Schaffer
8 Turkey MF Cihan Yilmaz
10 Germany MF Felix Backszat
11 Germany FW Aygün Yildirim
12 Germany DF Rico Weiler
13 Germany DF Maximillian Dahlhoff
14 Germany MF Hakan Gültekin
15 Germany MF Nils Hönicke
No. Position Player
16 Germany DF Hasan Bastürk
17 Germany DF Sebastian Stroemer
18 Germany MF Damir Ivancicevic
19 Germany MF Julius Richter
20 Germany FW Gianluca Marzullo
21 Germany MF Rouven Meschede
22 Germany GK Sören Stauder
23 Germany DF Michael Wiese
24 Italy MF Marco Fiore
25 Germany DF Julian Wolff
26 Puerto Rico MF Deniz Bozkurt
27 Lebanon FW Ihab Darwiche
29 Germany GK Patrick Schürhoff

Head Coach:

Former managers

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, May 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.