Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Sportfreunde Lotte 2-2 Rot-Weiss Erfurt, Friday 12th August 2016

Saturday 13 August 2016

Sportfreunde Lotte 2-2 Rot-Weiss Erfurt, Friday 12th August 2016

Sportfreunde Lotte 2-2 Rot-Weiss Erfurt, att. 1,898 (3.liga)

Welcome to ......

After Sonnenhof Grossaspach, here comes another village team to hit the heights of 3.liga. How do Sportfreunde Lotte do it? A village (a very nice village) about 10km from Osnabruck, who’re hardly Bundesliga behemoths themselves. In fact, both are in 3.liga this season. That should be SOME derby!

The mean streets of Lotte.

Today, it’s Sportfreunde, in only their 4^th ever game at this level, versus Rot-Weiss Erfurt, one of the smaller 3.liga sides, yet the only one who’ve been resident since the division’s inception. That’s 8 seasons strong, an achievement of sorts. Erfurt is also a really nice place, far too nice for a football team. Football teams ought to come from grim, decaying towns who’ve never seen better days even when they saw better days.

The path to the stadium.

Finding the Sportfreunde stadium was and wasn’t a problem. It was, in that I’d heard the nearest rail station was Halen. It wasn’t – as a visit to a bookshop in Osnabruck showed. I couldn’t see ANY railway stations near Lotte on a local map and the tourist office confirmed it; go by bus (R31). However, it’s not a problem, since the bus goes from Osnabruck Hbf, as well as the town centre, and lands right outside the arena.

Stadium plan.

Actually, you might mistake the stadium for training facilities, so small are their floodlights. The stadium stands on your left as you enter Lotte, the other side of a cornfield. The rest of the village lies to your right. And don’t be expecting a multitude of drinking holes either. I counted two, both closed, before I happened upon a large ice cream parlour, which served beer too. I had something involving coffee, chocolate, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It was…sickly.

Advertising the main match.

The stadium is small but perfectly formed. It allegedly holds 10,000, which must be more than live in Lotte. At the last game, their 1^st ever in 3.liga, there were over 8,500 empty spaces. Yet the wonder shouldn’t be that there was so much space, rather that they got as many as 1,500 to come and watch. After all, they already have Vfb Osnabruck to support!

The away ticket booth, next to more fields.

The small main stand does at least run the length of the pitch, with two small paddocks, or shelves, at either end, where fans can stand (‘capacity 83’ I think I read on one). To its left is what looks like a brand new covered terrace. Perhaps it’s not open yet, or they’re waiting for bigger opposition. I can only imagine what the likes of MSV Duisburg will make of this place. I never saw tickets on sale for this terrace, but there were half a dozen spectators on it. Elderly ballboys?

Open for business?

Opposite is a strange, tiny, double-decker stand. There are 6 rows of seats in the upper tier, and only a few steps in the below terrace, which was closed, or just empty. Looking at the stand as you enter, it appears Sportfreunde have built the 2 end stands within the confines of a previous curve. Was it an athletics stadium in a former life?

The double-decker.

Finally, opposite the main stand is a half-covered terrace running the length of the pitch, which houses the home ultras, the away fans and a no-man’s land inbetween. It’s a shame we’re all housed in the one stand, facing the pitch, so there’s no banter between the fans. Also, the home ultras were somewhat towards the corner flag..and sounding like 20 at best. They didn’t even have a cheerleader, his (it’s always a ‘he’) perch being taken by kids. Best view in the ground.

No Man's Land; them their away fans beyond.

It was an entertaining game. RW looked slick, with their one-touch passing and breaking at pace, while Sportfreunde had the luxury of going a couple of goals up. I claim the glory here. Just as I was wondering how many times a team can kick a ball backwards or square, the centre half launched one forwards and the stocky centre forward held off a couple of weak challenges to drive it past a static keeper. HT, 1-0.

Lotte's bugler.

2^nd half, I pondered whether Sportfreunde could hold on. I was really pulling for them, village side and all, but they couldn’t get out of their own half – till they did, and they scored (header off a corner). I still fancied Erfurt’s chances though. They were just too quick and slick not to score. Yet their hopes rested on one mad moment.

A free kick was crossed into Lotte’s box and the ref gave a penalty. Not just a penalty, but a sending off. Now, if the rules of double jeopardy no longer apply, does that mean it was violent conduct? Cos it was at the far end and all I saw were players. There wasn’t much in the way of arguing about it though. 2-1.

Erfurt line up the penalty.

RW went on to equalise with 15 mins left, a flick on bundled in at the back post. Sportfreunde looked completely swamped and there was only going to be one winner, yet the game petered out thereafter. Someone must have turned the heat down on the stove, cos the pans had been bubbling.

I wonder how deliberate this was, but a 7pm KO meant perfect timing for the 9:04pm hourly service to Osnabruck (no special buses put on). No souvenirs either, he’d packed his table away outside the main stand. I’d meant to have a look pre-match, but once I’d bought my match ticket I only had one thought: the toilet. Oh well. I thoroughly enjoyed Sportfreunde; it was certainly a very different 3.liga day out.