FSV Optik Rathenow

This club was essentially founded in 1990, when the old BSG Motor Rathenow renamed itself. In 1991 the soccer section split off to become FSV Optik. It is sponsored by an optics company.

Rathenow did have some footballing success before WW-II. In 1906, a local club SV Rathenow 06 was founded, and they merged with the gymnastics club Vater Jahn to form VfL Rathenow in the 1930s. In 1939, they had their highest achievement, promotion to the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg. After WW-II, some ex-players established themselves as the GDR squad BSG Mechanik, which became BSG Motor in 1953. The team basically kicked around in the lower divisions of GDR football.

In 1990, with the reunification, things started to go bad financially. The Rathenow Optics Works was struggling, and could no longer afford to run a club - which hads been renamed SV Optik after the fall of the wall. As a result, for the first time, the players actually had to work in the factory, so many started leaving to other clubs. In order to salvage a bad situation, the soccer section split into an independent club - FSV Optik. Although they were without financial resources, they were no longer solely dependent on the firm's largesse. To everyone's surprise, FSV Optik managed to compete on the field - in fact, by 1994 they had sensationally advanced to the Regionalliga. They again suprised observers by managing to stay up the first season, but the next year they were relegated. The best players were lured away by other clubs, and FSV could only establish themselves in the Oberliga.

Fullname Fußball Sportverein Optik Rathenow e.V.
City Rathenow (Brandenburg). Pop: 28,500 (2002). West of Berlin.
Address Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 10-11, 14712 Rathenow
Phone: (03385) 3248

Colors Green jersey with black trim, white breast. Black or green shorts, socks.

Stadium Vogelgesang Capacity: 10,000 announced - but
It started around 1900 as a horse-racing field. Eventually a wooden stand was built, with about 400 seats. In 1994, it was destroyed by vandals during the Optik-Union Berlin match. The structure was closed by the city works department, and eventually torn down. In 2006, construction was supposed to start on new facilities, as the field had fallen into a decripit state. Progress has been slow, due to lack of money. But by mid 2007, they had at least put up some skeletons...

Tickets Readily available.
Supporters Small in number. Average crowds shrunk from 1,100 to around 300 after taking the drop out of the Regionalliga. Averaged 285 in 2004 (Oberliga).
Friends No official.

Foes No enemies or hot rivals.

Heroes

Zeroes

Beer Rathenower Bier and Wahrsteiner.
Pub Grub

The Net Official site: www.fsv-optik.de

		BSG Motor Rathenow

1952-55 (***)  	Bezirksliga 
1955-59	(****)	Bezirksliga
1959-63 (***)	2. DDR-Liga 
1963-65 (***)	Bezirksliga 
1965-68 (****)	Bezirksklasse 
1968-84 (***)	Bezirksliga
1984-87 (****)	Bezirksklasse
1987-90 (***)	Bezirksliga


		FSV Optik Rathenow

1990-91	(IV)	Verbandsliga Brandenburg	1st
1991-92	(IV)	Verbandsliga Brandenburg	1st
1992-93	(III)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		11th	
1993-94	(III)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		7th
1994-95	(III)	Regionalliga Nordost		14th
1995-96	(III)	Regionalliga Nordost		18th
1996-97	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		7th
1997-98	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		12th
1998-99	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		13th
1999-00	(IV) 	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		8th
2000-01	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		10th
2001-02	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		14th
2002-03	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		14th
2003-04	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		12th
2004-05	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord		14th	
2005-06	(V)	Verbandsliga Brandenburg	3rd
2006-07	(V)	Verbandsliga Brandenburg	1st
2007-08	(IV)	Oberliga Nordost/Nord

Fullname	Fußball Sportverein Optik Rathenow e.V.
City	Rathenow (Brandenburg). Pop: 28,500 (2002). West of Berlin.
Address	Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 10-11, 14712 Rathenow Phone: (03385) 3248
Colors	Green jersey with black trim, white breast. Black or green shorts, socks.
Stadium	Vogelgesang Capacity: 10,000 announced - but It started around 1900 as a horse-racing field. Eventually a wooden stand was built, with about 400 seats. In 1994, it was destroyed by vandals during the Optik-Union Berlin match. The structure was closed by the city works department, and eventually torn down. In 2006, construction was supposed to start on new facilities, as the field had fallen into a decripit state. Progress has been slow, due to lack of money. But by mid 2007, they had at least put up some skeletons...
Tickets	Readily available.
Supporters	Small in number. Average crowds shrunk from 1,100 to around 300 after taking the drop out of the Regionalliga. Averaged 285 in 2004 (Oberliga).
Friends	No official.
Foes	No enemies or hot rivals.
Heroes
Zeroes
Beer	Rathenower Bier and Wahrsteiner.
Pub Grub
The Net	Official site: www.fsv-optik.de