HAMBURGER FUSSBALL CLUB FALKE (Rudi Barth Sportplatz)

HAMBURG KREISKLASSE 5, HFC FALKE 7-1 TSV STELLINGEN, ATTENDANCE: 459

After visiting HFC Falke for their first ever competitive game back in July today was a chance for a catch up to see how things are progressing at this fledgling club, and also an opportunity to catch up with friends, sink a few beers and have my faith restored after the previous night's adventure!

Finally, I got to use my season ticket!

Falke are now at 'home' playing at the Rudi Barth Sportplatz, the ground of SC Union 03 Altona, which was unavailable at the beginning of the season, and things are going very well for Falke at the moment.

They currently sit top of their league, the Hamburg Kreisklasse, Group 5, which is the lowest level of football in Germany. They have won all of their 12 league games, so far, and made it through to the 4th round of the Hamburg Cup, eventually losing 2-1 to TSV Bulcholz.

Today Falke were hosting TSV Stellingen (who sat 4th in the table at the start of play) and were hoping that it wasn't unlucky thirteen in the league.

Sebastian Semtner heads home to make it 2-0

In the end it was a comprehensive victory for Falke as they thrashed Stellingen 7-1.

The first half hour of the game was tight, as the visitors closed down the home side and allowed them little space to play. The turning point was on the half hour mark when Stellingen's Andreas Korneev received as second yellow card for a lunging foul.

Within six minutes of the red card, Falke had broken the deadlock through Marcell Voß and then doubled their lead two minutes from the break when, with a hint of offside, Sebastian Semtner headed home.

Ich möchte wimpel, bitte!

The game was over as a contest within minutes of the restart when Björn Naruhn (46 & 51) and Timo Braasch (47) scored to make it 5-0.

Krischan Ramon Stein scored a consolation goal for Stellingen on the hour but Braasch (75) netted his second to make it 6-1.

Substitute Niklas Koopmann completed the scoring in the last minute to set Falke up for their forthcoming Friday night clash with second placed Blau-Weiß 96 II.

Post match was spent meeting and greeting people in the clubhouse, whilst having some more beer and schnapps, before settling down to watch Darmstadt and Hamburger SV play out a 1-1 draw live on the TV. A massive 'danke' to all who made me so welcome!

The handcrafted cider went down an absolute treat!

The Falke/FCUM flag that I also saw on display at
Broadhurst Park a couple of weeks ago.