Rot Weiss Ahlen is a
German football club based in
Ahlen
Ahlen (; Westphalian: ''Aulen'') is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 30 km southeast of Münster. Ahlen is part of the District of Warendorf and is economically the most important town in that district. Ahlen is part of the larger ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
. Until 2006 the club was known as ''LR Ahlen'' for its major sponsor, but underwent a name change when the sponsor withdrew its support after the team was relegated to the
Regionalliga (III) in that year.
History
The club has its roots in the local sides of the early 1900s formed by coalminers who played pickup games after work. In 1917, ''Freie Sportclub Union (FSCU) Ahlen'' was founded and became one of the region's best known teams, playing in the second tier leagues of the time. The rise of the
Third Reich
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
saw the club disbanded as over three-quarters of its members were foreigners making the side politically unpalatable to the regime. A new club, ''Tus Germania Ahlen'', was formed in 1933. This side merged with the strong local club ''Wacker Ahlen'' to create the town's largest sports association.
After World War II attempts to rebuild local teams failed until members of eight pre-war clubs came together to form Turn- und Sport Ahlen in 1948. The new side went on to many decades of routine play in the local upper leagues. In 1991, ''TuS'' were faced with a financial crisis and demotion to lower level play. A local benefactor, Helmut Spikker, helped bail the team out through the support provided by his firm, cosmetics manufacturer LR International.
Now on a firm footing, ''TuS Ahlen'' enjoyed an impressive run of success through the early 90s beginning with a Berzirksliga Westfalen (VII) title in 1992 and promotion to the Landesliga Westfalen (VI). In each of the following three seasons ''TuS'' earned another championship and promotion; out of the Landesliga, through the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost (V) and Oberliga Westfalen (IV), leading to the Regionalliga West/Südwest (III).
''Leichtathletik Rasensport Ahlen'' was formed on 1 June 1996 when ''TuS Ahlen'' merged with ''Blau-Weiß Ahlen'' to begin play in the Regionalliga West/Südwest in 1996–97. The club's rise was stalled and they made a bid to again move up by signing a number of players with
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
experience for 1998–99. However, they could only manage a sixth-place finish and subsequently unloaded their expensive talent. Living more within their means, the side earned promotion with a second-place result in 1999–2000 and a 2–1 victory over ''
1. FC Union Berlin'' in the playoff round to advance to the
2. Bundesliga. ''Ahlens best result came in their debut in the second tier when they ended sixth. The team slipped to become a lower tier side and lingered for another five seasons before a 17th-place result led to their demotion in 2006.
After being relegated ''LR Ahlen'' lost the support of its major sponsor and underwent a name change to become ''Rot Weiss Ahlen'' on 31 May 2006. Chairman Spikker also left the club at the end of August with his successor being vice-president Heinz-Jürgen Gosda. The team returned to 2. Bundesliga play after finishing as champions of the
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
in 2007–08. With the end of the 2009–10 season, ''Ahlen'' was relegated to the
3. Liga, and the following year to the fifth
NRW-Liga despite a 17th-place finish outside the drop down zone because of insolvency.
In 2020 the club finished second in the
Oberliga Westfalen
The Oberliga Westfalen is the highest level football league in the region of Westphalia, which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The league existed from 1978 to 2008, but was then replaced by the NRW-Liga, a new statewide league. Wit ...
to win promotion to the
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is a German semi-professional football division administered by the Western German Football Association based in Duisburg. It is one of the five German regional football associations. Being the single flight of the Western ...
.
Recent seasons
Honours
The club's honours:
*
Regionalliga Nord
The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...
** Champions: 2008
*
Oberliga Westfalen
The Oberliga Westfalen is the highest level football league in the region of Westphalia, which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The league existed from 1978 to 2008, but was then replaced by the NRW-Liga, a new statewide league. Wit ...
** Champions: 1996
** Runners-up:
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, 2020
*
Verbandsliga Westfalen
The Westfalenliga (''formerly the '') is the second highest amateur football league in the region of Westphalia which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the sixth tier of the German football league system. It operates in two groups ...
Nordost
** Champions: 1995
* Landesliga Westfalen
** Champions: 1994
* Bezirksliga Westfalen
** Champions: 1993
Current squad
Former managers
* 1992 – 30 June 1996 Joachim Krug
* 1 July 1996 – 18 August 1997
Wolfgang Sandhowe
Wolfgang Sandhowe (born 14 December 1953) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the manager of NOFV-Oberliga Nord club TuS Makkabi Berlin. As a player, he spent three seasons in the 2. Bundesliga with KSV Baunatal, ...
* 19 August 1997 – 13 October 1998
Klaus Berge
Klaus Berge (born 4 October 1961) is a former German football player and current manager who last managed DSC Wanne-Eickel.
As player he most notably played for FC Schalke 04 and 1. FC Saarbrücken.
In 1997, he started his managerial career at ...
* 14 October 1998 – 11 September 2000
Franz-Josef Tenhagen
Franz-Josef 'Jupp' Tenhagen (born 31 October 1952 in Millingen) is a retired German football player and a football coach.
Career
The defensive footballer played 457 games and scored 25 goals in the Bundesliga.
Tenhagen won three caps for Wes ...
* 20 September 2000 – 27 November 2001
Peter Neururer
Peter Neururer (born 26 April 1955) is a German professional football manager, notable for coaching a number of Bundesliga clubs.
Managerial career
Neururer had a minor playing career in the lower leagues before moving into coaching at TuS Hal ...
* 30 November 2001 – 24 November 2002
Uwe Rapolder
Uwe Rapolder (born 29 May 1958) is a German retired football player and manager.
References
External links
*
1958 births
Living people
People from Heilbronn (district)
Sportspeople from Stuttgart (region)
Footballers from Bad ...
* 25 November 2002 – 2 January 2003
Uwe Fuchs
Uwe Fuchs (born 23 July 1966) is a German football coach and former player.
Playing career
Fuchs was born in Kaiserslautern.
He was loaned to Middlesbrough towards the end of the 1994–95 season, playing just 15 games, but was instrumental in ...
* 3 January 2003 – 25 May 2003
Werner Lorant
Werner Heinz Erich Lorant (born 21 November 1948) is a German former football player who played as a defender or as a defensive midfielder. He later became a manager, notably managing TSV 1860 Munich for nine years between 1992 and 2001.
Playin ...
* 3 August 2003 – 14 November 2003
Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz (born 30 October 1962) is a German professional football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the head coach of the Turkey national team.
Kuntz represented the Germany national team between 1993 and 1997, rea ...
* 24 November 2003 – 1 March 2005 Ingo Peter
* 7 March 2005 – 25 October 2005
František Straka
František "Franz" Straka (born 28 May 1958) is a Czech former football player and manager of Fotbal Třinec.
Biography
Playing career
Straka played most notably for Sparta Prague. In 1988, he moved to Germany and spent the rest of his playi ...
* 26 October 2005 – 14 May 2006
Paul Linz
Paul Linz (born 4 January 1956) is a German football manager and former player who played as a forward.
Playing career
Linz was born in Trier, Germany.
As a professional player, Paul Linz played 33 Bundesliga matches for SV Werder Bremen (1 ...
* 15 May 2006 – 29 October 2006
Bernard Dietz
Bernard Dietz (born 22 March 1948) is a German former football player and manager. He captained the West Germany national team to victory in the UEFA Euro 1980.
Club career
A defender in his professional career, Bernard Dietz played in 495 B ...
* 30 October 2006 – 30 June 2007
Heiko Bonan
Heiko Bonan (born 10 February 1966) is a German football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of FC 99 Aa Nethetal.
Playing career
In the East German and (unified) German top-flight the midfielder
A midfielder ...
* 1 July 2007 – 3 March 2009
Christian Wück
* 3 March 2009 – 16 April 2009 Bernd Heemsoth
* 16 April 2009 – 20 September 2009
Stefan Emmerling
* 20 September 2009 – 14 October 2009
Andreas Zimmermann
* 14 October 2009 – 30 June 2010
Christian Hock
Christian Hock (born 11 April 1970) is a German former professional football player, coach, and manager.
References
External links
*
1970 births
Living people
German footballers
Association football midfielders
Borussia Mönchengl ...
* 1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011
Arie van Lent
Arie van Lent (born 31 August 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer, who played as a forward. He was most recently the manager of SpVgg Unterhaching.
Playing career
At the age of 12, van Lent played for the youth team of Sparta 57 Op ...
* 1 July 2011 – 15 November 2011 Thomas Berndsen
* 21 November 2011 – 2 April 2012 Joachim Krug
* 5 April 2012 – 30 June 2012 Peter Feldkötter
* 1 July 2013 – 30 June 2013
Marco Antwerpen
* 1 July 2013 – 14 April 2014 Carlos Castilla
* 14 April 2014 – 18 May 2016
Marco Antwerpen
* 1 July 2016 – 17 October 2016 Mircea Onisemiuc
* 17 October 2016 – 24 October 2016 André Kruphölter
* 24 October 2016 – 15 December 2017
Erhan Albayrak
Erhan Albayrak (born 5 April 1977) is a Turkish football manager and former player last managed FSV Duisburg.
Career
Grown up in the Hamburg quarter of Fischbek he played for the local club FC Süderelbe until he was 13 years old. Subsequently ...
* 4 January 2018 – 13 September 2018 Michael Schrank
* 10 October 2018 – 30 June 2020 Christian Britscho
* 1 July 2020 – 16 November 2020
Björn Mehnert
Björn Mehnert (born 24 August 1976) is a German football manager and a former player who played as a defender or midfielder.
Career
Mehnert began his career with his hometown club, Borussia Dortmund, and progressed through the reserve team, ...
* 16 November 2020 – Present
Andreas Zimmermann
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahlen Rot Weiss
Football clubs in Germany
Football clubs in North Rhine-Westphalia
1996 establishments in Germany
Association football clubs established in 1996
Warendorf (district)
2. Bundesliga clubs
3. Liga clubs