Arminia Bielefeld

Some changes will be made in the text in the near future. Some Arminia Fans told me that not everything in this text is completely correct.
Arminia is the flagship of soccer in the northern Westfalen district, and despite various travails, have maintained an active following. Certainly when you think "elevators", Arminia is one of the teams that comes to mind.

The club was founded in 1905 by Emil Schroeder, who had long been active in various local cultural clubs. He and 14 other soccer fans met in the local restaurant "Modersohn" and decided on the name Bielefelder Fussball-Club Arminia and also on the colors of white-blue-black. By 1927, the club then settled on the name Deutscher Sportclub Arminia, and began several years of decent performance and Westfalen titles.

Throughout the 1960s, Arminia remained one of the stronger 2nd division clubs, finally achieving the jump into the Bundesliga in 1969/70. Although picked for immediate relgation, they managed to survive the 1st season in the top class. However, the next year would bring disaster and disgrace. 1972 brought one of the darkest episodes in Arminia and in German soccer history. The club relegated from the Bundesliga in the 1971-72 season, but were proven to have bribed opponents to gain points. As a result, several players were banned, all games were nullified.

Despite this disaster, the club persevered, and by the end of the 70s, was knocking on the door of promotion once again. The decade closed with a tremendous run through the 2.Liga, scoring 120 goals and promotion. This run lasted till the mid 1980s, which ended in relegation and financia collapse, which led all the way back to the 4th division. But the club once again straightened things out. Starting in 94, Arminia began a series of ladder climbs that went 4-3-2-1 straight into the Bundesliga.

The 1998-99 season is best described as tenacious. Arminia was one of the co-favorites, and by an large, they played decently. The reward for their consistent play was the title and immediate return to the top league. Although they remained a tough opponent, they fell short and were immediately relegated once again. Expectations were that the club would bounce back in the second division; instead they were almost relegated again.