Leicester City and VfL Bochum - Blue and White Friendship

[SemperEadem]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

So how did this friendship start?

Here are some words I wrote for a magazine which recently highlighted the link.

 

What are the origins of the friendship and how did you get involved?

 

It all started in 2008 with the first trip a home game agianst Energie Cottbus. A Leicester lad walked into a Bochum pub, Bierkutscher (RIP), whilst over in the Pott groundhopping. Nearly 10 years on from that game a friendship has since developed into one in which large numbers of Bochum and Leicester fans travel to support each other’s teams regularly. Strong personal friendships have formed with weddings being attended and holidays together planned. 

After the first game a thrilling 3.3 draw the foundations of the friendship set, trips soon followed to; Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Hansa Rostock in the first years of the friendship. Over in England Germans came to away games against Millwall, Crystal Palace and West Brom. A shared passion was formed.

 

Personally I got involved after seeing a thread about the friendship on a Leicester City forum. Messages were exchanged and myself and friend joined onto a trip with about 20 going over for a home game against Eintracht Braunschweig. I feel for me it was very much a sliding doors moment as from then on I have become deeply involved in maintaining the friendship and helping facilitate the trips back and forth. A lot of those who travel from Leicester are also members of the supporters group Union FS. Union FS in Leicester are the visual part of the friendship, displaying tifo anniversaries and both stickers and flags.

 

 

How regularly do fans travel to each other's games and how many supporters are usually involved in the trips?

 

 

The friendship kicked off massively around 2013-14 time with trips a much more regular occurrence. Prior to that they were once or twice a season we are now looking at more like six or seven. Tickets especially when coming to Leicester are particularly hard to come by following the clubs dramatic rise up the Premier League to where they are now as arguably an established top half team. This has lead to visits now being smaller in numbers of guys coming over but more frequently. Gone are the days of being able to source 30+ tickets for a single match for the Bochumers.

When we are travelling to Bochum numbers are increasing year on year. I think this is partly down to the rise in English football fans realising that the match day experience over here falls well far below what is it on the continent. It's a cliche but Dortmund and the yellow wall is something which catches peoples interest.

Not too long ago Millwall hosted Bochum in a pre season game. This was the perfect opportunity for those who were possibly unsure about the whole thing and it kind of became a taster for trips. Both sets of fans- Leicester and Bochum drank and mixed together in the more familiar circumstances of Euston Road and London Bridge. I think it moved some off the fence once they experienced the warm welcome. 

 

What's your experience of travelling over there?

 

Really varied. From large away supports down in Munich or up in Hamburg to being a with few hundred on a Friday night in Kaiserslautern. I have travelled on club busses to Derby games against Bielefeld and being part of groups where Bochum fans have done airport runs to and from Dortmund and Dusseldorf airports to make our trips as smooth as possible.

 

And what's your favourite memory of being there?

 

In Germany I would say some of the Sonderzug trips. One that particularly stands out was the long trip south to Munich to watch Bochum vs 1860 Munich. For many it was their first Sonderzug experience although some members had previously done the Munich and Sankt Pauli ones. For those who had never had the pleasure of one of these trips their eyes were really opened to one aspect of German football culture. The nightclub carriage became a firm favourite, getting plied with 

mexikaner shots whilst the house music was belted out.

 

For me also I felt so proud having Bochum guys with us on Leicester's Champions League European tour. Nearly 10 guys and girls were over in Brugge for our first ever Champions League game. Trips to Copenhagen and Porto were also made with Bochum present with us. They travelled all over Europe without tickets just to share those moments with us, fantastic. Copenhagen in particular had some of the original friendship guys present at.

 

How is the friendship organised among fans of both clubs?

 

There is a facebook page ____ which broadly pushes it. Then on either side it's things like social media group chats which keeps things active and where trips are planned out. We are lucky that we have pubs both in Leicester and Bochum which show each others games where possible. 

 

To what extent is the friendship supported by both clubs?

 

From the Bochum side of things, really well. The club there have published articles on the website and at the 10 year anniversary point offered us to come onto the pitch at halftime. There has been whispers of a friendly game being offered by them which instead Leicester took up an offer from Borussia Monchengladbach instead.

I think with fan friendship still being quite an alien concept on our shores Leicester the club are at little hesitant. They have on the odd occasion touched on it in the club magazine and offered to send a video team over on a trip. That offer of the video we had to politely decline as i'm not sure the footage would be quite what they are after unless they wanted to see beer and sausage in copious amounts. In more recent times their attitude has been to push the 'King Power Family' link with OHL Leuven. Leuven now share the same owners as Leicester. The clubs have manufactured a link between the club which is far from organic. 

 

What do you think fans of both clubs have in common?

 

 

Our grounds are similar in that both are bowls. The Ruhrstadion will be forever jealously viewed by Leicester fans due to the magnificent Ostkurve. English fans pine to return to stadiums which contain terraces. There is a really feeling and atmosphere in and around the Ruhrstadion. The graffiti and stickered up walls and toilets give off a ‘true’ feeling of the club’s home. Many Leicester fans are struggling to accept Filbert Way as home nearly 20 years after Filbert Street was torn down.

 

Christian Fuchs is currently the only player to have played for both clubs. Fuchs recently had this to say on the friendship: ''I definitely think it is something special and they journeys they go on together sounds incredible. Bochum fans can definitely compare their club to ours (Leicester) because they know what it is like to be fighting against relegation. 

“The fans share these emotions and both Bochum and Leicester fans have been through before.' Bochum itself is a club that goes up and down in the Bundesliga. It has similar characteristics to Leicester where it's not the biggest two clubs but ones with lots of passion and both have very honest people there.”

 

 

Apart from sharing the same colours and after both having ‘underdog tags’ the history of both clubs is very similar excluding the miracle of 2016 for the Foxes. Before winning the league they had three trips into Europe - playing Atletico Madrid twice and Red Star Belgrade. Winners of the League Cup four times, the FA Cup has evaded the Foxes much like the DFB Pokal has the VfL. In fact Leicester has the unenviable tag of playing in the most FA Cup finals (four) without winning it.

 

What do you like most about the experience of watching football over there?

 

I enjoy the sense that Bochum is a club which really does have it's fans and the community still very much central to it. It's not a Dortmund or a Schalke but that's totally fine and there is real beauty in that. Just like on the club mottos there it's a place 'Where the heart still counts'. Plus of course being able to stand on a terrace having paid £12 for the pleasure and having a beer in hand at that moment is fantastic. I admire the history and levels of the fan culture their. The politics, hierarchy and self policing which comes with this.

Plus just the pleasure of going to visit friends in Bochum, walking into pubs and see Leicester scarves and shirts hung with pride on walls is something that is really heart warming. 

 

 

What would you say to any fellow fans wanting to make the trip?

 

Absolutely do come and get involved. Bochum and Leicester have something very special between the clubs.

[Raj]

Very interesting concept, being a 50 year old abit out the normal regarding fans friendship.

BUT sounds great and at the end of the day we all love the sport and the last couple of years has proved without the fans it's nothing.

Good luck with it all

[Voll Blau]

28 minutes ago, Raj said:

Very interesting concept, being a 50 year old abit out the normal regarding fans friendship.

BUT sounds great and at the end of the day we all love the sport and the last couple of years has proved without the fans it's nothing.

Good luck with it all

We've had blokes in their fifties (and older!) come over to Germany with us and they've loved every minute of their time there. You're treated like royalty the second they find out you're Leicester.

 

So delighted about the promotion for the mates I've got over there. It's going to be more difficult to get tickets for people over here now, but hopefully the standard of football on offer (the gulf in quality between their top two leagues is bigger than ours, for me) will entice a few more to get involved. Bundesliga kick-off times being much better than second division ones helps too!

[SemperEadem]

On 25/05/2021 at 11:46, SemperEadem said:

A little banner for the guys over there. After 11 years they are back in the top flight.

This wen't down a storm with Bochum fans.

Also really great to read some comments on the facebook from lads on our side of things talking about wanting to go over there.

[promised land]

2 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

This wen't down a storm with Bochum fans.

Also really great to read some comments on the facebook from lads on our side of things talking about wanting to go over there.

Just had to google translate that first word, was that banner held up here?

 

 How does the language barrier go? I know Europeans speak English far better than we learn other languages, in fact as a country we are quite ignorant to all the countries close by, in learning. I'm too old and a tea totaller now so I'd stick out like a sore thumb but it sounds a great weekend away. Fair play to all that make the crossing on either side.

[SemperEadem]

9 minutes ago, promised land said:

Just had to google translate that first word, was that banner held up here?

 

 How does the language barrier go? I know Europeans speak English far better than we learn other languages, in fact as a country we are quite ignorant to all the countries close by, in learning. I'm too old and a tea totaller now so I'd stick out like a sore thumb but it sounds a great weekend away. Fair play to all that make the crossing on either side.

Yeah was done by our lot and help up near Brauny Gate.

 

Can honestly say as Voll has alluded to above you really would not stick out being old or what not. A huge mix bag have travelled and it now is much more than Union FS guys in their 20’s & 30’s going over. Young and old with blokes going with their Dad’s etc.

 

German’s to a man speak fantastic English and it does put us to shame really on that front. Same as anywhere if you try a little it goes a long way.

[Soup]

2 hours ago, promised land said:

Just had to google translate that first word, was that banner held up here?

 

 How does the language barrier go? I know Europeans speak English far better than we learn other languages, in fact as a country we are quite ignorant to all the countries close by, in learning. I'm too old and a tea totaller now so I'd stick out like a sore thumb but it sounds a great weekend away. Fair play to all that make the crossing on either side.

You'll never be too old mate and you don't have to drink yourself to death either to have an amazing time. In fact I've cut down on the booze about 80% so my next trip will be different. At least I'll get to remember it as that hasn't always been.the case

[Finnaldo]

Was planning on going either back end of the 19/20 season or start of this season last year, but obviously the pandemic but a stop to that. Any of the FS lads have any idea when it’s likely Germany will be ready to have fans back in the stadium? 

[SemperEadem]

32 minutes ago, Finnaldo said:

Was planning on going either back end of the 19/20 season or start of this season last year, but obviously the pandemic but a stop to that. Any of the FS lads have any idea when it’s likely Germany will be ready to have fans back in the stadium? 

Just asked a few guys and they think October time for a full stadium.

[SemperEadem]

First trips post Covid are starting to happen. 

Trips booked for Koln away and Hertha Berlin at home.

[SemperEadem]

 

A well travelled banner. From being hand painted in Bochum and shown just after we won the league. To a wedding in North Wales for a main friendship guy. Then on to Wembley and Brugge before being hung at Filbert Way for a season or too. It got another outing yesterday.

[BenTheFox]

Me and a few others heading over this weekend for the game against Frankfurt. Should be tasty!

[SemperEadem]

18 hours ago, BenTheFox said:

Me and a few others heading over this weekend for the game against Frankfurt. Should be tasty!

A good few coming the other way for the Liverpool game at Christmas time.

[SemperEadem]

On 18/10/2021 at 14:37, BenTheFox said:

Me and a few others heading over this weekend for the game against Frankfurt. Should be tasty!

What a wicked weekend.

Bowled over by how happy and welcoming everyone was. Leicester scarves so noticeable up in pubs and loads wearing them in the ground.

Cracking result too.

Edited 26 October 2021 by SemperEadem

[lfu]

Bochum are selling an esports shirt inspired by their classic 90s rainbow designs, tempted to buy one!

edit: If anyone else in the UK is interested in buying one, send me a PM - I could order some in bulk to lessen the burden of international shipping costs.

 

https://shop.eventimsports.com/vflbochum1848/esports-trikot-21-22.html

Edited 29 October 2021 by lfu

[SemperEadem]

Some words from the German lads over in Belgium this week.

“A wreath laid by VfL Bochum and Leicester City fans at Ypres today. We always remember, and friendship will triumph over enmity.

Never again.”

[SemperEadem]

Providing the weather has not stopped them getting there believe some guys are going over from the Leicester side to the game vs Freiburg today.

 

Fingers crossed any possible imminent German lockdown doesn’t stop the plans for the lads who are going over for the Derby next month vs Dortmund. Seriously jealous of that one. Will be a hate filled fixture.

 

I know of a Bochum fan who booked on for the Liverpool league game whilst in the away end on the terrace at Leverkusen last weekend after chatting to some others who are flying over for it.

[SemperEadem]

7 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Providing the weather has not stopped them getting there believe some guys are going over from the Leicester side to the game vs Freiburg today.

 

Fingers crossed any possible imminent German lockdown doesn’t stop the plans for the lads who are going over for the Derby next month vs Dortmund. Seriously jealous of that one. Will be a hate filled fixture.

 

I know of a Bochum fan who booked on for the Liverpool league game whilst in the away end on the terrace at Leverkusen last weekend after chatting to some others who are flying over for it.

Boris probably just ended the chance of the Christmas trip for them.

[BenTheFox]

I was sent my Membership card today. That enables me to vote on issues concerning the club as part of the German 50+1 rule. The issue is they sent mine to my friend's and my friend's to mine. It's not really an issue but it's nice to see that it's not just Leicester's ticket office that do things like that. 

[Stadt]

Marcel, “Mac” to almost everybody, was a friend of mine and a group of other Leicester fans that have forged a strong friendship with VfL Bochum fans in Germany. He’d visited Leicester on multiple occasions and managed some away trips too, including Brugge ticketless, Liverpool away on our minibus and others too. 

 

Mac was such a warm, infectious character - genuinely, he was always smiling, laughing & joking. He had time for absolutely everyone but did his utmost for us City fans. He’d always offer to pick Bochum-bound Leicester fans up from the airport, offer you some homemade Mexikanas and buy you a drink. A truly kind soul.

 

Over the years many of us have shared great moments, goals, laughter, currywurst and lots of Fiege with Mac.
Tragically, Mac passed away after being hospitalised when hit by a car on Saturday night following the Bochum game.

 

Devastatingly, Marcel recently married and had his first child, a daughter, 18 months ago. He’ll leave an indelible presence with his young family.

Bochum and Leicester fans have created a fundraiser to support his family in this difficult time, if you could spare anything, the price of a pint or something more, myself, Mac’s friends and family would be incredibly grateful. The link to fundraiser is below.

 

Rest in peace Mac, you’ll be missed deeply.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/in-memory-of-mac/backers?fbclid=IwAR3Hx7SQ8r9Ghf2JuSpas0Orzn2fB31QfXl3stnbzJtC2erYOofDS1t2OCo#start

 

[Bert]

RIP, Mac. 

[SemperEadem]

17 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Marcel, “Mac” to almost everybody, was a friend of mine and a group of other Leicester fans that have forged a strong friendship with VfL Bochum fans in Germany. He’d visited Leicester on multiple occasions and managed some away trips too, including Brugge ticketless, Liverpool away on our minibus and others too. 

 

Mac was such a warm, infectious character - genuinely, he was always smiling, laughing & joking. He had time for absolutely everyone but did his utmost for us City fans. He’d always offer to pick Bochum-bound Leicester fans up from the airport, offer you some homemade Mexikanas and buy you a drink. A truly kind soul.

 

Over the years many of us have shared great moments, goals, laughter, currywurst and lots of Fiege with Mac.
Tragically, Mac passed away after being hospitalised when hit by a car on Saturday night following the Bochum game.

 

Devastatingly, Marcel recently married and had his first child, a daughter, 18 months ago. He’ll leave an indelible presence with his young family.

Bochum and Leicester fans have created a fundraiser to support his family in this difficult time, if you could spare anything, the price of a pint or something more, myself, Mac’s friends and family would be incredibly grateful. The link to fundraiser is below.

 

Rest in peace Mac, you’ll be missed deeply.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/in-memory-of-mac/backers?fbclid=IwAR3Hx7SQ8r9Ghf2JuSpas0Orzn2fB31QfXl3stnbzJtC2erYOofDS1t2OCo#start

 

Beautiful words. 

[Voll Blau]

There's not much more I can add to what @Stadt has said in that lovely tribute there. Mac was a one of a kind, a real character known and loved by so many in Bochum and those of us in Leicester who were fortunate enough to know him too.

 

I was only chatting to him on Friday night ahead of the derby against Dortmund, which obviously he was so excited for. It's no consolation at all, but I'm glad he got to enjoy that day with his mates at least.

 

He loved his trips over here to "The Island" (as he always called it) and I know was planning to get to his next City game as soon as he could. Beyond devastated for his family and his many, many friends. I'll be wearing the t-shirt and scarf from the fan club he ran (Block Q Supporters) with pride tonight in memory of a fantastic bloke. RIP Mac.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

A truly great man who will be missed deeply. Any City fan who visited the Rhurstadion will have been treated like royalty by Mac. RIP.

[Out Foxed]

donated

sorry to hear the news

r.i.p.