VFC Plauen - History

History

The club was founded as 1. Vogtländischer Fußballclub Plauen and took part in the competition of the VMFV (Verband Mitteldeutschland Fußball Verein or Federation of Middle German Football Teams). They enjoyed some success in the early 30s when they captured consecutive local Vogtland division titles in 1930 and 1931. German football was re-organized into sixteen top flight divisions under the Third Reich in 1933 and VFC spent a single season in top tier play, the Gauliga Sachsen, before being relegated.

Following the end of World War II occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of all organizations in the country, including football and sports clubs. The club was re-established as SG Plauen-Süd in 1945, renamed ZSG Zellwolle Plauen in 1949, and then renamed again in 1950 to BSG Rotation Plauen. After a merger with BSG Sachsenverlag Plauen that same year, the team won promotion to East Germany's second division DDR-Liga in 1951 and played at that level until being sent down through league restructuring after the 1954–1955 season. They were again renamed in 1954, becoming BSG Wismut Plauen.

Plauen returned to second division play in 1964 as BSG Motor WEMA Plauen where they delivered uneven results until being relegated in 1973. They would languish in lower division play until a resurgence that would come about soon after German re-unification in 1990 that would begin with the side re-claiming its traditional identity as 1. VFC 1990 Plauen. A championship in the Landesliga Sachsen (V) was followed by a dismal campaign in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd that saw the club give up 108 goals while netting only 12 and finishing dead last in the division. VFC soon recovered, earning a second Landesliga title in 1994 to return to the Oberliga. In 1996 a successful campaign there led to another title and promotion to the third division Regionalliga Nordost. The club once again found itself sent down through league restructuring in 2000, landing in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd (IV) where they play today.

VFC has been one of the most dominant teams in the division over the past several seasons, consistently earning top three finishes. In 2004 they finished atop the table and took part in qualification play for the Regionalliga Nord (III) but failed to advance after being beaten by the reserve side of Hertha BSC Berlin on goal difference (2:4, 3:2). Finishing third in the 2007/08 season, Plauen qualified for the reformed Regionalliga Nord.

Among the club's recent achievements are Sachsenpokal wins in 1999 and 2004, as well as another appearance in the final in 2006. Their cup victories led to participation in the German Cup tournament: in 1999 they were able to advance out of the first round with a 1:0 win over Alemannia Aachen before being put out 1:2 by Stuttgarter Kickers; in 2004 they went out early against Arminia Bielefeld (1:2).