Rot Weiss Ahlen

RW Ahlen
Full name Rot Weiss Ahlen e. V.
Founded 1996
Ground Wersestadion, Ahlen
Ground Capacity 12,500
Chairman Dirk Neuhaus
Manager Erhan Albayrak
League Regionalliga West (IV)
2015-16 13th

Rot Weiss Ahlen is a German football club based in Ahlen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Until 2006 the club was known as LR Ahlen for its major sponsor, but underwent a name change when the sponsor withdrew its support after the team was relegated to the Regionalliga (III) in that year.

History

The club has its roots in the local sides of the early 1900s formed by coalminers who played pickup games after work. In 1917, Freie Sportclub Union (FSCU) Ahlen was founded and became one of the region's best known teams, playing in the second tier leagues of the time. The rise of the Third Reich saw the club disbanded as over three-quarters of its members were foreigners making the side politically unpalatable to the regime. A new club, Tus Germania Ahlen, was formed in 1933. This side merged with the strong local club Wacker Ahlen to create the town's largest sports association.

After World War II attempts to rebuild local teams failed until members of eight pre-war clubs came together to form Turn- und Sport Ahlen in 1948. The new side went on to many decades of routine play in the local upper leagues. In 1991, TuS were faced with a financial crisis and demotion to lower level play. A local benefactor, Helmut Spikker, helped bail the team out through the support provided by his firm, cosmetics manufacturer LR International.

Now on a firm footing TuS Ahlen enjoyed an impressive run of success through the early 90s beginning with a Berzirksliga Westfalen (VII) title in 1992 and promotion to the Landesliga Westfalen (VI). In each of the following three seasons TuS earned another championship and promotion; out of the Landesliga, through the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost (V) and Oberliga Westfalen (IV), leading to the Regionalliga West/Südwest (III).

Logos of Tus Ahlen and LR Ahlen

Leichtathletik Rasensport Ahlen was formed on 1 June 1996 when TuS Ahlen merged with Blau-Weiß Ahlen to begin play in the Regionalliga West/Südwest in 1996–97. The club's rise was stalled and they made a bid again move up by signing a number of players with Bundesliga experience for 1998–99. However, they could only manage a sixth-place finish and subsequently unloaded their expensive talent. Living more within their means, the side earned promotion with a second-place result in 1999–2000 and a 2–1 victory over 1. FC Union Berlin in the playoff round to advance to the 2. Bundesliga. Ahlen's best result came in their debut in the second tier when they ended sixth. The team slipped to become a lower tier side and lingered for another five seasons before a 17th-place result led to their demotion in 2006.

After being relegated LR Ahlen lost the support of its major sponsor and underwent a name change to become Rot Weiss Ahlen on 31 May 2006. Chairman Spikker also left the club at the end of August with his successor being vice-president Heinz-Jürgen Gosda. The team returned to 2. Bundesliga play after finishing as champions of the Regionalliga Nord in 2007–08. With the end of the 2009–10 season, Ahlen was relegated to the 3. Liga, and the following year to the fifth NRW-Liga despite a 17th-place finish outside the drop down zone because of insolvency.

Since 2012 the club has been playing in the tier five Oberliga Westfalen until a runners-up finish in 2015 earned it promotion to the Regionalliga West.

Recent seasons

Year Division Position
1999–2000 Regionalliga West/Südwest (III) 2nd (promoted)
2000–01 2. Bundesliga (II) 6th
2001–02 2. Bundesliga 8th
2002–03 2. Bundesliga 12th
2003–04 2. Bundesliga 12th
2004–05 2. Bundesliga 13th
2005–06 2. Bundesliga 17th (relegated)
2006–07 Regionalliga Nord (III) 13th
2007–08 Regionalliga Nord 1st (promoted)
2008–09 2. Bundesliga (II) 10th
2009–10 2. Bundesliga 18th (relegated)
2010–11 3. Liga 20th (original 17th;relegated due to insolvency)
2011–12 NRW-Liga 17th
2012–13 Oberliga Westfalen 9th
2013–14 Oberliga Westfalen 9th
2014–15 Oberliga Westfalen 2nd (promoted)
2015–16 Regionalliga West (IV) 13th
2016–17 Regionalliga West

Honours

The club's honours:

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Germany GK Jonathan Mellwig
5 Germany DF Christopher Heermann
6 Bosnia and Herzegovina DF Aldin Kljajic
7 Germany DF André Witt
8 Turkey MF Emre Yesilova
9 Turkey MF Emre Karaca
10 Turkey MF Cihan Yilmaz
11 Germany MF Bilal Abdallah
12 Germany DF Rafael Zapata
13 Turkey MF Ufuk Özbek
14 Germany MF Joshua Travagli
17 Germany MF Max Machtemes
No. Position Player
18 Germany DF Justin Perschmann
19 Germany MF Isaac Akyere
20 Germany FW Gianluca Marzullo
21 Germany MF Rouven Meschede
22 Germany GK Azmir Alisic
23 Germany MF Tim Kallenbach
24 Germany DF Jan Klauke
25 Turkey DF Nurettin Kayaoglu
27 Poland MF Kamil Waldoch
39 Germany FW Laurenz Wassinger
43 Turkey FW Aygün Yildirim
77 Germany MF René Klingenburg

Head Coach:

Former managers

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