Back to the many treasures in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Everyone knows the wonderful and magnificent Grotenburg stadion where KFC Uerdingen 05 is playing, but unfortunately this was completely closed when we were in front of the gates. We do intend to go back very soon as there are redevelopment plans for the ground. On the way to this one, we also visited the Hubert-Houben-Kampfbahn. A mouthful, but yet again an absolute gem just across the border in Germany.
KTSV Preußen Krefeld 1855 is the second biggest team in Krefeld and definitely the team to let your youngster get a solid training. It's also the result of mergers between about six teams. Here's how it all went... In 1904 FC Preußen 1904 Crefeld was founded and without any major ups nor downs they played in the regional leagues. Right up 1911 when they merged with Crefelder FC 1895. They were founded in 1895 (obviously) and did make it to the top league in Nordrhein-Westfalen in 1905. Apart from one year they stayed there until the merger in 1911. The new team name became Crefelder FC Preußen 1895.
The team moved from the Nordrhein league to the Südrhein league and started playing in the first division. Soon they relegated to the second division and in 1915 they moved back to the Nordrhein league. During the war the leagues were split up in regional leagues and CFC Preußen won the first year. Rivals VfB 04 Crefeld won the year after. After the war CFC Preußen was put in the Westrhein leagues, but that only existed for one year. After their relegation that year, they promote back again in 1922 but then in the Niederrhein leagues. In 1924 they won that division and they qualified for the West German play offs. In the finals they lost unfortunately.
After a few good years, the results started to go down. Until 1933 that is, when the NSDAP party ruled Germany and completely redesigned the football structure. CFC Preußen 1895 decided themselves to merge with rivals VfL 1904 Krefeld. That team was founded in 1904 as FC Vorwärts 1904 Crefeld. In 1910 the name was changed into VfB 04 Crefeld. After a few good years where they had to battle with CFC Preußen they merged in 1920 with ATSV Rhenania 1904 Crefeld, which was already a merger on its own between FC Rhenania 1904 Crefeld and ATSV Crefeld in 1919. In the beginning the new team name was VfB Rhenania 1904 Crefeld, but was changed into VfL 1904 Crefeld. The merger in 1933 created VfL Preußen Krefeld 1895. Quickly they relegated from the Gauliga Niederrhein and although they came close very often, they would never come back again.
In 1949 finally a last merger happened. VfL Preußen Krefeld 1895 merged with the older Krefelder Turnverein 1855 and the new team name became the current KTSV Preußen Krefeld 1855. The merger didn't have the good effect and the team started to go down the leagues. It went from the Oberliga, via the Landesliga and the Bezirksliga to the Kreisliga (seventh division at that time). BUt as of 1984 the team would go up again. In 1989 they promoted to the Verbandsliga (fourth division) and in 1991 another promotion followed to the Oberliga Nordrhein (third division). But ever since the team fell back due to bad sportive results and financial problems to the Bezirksliga. They are still fighting for their way back to the higher leagues though.
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