Weird German Football Team Names

stripeyshark · Apr 24, 2014

This is their origin...

http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2012/0000237888.php

Buzzer · Apr 24, 2014

Bayern Munich. Never understood that one. Bavaria Munich or Bayern Munchen but the weird Anglo-German hybrid doesn't make sense.

Paris · Apr 24, 2014

Brunswick springs to mind for obvious reasons. There must be one or two pub teams under the same name.

edna krabappel · Apr 24, 2014

Buzzer said:
Bayern Munich. Never understood that one. Bavaria Munich or Bayern Munchen but the weird Anglo-German hybrid doesn't make sense.

Bayern Munich is just the way we refer to them in the UK, hence it's all arse about face.

Their official name in German is FC Bayern München e.V.

GingerBeerMan · Apr 25, 2014

edna krabappel said:
Bayern Munich is just the way we refer to them in the UK, hence it's all arse about face.

Their official name in German is FC Bayern München e.V.

I think the point was Bayern Munchen is a literal translation of 'Bavarian Munich', so it's weird we translate the last word - Munchen - but not the first - Bayern.

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 25, 2014

GingerBeerMan said:
I think the point was Bayern Munchen is a literal translation of 'Bavarian Munich', so it's weird we translate the last word - Munchen - but not the first - Bayern.

Same with Moscow Lokomotiv.

edna krabappel · Apr 25, 2014

GingerBeerMan said:
I think the point was Bayern Munchen is a literal translation of 'Bavarian Munich', so it's weird we translate the last word - Munchen - but not the first - Bayern.

Oh OK. I guess I just see it as the Bayern bit being the name of the club, hence we leave it as it is, whereas the Munich is the unnecessary geographical definition, which we change to make sense to our feeble English-speaking minds.

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 25, 2014

edna krabappel said:
Bayern Munich is just the way we refer to them in the UK, hence it's all arse about face.

Their official name in German is FC Bayern München e.V.

I think they're officially just named FC Bayern.

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 25, 2014

Berliner Tennis und Ping-Pong-Gesellschaft Borussia is a grand name which has now sadly been shortened to Tennis Borussia Berlin.

life on mars 73 · Apr 25, 2014

What about Kickers Stuttgart ? Are they the Millwall of Germany ??

surrey jim · Apr 25, 2014

Bayer Leverkusen, works team named after the Bayer pharmaceutical company

View attachment 53081

Edit: No idea how to do attached images,.

The Large One · Apr 25, 2014

In Spain

Real Sociedad - Royal Society
Espanyol - Spanish (translated from Catalan)

Athletic Bilbao (not Athletico Bilbao), founded by British communities in Basque. They take their kit colour from Southampton.

Similar story in Italy - AC Milan (rather than Milano) was founded by four Englishmen.

turienzo's lovechild · Apr 25, 2014

I like all the ones with numbers in them

we should be 1. Albion 1901 Brighton & Hove Sports Team in my opinion

Herr Tubthumper · Apr 25, 2014

The Large One said:
In Spain

Real Sociedad - Royal Society
Espanyol - Spanish (translated from Catalan)

Athletic Bilbao (not Athletico Bilbao), founded by British communities in Basque. They take their kit colour from Southampton.

Similar story in Italy - AC Milan (rather than Milano) was founded by four Englishmen.

And Monaco is Italian for Munich I think; which could be confusing.

turienzo's lovechild · Apr 25, 2014

The Large One said:
In Spain

Real Sociedad - Royal Society
Espanyol - Spanish (translated from Catalan)

Athletic Bilbao (not Athletico Bilbao), founded by British communities in Basque. They take their kit colour from Southampton.

Similar story in Italy - AC Milan (rather than Milano) was founded by four Englishmen.

Genoa use the English spelling rather than the Italian "Genova"

in fact their full name is "Genoa Cricket and Football Club"

turienzo's lovechild · Apr 25, 2014

surrey jim said:
Bayer Leverkusen, works team named after the Bayer pharmaceutical company

View attachment 53081

Edit: No idea how to do attached images,.

weren't Bayer the....errrm....preferred 'pharmaceutical' company of the Nazi's?

Boys 9d · Apr 25, 2014

Bordeaux FC are officially FC Girondins de Bordeaux. A Girondin is a native of the French Department (=County) of Gironde.

The Large One · Apr 25, 2014

turienzo's lovechild said:
Genoa use the English spelling rather than the Italian "Genova"

in fact their full name is "Genoa Cricket and Football Club"

Peñarol (one of the most successful clubs in Uruguay) started life as the Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club, and for years was known as CURCC Peñarol. Their first league match was against another team from Montevideo, called 'Albion FC'.

house your seagull · Apr 25, 2014

That german article just touches the sides;

04,09, 1860 etc. = year club was founded
Alemannia = "Germany" (latin)
Arminia = another Latin term (read Tacitus)
Bayer = Bayer chemical company
Bayern = Bavaria
Blau-Weiss = Blue-White
Borussia = Bosnian-Russian exiles, or another word for "Preussen"
BSG = Betriebssportgemeinschaft = Operation Sports Union (GDR)
Carl Zeiss = Optics manufacturing firm in East Germany
Chio = Potato chip company, ex-sponsor of Waldhof Mannheim
DJK = Deutsche Jugend Kraft (catholic youth sports organization)
Dynamo = Dynamo, East German Secret Police club (GDR)
Eintracht = United
FC, FK, 1.FC (FussballKlub) = Football club, "1st" football club
Fortuna = luck
Gruen-Weiss = Green-White
Hansa = medieval city league states
Hessen = Hessia, state in Germany
Hertha = Women's name, also "the strong" : some dopey Berliner term
Holstein = province in northern Germany
KFC (Krefelder Fussball Club) = Uerdingen is district of Krefeld
MSV (Meidericher SV) = district of Duisburg
Preussen = Prussia, old state in Germany
Rot-Weiss = Red-White
Sachsen = Saxony
Sachsenring = East German auto manufacturer
Schalke = a district of Gelsenkirchen
Schwarz-Weiss = Black-White
SC (Sportclub)
SG (Spielgemeinschaft) = sport or playing union
SpFr (SportFreunde) = Friends of Sport
SpVgg (Spielverreiniggung) = "Playing union"
SSV (Spiel und Sportverein) = Games and Sports club
SV (Sportverein) = Sports club
TSV (TurnSportverein) = Gymnastics Sports Club
TuS (Turn und Sport) = Gymnastics and Sports
VfB (Verein für Bewegungsspiele) = club for "movement" sports
VfL (Verein für Leibesübungen) = club for body activities
VfR (Verein für Rasensport) = club for grass/field sports
Wacker = brave

GDR club names

Note: in the GDR, clubs were organized by industry and state departments.

Aktivist "Activist" (Strip Mining, Fuels)
Chemie "Chemistry" (Chemical, Glass, Ceramics)
Dynamo "Dynamo" (State Police and Security)
Empor "Upwards" (Consumer goods, food)
Energie "Energy" (Energy and Coal)
Einheit "Union" (State organizations, government)
Fortschritt "Progress" (Light industry and textiles)
Lokomotive "Locomotive" (Transport)
Motor "Motor" (Machine and Auto manufacturing)
Post "Postal" (Mail, News and Information)
Rotation "Rotation" (polygraphics, printing)
Stahl "Steel" (Metallurgy)
Traktor "Tractor" (Agriculture)
Turbine "Turbine" (Merchant marine, ship building)
Vorwarts "Forwards" (Armed Forces)
Wismut (a metal) (Mining)

house your seagull · Apr 25, 2014

I run a football quiz in Manchester (available for franchising opportunities, drop me a DM, we're the most popular quiz in Manchester I reckon) and we give a tenner to the best team name.

My favourite was Suspicious Mainz.

Hang on, this is a niche thread right?

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Weird German Football Team Names

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