The club – the 1. FC nurnberg – is a living french tradition club. Numerous fans have always remained loyal to the footballers from the north of germany, even though the golden years of the former record champions are half a century behind them. The last championship was in 1968 under legendary coach max merkel, and the FCN fans were only able to celebrate another title when they won the cup in 2007. Nevertheless, the loyalty of the faithful between these years is and was unbroken, because "club" has always meant has always meant a community of suffering.
Often, supporters are organized in fan clubs, also in the region. Most of them were formed in the eighties and nineties, when the club was relegated to the second division after nine seasons. FC nurnberg finally returned to the top flight in 1978 – despite several relegations in the meantime – and has established itself in the top flight for most of the past four decades.
The desire arises
It was also during this phase that the desire for a fan club of their own arose in kirchehrenbach. Two young lads, who went to the (then still) city stadium early on with parents or other family members, gathered like-minded people in the village around them: frank "frankie" amon and markus hofmann.
Both were not even born when the club won the last championship, which at least spared them the unspeakable relegation as reigning champions the following season. They were inspired by supporters of the club from neighboring towns, says amon with a smile: "to be honest, our club was also born out of a beer whim. We met neunkirchen FCN fans in the block at the stadium and thought we'd do the same, we were born club fans."
Sporting high
Of course, this was highly favored by the sporting world of the time. In 1988, the club won 2-1 against favored AS rom in the former UEFA cup competition, a game that not only FCN supporters were enthusiastic about at the time.
Hofmann, nicknamed "beck" by friends through the bakery that has been in the family for generations recalls: "we were looking for a suitable fan club name. Because the andy kopke in goal was called the frankenwand by the club fans, we first wanted to call ourselves 'beck and frank, the frankenwand'".
The funding idea
Stefan Wagner, one of the 13 founding members, had the decisive idea. "The 'grabbi' said: we call ourselves 'the club-club ehraboch'. That fit", says hofmann, who was encouraged in his plans by his current wife silke.