While the latest news on the state of the German Bundesliga fan scene is available over on Bulinews, our work in catching up with all the backlogged hot-sheets continues over here on the profile website. As one can see, we’ve quite the ways to go! Never fear. All the glory of the best footballing fans the world over shall be chronicled here in the full-color re-posts.
We reported upon “the plans for fans” ahead of 2021/22 campaign’s 22nd round. After that, however, some unfortunate circumstances left us unable to pick the topic back up again until a catchall column detailed the attendance figures from matchday 22 through matchday 25.
There shall be a little repetition of rhetoric in the re-posts to come, but every last match attended by Bundesliga supporters is still chronicled individually. At least the extra text ensures that not a single quality picture shall be wasted!
Enjoy!
Bundesliga Fan Scene Report–Round 23
Certain recent circumstances precluded us from publishing our regular feature on the German footballing fan scene here on Bulinews. It is such that, having last left off with the top-tier “plans for fans” ahead of the current campaign’s 22nd round, we’ve a bit of catching up to do. This piece does just that. We’re pleased to report on the attendance figures for the last four Bundesliga matchdays as our column chronicling the state of fan return in the Bundesrepublik.
The writer personally wishes to assure all those associated with German football fandom that, despite the fact that some situational occurrences led to this column taking a month-long hiatus, those who support football in the Bundesrepublik have not been forgotten. On the contrary. Every last individual is both valued and treasured. With the eyes of the world now focused on the conflict in Ukraine, one counts on the politically-oriented ultras of all clubs to turn up in force in all of the country’s footballing temples and make certain that their voices are heard before the global broadcast cameras.
The general purpose of this particular column has always revolved around a sincere desire to report upon what most German football watchers consider to be the Bundesliga’s most precious asset. In the service of paying adequate tribute to football’s best fan scene, the column seeks to be as thorough as possible. All those who turned out in person over the last month deserve to be recognized in some way. Accordingly, we shall publish figures for all 35 backlogged fixtures since the last column.
Our “Bundesliga Fans” feature resumes with some formatting changes. Unlike in columns past, we will no longer list the public health figures associated with the ongoing pandemic. Evidence strongly suggests that COVID no longer poses a serious risk to local intensive care occupancy rates. With this issue no longer a major societal challenge, the time has come to move on. As we leave it behind, it’s worth noting that keeping hospitals clear remained the primary issue driving restrictions over the last 24 months.
Those still bitter about the inconveniences they were forced to deal with should know that these measures did save countless lives. By tolerating and working one’s way through burdensome and arduous constraints, all citizens who made sacrifices for the more vulnerable were heroes in their own small way. Though none of us were immune to griping and complaints throughout this two-year-long upheaval, there were those who did nothing more than selfishly moan about themselves. Anyone who put the needs of others above their own for a time during this deserve to accord themselves credit.
Matchday 23 Attendance Figures
Six of nine Bundesliga fixtures sell out
The 23rd round of the 2021/22 Bundesliga campaign began with an uplifting “Fassnacht Goal Festival” in the carnival city of Mainz. An absolutely fabulous “Super Sunday” with three fixtures involving German teams participating in the European club campaigns (Bayern, Dortmund, and Leipzig) produced a combined total of 18 goals.
Attendance caps were rising in certain parts of the country, though many federal states still maintained their 10,000 live spectator cap. Three of the nine matches taking pla did not reach full attendance. In the case of Wolfsburg (one of the league’s worst attended teams) and Stuttgart (slumping badly at the time) this was to be expected. Augsburg came in just shy of full attendance.
In something of a bittersweet development, the most exciting match of the weekend proved a more subdued affair. The 10,000 live fans at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park (with no noticeable ultra groups present) calmly watched their team run up the score late against visiting Gladbach. Such an occurrence reminded German football lovers how long we’ve yet to go.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (at) FSV Mainz 05
Planned capacity = 10,000 (29.4%)
Attendance = 10,000 (sold-out)
Nothing beats the visits over at the Mainzer FanKurve!
Guess who’s back?
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (at) VfL Wolfsburg
Planned capacity = 10,000 (33.3%)
Attendance = 7,145 (71.5%)
Guess who else is back?
The VfL ultras welcome back an old friend.
VfL Bochum (at) VfB Stuttgart
Planned capacity = 25,000 (41.4%)
Attendance = 20,059 (80.2%)
Sometimes the slant of the sun hits the Mercedes Benz Arena just perfectly.
Without those filled seats, one beholds nothing more than a tomb.
SC Freiburg (at) FC Augsburg
Planned capacity = 15,000 (48.9%)
Attendance = 14,050 (93.6%)
No clue which club this particular fan was rooting for.
Freiburg or Augsburg, man or woman, adult or child…..we could nevertheless definitely hang.
Best idea I’ve seen in quite some time.
FC Union Berlin (at) Arminia Bielefeld
Planned capacity = 10,000 (36.6%)
Attendance = 10,000 (sold out)
And this is at 10,000….
Such a nice Arena the local Teutoburgs paid for themselves. Incidentally, it shall forever be referred to as the Alm. That Schüco shit remains a no go.
Eintracht Frankfurt (at) 1. FC Köln
Planned capacity = 10,000 (20.0%)
Attendance = 10,000 (sold out)
Hennes, wie immer, hat Bock.
At the rate the Effzeh are going with this mascot, the next one will weigh far over 500 lbs.
SpVgg Greuther Fürth (at) FC Bayern München
Planned capacity = 25,000 (33.3%)
Attendance = 25,000 (sold out)
Consider for a moment that this kid knows no other Deutsche-Meister apart from Bayern München.
Well before you were born, young man, we once thought three consecutive titles for the FCB were too much.
Borussia Mönchengladbach (at) Borussia Dortmund
Planned capacity = 10,000 (12.3%)
Attendance = 10,000 (sold out)
Nothing dampens a 6-0 home victory.
Not even a Bierbecher half full of rainwater.
RB Leipzig (at) Hertha BSC
Planned capacity = 10,000 (13.0%)
Attendance = 10,000 (sold out)
On the flip slide, nothing eases the loneliness of a 1-6 loss.
Just ask these guys.
Thanks so much for reading!
You can occasionally catch Peter on twitter, @ViceytheSS.
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All columns debut on Bulinews before appearing on Peter’s website later in the week.