Alemannia Aachen II 2-3 KFC Uerdingen
Tivoli
03/02/12
Attendance: approx 2000 (approx 1500 away)
Your grounds too big for you!
With a free sunday and not alot to do we looked into the nearest games to us and this one caught our our. It wasn't the ground that got our attention (we'd been before) but rather the teams, particularly Uerdingen. I'd developed a soft spot for them after our visit earlier in the season and had been tracking thier results. I'd also wanted to see what their away support was like. Aachen was chosen.
The senior team hadn't had the best of seasons, they never really picked up form and too many draws meant they would find themselselves in 3. Liga for the 2012/12 season. On the other hand the reserve team were near the top of the Oberliga NRW table and going for promotion. The relegtion of the senior team meant they couldn't gain promotion as they would only be a league below, Bielefeld II are in a similar situation. This meant that two extra teams could get into the playoffs for promotion to Regional liga, or they would have to drop down a league aas this was oberligas final season. As far as we could understand the four teams in Oberliga would then be drawn to play the four winners of the leagues below. This provided an oppurtunity for a team in the league below to essentially skip a league to level four on the pyramid. To do this they are drawn against one of the oberliga teams in the playoff places in a two game final. In the end 7 teams will be promoted (3 automatically and on gaining a bye as one team declined the oppurtuninty for promotion). I hope you followed. For now the situation was simple. Uerdingen needed to win, or draw and rely on others to slip up. This or face dropping down to the league they gained promotion from last year. The uerdingen fans knew the importance of this as we joined 1500 of them in the away end. The home fans also turned up to support their reserves. 500 of them. They have averaged 200 this year.
In our previous visits we hadn't yet started doing long reviews so I shall do one for New Tivoli here. Situated on the same road as Old tivoli (ironically the road is called Krefelderstrasse) Aachen moved here in 2009. The ground cost them 50 million euros to build and has a capacity of 32,970. Behind one goal is a large terrace. to the left of us was an allseated stand with Tivoli written on it. To the right was the main stand. This had a large area with business seats. At the back of the stand is a row of Executive boxes. The corner between the terrace and main stand used to have a small terrace at the back but it was now seats. The away end is in the corner opposite the terrace. The seating area runs half the length of the goal before a large fence. There is a small terraced area surrounded by glass on two sides. The executive boxes mean you can't see the pitch in one corner. Despite this there are decent views it.
The game was an entertaining one, as the scoreline suggests. Uerdingen started the game brightly but Aachen were able to score the opener with a neat move, decent chip and a volley into the bottom right hand corner. Uerdingen bought the game back to 1-1 with a looping header over the Aachen keeper. Not much happened until early in the second half. Uerdingen took the lead after the ball bounced around the area before a player was on hand to fire the ball home from 18 yards out. Aachen then went down the other end and scored to make it 2-2. I forgot how they scored. Uerdingen then missed a couple of chance before making it 3-2.......again I forgot how it was scored, but I do remember the relief of everyone. They missed some glorious chances, including a missed penalty, but the final whistle went and they had done what was asked of them. You could feel the joy in the air as the players came over and celevrated.
Uerdingen were drawn against FC Kray with the home game to take place this thursday (there has been an estimated attendance of 5000+). The away game has already been moved to a larger ground. I really hope Uerdingen do get promoted. Their fans have been amazing both times we have seen them with non stop support.
The senior team hadn't had the best of seasons, they never really picked up form and too many draws meant they would find themselselves in 3. Liga for the 2012/12 season. On the other hand the reserve team were near the top of the Oberliga NRW table and going for promotion. The relegtion of the senior team meant they couldn't gain promotion as they would only be a league below, Bielefeld II are in a similar situation. This meant that two extra teams could get into the playoffs for promotion to Regional liga, or they would have to drop down a league aas this was oberligas final season. As far as we could understand the four teams in Oberliga would then be drawn to play the four winners of the leagues below. This provided an oppurtunity for a team in the league below to essentially skip a league to level four on the pyramid. To do this they are drawn against one of the oberliga teams in the playoff places in a two game final. In the end 7 teams will be promoted (3 automatically and on gaining a bye as one team declined the oppurtuninty for promotion). I hope you followed. For now the situation was simple. Uerdingen needed to win, or draw and rely on others to slip up. This or face dropping down to the league they gained promotion from last year. The uerdingen fans knew the importance of this as we joined 1500 of them in the away end. The home fans also turned up to support their reserves. 500 of them. They have averaged 200 this year.
In our previous visits we hadn't yet started doing long reviews so I shall do one for New Tivoli here. Situated on the same road as Old tivoli (ironically the road is called Krefelderstrasse) Aachen moved here in 2009. The ground cost them 50 million euros to build and has a capacity of 32,970. Behind one goal is a large terrace. to the left of us was an allseated stand with Tivoli written on it. To the right was the main stand. This had a large area with business seats. At the back of the stand is a row of Executive boxes. The corner between the terrace and main stand used to have a small terrace at the back but it was now seats. The away end is in the corner opposite the terrace. The seating area runs half the length of the goal before a large fence. There is a small terraced area surrounded by glass on two sides. The executive boxes mean you can't see the pitch in one corner. Despite this there are decent views it.
The game was an entertaining one, as the scoreline suggests. Uerdingen started the game brightly but Aachen were able to score the opener with a neat move, decent chip and a volley into the bottom right hand corner. Uerdingen bought the game back to 1-1 with a looping header over the Aachen keeper. Not much happened until early in the second half. Uerdingen took the lead after the ball bounced around the area before a player was on hand to fire the ball home from 18 yards out. Aachen then went down the other end and scored to make it 2-2. I forgot how they scored. Uerdingen then missed a couple of chance before making it 3-2.......again I forgot how it was scored, but I do remember the relief of everyone. They missed some glorious chances, including a missed penalty, but the final whistle went and they had done what was asked of them. You could feel the joy in the air as the players came over and celevrated.
Uerdingen were drawn against FC Kray with the home game to take place this thursday (there has been an estimated attendance of 5000+). The away game has already been moved to a larger ground. I really hope Uerdingen do get promoted. Their fans have been amazing both times we have seen them with non stop support.