A bit of England in the east stand!
A bit of England in the east stand!
Berlin - Because of ageing stadiums, over-priced match tickets amongst other things, a group of young Brits have turned their backs on English football. English football had according to the group become an event only for top earners, which has priced true-blooded fans out of the market. It is a reason why many traditional English football fans are forced to follow their teams on a TV screen at nearby pubs or at home. Chris Kemp and his mates began to search for an affordable alternative in Europe. In 2010 they fell in love with a tradition-steeped club named after an old steam ship: Hertha BSC!
On matchday 32 of the 2009/10 season Hertha lost 0-1 at home to Schalke in front of a bumper crowd of 61,902 at the Olympic stadium. Despite the disappointment of defeat, the small group of Brits at the game caught the "Hertha virus" and have been "infected" ever since: "The fantastic Olympic stadium, the culture of the Hertha fans, and being able to enjoy a beer inside the stadium. it was all perfect", remembers Kemp.
First Hertha fan club in England
Before returning to England after the Schalke game, the lads had made a decision - to join an official Hertha fan club. That proved difficult so the lads formed their own: The"Hertha BSC UK Fan Club Est.2010" was founded and has enjoyed increasing popularity ever since.
"Now we have around 25 members from Great Britain. People from Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leicester and London meet up with us to become a part of Hertha. We try to watch three games per season at the Olympic stadium, but we go to away games too", revealed founding member Chris Kemp. One of those games was of course the recent 2-2 derby draw at home to cross-town rivals Union Berlin, which turned out to be the game of the year not only for locals, but also some more than welcome guests from Great Britain, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Good choice of clubs lads, welcome to the Hertha family!
Check out the Weblog of Hertha BSC UK Fan Club
Est.2010