Hamburger Sportsverein : One of Germany’s oldest football clubs
The club we know today as Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V (Hamburger SV) was founded in 1919 when three clubs merged. But it can trace its roots right back to the founding in 1887 of SG Germania.
Six times national champions, three times cup winners they have also won the league cup twice, as well as the European Cup Winners Cup and the European Cup – making them one of Germany’s most successful clubs.
Until 2017/18 Hamburger SV had played continuously in the top tier since the first world war and in the Bundesliga since its formation in 1963. Unfortunately finishing second to bottom last season resulted in automatic relegation to the 2 Bundesliga and the end of this proud record.
Nickname : die Rothosen (red shorts). Most fans use the initials in the name and call their club “HSV “(ha, es, fow).
Colours : blue white and black
Derby rivals : FC St Pauli
Famous players
- Uwe Seeler
- Felix Magath
- Kevin Keegan
- Markus Babbel
Going to a game
Stadium: The Volksparkstadion has a capacity of 56, 889, with 10,000 standing places. It was built in 2000 and has everything you would expect of a modern football stadium. If you have time, you might want to visit the HSV-Museum. They also put on guided tours, which you can book online here.
Tickets: There is an Online ticket shop. The instructions are in German, but the process is pretty straightforward. If you make contact by telephone or email there will be someone at the other end who can talk to you in English. The club also has its own travel agency where you can book hotel and tickets combined and fan shops in the town (eg. Schmiedestraße in the city centre) also sell tickets.
Directions: Your ticket entitles you to free travel on public transport to and from the ground. Take the S3 from the main station and get off at a stop called “Stellingen-Volksparkstadion”, where a shuttle bus will pick you up and take you to the ground. If you prefer to walk it will take you 15 minutes.
Website: www.hsv.de
What can I do before and after the game?
Visit the Maritime Museum
You can find out about Hamburg’s seafaring past in this private museum, which is housed in a refurbished warehouse.
Visit the Fischmarkt
Every Sunday from 5 to 10 am there is a fish market in a district called St Pauli where you will see all kinds of fish for sale. Next door, you can hear live music from local bands.
See the city from an open-top bus.
Red double-decker buses tour the main sites of the city and the Alster Lake. You can get on and off the bus all day.
Take a boat
You can book boat tours of the harbour, the Alster and the many canals around them.
Click here for more information.
Walk through the Altstadt
Hamburg’s old town was destroyed during the war but has been carefully restored. There is no shortage of cafes, shops, bars and restaurants. If you have time, you can book a guided walking tour of the city centre.
