FC 08 Homburg - History

History

In February 1913 Fussballverein Homburg and went on to take the local championship that season. By the mid 20s the side was playing second division football, but folded on 27 August 1936. A new multi-sport club known as VfL Homburg was formed 5 March 1937 out of a group of local sides that included Turnverein 1878 Homburg, Schwimmverein Homburg, Kraftsportverein Homburg, Boxclub Homburg, Tennis-Club Homburg, as well as the former membership of the defunct FV. The footballers again took up play in second tier competition and failed in two attempts (1938, 1941) to win their way through the regional promotion playoff to the first division Gauliga Südwest.

After World War II, Allied occupation authorities dissolved all types of associations in Germany, including football clubs. The club was soon re-constituted as Sportverein Homburg and captured a division championship in the Amateurliga Saarland (III) in 1948 before resuming the name FC Homburg in January 1949.

The Saarland was occupied by the French who made various efforts to see the state become independent of Germany or join France. In sport this was manifested as separate 1952 Olympic and 1954 World Cup teams for Saarland, the establishment of a short-lived football league for the state, and the German club 1. FC Saarbrücken playing in the French second division. Homburg played in the Saarland Ehrenliga from 1949 to 1951 as FC Homburg-Saar. By the time of the 1951–52 season the return of German teams to the German Football Association had been negotiated: the Ehrenliga faded away and by 1956 the independent Saarland Fussball Bund had re-joined the DFB.

A second Amateurliga Saarland title in 1957 advanced FC to the 2. Liga-Südwest (II) and in December of that year they adopted the name FC 08 Homburg/Saar. The club was relegated to the Amateurliga in 1960 which had become a fourth tier circuit by 1963.

In the late 70s the team advanced to the quarter finals of the DFB-Pokal on two occasions, and on into the early 80s moved frequently between third and fourth tier play. Then, in the second half of the decade, they enjoyed their greatest success. They played their way back to the second division and on into the Bundesliga in 1986. Homburg played two seasons there, were relegated, and returned for one final Bundesliga season in 1989–90 before beginning a gradual descent which would lead them to Oberliga Südwest (IV) where they play today.

The club had a moment of glory in 1991 when it beat FC Bayern Munich in Munich 4–2 after extra time in the first round of the 1991–92 DFB-Pokal. They were relegated from the Second Bundesliga after the 1994–95 season.

Along the way the club had a couple of misadventures. In 1988, the DFB prohibited the team from wearing the sponsorship logo of a condom manufacturer on ethical and moral grounds. In 1998, they entered into an agreement with 1. FC Saarbrücken to loan players to that team to help ease Homburg's financial pinch. Despite this, in 1999 the club had a brush with bankruptcy that led to their being denied a license to play in the Regionalliga West/Südwest (III) and demotion to the Oberliga Südwest (IV). The club qualified for the 2006–07 German Cup and went out in the first round 1–2 to Bundesliga side VfL Bochum. Homburg finally promoted to Regionalliga West after finishing champion of Oberliga Südwest ahead of FK Pirmasens with plus 2 average in 2009–10 season. The cameo return finished as 17th in Regionalliga West and returned to fifth level. But, Homburg immediately captured Oberliga Südwest title their first attempt and qualified to Regionalliga Südwest for 2012-13 season.