Season 02/03 (LFA)

Lionsroar --> Football in Lionsroar --> List of Seasons (LFA) --> Season 02/03 (LFA)

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Names have been translated into English - though most of them are meant german

like: wyvern red-white is Wyvern Rot-Weiß, etc.

First Division

The opening match is between SV Rosenville and SSV Gevla 1907, and thus cannot nominally hold a greater difference, yet there is a certain logic to be recognized behind it. The champion of the second league meets the Loewenburg champion – thus the championship duel can commence! 23,000 spectators in the sold-out Rosenviller Stadium of the Rosenarena witness a true home spectacle – the “Dornenkurve” can erupt as a 2-to-1 home victory is secured. In the last minute, a spectacular curling shot decides the game! 3,000 traveling away fans leave the stadium. Unbelievable!

Another traditional duel awaits in the next game, as Legio Loewenburg and FC Wohia Kickers face off after two years of opening matches on the first matchday. This time, Legio wins 2-0, which greatly pleases the traveling fans. From the rest of the matchday, it is evident that the former second-league teams have had quite a good start to the season. On 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th place are Eintracht Alterwar, Haschborg 04, Neustadt, and Rosenville. The Loewenburg teams from the capital have also had a great start, with Legio and the King’s Team sharing 1st place. SSV Gevla quickly balanced out the error from the first matchday with a 1:0 win at Wohia Kickers, meaning the latter have indeed had a very poor season start.

Rosenville wins again, 1:0 against Feuerbrandt. The euphoria around Legio fades after a 2-4 loss to Haschborg, leaving Legio fans once again facing an unpredictable season. The King’s Team also faces its first defeat against SK Sturm Beatrixa – so perhaps, again, no season at the top. Everything as before. However, what is still not the same as before is the incredible performance of four former second-league teams at the top – Haschborg 04 in 1st place, Neustadt, Rosenville, and Alterwar in 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. Only Eisenberg FC manages to break through in between them. A win by Wohia Kickers over FC Haschborg marks Rosenville’s first loss. After the third matchday, there is truly no club left that stands undefeated at the top without a loss or a draw. The only undefeated club is BFC Neustadt, who is now in 1st place. Winless, i.e., without a win or a draw, there is no club left either, but VfR Wengen and Borussia Walste remain without a win. The Lords and Plebs FC is on the second-to-last relegation spot – a disastrous season start so far.

On the 5th day, last year's Loewenburg champion suffers a bitter 1-5 defeat against the slowly warming-up FC Haschborg, gaining an astonishing 11-place jump. It seems that the infamous champion’s curse still holds sway. Then there is a relatively brutal change as SK Sturm Beatrixa crushes BFC Neustadt 5-0. Also at the top with the same point total (in this order) are 1. FC Kaiserclaw, King’s Team, SV Haschborg 04, and Hansa Kolsche. Thus, after MD4, BFC Neustadt’s record is also officially broken. VfR Wengen and Lords and Plebs FC remain winless at the bottom.

In the great traditional duel of MD5, 1. FC Kaiserclaw narrowly wins against Legio Loewenburg, but SK Sturm Beatrixa retains 1st place with a win against Hansa Kolsche. Legio continues to slide down and is now back to 16th place. Below them are Gevla and FC Wohia Kickers, both at the bottom and still winless.

MD6: Utrespor already secures their fourth draw this season against Gevla. Wengen gets their first victory against Feuerbrandt! And the Loewenburg Derby between Legio and King’s Team takes place. This duel hasn’t been so different in a long time, with King’s Team at the top and able to secure the top of the table with a win, while Legio desperately needs these points, as they have now slipped to the second-to-last direct relegation spot. Legio is narrowly disappointed once again, as KT is in 1st place and could claim another championship! After this brief stint, SK Sturm Beatrixa reclaims the top spot. In the absolute basement duel between LaPFC and Legio L., Legio narrowly but deservedly wins. LaPFC remains brutally at the very bottom without a single season victory, with only 2 points.

By MD9, Gevla’s situation is worsening, as even second-to-last Wengen could beat them. At the top, Kaiserclaw comes forward again, living up to their motto, “Good against the Good, weak against the Weak,” with a win over Borussia Walste. On the same matchday, the absolute top match and simultaneous derby between SK Sturm Beatrixa (1st) and Sturm Baltika Fußball (3rd) takes place. The league leader wins 2-0 and now leads the table with a 4-point gap. The King’s Team extends its losing streak of three defeats to Utrespor. The newly promoted Rosenville narrowly secures a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Alterwar, now back up to 3rd place. Conversely, Alterwar falls to 16th place and might slide into the brutal relegation battle this season. However, Loewenburg slowly begins to climb back up from the midfield with two victories.

A true spectacle ensues in what seemed to be a clearly defined game between Kaiserclaw and Gevla, as an incredible 8 goals are scored in a draw. After an astonishing 9 matchdays, Lords and Plebs FC finally breaks their zero-mark, securing their first season win. Gevla now falls to last place.

MD12 displays the interesting contrasts that have established themselves in the league over the season – Legio Loewenburg has fought its way up from the relegation battle to an unbelievable 2nd place, while their major rival with a strong season start, the King’s Team, has simply dropped to 14th place. Lords and Plebs FC, after a previously horrific season, has won three consecutive games and is now in the relegation spot. Neustadt, once an early season giant, is in 16th, with Wengen even above them. Sturm Baltika Fußball is in 11th place, with SK Beatrixa still at the top, followed by Kaiserclaw, Haschborg, Rosenville, and Borussia Walste.

Kaiserclaw surpasses SK Sturm Beatrixa on MD14, but the latter manages to reclaim first place by defeating Legio on the next matchday, as Kaiserclaw also loses to 6th-place Rosenville. Gevla has meanwhile climbed back to 11th after a good winning streak. A shocking upset comes from bottom-ranked Feuerbrandt, who defeats 5th-place Borussia Walste 5-1. And once again, Feuerbrandt (still bottom-ranked) shocks second-place Kaiserclaw with a 3-1 victory. Absolute underdogs defeating absolute top teams – unbelievable! And still, they remain in last place!

In MD17, Sturm Baltika Fußball triumphs over Borussia Walste with a 5-1 win, moving up to second place. It seems to be a direct duel this season between the two fierce rivals for the championship – exciting! The next MD sees a derby between SV Haschborg 04 and FC Haschborg, with the former winning 1-0, moving up to 7th place, just one spot above their archrival from Haschborg. Both major traditional clubs with thrilling derbies.

Let’s take a look at MD20 and the official mid-season standings. SK Sturm Beatrixa remains at the top with a 6-point lead over second-place Legio Loewenburg and third-place SV Rosenville. They are followed by Sturm Baltika Fußball, Eisenberg FC, SV Haschborg 04, and 1. FC Kaiserclaw. Then come Borussia Walste and, surprisingly, Lords and Plebs FC, who have climbed up to 9th place. In mid-table are Haschborg, Wengen, Wohia Kickers, Alterwar, Gevla, and Feuerbrandt – all of whom have also clawed their way back up. Lower down are Hansa Kolsche and Utrespor. Unfortunately, the once-great King’s Team has landed on the relegation spot, hoping not to fall further. Wyvern Rot-Weiß and, at the very bottom, BFC Neustadt round out the standings. However, everything is incredibly close.

MD23 brings another surge of excitement at the top as Rosenville seizes first place – could they even make a historic run all the way to the top as last season's second-league champion? It would be an unimaginable feat, who knows! They are followed by SK and SB Fußball, then Eisenberg FC and Legio. Neustadt remains in the direct relegation zone, as does Kolsche, with Alterwar potentially facing a brutal relegation battle. Wyvern Rot-Weiß stuns with a spectacular 5-0 victory over third-place Sturm Baltika Fußball. In the absolute top match, SK Sturm Beatrixa defeats SV Rosenville 2-0, securing the top spot once again. Loewenburg’s club Legio takes revenge by defeating the King’s Team 2-0, putting them back on the relegation spot to the second league. In the next “Sturmderby,” this time Sturm Baltika Fußball wins 2-0, with SK still holding the top spot and SBF moving up to 3rd place.

Table of the First Division in the Season 02/03

MD30 is over – time for another look at the standings. From the bottom up: in negative form at the very bottom sits Hansa Kolsche, with only 7 wins and 5 draws. A total of 18 defeats are in their record. Above them is BFC Neustadt, with a 5-point gap, keeping a good view over the field ahead. The King’s Team is back on the relegation spot, followed by Lords and Plebs FC, 1829 Feuerbrandt, and Eintracht Alterwar. Moving into the midfield, we find Wyvern Rot-Weiß – who fought their way out of the lower ranks with a good winning streak – then FC Wohia Kickers, FC Haschborg, SSV Gevla 1907, and in 10th place, SV Haschborg 04. Moving up, we have Borussia Walste, SV Utrespor – also on an incredible winning streak right now – 1. FC Kaiserclaw, Legio Loewenburg, and, completely unexpectedly, VfR Wengen in 5th place. With over 50 points and currently a 6-point gap, we have Sturm Baltika Fußball and SV Rosenville. In second place sits SK Sturm Beatrixa, and with just one win difference, Eisenberg FC holds a surprising first place. They emerged from the shadows with consistent performances. After a brief comeback by Sturm Beatrixa, Eisenberg managed to reclaim first place in MD32 with a last-minute goal for a 1-0 victory in their direct duel.

Three matchdays remain until the season ends, presenting the following situation in the standings: in first place is SK Sturm Beatrixa Fußball, followed closely by Eisenberg FC with a 1-point difference, and Rosenville is 3 points behind. Nominally, Sturm Baltika Fußball, in fourth place, still has a chance to claim the championship, but only if the others lose everything, which is highly unlikely. Wengen and Loewenburg are further down and likely have no chance for a podium finish. At the bottom, the King’s Team is far down in last place. Between them and Hansa Kolsche, the order can still be determined, but a save on the relegation spot from Neustadt is only possible if they lose the matches, which is also highly unlikely. Neustadt, Wyvern, Feuerbrandt, Alterwar, and perhaps even LaPFC are vying for the relegation spot among themselves. Incredible historical decisions loom, as the best club in lionsroar history could even be relegated.

An incredibly important victory for Hansa Kolsche in the relegation duel against BFC Neustadt brings them within just one point of BFC Neustadt. In the duel for the top spot, Eisenberg loses 1-0 to Legio. Rosenville also loses 5-2 to Lords and Plebs FC. King’s Team loses to Feuerbrandt and is thus virtually relegated. Feuerbrandt secures themselves a bit from the relegation zone. SK Sturm Beatrixa narrowly wins 3-2, nearly securing the championship – no title-losing errors are likely to happen.

It is the penultimate matchday, and with an incredible 3-2 victory, Hansa Kolsche saves themselves ahead of time against SSV Gevla, securing the relegation spot. Rosenville wins against Neustadt, sending them directly to the relegation zone but themselves still holding second place. Eisenberg FC only manages a draw against FC Wohia Kickers, and SK Sturm Beatrixa now secures the championship with 69 points and a large goal difference of +27. Eisenberg FC and Rosenville can no longer make up this goal difference with a win. The final relegation of King’s Team in last place is now delayed after a 2-0 win over Wyvern Rot-Weiß and thus getting the relegation spot. Wyvern is pushed below Neustadt on the last spot.

Sturm Beatrixa loses 3-0 to Utrespor, but can still celebrate the championship. Now, on to the final MD: Gevla faces Legio, which they lose 3-2, Kolsche manages only a draw against Rosenville, thus standing on the relegation spot with 43 points. Neustadt would have to make up for this with a positive goal difference to avoid relegation. Rosenville stands in second place for the moment after the draw. Wohia Kickers and Alterwar end scoreless, the latter securing their first-ever league survival. And finally: Neustadt manages only a draw against Feuerbrandt, placing them in the second direct relegation spot. Kolsche has saved themselves but now faces the challenge of winning against the third-placed team of the second league. The nerves are therefore far from calm.

With a 2-1 victory, Eisenberg claims the runner-up position, displacing Rosenville once again. LaPFC finishes in 8th place after a win over Wyvern Rot-Weiß, which are pushed down on the relegation spot left by the King's Team. In their pre-final match in the first league, King’s Team achieves a consolation victory of 2-0 against the final fourth-placed Sturm Baltika Fußball and thus saving themselves from relegation, unbelievable!. Sturm Beatrixa does not win their last match against Borussia Walste, but the positive goal difference of +4 compared to second-place Eisenberg FC secures their victory. And in the last game of the season, 1. FC Kaiserclaw and VfR Wengen face off: the latter achieves an incredible 5th place with a win.

First Division

King's Team

Legio Loewenburg

Lord and Plebs FC

Hansa Kolsche

SV Utrespor

Thuringia West

FC Kingsund

SSV Gevla 1907

Borussia Walste

1. FC Kaiserclaw

SC Loewenburg

Wyvern Rot-Weiß

FC Haschborg

VfR Wengen

FC Wohia Kickers

Eisernberg FC

Sturm Baltika Fußball

Jugend Bellask

SK Sturm Beatrixa

1829 Feuerbrandt

SV Haschborg 04

BFC Neustadt

Eintracht Alterwar

SV Rosenville

Season 02/03

17

6

10

18 (?)

7

/

/

13

9

11

/

20

12

5

14

Vice Champion

4

/

Champion

16

8

19

15

3

Second Division

And the second division also resumes its regular league operations. The opening game features SC Fortuna Friedelsheim and 1. FC Wohia. The former promoted team from the third league holds the record for the most trophies among these clubs and managed to secure survival last season with a 15th-place finish. They face the clear favorite in this match, 1. FC Wohia, who narrowly missed promotion in the 00/01 season playoffs against 1. FC Kaiserclaw and narrowly missed a promotion spot last season as well. They can win this match at SC's Friedrich-Maiers Arena with a score of 0:1.

The second game of the season, considered by many fans to be the real season opener, is between the historic club FC Danubia Ulm and the 6th largest club from Lionsroar Thuringia West. Ulm has had strong seasons so far, while this is Thuringia’s debut in the 2nd league in a long time. 40,000 spectators saw this game in the sold-out Donaustadion, with nearly 10,000 loud away fans. The match ends in a 2-2 draw.

Another absolute top game features relegated SC Loewenburg against 5th-placed East traditional club Energie Königseck in the sold-out SC-Spielpark with 40,000 seats. The relegated team wins this duel.

A former third-league match-up occurs between the promoted teams FC Thuringia and Gymnasium Wengen Football, with the former being the clear favorite after just barely losing the promotion play-off against former second-league team BFC Neustadt last season. However, they suffer a 2-1 defeat this time.

The historic club Olympia Loewenburg is also back in the 2nd league after barely avoiding relegation last season in the playoffs against TSV Hartberg. This time, they face established FC Sturm Kaersting. Olympia loses at home with 35,000 spectators with a score of 2-0.

Third-league champions Nord-Ost FC are excited to play at their packed home stadium against former 1st league team FC Kingsund—the 9th largest team in all of Lionsroar. They manage to take all 3 points with them.

On Matchday 1, there is also an immediate glory duel between Gloria Deinze and Gloria Augusta FC, ending in a goalless draw. Another former first-division relegation team, after a mediocre season last year, looks forward to a game against third-league promoted Wohia West. A disastrous 5-1 defeat shocks all of Fußballlionsroar, with Youth Bellask appearing to falter right at the start of the season.

Thuringia West suffers a 1-0 loss against SpvGG Esse on Matchday 2. On MD3, a major historic encounter occurs between Olympia Loewenburg and Thuringia West. The former is painfully positioned at the bottom with 0 points, alongside former 1st division club Bellask in the direct relegation spots—the game ends in a 1-1 draw.

After MD3, there is no longer any club with only wins; everyone has at least one loss or one victory. The only team without a win or draw is FC Excelsior Erwangen, while several teams are still winless, including Youth Bellask, Olympia Loewenburg, SC Fortuna Friedelsheim, FC Danubia Ulm, and Thuringia West, all of which are major historic clubs.

Without any losses so far are 1. FC Wohia-West, FC Sturm Kaersting, Youth Voltra, SpvGG Esse, and SC Loewenburg. In a basement derby, Danubia Ulm and Olympia Loewenburg meet—both clubs lay the foundation for a fan friendship here—and Danubia secures their first season win.

In the youth derby, Voltra and Bellask face off, with Bellask securing their first season victory. Erwangen earns their first draw against none other than Thuringia West. The only team with three wins, one draw, and no losses remains 1. FC Wohia-West. Likewise, Gloria Augusta FC and Esse remain unbeaten. Three major historic clubs—Thuringia West, Olympia Loewenburg, and FC Excelsior Erwangen—still haven’t claimed a single win.

Olympia’s first win is documented with a 4-0 victory over Esse, which also marks Esse’s first loss. In a former first-division match-up, Bellask faces Thuringia West; both have endured a terrible season so far. Finally, Thuringia turns things around with a 3-0 victory. Kingsund has now also slipped to the lower part of the standings.

On MD6, SC Loewenburg clinches a win in a top match against 1. FC Wohia-West, which was firmly at the top, yet still cannot shake off the pursuit. FC Thuringia, St. Leypzig-Kreuz, and Youth Voltra also remain among the top teams. In another big match, Kingsund wins 2-1 against Thuringia West.

On MD9, Gloria Augusta FC crushes Olympia Loewenburg with a strong 5-0, sending them back to a relegation spot. Other historic clubs seem to have stabilized. After MD10, a quarter of the season is over. Leading the standings is SC Loewenburg, closely followed by 1. FC Wohia-West and the constantly shifting positions of FC Thuringia, 1. FC Wohia, St. Leypzig-Kreuz, and Youth Voltra. They are trailed by SpvGG Esse, Gloria Augusta FC, and Thuringia West. Following are Fortuna Friedelsheim, Kaersting, Bellask, and Ulm. Then come Kingsund, Olympia, and Gymnasium Wengen Football. Historic clubs have gradually found their way into the midfield, clustered closely together. Relegation spots currently belong to Energie Königseck and Nord-Ost FC, while Gloria Deinze and Excelsior Erwangen sit at the bottom with just 4 points after 10 matches.

On MD11, the heated Wohia Derby pits 1. FC Wohia-West against 1. FC Wohia. The latter wins but remains behind the club from Wohia-West, still in 3rd place. Thuringia West faces SC Loewenburg and pulls off a 3-3 draw. MD12 sees Bellask thrash Kingsund 5-1. In the Thuringia Derby, 5th-placed FC Thuringia clashes with 9th-placed Thuringia West, ending in another 2-2 draw. Ulm pulls off a 2-1 victory against league leader Loewenburg, dropping them to 2nd place beneath Wohia-West. The two Wohia clubs now compete for the championship. In a smaller Loewenburg derby between Olympia and SC, the game concludes in a 1-1 draw, with SC remaining in 2nd place behind 1. FC Wohia by 5 points. Gloria Deinze is a dismal 6 points behind at the bottom.

A small review after MD20 reveals familiar trends from the early matchdays. Loewenburg has reclaimed the top spot after a long stretch of dominance by the second-placed 1. FC Wohia, closely followed by Wohia-West in the Wohia rivalry. Ulm, surprisingly, ranks 4th after strong performances, trailed by Esse and the equally surprising Thuringia West. Youth Voltra, Kaersting, Leypzig, FC Thuringia, Gymnasium Wengen, and Gloria Augusta FC follow next. After them are Kingsund, Fortuna Friedelsheim, and Nord-Ost FC. Historic clubs Bellask and Loewenburg are precariously close to or on relegation spots, followed by Erwangen, Königseck, and, in last place, Gloria Deinze.

On MD21, a close top duel sees Ulm narrowly defeat 1. FC Wohia 1-0, pushing Ulm into a promotion playoff position. Loewenburg is fortunate, as they also suffer a loss to SC Fortuna Friedelsheim. In the next direct matchup, Thuringia West plays Esse but loses 2-1. Kingsund falls to last-placed Deinze with a 1-0 score. In the rematch, 1. FC Wohia defeats SC Loewenburg, yet Loewenburg maintains first place. In the next major match between Ulm and Esse, it ends in a 2-2 draw. On MD23, Esse defeats Wohia, improving their chances of claiming the top spot and moving up to 3rd. SCL meanwhile wins against FC Thuringia. Ulm draws with Olympia Loewenburg. Bellask wins the next youth derby 2-1.

On MD24, Esse drops points against Olympia. SCL reaches the 50-point mark. Ulm reclaims 3rd place with a scoreless draw against Erwangen. Olympia once again steals points, this time from 1. FC Wohia. Sturm Kaersting rises from the upper midfield to 2nd place after a 3-1 win over Gymnasium Wengen Football. Thuringia, having steadily climbed the ranks, now holds 3rd place.

MD31: Only 8 games remain. At the top of the standings sits Sturm Kaersting, while SC Loewenburg endures a series of harsh defeats, just one point behind. Title contenders are Esse, 1. FC Wohia, 1. FC Wohia-West, Youth Voltra, and St. Leypzig-Kreuz. Thuringia West, Danubia Ulm, and Youth Bellask follow. With more distance between Nord-Ost FC and FC Thuringia, Olympia Loewenburg is next. Then SC Fortuna Friedelsheim, Gloria Augusta FC, and Gymnasium Wengen Football. The bottom teams are FC Kingsund, Energie Königseck, FC Excelsior Erwangen, and Gloria Deinze. This matchday, 1. FC Wohia wins 5-0, reclaiming the top spot. Leypzig climbs to 5th after a victory over Wohia-West.

In their direct match on the next matchday, Leypzig Kreuz wins 1-0, moving into 2nd place. Wohia retains first place. Wohia-West defeats Sturm Kärsting 2-0. Youth Voltra plays Gloria Deinze, earning a 2-0 victory and claiming the top position for the first time. In the next top match, SC Loewenburg defeats Esse, moving to 2nd place with the same points as Voltra.

In MD33’s top match, Leypzig beats Sturm Kaersting and takes the lead once again. Wohia-West wins away against Youth Voltra, securing 58 points and 2nd place. Another dramatic moment unfolds in the tense “small Loewenburg derby” as SC Loewenburg thrashes Olympia 5-0 to reclaim the top spot. 1. FC Wohia misses the chance to close the gap as they lose to Kaersting in MD34, who moves up to 3rd place. In the relegation showdown between Kingsund and Gymnasium Wengen Football, the former wins 4-0, temporarily escaping relegation. Gloria Augusta FC slips further after a draw against fellow relegation rival Königseck.

Leypzig and Voltra play to a scoreless draw, which secures Leypzig’s 2nd place position. Wohia-West loses to Thuringia West in the “West Derby.” Deinze moves to the penultimate relegation spot after a 3-0 win over Ulm, leaving Königseck trailing behind due to goal difference despite having the same points.

Loewenburg retains first place.

Wohia loses again, this time to Wengen. This effectively ends their promotion hopes. Wengen temporarily avoids relegation. Kingsund defeats Königseck, further securing their safety. All of Loewenburg's closest competitors, including Leypzig, Voltra, and Wohia-West, falter, allowing Loewenburg to gain a five-point lead after defeating Bellask.

Table of the Second Division 02/03

Three days before the end, Wohia's promotion dreams are entirely dashed after a loss to Voltra. Kaersting stumbles once more, this time against Thuringia West, which has climbed to 5th place and may only be able to secure a playoff spot. Kingsund distances itself even further from the relegation zone. Ulm, using all their strength, overwhelms Leypzig with an astounding 5-0 victory—a severe blow.

Following a 2-0 win, SC Loewenburg can now celebrate the championship, with an 8-point lead over the second-place team and a final score matching SK Sturm Beatrixa’s record in the first league just two days before the end. Congratulations, and welcome back to the 1st League!

In the fight for 2nd and 3rd place, Esse defeats Wohia-West, crushing their promotion hopes. Deinze miraculously saves themselves, moving to a playoff spot, but this is short-lived as Excelsior quickly retakes it. Königseck defeats 1. FC Wohia and climbs to the penultimate spot, hoping to reach the relegation playoff if Erwangen loses.

Thuringia beats Voltra, closing in on them in the standings at 4th place. Kaersting defeats Ulm 2-0, holding onto 2nd place. Loewenburg crosses the 70-point mark. A draw between Esse and Leypzig keeps them both out of reach of promotion. With 61 points and a goal difference of zero, Leypzig can no longer aim for promotion. Esse, with a goal difference of 12, also finds promotion out of reach.

On the penultimate matchday, relegation rivals Deinze and Erwangen face off, with Deinze winning this crucial game and staying in the playoff spot overnight. On the final matchday, Thuringia plays 1. FC Wohia. A win by five goals would mean promotion, but their narrow loss ends those dreams. They simply weren’t competitive enough throughout the season.

In another relegation battle, Erwangen faces Friedelsheim, who wins, sending Erwangen to a direct relegation position. Thanks to a slightly better goal difference, Gloria Deinze celebrates their survival. Friedelsheim’s points don’t change their fate, leaving them in the relegation playoff spot. Kingsund barely avoids relegation.

Voltra defeats Ulm, remaining in 3rd place. Meanwhile, other teams still have matches. Loewenburg beats Gymnasium Wengen Football, finishing the season with 75 points. A draw leaves Sturm Kaersting in 2nd place, officially securing their promotion. Their opponent Esse misses the promotion playoff spot by just 2 points and will not advance. Leypzig Kreuz finishes 4th and also misses out on promotion despite a victory over Olympia.

The battle at the bottom remains tense between Deinze and Erwangen. The latter wins against Wohia-West and lands in a relegation playoff position, but Deinze’s victory over Bellask reverses this outcome. In their final match, Deinze suffers a narrow 1-0 loss, sealing their direct relegation fate. Erwangen and Friedelsheim will face the 3rd- and 4th-placed teams from the third league. Kingsund and Loewenburg secure safety.

SC Loewenburg is promoted as champions along with Kaersting. Voltra advances to the playoff after beating Leypzig, Esse, Thuringia West, Wohia-West, and 1. FC Wohia. An incredibly thrilling season finale! Youth Voltra will now face the great Hansa Kolsche in two matches. They lose the first game 1-0, and after a late equalizer in the second match, they ultimately fall in a penalty shootout. Incredible!

Second Division

Jugend Voltra

VfL Lens

SV Rosenville

1912 Burgsport

FC Excelsior Erwangen

SV Haschborg 04

FC Sturm Kaersting

FC Danubia Ulm

Olympia Loewenburg

1. FC Wohia

Bellersche Eintracht

Eintracht Alterwar

Energie Königseck

BFC Neustadt

Nord-Ost FC

Gloria Augusta FC

Gymnasium Michalinde

Gloria Deinze

SpvGG Esse

TSG Urwald 1899

FC Kingsund

Jugend Bellask

FC Thuringia

Gymnasium Wengen Fußball

Jugend Löwen FC

SC Fortuna Friedelsheim

St. Leypzig Kreuz

1. FC Wohia-West

Thuringia West

SC Loewenburg

Wyvern Rot-Weiß

Season 02/03

3 (N)

/

/

...

18 (?)

/

Vice Champion

10

14

8

/

/

20

/

11

15

...

19

5

...

16

9

12

13

/

17 (?)

4

7

6

Champion

/

Third Division

The opening game for the third-league season is played between FC Eisenberg City and Waupun FC. The former club played a good inaugural season in the third league, but then got relegated to the regional league and immediately promoted again. Let’s see what this season will bring! Waupun FC has steadily improved and has set its sights on the promotion spots. Both clubs support a well-founded fan scene. However, Eisenberg’s new debut seems to have worked again, and they win 2 to 1. It couldn’t have started more oppositely for Westerstadt as they must welcome Club Elite TNS City away. However, Westerstadt can win.

In the first big traditional duel of the league, the former second-league club Bellersche Eintracht meets the traditional club with rising tendencies SSV Burgmar. Bellersche Eintracht loses 3 to 1 and faces a poor season start. Eintracht St. Harfen, the regional league champion of the central division, meets the traditional club Nordic Kickers FC and loses 1 to 0. Youth Lions FC faces Gymnasium Michalinde; both clubs were previously in the second league, but have never played against each other. The former wins the duel and could develop again into an “elevator” team. Former second-league club 1912 Burgsport meets in the next traditional duel with LFC Schwarzlord – and suffers a 1 to 0 defeat.

Two traditional contrasts also meet with VfL Lens, relegated from the second league, and SC Worker Union, former third-league relegated and regional league east champion, in a tough game, which VfL can decide with 5 to 2. And the last game on the first matchday also goes with a 5 to 2 in the pure third-league duel between TSV Hartberg and Eintracht Archipel SV in favor of the former.

MD2: Gymnasium Michalinde defeats Bellersche Eintracht with 2 to 1. Two traditional clubs meet in the “high-low” derby between LFC Schwarzlord and SC Worker Union - the latter wins with 3 to 1. On MD3, STV Sturm and Waupun FC face each other in the "thunderstorm derby." Sturm secures their first season victory against their rival. FC Eisenberg City secures a total of 12 points after the first 4 games, thus having no draws and no single loss. TSG Urwald 1899 hangs on to 2nd place with a draw and also no losses. SV Oeasterllan from the east has not won a single game yet, but they manage to secure a victory against their fellow promoted team, Kelstadt Football.

Burgsport delivers Eisenberg City’s first draw, and Urwald is unable to profit from this after a 1 to 0 defeat against Ares Kolding. After MD10, the standings show us the following picture: Nordic Kickers FC defeats FC Eisenberg City in a direct duel and thus delivers them their first season defeat! They push forward to first place, followed by TSV Hartberg, replacing Eintracht St. Harfen. Further down, VfL Lens, SSV Burgmar, and Kelstadt Football are slowly but surely moving up. Then come St. Hammer 04, SC Worker Union, Ares Kolding, the plummeting TSG Urwald 1899, Virtus FC, SV Oeasterllan, and LFC Schwarzlord. Then Iron Union 1954 on 15th place, Gymnasium Michalinde, STV Sturm, and FC Westerstadt hover just above the relegation spots.

Former second-league team Bellersche Eintracht finds itself on the first relegation spot, further below are Eintracht Archipel SV, Elite TNS City, and Waupun FC at the very bottom. Traditional clubs 1912 Burgsport, a former second-league team, and Youth Lions FC, which also played in the 2nd league after promotion and immediate relegation, are down in the direction of the regional league. On MD19, Lens receives their first draw of the entire season against FC Eisenberg City. MD21 offers us the following picture: Nordic Kickers FC is now in 2nd place, after the alternating changes at the top with Eintracht St. Harfen hold for less time. FC Eisenberg City is now in third place, closely followed by Ares Kolding and VfL Lens. FC Kelstadt Football and SSV Burgmar remain firmly at the top. Next is Iron Union 1954 with slight improvement in the midfield; Eintracht Archipel SV managed to escape the relegation places and is now in the mid-middle field, and in 10th place is Virtus FC.

TSV Hartberg, once in second place, has now dropped to 11th, followed by the hard-working FC Westerstadt. Oeasterllan, despite previously ranking lower, can now be seen higher up, followed by SC Worker Union, which initially competed at the top but has now fallen, and Gymnasium Michalinde, which occasionally fluctuates downward. STV Sturm still hovers over the relegation places, and the traditional clubs 1912 Burgsport and Bellersche Eintracht just barely saved themselves so far. St. Hammer 04 is on the first relegation place after a long time in the midfield, followed by the heavily plummeting traditional club and former second-league team TSG Urwald 1899. Then come LFC Schwarzlord, Elite TNS City, Waupun FC, and at the very bottom is now Youth Lions FC.

On MD24, Nordic Kickers FC defeated Eintracht St. Harfen with 1 to 0 and directly defended the top spot secured on the previous matchday. Kolding advanced to 3rd place, then followed Lens and Kelstadt Football. Youth Lions is still completely at the bottom, with the rest holding steady. Burgsport is now in 8th place after a good winning streak. After MD30, the table image has changed slightly. Nordic Kickers FC remains in 2nd place, this time due to the incredible rise of FC Kelstadt Football. Ares Kolding moved up 1 place to 3rd, and Lens only dropped 1 place down to 5th. FC Eisenberg City slightly slipped to 4th place. Below is Virtus FC and, surprisingly, 1912 Burgsport, which, after a narrow save in these 10 matchdays, has incredibly caught up and soared to the top. Then comes Iron Union 1954 and the tremendously worsened Eintracht St. Harfen.

Gymnasium Michalinde has now saved itself to 10th place, the midfield is occupied by SSV Burgmar, SC Worker Union, TSV Hartberg, Eintracht Archipel SV, FC Westerstadt, and SV Oeasterllan. Then come TSG Urwald 1899 and St. Hammer 04. Below are STV Sturm, Bellersche Eintracht once again, Waupun FC, Elite TNS City, LFC Schwarzlord, and Youth Lions FC at the very bottom.

The top two leagues are finished after MD38, so now let’s look at the standings. 1912 Burgsport had an absolutely fantastic second half and now stands with a 2-point lead at 66 points in first place in the third league! Behind them is Eisenberg City, which managed to stay at the top. Then Nordic Kickers FC and FC Kelstadt Football. Following surprisingly close is Eintracht Archipel SV, then still Ares Kolding, the steadily improving TSG Urwald 1899, and SC Worker Union. VfL Lens has dropped to 9th place, above Iron Union, Hartberg, Burgmar, Oeasterllan, St. Hammer, Virtus FC, which has slipped to the lower midfield, and Gymnasium Michalinde.

Third Division Table of the Season 02/02

Eintracht St. Harfen even fell to 17th place after being in the title race for a long time and is now only above FC Westerstadt. Bellersche Eintracht is 5 points behind in the first relegation spot, along with Elite TNS City, STV Sturm, Waupun FC, LFC Schwarzlord, and lastly Youth Lions FC. There are 3 matchdays left, and the table has never been so exciting. At the top with a 1-point lead is still 1912 Burgsport. Closely following, so still with a chance for the direct promotion spots, are: FC Eisenberg City, TSG Urwald 1899 after an incredible second half, FC Kelstadt Football, VfL Lens.

With fewer chances are still SV Oeasterllan after also a fantastic run (68 points), Ares Kolding, and Nordic Kickers FC. However, they probably only still have chances for a relegation spot. Further down follow Burgmar, Worker Union, and Eintracht Archipel SV, but for them, promotion is already off the table. Regarding relegation, Youth Lions FC, Elite TNS City, and STV Sturm are already relegated. Waupun FC and LFC Schwarzlord still have a 9-point gap from Bellersche Eintracht and thus cannot catch up.

Bellersche Eintracht is tied on points with Virtus FC and close to Eintracht St. Harfen, St. Hammer 04, and therefore can still hope to escape the relegation spot. Bellersche Eintracht meets St. Hammer 04 on MD44 and wins this duel 3-1. They are now in 16th place, Virtus FC is in the relegation spot. In the top game, 3rd place TSG Urwald 1899 meets 8th place Nordic Kickers FC and is brutally defeated 5-1. The Kickers move up to 5th place. Eisenberg City does not take any points against Youth Lions FC. Oeasterllan manages to win and advances to 4th place. The Elite from TNS City can defeat Virtus and secure their relegation spot for the moment. Lens achieves a strong 2-0 victory over Burgmar and advances to 2nd place. Eisenberg and Urwald are in the promotion playoff spots. Kelstadt Football also fails to win and drops to 6th place. And even league leader Burgsport does not win, so Ares Kolding is back in 7th place and the Nordic Kickers FC still in 8th. However, if everything goes well, they still have chances.

The penultimate matchday is underway. TSG Urwald fails to secure important points against Westerstadt and slips from the promotion playoff spot due to goal difference. Eisenberg City defeats Bellersche Eintracht and is in 1st place. Oeasterllan also wins and is now in a direct promotion spot. Lens loses 2-0 to Gymnasium Michalinde and is in 4th place. Kelstadt Football is also not victorious and is now in 6th place. Burgsport manages to win despite the pressure and is back in 1st place. And Ares Kolding also wins again. The direct promotion spots are still highly contested, and the championship will only be decided on the last matchday. Burgsport leads, followed by Eisenberg City, with Oeasterllan right behind. Ares Kolding, VfL Lens, and even TSG Urwald 1899 are not far away but must hope for losses from their competitors.

The relegation battle is almost decided; Bellersche Eintracht and St. Hammer 04 only need to win or draw against Virtus FC to avoid relegation. TSG Urwald 1899 faces Waupun FC, actually a strong distribution of power, but TSG is also under incredible pressure. A win would suffice for the moment to reach 4th place, and a big win would even be enough for 3rd place. But Waupun does not allow it, and Urwald does not get promoted.

In the next game, there are two decisions, with FC Eisenberg City facing St. Hammer 04, who could also secure their league survival with a win. In a heated match, Eisenberg wins 3-2 and is now in 1st place. Only 1912 Burgsport and Oeasterllan can still surpass these 77 points with a win. And the latter plays next but has to suffer a harsh 3-0 defeat to Westerstadt. They are still in 3rd place but could still lose this spot. The big shake-up is happening. Bellersche Eintracht keeps its nerve against STV Sturm and secures its league survival, but St. Hammer 04 still has to wait, as if Virtus wins and has a better points trend, they would be relegated.

With a fundamental 5-1 victory, Nordic Kickers FC also ends its season but only stands in 5th place and does not get promoted. Virtus FC faces the gigantic task of playing at home against FC Kelstadt Football, whose league survival is already secured; a win could, however, completely surprisingly catapult them to 4th place for the moment. But this does not happen, as Virtus FC finally wins 2-1 in the last minute. Thus, they also save themselves from the relegation zone, and due to the better goal difference, St. Hammer 04 is relegated.

In the last top game of the season, 1912 Burgsport—the only one left with a chance at the championship title—faces VfL Lens, who can also still compete at the top. But Burgsport wins in the last minute and becomes the champion of the Third League, one point ahead of FC Eisenberg City. The top remains largely unchanged; however, Ares Kolding can settle everything in the next game. And with a 4-1 victory over Hartberg, this happens. They are in 3rd place. And the last game of the season between Eintracht Archipel SV and SC Worker Union ends in a 1-1 draw.

Thus, the season picture is as follows: 1912 Burgsport becomes champion and is directly promoted to the Second League along with FC Eisenberg City. Ares Kolding and SV Oesterllan, after a fantastic second half of the season, must go to the playoffs against Fortuna Friedelsheim and Excelsior Erwangen. Nordic Kickers FC, VfL Lens, TSG Urwald 1899, and FC Kelstadt Football narrowly miss out on promotion. St. Hammer 04, LFC Schwarzlord, Waupun FC, Elite TNS City, STV Sturm, and Youth Lions FC will be relegated.

Thus, SC Fortuna Friedelsheim faces SV Oesterllan, and FC Excelsior Erwangen faces Ares Kolding. The 23,000 spectators in the SC-Friedrichs-Maier Arena and the incredible number of 4,000 spectators from a regional league team see a 2-1 away victory by Oeasterllan. And at home, Oeasterllan can make this victory perfect with a 2-0, knocking Friedelsheim back into the 3rd League with a 4-1 score and becoming the first regional league team to achieve the direct march through.

In the second playoff game, FC Excelsior, with its 15,000 stadium, faces the incredible 8,000 away fans from Ares Kolding, who practically took over the stadium. The first leg ends in a 0-0 draw, and the return game in the sold-out Kriegsfeld with 32,000 spectators ends 1-0 for the home team—thus Ares Kolding is also promoted to the Second League, and Erwangen is relegated. Promoted from the Regional League are Wolfsberger FC, LSV Jeddalen, FC Naesroe, SV Kemfort City, as well as the returning teams St. Löwenstein and 1. FC Sturmgrad.

1. FC Union Mannhausen

FC Thuringia

LFC Schwarzlord

SK Rapid Valentina

FC Eisenberg Stadt

Eintracht Archipel SV

St. Leypzig Kreuz

TSV Hartberg

Waupun FC

St. Löwenstein

1. FC Wohia-West

Eintracht Verl

SSV Burgmar

TuS Autenried

Gymnasium Wengen Fußball

Nordische Kickers FC

Jugend Löwen FC

SSG Ulm 99

SC Arbeiter Union

SC Fortuna Friedelsheim

1. FC Sturmgrad

Eisern Union 1954

Viktoria Deinze

Ares Kolding

Gymnasium Michalinde

1912 Burgsport

TSG Urwald 1899

Nord-Ost FC

FC Westerstadt

SV Oeasterllan

SV TNS Stadt

1. FC Nordica Temse

FC Kelstadt Fußball

STV Sturm

VfL Lens

St. Hammer 04

Elite TNS Stadt

Virtus FC

Eintracht St. Harfen

Bellersche Eintracht

Energie Königseck

Gloria Deinze

Wolfsberger FC

FC Naesroe

LSV Jeddalen

SV Kemfort Stadt

Excelsior Erwangen

/

/

20

/

Vice Champion

15

/

14

21

/

/

/

12

/

/

5

24

/

11

/

/

16

/

3 (S)

10

Champion

7

/

8

4 (S)

/

/

9

23

6

19

22

18

13

17

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

Cup

And during the season, the King's Cup 02/03 was also played. The opening match was between Gloria Deinze, who were relegated from the Second League, and 6th place Thuringia West, where the league performance held true as Thuringia West defeated Gloria Deinze. The match was attended by 22,000 spectators in Gloria Stadium, including a good 5,000 away fans. In the second game, current First League vice-champion Eisenberg FC played at home in the 54,000-seat Erzminestadion against former Second League team Energie Königseck, now in the Third League. Eisenberg’s cup record is not particularly strong, as Königseck once even became vice-champion. However, this season proved too much, and Königseck was knocked out by Eisenberg, losing 2-0. Thus, the second round already promises an absolute top duel at the "Thuringer Arena," a 62,000-seat stadium, hosted by Thuringia.

In the third match, two Third League relegated teams meet in their respective first-ever cup match—St. Hammer 04 manages to beat Elite TNS City. First League team 1. FC Kaiserclaw hosts Second League relegated team Fortuna Friedelsheim, who lose 2-1. The fifth match is also an absolute top match with the so-called Lionsroar/Löwenburg rivalry between SC Loewenburg, which returned to the First League this season, and Legio Loewenburg, which secured a good place in the league this season. SC Loewenburg has a strong friendship with Legio's biggest rival: King's Team. Due to the high tension of this derby, the match takes place in King's Stadium of King's Team to accommodate all the fans. This derby is actually won by Legio after a last-minute counter-attack goal, advancing to the second round at home. Thus, SC’s negative record persists, as they have yet to reach the 2nd round even once.

A pure Second League match follows this thrilling game, between 1. FC Wohia-West and Danubia Ulm. Danubia won the first game of this season 1-0 on MD16, as well as the return game 2-0. Danubia also wins this match and will thus visit the great Legio in the 2nd round. First League team Gevla hosts (45,000 seats) former First League team Youth Bellask, which shocks the First League team with an incredible 4 goals. A first penalty shootout occurs between 1. FC Wohia and Third League team SSV Burgmar, but the latter loses. They are eliminated after finishing an incredible 4th place last season. Gloria Augusta FC from the Second League faces newly promoted First League team Eintracht Alterwar and only prevails after two rounds of penalty shootouts.

Relegated LFC Schwarzlord, now in the Regional League, is drawn against First League team FC Haschborg and accordingly loses by one goal. Former Third League team Ares Kolding faces current Third League team and Regional League newcomer Eintracht St. Harfen. Harfen loses 2-0. Utrespor plays against Oeasterllan, who made the direct march through the league, and wins. Trophy club and cup team Rosenville plays Third League team Eisern Union and unexpectedly loses 2-0. Rosenville lost only the final in their inaugural season and had never been eliminated before the 2nd round.

Another pure Second League duel follows, between SpvGG Esse and Olympia Loewenburg, with the latter winning. In the league, Olympia won the first game 4-0 and the away game narrowly, 2-1. In a traditional duel, relegated Youth Lions FC faces SC Worker Union but loses 0-1. SC Worker Union will meet Third League team TSG Urwald in the next round. First League champion SK Sturm Beatrixa plays against Second League team and First League relegated team Kingund, which the Second League team surprisingly wins. In another pure First League duel, 1829 Feuerbrandt faces FC Wohia Kickers, the former winning and ending the Kickers’ two-cup streak of reaching at least the 4th round.

Third League team Eintracht Archipel SV hosts last year's cup winner Borussia Walste. With a clear 5-1, they return to the regular cup run and will visit STV Sturm in the next round. In another First League duel, Lords and Plebs FC faces Hansa Kolsche and wins 1-0. A North Derby is played between Third League team Nordic Kickers FC and Second League team Nord-Ost FC, with a 2-0 result. Two former Second League teams, now First League, meet outside regular league play: SV Haschborg 04 and BFC Neustadt. The first duel was won by BFC, the second by Haschborg. This time, BFC wins again, with 5 goals, thus eliminating SV Haschborg in the first round for the first time.

1912 Burgsport is unable to continue their successful season and cup performance from last year and is eliminated by Gymnasium Wengen Football—an ominous sign for the upcoming Second League season? We hope not. There was a shock in this cup’s 1st round, as FC Thuringia managed to beat First League team and last year's Vice-Champion Sturm Baltika Football. Another First League team exits, as VfR Wengen loses to Gymnasium Michalinde, a Third League team. FC Sturm Kaersting meets record holder King’s Team in the last match of the first round, who, after a disappointing league season, still have no notable cup successes to speak of. This time, however, they at least advance to the 2nd round.

Likewise, Waupun FC played against TSV Hartberg (0:2), Westerstadt against Bellersche Eintracht (0:1), FC Eisenberg City against TSG Urwald 1899 (0:1), STV Sturm against Virtus FC (2:1), FC Kelstadt Football against Youth Voltra (0:1), St. Leypzig Cross against FC Excelsior Erwangen (1:0), and Wyvern Red-White vs. VfL Lens (2:1).

Participants

King's Team

Legio Loewenburg

Lord and Plebs FC

Hansa Kolsche

SV Utrespor

Thuringia West

FC Kingsund

SSV Gevla 1907

Borussia Walste

1. FC Kaiserclaw

SC Loewenburg

Wyvern Rot-Weiß

FC Haschborg

VfR Wengen

FC Wohia Kickers

Eisenberg FC

Sturm Baltika Fußball

Jugend Bellask

SK Sturm Beatrixa

1829 Feuerbrandt

Jugend Voltra

VfL Lens

SV Rosenville

1912 Burgsport

FC Excelsior Erwangen

SV Haschborg 04

FC Sturm Kaersting

FC Danubia Ulm

Olympia Loewenburg

1. FC Wohia

Bellersche Eintracht

Eintracht Alterwar

Energie Königseck

BFC Neustadt

Nord-Ost FC

Gloria Augusta FC

Gymnasium Michalinde

Gloria Deinze

SpvGG Esse

TSG Urwald 1899

1. FC Union Mannhausen

FC Thuringia

LFC Schwarzlord

SK Rapid Valentina

FC Eisenberg Stadt

Eintracht Archipel SV

St. Leypzig Kreuz

TSV Hartberg

Waupun FC

St. Löwenstein

1. FC Wohia-West

Eintracht Verl

SSV Burgmar

TuS Autenried

Gymnasium Wengen Fußball

Nordische Kickers FC

Jugend Löwen FC

SSG Ulm 99

SC Arbeiter Union

SC Fortuna Friedelsheim

1. FC Sturmgrad

Eisern Union 1954

Viktoria Deinze

Ares Kolding

FC Westerstadt

SV Oeasterllan

SV TNS Stadt

1. FC Nordica Temse

FC Kelstadt Fußball

STV Sturm

St. Hammer 04

Elite TNS Stadt

Virtus FC

Eintracht St. Harfen

Season 02/03

Round 4

Round 2

Round 2

Round 1

Round 2

Cup Winner

Vice Champion

Round 1

Round 4

Round 2

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 4

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1

Round 3

Round 3

Round 2

Round 4

Round 1

Round 1

Third

Round 1

Round 2

Round 2

Round 1

Round 1

Round 3

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Round 3

Round 1

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Round 1

Round 1

Round 2

Round 2

Round 1

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Round 1

/

Round 1

/

Round 2

Round 3

Round 1

/

Round 2

Round 1

/

Round 2

/

Fourth

Round 1

Round 1

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/

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 1

Round 1

Round 1