FC VIKTORIA KOLN (Sportpark Höhenberg)

REGIONALLIGA WEST, FC VIKTORIA KOLN 2-0 SC VERL, ATTENDANCE: 624

The modernisation of grounds that seems to be taking place across the higher echelons of German football has yet to filter down to the lower regions and fortunately you can still find some absolute gems out there. I certainly put Sportpark Höhenberg, the home of Viktoria Koln, in that category. Today though only the large grandstand was open.

The club has an ambitious owner whose dream it is make Viktoria the second team in the city. The club have had an interesting history with many mergers and takeovers over the past century.

Founded in 1904, they are one of the oldest football clubs in Cologne. They began life as FC Germania Kalk before mergeing with FC Kalk in 1909 to form SV Kalk 04. In 1911 this club joined forces with Mülheimer FC to create VfR Mülheim-Kalk 04. The club was then renamed VfR Köln 04 in 1918.

During the war years the club joined forces with  Mülheimer SV to play as KSG VfR 04 Köln/Mülheimer SV 06 before making the merger permanent and becoming to become SC Rapid Köln 04 in 1949. Rapid joined local rivals SC Preußen Dellbrück forming SC Viktoria 04 Köln in 1957.

In 1963 the club represented Cologne in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. In 1994 the club merged with SC Brück to create SCB Preußen Köln before changing name to SCB Viktoria Köln in 2002. 

This club was liquidated in 2010 and a new club called FC Viktoria Köln was founded, which took over the youth teams of now insolvent SCB Viktoria. The club were forced to start in the lowest league but in 2011 they took over FC Junkersdorf, who won the 2011 Mittelrheinliga meaning FC Viktoria Köln could start in in the Regionalliga.

Speaking of new beginnings it was the first game in charge for new Viktoria coach Tomasz Kaczmarek and he witnessed his new charges score two goals without reply.

SC Verl succumb to two late goals from Daniel Reiche (76) and Tim Väyrynen (82). Post match is was into the city centre for one or two well deserved glasses of Kolsch!

1.FC KöLN (Müngersdorfer Stadion) FC COLOGNE

BUNDESLIGA, 1.FC KöLN 0-0 1860 MüNCHEN, ATTENDANCE: 48,300

The final day of our European weekend saw us cross the border back into Germany for the Monday night Bundesliga 2 game between FC Cologne and 1860 Munich.

We caught the train from Groningen to Utrecht, where we were to change to catch our train to Cologne, but upon arrival the train had been cancelled! This meant a train to Arnhem, then a coach to Duisburg and finally another train to Cologne. This put another 90 minutes on our journey which wasn't bad in the circumstances.

Cologne is one of my favourite German cities with it's imposing cathedral and vast array of Kolsch (the local brew) beer houses.

The ground had been redeveloped for the 2006 World Cup and as redevelopments go, I was really impressed with the stadium. The capacity of the ground is 50,000 and the stands are built upwards so you are really on top of the action. The noise was fantastic and it would have been interesting to hear what it was like if Cologne actually scored a goal. It was an impressive attendance for a second level game, on a Monday night, that was live on TV.

The game ended goalless but it was the homesters who came closest to breaking the deadlock. Anthony Ujah had a penalty saved by ex-Crystal Palace 'keeper Gabor Kiraly in the first half and Daniel Halfar hit the crossbar in the second period. It was a good game overall and i'm guessing Munich would be far happier with the point, however the result displaced Cologne from top spot in the table.

I met up with another couple of Evertonian hoppers and we all headed into town for a few late Kolsch's before catching an early morning flight back to the UK. Another fine weekend of European groundhopping at an end!!

FC Koln's mascot - Hennes the Billy Goat