FV Illertissen

FV Illertissen is a German association football club from the town of Illertissen, Bavaria and was established in 1921. Despite its location in Bavaria the club had never played in the league system of its home state but instead preferred to play in neighbouring Baden-Wurttemberg. At the end of the 2011–12 season the club however decided to switch to Bavaria.

History

Although the town of Illertissen is in Bavaria, its proximity to other towns in the neighbouring state of Baden-Wurttemberg has allowed it to participate in that state's competition. In 1963, it became the first Bavarian team to win the Wurttembergischen-Pokal (Wurttemberg Cup) when they defeated SV Hussenhofen.

The club has played as a lower division side for most of its history. It won promotion to the Landesliga Wurttemberg I (VI) in 1979 and played there until 1987. After slipping briefly into the Bezirksliga (VII), the club returned to the Landesliga, and in 2003 advanced for the first time to the Verbandsliga.

A rivalry exists with Spvgg Au, which is in the same district as Illertissen. After several years playing against each other in the Verbandsliga Wurttemberg (V), both teams were promoted to the Oberliga Baden-Wurttemberg (V) in 2008. Au had some seasons earlier become the first Bavarian side to play in Baden-Wurttemberg and Illertissen followed its rival. The club qualified for the Oberliga through a promotion round playoff, alongside Kehler FV.

In December 2011 the club decided to switch to the Bavarian league system from the 2012–13 season onwards. The reason for the switch was the introduction of the Regionalliga Bayern, which the club only needed to finish ninth or better in 2011–12 to qualify for. A fourth place in the Oberliga in 2011–12 allowed the club to qualify for the new Regionalliga. In the 2012–13, in the Regionalliga, the club finished in third place and, as the best placed non-reserve team in the league, qualified for the first round of the German Cup.