FC Mulhouse - History

History

Football Club de Mulhouse was founded in 1893 under the name Fussball Club Mülhausen by two young Englishmen enrolled at the Mulhouse Chemistry School in Mülhausen, Alsace-Lorraine in Germany. The students introduced the sport to their fellow students and a club was, subsequently, formed. In 1901, they were joined by a group of footballers known as the "Young Boys" from the Oberrealschule Gymnasium. The team was a member of the VSFV (German: Verband Süddeutscher Fussball Vereine or Federation of South German Football Clubs) by 1904. The club suffered through a financial crisis in 1905–06 but survived to play on.

After World War I France reclaimed the territory of Alsace from Germany and FC Mülhausen became part of the regional top flight Division d'Honneur – Alsace as FC Mulhouse where the club captured the division title in 1921 and finished as vice-champions in 1926. Mulhouse then put together a string of five consecutive division titles from 1928 to 1932. The 1932 regional title was parlayed into a win in the Coupe Sochaux, also known as the Challenge Peugeot, one of the predecessors of the national championship competition first staged the following season.

After the re-organization of French football into a national system FCM played a single season in the First Division/Group A before being relegated. They played their way back to the top flight in 1934 until again being relegated in 1937.

With the onset of World War II and re-conquest of Alsace by Germany FCM returned to that country's football competition in the regional first division Gauliga Elsaß in 1941. They quickly became the dominant side there capturing titles in 1941, 1943, and 1944, but were not able to follow up with any success in the German national championship playoff rounds, being eliminated in the early going on each occasion. Play in the Gauliga was suspended part way through the 1944–45 season as Allied armies advanced into Germany.

Following the war FCM was once again returned to French football to play a single season in the second division before slipping to amateur level play where they would remain until 1970. The club struggled through six seasons in the second division over the course of the decade. However, their performance impoved in the 80s and Mulhouse became a solid second division side earning single season turns in the top flight in 1982–83 and 1989–90. Through the early 90s the club played as FC Mulhouse Sud-Alsace and continued to play second tier football until relegated in 1998. A financial crisis followed and the club was bankrupted in 1999, then re-organized as an amateur side the following season. In 2005 the club was promoted from the CFA 2 (V) to the fourth division CFA (Championnat de France Amateurs), the country's highest amateur class, where they play today.