4th, 4th, 4th, 3rd, 3rd Twice in relegation, failed to advance five times in total. Should an HSV fan lose his nerve, you couldn’t blame him…
But: In the 1: 3 in the relegation second leg against Stuttgart there was no anger, no rioting, but 90 minutes of constant support and after the final whistle applause for the Hamburg professionals, who, after the lap of honor through the Volksparkstadion, are now doing the next lap through the lower house .
The spectacular atmosphere in Hamburg showed it again: without fans, without many and completely passionate fans, the product football is worth half at most.
The Rescue Party VideoKeep watching, Stuttgart fans!
Source: image 05.06.2023
And exactly this part of the actually terrible term “stadium experience” is also one of the main reasons why the so-called event fans pay a lot of money for their business seats and wasabi-salmon sandwiches.
Incidentally, the fact that many a nervous thumb on the (pyro) lighter provides the necessary atmospheric lighting is simply part of it – and should be brought out of the dirty corner as quickly as possible with clever and safe concepts.
Why am I telling you this? To point out that the coming season will be bloody bitter for the 1st league – and the 2nd league FANtastic!.
With Schalke (61,114) and Hertha (53,640), places 3 and 4 in the average attendance table from the 1st division have said goodbye. And in the 2nd league they meet HSV, who would have finished 5th in the 1st league (!) with 53,529 fans.
These three even figure in Europe’s top 20 viewership chart. Ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City.
In addition, Lautern, Nuremberg, Düsseldorf with a potential of a 40,000 average – that’s where the mail goes off in the ranks.
The Bundesliga gets Heidenheim (11,128) and Darmstadt (15,685). Which means that half of the top division clubs are expected to have an average attendance of under 30,000 in the new season. Mainz, Leverkusen, Augsburg, Bochum, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim, Union…
And no, before you get upset: That is not at all disrespectful towards the great fans of these clubs or towards the clubs, where better and more successful work is done almost everywhere than at the traditional clubs mentioned. There are reasons why some are in the 1st and others in the 2nd league.
But let’s be honest: Better mediocre football in front of a spectacular backdrop than tactical treats with cake forks clattering in the background. Therefore, the second division has a lot more to offer in the coming season than the first…
