FCK anniversary celebration: Over 37,000 members celebrate a record!

FCK anniversary celebration: Over 37,000 members celebrate a record!

On June 14, 2025, the 1. FC Kaiserslautern club festival took place in the Rote Teufel sports park on the Fröhnerhof in honor of the 125th anniversary. Despite the high temperatures and the lack of shaded areas, the participants experienced a varied program that began with a fan club tournament in the morning. The event featured various departments of the club and sponsors presenting under pavilions and offering sport-specific games. Unfortunately, attendance was low due to the heat, which dampened the mood at the official festival site, where musical contributions and raffles took place from the RPR1 stage.

Another highlight of the celebrations was the game between the FCK women's team and the U19 from Luxembourg, which took place on a remote pitch. There was a special moment when a replica of the 1953 championship trophy was handed over. This was presented by fan representatives and officials, who also shared the exciting story of how the original came about. Gero Scira, the deputy chairman of the board, proudly announced that the association now has over 37,000 members. “The bond with our club is undisputed,” he emphasized during his speech.

Memorabilia and memories

An additional highlight was an interview with the Olympic track cycling champion Miriam Welte, who comes from Kaiserslautern. Unfortunately, this interview was not widely listened to. The fan club tournament ultimately ended with a team from Herxheim winning, while the traditional FCK team played against an over-40 team from Luxembourg. The referee for this encounter was Markus Merk. On the other side of the pitch stood former FCK player and coach Jeff Strasser, who also demonstrated his skills. After these encounters, both teams played against a selection of Lotto-Elf.

A look into the past

1. FC Kaiserslautern has a remarkable history that is deeply rooted in the annals of German football. A defining moment was promotion to the Bundesliga after relegation in 1996 and the subsequent DFB Cup victory. Under coach Otto Rehhagel, the team started in the 2nd league in the 1997/98 season and experienced a historic run that ended with the 1998 championship - a championship title that the FCK won as a promoted team. Important players of this time included Michael Schjönberg, Harry Koch and Miroslav Kadlec. On the decisive day, FCK defeated VfL Wolfsburg 4-0, while Bayern Munich played 0-0 against Duisburg, which secured the Lauterern team the unforgettable title.

This year's anniversary celebration fits seamlessly into this proud tradition. While the events struggled with few visitors, the membership mark of over 37,000 is evidence of a strong and growing community that stands firmly by their club. The celebrations impressively brought the solidarity of the members and the rich history of 1. FC Kaiserslautern to the fore.

Further information about the festival and the events can be found in the reports from Rhine Palatinate and Kicker.