BFC Germania 1888 - Team Trivia

Team Trivia

• Deutscher FV 1878 Hannover is generally recognized as Germany's oldest football team but plays rugby, which shares a common origin with association football. BFC Germania 1888's claim as the country's oldest club is specific to playing association football.

BFC Germania 1888 has a rich sporting heritage and played an important role in the early development of football in Germany.

• BFC Germania 1888 players George Demmler and Fritz Boxhammer played active roles in the formation of both the BFV (Berliner Fußball-Verband or Berlin Football Federation) and the DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association). Demmler went on to help found the Deutsche Sportbehörde für Leichtathletik (predecessor of the Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband) and become its first president.

• The goalkeeper for Germany's first national side was Germania's Fritz Baumgarten – one of four club members who would be capped.

• The founders of Hertha BSC settled on their club's name as second choice to the already taken Germania.

• On 3 May 1889 a number of BFC Germania 1888 players left to form the new club BFC Marbert which was soon re-christened BFC Stern 1889.

• In 1898 BFC Germania 1888 became the first football club to form a youth department.

• German Crown Prince Wilhelm saw his first football match on 30 April 1905, a contest which pitted BFC Germania 1888 against the well-known English amateur side Civil Service London. BFC Germania 1888 won the match 3–2.