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Getting to know our hosts - Nulldrei and Dynamo

Getting to know our hosts - Nulldrei and Dynamo Just weeks after the disappointment of the play-off final, it’s time for FC United to say auf wiedersehen to the 2012/2013 season with two games in Germany this coming weekend. Craig Phillips provides this preview about our hosts…

United got the exciting news midway through the season that we had been invited to play the two friendly games against SV Babelsberg and Dynamo Dresden and since then the trip has been something the United faithful have been eagerly waiting for.

It is the fourth time that we have been invited to take our own style of ‘punk football’ to Germany with Lokomotive Leipzig hosting us in May 2006, Marburg in June 2008 and St Pauli in May 2010. After three years away, this double-header is looking extra special.

The weekend starts on Friday evening as we play SV Babelsberg 03 at the Karl-Leibknecht Stadion. The club; who are known as Nulldrei (The zero three), were originally formed in 1903 as Sport-Club Jugendkraft 1903 and, after several merges and names changes over the years, became Sportverein Babelsberg 03 in 1991 after the unification of Germany.

Over the next decade, the club steadily grew and this culminated in 2001 when a second placed finish saw them promoted to 2.Bundesliga for the first time in their history, and the club also played its first games in the German Cup in 2000 and 2001.

They finished at the bottom of the table and by 2003–04 had fallen all the way back to the Oberliga Nordost-Nord (IV). The club declared bankruptcy in 2003 but managed to continue playing through the adoption of a creditor supported bankruptcy plan, and in 2010 were promoted back to the Third Liga. However, Nulldrei finished last season in 19th place and will play their football back in the Regionallig Nordost next season.

After Friday’s game the Reds make their way to Dresden for a Sunday clash with Dynamo at the Gluckgas Stadion to finish off what has been another fantastic season in fantastic surroundings.

Dynamo were formed in 1953 and our visit forms part of the club’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Dynamo have an illustrious history, which includes being champions of the DDR-Oberliga (league) eight times as well as being a joint record holding seven times winner of FDGB-Pokal (cup).

The club were regular participants in European competition during their glory period and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup in 1988/1989 beating AS Roma on the way before losing out to VFB Stuttgart. In their last appearance in European competition in the 1990/1991 they lost to that season’s European Cup winners; Red Star Belgrade.

Dynamo also have an illustrious list of former players including Jens Jeremies, Ulf Kirsten, Alexander Zickler and Mathias Sammer, who won the European Player of the Year in 1997. In 2011, Dynamo were promoted to the 2.Bundesliga and last season they finished in 16th place.

One of the key features of Dynamo over the years is their passionate support, and they have one of the best followings in the league. This has sometimes seen them hit the headlines for the wrong reasons over the years with bans and games behind closed doors as punishment, but we anticipate a great atmosphere between both sets of passionate fans on Sunday.

The trip should help sooth some of the play-off final disappointment and hopefully put some bounce back into what will be another vital season for the Reds both on and off the pitch as we look to gain promotion to the Conference North whilst building our own ground and community facility in Moston.

Creating entertaining, accessible football with a great atmosphere is part of the reason why our club has gained admirers from all over the world since its formation in 2005. Hopefully, we’ll soon be able to invite fellow members of the punk football family over to Manchester to experience our ‘red revolution’ in our new home but for now, we can enjoy being the guests of our Germany cousins once more.

Bringen auf United!


First Posted ~ 12:26 Tue 28 May 2013
News ID ~ 4923
Last Updated ~ 16:00 Fri 19 Feb 2021