History
The side has its origins in the establishment of the gymnastics club Turnverein Mettlach in 1885. A football department was formed in 1920 and became independent in 1923. Following World War II all organizations across the country, including sports and football associations, were ordered disbanded by occupying Allied authorities. The team was re-established 12 May 1946 as Spielvereinigung Mettlach out of the former memberships of several local clubs and resumed its traditional identity as Sportverein 1920 Mettlach in 1950.
Following the war the Saarland was occupyied by France and administered as the Saar protectorate. Although still considered part of Germany, the state was subject attempts to make it part of France or to create a separate country there until it was re-united with Germany following a 1955 plebiscite. This was manifested in football through the establishment of a league structure separate from Germany's German Football Association (Deutsche Fussball Bund), the appearance of the region's top sides in French competition, and the formation of a national side that took part in qualification play for the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
After the 1950–51 season, Saarland's domestic football competition was re-integrated with Germany's. SV remained in lower level local play until advancing to the 2. Amateurliga Saar/West (III) in 1957. Mettlach fielded competitive sides through the late 50s and early 60s earning a string of top three finishes in third and fourth tier play. Following the formation of the top flight Bundesliga in 1963 the club's performance deteriorated.
By the early 1980s SV was part of the Verbandsliga Saarland (IV) and would continue to compete as a fourth tier side there and in the Oberliga Südwest (IV) until the turn of the millennium. Mettlach made appearances in the opening rounds of the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1985 and 1994. The team slipped to what had become the fifth tier Verbandsliga Saar in 2002, and recently won its way back to Oberliga play for 2008–09 but lasted for only one season before being relegated down to the new Saarlandliga.
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