Huttenheim wants out of the shadows
The village of huttenheim, with its 600 inhabitants, is quiet and tranquil in many respects. The wine village on the kitzingen county border that pays to willanzheim is not necessarily known for fubball. Last year, SV huttenheim missed out on a place in the A-class by just two points. At the end of this round, the club is expected to emerge from the shadows of the B-class into the light again. That would be a precision landing just in time for the club’s 50th anniversary in the summer.
"It was," says sporting director stephan stadtelmeyer. But just before the game at the so far unbeaten class leader TSV gobmannsdorf, the huttenheimers, who have nine points, but are also two games behind, have made a mistake. The opening match against the second team of FC eibelstadt in the district league was a 3-2 loss. Sporting director stadtelmeyer blames adverse conditions for his club in recent weeks. "That was our first game ever after the winter break. In the preparation we could not play at all, first because of the weather, then once the scheduled opponent canceled at short notice because of personnel problems."
He also observed a bit too much nervousness among the players of trainer edwin knaus. In addition, a constant in the game of the huttenheimer had to leave the field early because of an injury with defensive chief andreas schlegel, of all people. Stadtelmeyer bakes rather smaller bread for sunday, and not only because of the opener."No, we are not the favorite. Gobmannsdorf was already the better team in the first leg 2:2. It’s going to be a tough game, we can’t lose if we want to become champions."
With 103 goals scored in 15 games so far, gobmannsdorf’s offensive prowess is particularly strong. "We have to try to make up for it with our fighting spirit," says the sports director, who once played for points with his two brothers as an all-rounder at the village club.
The 43-year-old is no longer able to play himself, not least because of his knee. For that he likes to be involved in the association like his brother. Wolfgang, the older (47) and former libero, has been chairman of the club since 1999; the younger of the three, matthias, former goalkeeper, is also a member of the board. "The club is our hobby, we probably inherited it from our father. He was there at the beginning, we grew into it later," explains stephan stadtelmeyer.
Spab does the same to him in the B class. In the lowest, often little-appreciated league, "not everything is bad. It’s more fun when you win 14 games than when you lose 14."In the team, which apart from a few exceptions consists of locals, there is great cohesion, regardless of class. This was impressively demonstrated again just last week after the defeat, says stadtelmeyer. "They are like pitch and sulfur."It consists of old warhorses like goalkeeper ronny schmidt, frank koller or goaljager christian darr, the bulk is in the age of 18 to 26 years.
The sports director is not worried about the future. "We already have the ambition to play in a higher class again. If it does not work this year, then next year."The groundwork has been laid, and trainer edwin knaus has already agreed to play in the next round. The 55-year-old from seinsheim, who has been in huttenheim since 2005, likes it there. "Edi feels right at home with us. In the meantime, he even sings in the local choir, which is great fun for him," says stadtelmeyer.
Knaus still wears his soccer shoes from time to time, but only for training. But it would be good and important to strengthen the squad of players. "We just don’t have an old men’s team or a reserve team. That’s our shortcoming, if three or four are missing, it’s already tight."Even in gobmannsdorf we will probably not be able to play with our best team, fears the sports director. Nevertheless, he and his club want to keep their eyes on the A-class goal. If necessary it goes evenly as second highly.
