Hey there Bundesliga fans. Got a question for you. I've been retracing my ancestory lately. I knew that much of my blood is German, but never knew where from. As it turns out, I can trace back into the early 19th Century of my great, great grandparents born and died in the Ditmarschen, Holstein area. Hamburg would be the closest Bundesliga 1 club...Do you suppose that would be a good reason to wear the blue and red? I know Hamburg isn't in Holstein, but it is 100 km closer than Werder Bremen? I guess the question is, do you suppose resident of Holstein root for Hamburg primarily due to proximity, outside of their local club? Thanks!
Does it really matter? Your ancestors probably left Germany before anyone had ever kicked a soccer ball here, and if you want to follow a Bundesliga club in the grand scheme of things it's not much of a difference which club NOT from the place your family is from you pick. Either way, the most popular Bundesliga clubs anywhere there are probably: 1. HSV 2. Bayern 3. Werder
Thanks. I'm not really concerned if my ancestors were fans of a particular club. It would be my guess that they weren't, and probably didn't even know the sport if it existed at the time at all (as you referenced). I simply think this would be a fun way to follow a Bundesliga team, rather than simplying rooting for Bayern as they are the giants and televised on GolTV here in the states the most often.
It didn't exist in the early 19th century. And in Germany it didn't become a major spectator sport until after WWI - so after the big immigration waves. Most Germans pick Bayern for the same reason (well, minus GolTV) .
IMHO It' s not you that is choosing your club - usually it's the club that you are chosen by(got infected by a life-long virus). I see that´s kinda impossible in your case. And you are right with Bayern. As we tend to say "Every jerk can be a Bayernfan". I would just suggest to support your local team. If you want to support a Bundesliga side anway I suggest you should follow Bundesliga for a time and you will figure out fast which side your heart is beating for. If not, why are you interested in Buli apart from your ancestors' background ? A certain player or club ? Why not supporting them ?
I have in fact followed the Bundesliga for 3 or 4 years now. The reason I began is simply because the crowds and atmosphere on TV reminds me of college football, which I really enjoy. I also enjoy that the Bundesliga isn't the popular choice, the bandwagon choice, as is the Premiership in England, and even La Liga due to Barca and Real Madrid. If we want to continue, I am an ELCA Lutheran that studied theology and the life of Martin Luther and the Reformation at a college in Iowa named after Wartburg Castle. I rather enjoy Germany...darn thing is, the closest I've been is Disney Epcot.
Autsch... really? I´ve been to that "McDowels or whatever burger-thing" a couple of times and it didn't make me supporting any xy MLS team. No, as I said IMHO it does not function that way. And I mean, hey why are you searching reasons for supporting any club just to support a club? The crowds and atmosphere you are talking about (just to mention Liverpool's Kop or Dortmunds Südkurve) are made by passionate fans, who spent their money, time and love to their clubs their whole lives. Love is here maybe the right word to draw an analogy. I mean have you ever fallen in love with somebody just by saying before "I have to fall in love with someone hmmm... why not that one ?" That's not the way it is. It's not your decision, as you can see that you are following Buli but you haven't made a choice so far - and I say - that's why you never had a choice. You are in love or you are not. You wouldnt even dare to ask us if rooting for Hamburg rather than for Munich is the better choice. But maybe Im just an incorrigibly romantic in such things. You are following Buli for all those reasons that you described. And hey that's fine! If you still dont have a favorite team or player you wont ever have 'em. Just leave it to "Im following Buli without any club preference". What is wrong with being a Bundesliga-fan or Deutschland-fan !?
To come back to the original question, I guess St Pauli is also a rather popular choice there, at least for young, alternative people (not in 1st BL currently though). If you want to support a real local club go with Holstein Kiel (currently 3rd league, so hard to get exposure to I guess, but they'll play against Dortmund in the cup soon).
Interesting article having to do with this very subject. I find it curious that the author references that Holstein as a whole seems to not have many avid football fans at all...kind of a rural oasis. But that his perception is that many of the boys in Holstein root for Bayern rather than Werder or HSV, albeit the former being 300 miles further away than the latter, because Bayern is on TV....kind of interesting: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/930458/the-land-of-a-thousand-derbies?cc=5901
It's not that odd. The majority of Germans doesn't give a shit about soccer, and especially in places without a pro club you won't find all that many fans beyond the most casual "I watch the WC, but not much else". Holstein is also one of the handball centres of Germany, THW Kiel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THW_Kiel) get significantly better attendances than every soccer club there. There are also two other significant handball clubs in the state, Bad Schwartau (their pro team having moved to Hamburg as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSV_Hamburg) and (although in Schleswig) Flensburg-Handewitt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SG_Flensburg-Handewitt).
Holstein, unlike Schleswig, was never part of Denmark proper, it was a duchy within Germany. It was part of the original territory of the Saxons. However, from the 15th century on the Danish kings became Dukes of Holstein for a time - but those were two different titles held by the same person, they didn't rule over Holstein because it was part of Denmark.
And when they tried to incorporate it into Denmark in the 19th century they actually lost both Holstein and Schlewsig (which was part of Denmark propper).
I was born in Dithmarschen too, now living in Hannover. The most favorite club for the people in northern germany is indeed the Hamburger SV. Some like Bayern Munich because of the success. You can take any club with the exception of Leverkusen, Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim. My club was Mönchengladbach until I relocated to Hannover. Now I'm a member of Hannover 96.
I don't understand any people who don't support Gladbach, and that didn't change with moving to Hannover. It's just about good and evil. We are good; the others are evil. Well, it's your "choice".
I grew up in Uetersen, Schleswig-Holstein, which is not far from Dithmarschen at all. I can assure you that the overwhelming majority of people interested in soccer in the Dithmarschen area will be HSV fans and root for Holstein-Kiel at the same time, which is no problem because the storks are in the Regionalliga currently, with some chances of progressing to 3rd Liga in the summer (I certainly hope so). I never understood why across Schleswig-Holstein there is so much more sympathy for Holzbein than for Lübeck, but that's the way it is and I feel the same way. In fact, most Danes who care about the Bundesliga will be HSV fans also. They used to always have some popular Danish players, a tradition that has been somewhat dormant over the last few years and recently revived with the arrival of manager Frank Arnesen and their newest acquisitions from Lyngby (although these kids have a way to go before seeing any first team action).
Actually, Schleswig-Holstein is probably the area where HSV support is greatest. Driving through the smaller towns of rural Schleswig-Holstein, you will see HSV flags flying in the backyards all over, whereas in the city proper many people are St. Pauli fans (a common phenomenon, similar to Munich, where in the city many people favor 1860 and the surrounding countryside is overwhelmingly pro-Bayern) and HSV and St. Pauli don't mix. South of the city beyond the Elbe you start getting Werder fans which is even worse. At the same time there is much sympathy and respect among HSV fans and Hannover fans (little HSV).
