TSV 1860 München - last updated on 8 February 2008
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Turn- und Sportverein München von 1860 e.V.
Foundation: May 17th 1860
City: München
Colours: Sky blue and white
Website: www.tsv1860.de
Honours:
1.Bundesliga - 1 (1966)
DFB-Pokal - 2 (1942, 1964)
Oberliga Süd - 1 (1963)
2.Bundesliga Süd - 1 (1979)
2.Oberliga Süd - 2 (1955, 1957)
Oberliga Bayern - 3 (1984, 1991, 1993)
A bit of history:
The roots of the TSV's founding as a physical fitness and gymnastics association go back to a meeting held July 15, 1848 in a local pub, Buttleschen Brauerei zum Bayerischen Löwen. The club was formally established on May 17, 1860 and after mergers with a number of other local associations in 1862 was known as Turnverein München. A football department was created on March 6, 1899 and played its first matches against other squads three years later.
In 1911, the team adopted the familiar lion to their crest and in 1919 was re-named TSV München 1860. By the mid-20s they were playing competitive football in the country's upper leagues, making a national semi-final appearance in 1927. Die Löwen challenged for the championship in 1931 but dropped a 2:3 decision to Hertha BSC Berlin. Two years later they made another semi-final appearance which they lost to Schalke 04 who were on their way to becoming the dominant side in German football through the 30s and 40s.
In 1933 German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions known as Gauligen. TSV joined the Gauliga Bayern where they earned second place finishes in 1934, 1938, and 1939, before finally capturing a division championship in 1941. Their subsequent playoff appearance saw München finish second in their pool to finalist Rapid Wien. The following season they failed to advance to the national playoff rounds, but did go on to earn their first major honours by defeating Schalke 04 to capture the Tschammerpokal, known today as the German Cup. TSV returned to the national playoffs again in 1943, progressing to the quarterfinals.
After World War II, 1860 played in the top flight Oberliga Süd as a mid-table side, suffering relegation for a period of three years in the mid-50s. However, they counted when it mattered most in 1963 by winning the league championship and with it automatic entry into Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga, ahead of rivals Bayern Munich who would have to wait three seasons for their own top flight debut since the DFB did not want two teams from the same city in the new league. 1860 continued to perform well through the mid-60s: they captured their second German Cup in 1964, played the 1965 Cup Winners Cup final against West Ham – losing 0:2, came away as Bundesliga champions in 1966, and finished as vice-champions the next year.
Those performances were followed by poor showings in three consecutive seasons leading to relegation in 1970 to the Regionalliga Süd (II). It took 1860 seven years to make their way back to the first division, through a three-game play-off contest with Arminia Bielefeld, only to be immediately relegated again. A year later they were back, this time for a two year stay. Then in 1982 disaster struck as they were relegated once again and then forced into the tier III Amateur Oberliga Bayern when financial problems led to the club being denied a licence.
The club's exile from the Bundesliga would last a dozen years. They were promoted to the top flight in 1994, but found themselves in immediate danger being sent back down again. However, president Karl-Heinz Wildmoser and trainer Werner Lorant made several shrewd purchases including striker Olaf Bodden, winger Harald Cerny, playmaker Peter Nowak, and defensive stoppers Miroslav Stević, Jens Jeremies and Manfred Schwabl. Stars like Abedi Pele, Thomas Häßler and Davor Šuker played for 1860 as their careers were winding down, becoming crowd favourites and making important contributions.
Under the heavy-handed, dictatorial leadership of Wildmoser and Lorant, the combination of proven veterans and young talent helped the club avoid relegation and become a decent mid-table side. 1860 earned a fourth place Bundesliga finish in 2000 and were entered into the Champions League 3rd qualifying round where they faced Leeds United, however a 3-1 aggregate defeat saw them play in the UEFA Cup that season, advancing to the third round where they were put out by AC Parma. However, the club was unable to build on this success and after some mediocre performances by the team, trainer Lorant was fired.
After a decade in the top division, 1860 spectacularly burnt out in the 2003-04 season with a 17th place finish that returned the club to the 2.Bundesliga. Wildmoser made the extremely controversial decision to co-habitate with hated rivals Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena, a move that outraged fans and led to accusations of a sell-out. His downfall came when he and his son Karl-Heinz Wildmoser Jr. were caught in a bribery scandal around the awarding procedure for the contract to build the stadium.
In addition to flirting with relegation to the Regionalliga Süd (III) in the 2005-06 season, 1860 experienced severe financial difficulties. Stadium partner Bayern Munich bought out TSV's 50% interest in the Allianz Arena in late April 2006 for 11 million Euros, providing the club some immediate financial relief. Following this move, the DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association) was satisfied with the financial health of the club and duly issued 1860 a licence to play in the 2. Bundesliga in 2006-07.
In January 2006, TSV hired Walter Schachner as their new manager and Stefan Reuter as general manager.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
TSV 1860 München
