Rot Weiss Ahlen facts for kids
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| Full name | Rot Weiss Ahlen e. V. | ||
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| Founded | 1996 | ||
| Ground | Wersestadion, Ahlen | ||
| Capacity | 12,500 | ||
| Chairman | Dirk Neuhaus | ||
| Manager | Björn Joppe | ||
| League | Oberliga Westfalen (V) | ||
| 2023–24 | Regionalliga West, 18th (relegated) | ||
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Rot Weiss Ahlen is a German football club from the town of Ahlen. It's located in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Before 2006, the club was known as LR Ahlen. This name came from their main sponsor. But when the sponsor left and the team moved down a league in 2006, they changed their name to Rot Weiss Ahlen.
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The Club's Beginning
Rot Weiss Ahlen started a long time ago, in the early 1900s. Coal miners in Ahlen formed local teams and played football after work. In 1917, a club called Freie Sportclub Union (FSCU) Ahlen was founded. It became one of the best teams in the area. They played in the second-highest leagues of that time.
Changes During Difficult Times
When the Third Reich came to power, FSCU Ahlen was shut down. This happened because many of its members were foreigners. The new government did not approve of this. In 1933, a new club, Tus Germania Ahlen, was formed. This club later joined with another strong local team, Wacker Ahlen. Together, they created the biggest sports group in the town.
Rebuilding After the War
After World War II, people tried to restart local football teams. In 1948, members from eight older clubs came together. They formed a new team called Turn- und Sport Ahlen. This new club played for many decades in the local top leagues.
A New Sponsor and Fast Success
In 1991, TuS Ahlen faced money problems. They were about to be moved down to a lower league. But a local supporter, Helmut Spikker, helped them out. His company, LR International, which made cosmetics, became their main sponsor.
With this new support, TuS Ahlen became very successful in the early 1990s.
- In 1992, they won the Bezirksliga Westfalen (VII) title. This moved them up to the Landesliga Westfalen (VI).
- For the next three seasons, TuS won another championship each year.
- They moved up from the Landesliga, through the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost (V), and then the Oberliga Westfalen (IV).
- This amazing climb led them to the Regionalliga West/Südwest (III).
Becoming LR Ahlen and Reaching Higher Leagues
On June 1, 1996, TuS Ahlen merged with Blau-Weiß Ahlen. They formed Leichtathletik Rasensport Ahlen, or LR Ahlen. The new club started playing in the Regionalliga West/Südwest in the 1996–97 season.
The club wanted to move up even more. For the 1998–99 season, they signed many players who had played in the top German league, the Bundesliga. However, they only finished sixth that year. So, they decided to let go of their expensive players.
By living within their means, the team earned promotion again. They finished second in 1999–2000. They won a playoff game 2–1 against 1. FC Union Berlin. This victory sent them to the 2. Bundesliga, which is the second-highest league in Germany.
Ahlen's best result in the 2. Bundesliga was finishing sixth in their first season. After that, the team slowly slipped down. They stayed in the 2. Bundesliga for five more seasons. In 2006, they finished 17th and were moved down a league.
Return to Rot Weiss Ahlen
After being relegated in 2006, LR Ahlen lost its main sponsor. On May 31, 2006, the club changed its name to Rot Weiss Ahlen. The chairman, Helmut Spikker, also left the club. Heinz-Jürgen Gosda became the new chairman.
The team returned to the 2. Bundesliga after winning the Regionalliga Nord in the 2007–08 season. However, at the end of the 2009–10 season, Ahlen was relegated to the 3. Liga. The next year, they were moved down again to the fifth-tier NRW-Liga. This happened even though they finished 17th, outside the usual relegation spots, because the club had financial problems.
In 2020, the club finished second in the Oberliga Westfalen. This earned them promotion back to the Regionalliga West.
Recent Seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Regionalliga West/Südwest (III) | 2nd (promoted) |
| 2000–01 | 2. Bundesliga (II) | 6th |
| 2001–02 | 2. Bundesliga | 8th |
| 2002–03 | 2. Bundesliga | 12th |
| 2003–04 | 2. Bundesliga | 12th |
| 2004–05 | 2. Bundesliga | 13th |
| 2005–06 | 2. Bundesliga | 17th (relegated) |
| 2006–07 | Regionalliga Nord (III) | 13th |
| 2007–08 | Regionalliga Nord | 1st (promoted) |
| 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga (II) | 10th |
| 2009–10 | 2. Bundesliga | 18th (relegated) |
| 2010–11 | 3. Liga | 20th (original 17th;relegated due to insolvency) |
| 2011–12 | NRW-Liga (V) | 17th |
| 2012–13 | Oberliga Westfalen | 9th |
| 2013–14 | Oberliga Westfalen | 9th |
| 2014–15 | Oberliga Westfalen | 2nd (promoted) |
| 2015–16 | Regionalliga West (IV) | 13th |
| 2016–17 | Regionalliga West | 15th (relegated) |
| 2017–18 | Oberliga Westfalen (V) | 14th |
| 2018–19 | Oberliga Westfalen | 9th |
| 2019–20 | Oberliga Westfalen | 2nd (promoted) |
| 2020–21 | Regionalliga West (IV) | 18th |
| 2021–22 | Regionalliga West (IV) | 10th |
| 2022–23 | Regionalliga West (IV) | 16th |
Club Achievements
Rot Weiss Ahlen has won several titles throughout its history:
- Regionalliga Nord
- Champions: 2008
- Oberliga Westfalen
- Champions: 1996, 2019
- Runners-up: 2015, 2020
- Verbandsliga Westfalen Nordost
- Champions: 1995
- Landesliga Westfalen
- Champions: 1994
- Bezirksliga Westfalen
- Champions: 1993
Current Squad
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See also
In Spanish: Rot Weiss Ahlen para niños
