Stuttgarter Kickers — Terrace Edition

Words: Julián R

Images: Julián R

Stuttgarter Kickers are a historical german team, founded in 1899, which reached a peak at the end of the 80’s and beginning of the 90’s.

They played for two years in the Bundesliga and even reached the 1987 Cup final, which they lost 3 -1 against Hamburg.

Their stadium, Auf der Waldau, is the oldest in Germany where football has been played without interruption.

It is located up the valley, near a forest in the neighbourhood of Degerloch and just below the TV tower, one of the symbols of the city.

I am Spanish and when I came to live in Stuttgart, I didn’t know anything about them.

©Julian R/ Terrace Edition. Stuttgarter Kickers.

But soon I realized some ads in the city advertising their games and as a curious football fan, I gave it a try.

After attending my first matches, I quickly got infected by the “blue” bug.

Kickers are proud of being a community team. Examples of this are the regular meetings that they organize with coach and players and after-match parties

What I like the most, at the end of every home game, the players go round the stadium clapping hands with each and every fan.

It is not easy to be a fan of Kickers in Stuttgart, where most of the population support our neighbours, VfB Stuttgart.

But the fact of being a minority gives us more sense of belonging.

Both at home and away games, it is very easy to get to know other fans, who usually have a similar view about football, far from the hyper commercialized modern football of our time.

It has been a great way of integrating in Germany.

Kickers also have an ultra group, the Blaue Bomber, who support and give colour and ambience to the games.

Like many ultra groups in Germany, they also engage in social activities. The group has recently celebrated their 30 anniversary.

In the period of time I have been supporting Kickers, I have experienced sad and very happy moments.

Sad moments were the relegations to the 4th division (2016) and to the 5th division (2018), two failed play-off promotions to the 4th division (2019 and 2022), and a defeat in the last match of the 23-24 season in Homburg which meant we failed to go up to the 3rd division.

But I always say that defeats make you appreciate the victories much more.

Among the happiest moments were the Regional Cup title in 2022, which gave us access to the German cup next season and the Oberliga Championship in 2023 that meant the long-awaited promotion to the 4th division after 5 years!

Hopefully many more to come!

If you want to experience a more authentic football, head up the valley, to the Waldau and maybe you will be able to fall in love again with the football you once used to know!