Fan-owned HFC Falke attending Witton game

Saturday’s home game against Witton Albion is being attended by around 80 supporters of HFC Falke e.V., a new fan-owned club formed by supporters of Bundesliga side Hamburg SV who feel increasingly alienated from the modern game.

The move to set up the new entity was sparked by the decision by HSV members to spin off the club’s professional football section into a new company open to investors, sacrificing many of their rights as members in the process. Already disillusioned with the way the professional game has developed in recent times, that was the final straw for many HSV supporters.

Following the example set by clubs such as AFC Wimbledon, Austria Salzburg and, of course, FC United, HFC Falke was set up to offer an emotional home to HSV fans who were seeking something different – a club that stands for positive values such as democratic supporter involvement, member ownership, financial sustainability and football for fans, rather than being anti-HSV venture.

The club takes its name from two of the three clubs who originally merged to form the current HSV in June 1919 (Hamburger FC 1888 and FC Falke 1906). It was formally established on 19 June, with the founding meeting taking place on 13 July, when over 300 people signed up as founder members.

FC United member Stuart Dykes gave a presentation on FC at that meeting, whereupon the members spontaneously agreed to make a trip to Manchester the first official activity of the new club. The club are now organising a ground where they can play and recruiting players with a view to starting life in level nine of the German league pyramid at the beginning of next season.