SpVgg Ansbach

SpVgg Ansbach is a German football club from the city of Ansbach, Bavaria.

The club's greatest league success came in 2001, when it earned promotion to the tier-three Regionalliga Sud, where it lasted for only one season. SpVgg Ansbach qualified for the German Cup on three occasions, reaching the second round once, in 1980–81.

History

The club roots go back to the 1909 formation of a football department within the gymnastics club Turnverein 1860 Ansbach. The team disappeared for a period of three years during World War I but was re-formed in 1917 as the independent club Sportverein 1909 Ansbach by the footballers of TV and 1. FC 1912 Ansbach. A highlight of the club's early years came in 1928 with the capture of the A-Klasse Mittelfranken title and subsequent promotion playoff win over 1. FC Zirndorf that advanced the club to the second tier Kreisliga where they would compete until 1937.

Following World War II most organizations in the country, including sports and football clubs, were dissolved by occupying Allied authorities. The club was re-established in 1945 as Sportverein Ansbach out of the membership of a number of local sports clubs. On 30 November 1948, the association was renamed Turn- und Sportverein Ansbach and, in 1951, the footballers went their own way again as Spielvereinigung 1909 Ansbach.

The team advanced to the fourth tier 2nd Amateurliga Bayern in 1953 for a single season, and after being sent down, promptly returned in 1955. They played at that level until sent down through league restructuring in the early 60s. The club qualified for DFB Pokal (German Cup) play for the first time in 1981 and advanced out of the first round by defeating FSV Pfaffenhofen 1–0. In the next round they were soundly thrashed by second-division side Stuttgarter Kickers (0:13). Ansbach returned briefly to fourth-tier play in the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte in 1985 and again qualified to participate in the ope