SPVGG UNTERHACHING
UPDATED FOR 2024/25 - AUGUST 2024
Founded: Jan 1, 1925
Club Members: 1,000
Nickname: Haching
Coach: Marc Unterberger
Captain: Markus Schwabl
​Regionalliga Bavaria: 2
Regionalliga Süd: 2
Landespokal Bavaria Winner: 3
Website: www.spvggunterhaching.de
SpVgg Unterhaching can trace their origins back to 1st January 1925 when members of a gymnastics club called 'TSV Hachinger Tal', having grown frustrated by the lack of enthusiasm for the new sport of football, made the radical yet simple decision to break from their parent association and start their own club. With their autonomy secured, life for the kicking gymnasts began in one of the 'wild associations' of early German football where they enjoyed a 13-month unbeaten run before winning promotion to the top-flight A-Klasse Kreisliga in 1931. Dark clouds were gathering across Germany by this time however and the Kreisliga success would be SpVgg's last before the rise to power of the Nazi Party who, ironically, had their roots planted firmly in Unterhaching's own Bavarian backyard. The make-up of SpVgg Unterhaching at the time was typical of other clubs - full of players and supporters from the socialist and communist milieu - but the Nazis deemed several figures within the club to be "politically unreliable" and in an attempt to create a more ideologically palatable club, forced SpVgg to disband in 1934.
After Hitler's 'Thousand Year Reich' was brought to an end in 1945, allied forces dissolved all sports clubs as part of a post-war policy of de-Nazification in occupied Germany and as football and dictatorship began untangling themselves, SpVgg duly reformed - emerging from the 'Stunde null ' (zero hour) in the amateur fourth-tier B-Klasse Kriesliga. Recovering from the effects of war and Nazi rule however proved to be a significant challenge and progress over the next few decades was faltering before a sudden upturn in fortunes during the 1970s saw the club secure four promotions in six seasons to propel them to the third-tier Oberliga Bayern (the highest amateur division at the time) by 1981. Momentum was now building and after play-off defeats in 1983 and 1988 failed to knock them off course, Haching secured promotion to Bundesliga.2 for the first time in 1989.
Pride comes before a fall however, and a 2-1 home victory over Ruhr giants FC Schalke 04 was the only highlight of a despondent campaign that saw them drop straight back down after finishing rock-bottom of the table with just 29 points. Another single season cameo followed in 1992 before returning again in 1995 after lifting the Regionalliga Süd title with a tour-de-force campaign that saw them win 24 of the 34 league matches. The return to professional football was handled better this time and after a four-year spell in the second division, this small club on the outskirts of Munich finally made the big time when a runners-up finish behind DSC Arminia Bielefeld was enough to secure a Bundesliga berth for the 1999-00 season.
Despite being regarded as pre-season relegation favourites, Haching defied expectations and survived in the division as coach Lorenz-Günther Köstner coaxed slightly above-average performances from a slightly below-average team to finish their debut season in an impressive 10th place. With a team built around the talents of Markus Oberleitner, André Breitenreiter and Altin Rraklli, they even helped write the history books that year when they welcomed Bayer 04 Leverkusen to the Sportpark Unterhaching for the final game of the season. Leverkusen were the Tabelleführer (league leaders) going into the match and needed only a draw to be crowned German champions for the first time with few giving Unterhaching any chance of causing an upset. However, a Michael Ballack own goal in the first half sent Leverkusen on their way to a 0-2 defeat and opened the door for Germany's trophy-hoovering machine Bayern München to leapfrog them and win the title on goal difference. Haching 's victory took the watching nation by surprise - including the DFB (German FA) whose officials were at the Sportpark with the Bundesliga trophy fully expecting to crown Leverkusen as Germany's new champions come 5:20pm. Bayern were left to lift a copy of the Meisterschale a few miles away at the Olympiastadion instead.
For Unterhaching, the win over Leverkusen was the final flourish of a golden period in their history and after crashing into Bundesliga.2 in 2001, they carried straight on into the third tier despite retaining most of the squad who had played in the Bundesliga only a couple of years before. After regaining some of their football composure, the 2002-03 Regionalliga Süd title was won under former Mainz coach Wolfgang Frank whose use of a flat back four and zonal marking helped influence a whole new generation of managers including Joachim Löw, Ralf Rangnick and Jürgen Klopp. Haching also went deep in the DFB-Pokal that season - reaching the quarter-final for the first time after bundling 1.FSV Mainz, 1.FC Union Berlin and the Bundesliga's Hansa Rostock out of the competition before Bayer 04 Leverkusen were thrown in their path and exacted some revenge for that ruinous defeat three years earlier.
Life back in Bundesliga.2 was a struggle though and, after four years as a perennial relegation candidate, Unterhaching finished the 2006-07 season in the drop zone and were back in the third tier. Another battle with adversity was fought in October 2010 when it was announced that mysterious investor Franco Levis had reneged on a deal to provide €5 million of funding and that SpVgg would be wound up at the end of the month if €2 million wasn't found by the end of the month. A financial restructuring plan was quickly put in place to walk the club back from the cliff edge and two days before the deadline, club President Engelbert Kupka announced that enough money had been raised and that Unterhaching's future was secure ... for now.
Following the upheaval during the first part of the millennium, it's no surprise that the last few years have been spent bouncing between the third and fourth tiers as a number of coaches including Andreas Brehme, Klaus Augenthaler, Heiko Herrlich, Christian Ziege and former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl have all tried to steady the ship before former German international Sandro Wagner led Haching back to the 3.Liga in 2023 after overcoming the challenge of Energie Cottbus in a promotion play-off between the winners of the Bayern and Nordost editions of the Regionalliga.
With Wagner having taken up an offer of a coaching job with the German FA (DFB) this summer, the challenge facing new coach Marc Unterberger and the club now isn't just about staying in professional football but ensuring that previous financial struggles aren't repeated by establishing a long-term stability off the pitch and crucially, an identity on it based around homegrown talent - something Unterhaching benefitted from to the tune of €3 million (plus add-ons) with the sale of Karim Adeyemi to Red Bull Salzburg in 2018.
GROUND DETAILS
Ground Name: Uhlsport Park
Built: 1990 - 1992
Year Opened: 1992
Renovations: 1999 - 2000, 2018, 2019
Capacity: 15,053 (8,179 standing)
Record Attendance: 15,053 (2001)
Undersoil Heating: Yes
Running Track: No
Floodlights: 900 lux
Playing Surface: Hybrid Grass
Pitch Size: 105m x 68m
Grounds:
Jahnstraße (1925 - 1960)
Stadion Grünau (1960 - 1992)
Sportpark Unterhaching (1992 - 2003)
Generali Sportpark (2003 - 2011) *
Sportpark Unterhaching (2011 - 2013) *
Alpenbauer Sportpark (2013 - 2023) *
Uhlsport Park (2023 - ) *
* Stadium Renamed
After nearly 30 years as Haching's home, the Stadion Grünau's days were numbered by the end of the 1980s as its modest 4,000 capacity and spartan facilities weren't in step with the club's long-term aim of trading punches with German football's elite. A new stadium was needed and two years after plans were first drawn up, the municipal owned Sportpark Unterhaching opened on April 11th, 1992. Just seven years later however, SpVgg unexpectedly won promotion to the Bundesliga and the builders were called back to carry out a major redevelopment to get the ground ready for top-flight football.
The Nordtribüne was the first to get a makeover with a 'VIP House' and a large terrace built which extended towards the Osttribüne to create a decent sized Gästeblock in the corner. The Osttribüne (which up until that point had been a grass banking) was next up with a seating added along the back straight to finally give fans some comfort. Undersoil heating was installed for the first time although plans to fully redevelop the single-tier Westttribüne with its distinctive Alpine-style roof and carry out further work on the Südtribüne were shelved after weighing up the costs and benefits. After SpVgg had secured their place in the Bundesliga for another year in 2000, the Südtribüne terrace was extended towards the Westtribüne before phase two of its development saw the Osttribüne given a roof and extra seating to bring the total stadium capacity up to the current 15,053. Work was also carried out around the stadium with new car parks and the footpath leading from the Fasanenpark S-Bahn station was also upgraded.
Relegation from the Bundesliga in 2001 saw further development put on hold and as Unterhaching's on-field fortunes declined, so did the Sportpark and by 2015 it had fallen into such disrepair that the authorities were putting capacity limits in place and closing parts of the stadium on safety grounds - including the entire Osttribüne. After promotion to the 3.Liga in 2018, the Sportpark underwent an extensive revamp which saw the Osttribüne finally reopened, a new hybrid grass pitch laid, and a video screen installed in the south-east corner of the ground. In the summer of 2020, the club also set out plans to raise the €3.3 million needed to buy the Sportpark from the local council and recover some of the costs by renting the stadium to the 'Munich Ravens' American football team.
Despite extensive renovations however, Unterhaching's home retains much of the character of its original design including the two-storey clubhouse behind the Südtribüne terrace which is where you'll also find the players tunnel, changing rooms, club restaurant and an adjoining tree-shaded beer garden. The south-east corner of the ground has parking for the opposition's team bus.
Haching's most vocal support gather on the Südtribüne terrace, with away followings given a section of terracing in the north-east corner.
In addition to being home to Haching, the Uhlsport Park has also hosted international football when 9,185 fans saw the German women's team defeat England in 2008, and two years later, a Doppelpack (two goals) from future World Cup winner André Schürrle was enough to see the German U-21s overcome Ukraine.​
BUYING TICKETS
Ticket Office:
Website: www.tickets.snec.de/shops/176
Telephone: +49 (0) 89 61559160
Email: ticket@spvggunterhaching.de
Average Attendance:
2023-2024: 5,420 (3.Liga)
2022-2023: 2,553 (Regionalliga Bayern)
2021-2022: 1,503 (Regionalliga Bayern) *
2020-2021: N/A *
2019-2020: 3,397 (3.Liga) *
* Season affected by COVID pandemic
Expected Ticket Availability
Kein Problem ! Even after returning to professional football last season, with Bayern München and a resurgent 1860 on the doorstep, it takes strong local allegiance to follow Unterhaching.
Tickets can't be ordered over the phone or by email but, after setting up an account, E-tickets (Mobile and Print@Home) are available through the online shop run with ticketing partners 'SNEC.' Help is given to non-German speakers by presenting the site in no fewer than 10 languages - including Danish, Polish, Spanish and two versions of English - the King's and 'American' ! To save you even asking, Unterhaching don't post tickets.
For those of you who prefer to keep it traditional and don't mind paying a €2 surcharge, just turn up at the ticket office at the southeast corner of the ground which opens a couple of hours before kick-off. If you're following the away side, then the Guest Box Office is at the junction of Am Sportpark and Gauß Allee at the northeast corner of the stadium.
There's no ABC-tiered approach to ticketing and admission prices are determined instead by where you want to watch the action from. You've essentially got four options and 'full-payers' will be asked to part with €27 for a seat under the roof of the Westtibüne (Blocks B, E and F) or €23 if you're happy to take the risk of getting wet (Blocks A and G); €23 if you want to sit in the covered Osttribüne (Blocks K-J) and it's €13 to stand on the home Südtribüne terrace or in the Gästeblock - depending on where your allegiance lies.
Discounts of up to 40% are given to club members, senior citizens, people who are 'in between jobs', students etc. Children (aged 0-7 years) are allowed to sit in the Westtibüne and Osttribüne free of charge - although they're not entitled to a seat of their own in the main stand and must sit on a parents' lap. These 'Lap Tickets' are available directly at the stadium box office.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Stadium Address:
Am Sportpark 9,
82008 Unterhaching
BY CAR:
From Munich, head along the A8 and come off at junction 92b towards Neubiberg before turning left. After half-a-mile, turn right at the junction with Unterhachinger Straße and follow the road as it becomes Biberger Straße after crossing over the A8. Turn right onto Gauß Allee and follow it to the Uhlsport Park. If you're coming from the south, the directions are exactly the same except that you turn right after leaving the A8 at junction 92b.
The car parks (S1 and P2) in the immediate vicinity of the stadium are reserved for permit holders only but 400 free parking spaces are available at the Geothermie Unterhaching works (Car Park P3 - at the junction of Biberger Straße/Am Trankanger). There are also about 440 spaces in Car Park S2 on the other side of Biberger Straße with access on Gauß Allee - Note though that this car park shuts 45 minutes after full-time, so no hanging around in the bar, fanshop etc.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Using the S-Bahn from central Munich; the S3 (Direction: Holzkirchen) takes 20 minutes to make the run to 'Fasenpark' and then it's just a case of following the signposted asphalt path and red shirted 'Haching fans through parkland to the stadium. Alternatively, stay on the S3 line and jump off one stop further along the line at 'Unterhaching'. From here, come out of the station onto Münchner Straße and at the roundabout, take the first left up Witneystraße. Take the second right onto Walter Paetzmann Straße and follow it through a residential area for half-a-mile until you reach the junction with Am Sportpark. Turn left here and follow the road past a builder's merchant to the stadium. The walk from either Fasenpark or Unterhaching should take you about 15 minutes. Match tickets unfortunately don't include the cost of public transport and an M-1 day ticket will get you to and from central Munich on the S-Bahn for €10.50.
WALKING DIRECTIONS:
The Uhlsport Park is a hike from the centre of Munich and depending on how much of an impact the Löwenbraü is having on you, you'll need at least a couple of hours to cover the 5-mile route. Google Maps will guide you if you fancy the walk - but enjoying the Bavarian capital's fine roster of attractions before jumping on the S-Bahn to either the Fasanenpark or Unterhaching stops is a better option in our opinion.
FAN SHOP, MUSEUM & STADIUM TOURS
FAN SHOP:
Reflecting the fact that their fanbase is mainly local in character, the door of Unterhaching's small fan shop at the Uhlsport Park is only unlocked on Tuesdays and matchdays (Uhlsport Park 9, 82008 Unterhaching; 5:30pm-7pm, Tue; about 90 minutes before kick-off and for about 30 minutes after full-time on matchdays).
For a wider stock range and longer 'opening' hours though - have a browse on Haching's website here.
FOOD & DRINK OPTIONS
Many fans take advantage of the wider choice of options available in the centre of Munich, but the club restaurant - Hachinger Wirtshaus (open 11am-10pm, Mon-Sun) - is a good place to meet members of Unterhaching's support and try classic Bavarian and Austrian dishes. It's just behind the Südtribüne where you'll also find a nice tree-shaded beer garden.
Inside the Uhlsport Park itself, there are the usual kiosks offering up typical German football fayre and like everywhere else in the Regionalliga, you can pay for your 'Bratwurst and Beer' pairing with cash - no need to worry about sorting out a stadium card here !
STORAGE OF BACKPACKS & BAGS
Belt bags and small handbags can be taken into the stadium after a quick once over from security but anything larger than an A4 sheet of paper (i.e backpacks, large bags, suitcases) will have to be left in the 'cloakroom' by the box office at the Westtibüne entrance. Away fans have their own drop-off point next to the guest box office at the northeast corner of the Uhlsport Park. Storage costs €2 per item.
OTHER CLUBS IN THE AREA
BUNDESLIGA: FC Augsburg, FC Bayern München
BUNDESLIGA 2: 1.FC Nürnberg, SpVgg Greuther Fürth, SSV Jahn Regensburg
3.LIGA: FC Ingolstadt 04, TSV 1860 München