SC Verl

History

After almost 50 years of comparably insignificant existence, SC Verl advanced to the Landesliga Westfalen (IV) in 1970. Since then, SC Verl relegated only once (in 2003), qualified for newly introduced higher-class leagues three times out of four, won their league twice, and played the promotion round for 2. Bundesliga once (in 1991). Had they advanced, SC Verl would have been the smallest town ever to field a German pro football team, but they fell short of that goal. Their second bid for advancing to pro football was the 1994/95 season, when they finished second in the newly formed Regionalliga Nord (III), six points behind neighboring rival Arminia Bielefeld.

German Cup Appearances

SC Verl had five appearances in the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) tournament so far. In 1979, they defeated VfB Oldenburg (III) and Spvgg Elversberg (IV) before going out to Stuttgarter Kickers (II). In 1992 they lost an all-amateur match in the first round. In 1999, SC Verl had its biggest appearance yet when they eliminated Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach 6:5 on penalties, with Arne Friedrich scoring the decisive penalty for the club. They were defeated by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the second round that year. In both their fourth (2007) and fifth (2010) appearance, they lost their first round matches against TSV 1860 München (II) – in the 2010 match by 1:2 after a 1:0 halftime lead.

Relegation and Non-Qualification

In 2003, a 15th-place finish in the Regionalliga Nord (III) saw the team sent down for the first (and only) time in over thirty years. Some dispute surrounds Verl having to play the last game of the season in Paderborn during torrential rain, while competing Hamburger SV II was able to claim unplayable field and played the next day, securing a victory against an indifferent KFC Uerdingen, and remaining in the league.

SC Verl had to play the Oberliga Westfalen (IV) for four years before winning the championship and advancing to Regionalliga again in 2007. One season later, the 3rd Liga was introduced between the Zweite Bundesliga and the Regionalliga, which in turn was split up from two into three divisions. SC Verl suffered through a poor 2007/08 campaign, finishing 18th and failing to qualify for the 3rd Liga. They remained in the now fourth-tier Regionalliga since.

2009 European football betting scandal

Two SC Verl games from the 2008–09 season – among over two hundred games by other clubs – were suspected of having been rigged by players, leading to significant attention by the press as, for several days, SC Verl was the only club actually named. The two players accused were summarily suspended, their contracts eventually terminated.

Amateur Success

Having played at least fourth tier level since 1970, with 17 consecutive seasons in the third tier, makes SC Verl one of the most consistent top teams of Germany's amateur football. One of the smallest cities to field a fourth-tier football team, and together with neighbouring club SC Wiedenbrück 2000 one of only two clubs in the Regionalliga West working under amateur conditions (both players and coaches have day-time jobs), the club is without any liabilities – a direct result of a continued policy of "no credit financing".

Since 2008 the club has been a member of the Regionalliga West, achieving mid-table finishes each season.

Honours

The club's honours:

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Famous players

SC Verl has seen many players who would go on to pro careers, the most notable being Arne Friedrich who played his last amateur season with the club before joining Arminia Bielefeld in 2000. He would go on to appear for the national side and captained Hertha BSC Berlin.

International Players

Stadium

After its establishment in 1924 and through part of the 1930s, SC Verl played at Auf der Heide. Sometime in the 1930s they moved to Birkenallee, where they remained until the end of World War II in 1945. Between 1945 and '55 their home ground was the Sportplatz Poststraße, and after 1955 the Stadion an der Poststraße, which was last expanded in 2008 to a capacity of 5,001. After capturing the Amateuroberliga Westfalen title in 1991, the team played its promotion round matches in the Heidewaldestadion Gütersloh in its failed attempt to advance to the 2. Bundesliga (as the Poststraße was not up to the task both capacity- and security-wise).

Rivalries

SC Verl followers share a heartfelt rivalry with nearby FC Gütersloh whose supporters look down on the "village club", while SCV supporters in their turn tease the "big city club" over its inconsistent performance and financial woes.