Women’s football, futsal and regional leagues: fans who don’t want to watch the games at the World Cup are discovering other options – and setting records in the process.
The football regional league north has a new attendance record. 7,505 fans came to the Lohmühle stadium for the game between VfB Lübeck and Hamburger SV II on Friday (November 25th, 2020). The old record dates back to 2013. At that time, 6,376 people watched the game between Holstein Kiel and TSV Havelse.
League leader Lübeck won 2-1 against the guests from Hamburg, who were supported by a number of fans. When it came to the World Cup, the supporters missed little. In the evening game on Friday, England and the USA drew 0-0. Previously, the Netherlands and Ecuador played 1-1.
Record backdrops in Bremen and Cologne
Anyone who doesn’t want to do without live football or wants to give the World Cup in the desert state of Qatar the cold shoulder is discovering alternatives.
The women’s soccer Bundesliga also registers this. 20,417 fans watched the premiere of the Werder women in the Weser Stadium on Saturday. The 2-1 draw against SC Freiburg just missed the previous league record of 23,200 fans at the opening game in Frankfurt in September. In Cologne, 5,400 fans also provided a record crowd for the FC women. VfL Wolfsburg was a guest and won 4-0.
“Let’s focus our football enthusiasm on the FC teams apart from our men’s team. Exciting women’s and youth football at German top level.”Cologne club president Werner Wolf had appealed to the fans weeks ago.
1,300 fans in the Wandsbek sports hall
Clubs and players are even happy about the large number of participants in the indoor futsal sport. The Hamburg Bundesliga derby between the HSV Panthers and FC St. Pauli in the Wandsbek sports hall was last seen by a whopping 1,300 fans – sold out and a new record for the Bundesliga.
The supporters department of HSV had previously banged the drum properly. The futsal derby was part of an alternative program with fans calling for a World Cup boycott.
one wants “Supporting amateur sport, which is continuing during this time, and showing how sport can be: solidarity, honest and non-commercial”said Simon Philipps from the Supporters.