As we’ve seen in recent times with Bohemians on these shores, a strong relationship between a club and it’s fans can bring a freshness and energy to a club. In the case of Union Berlin, this point is even more pertinent.
Speaking on the Football Show on Tuesday night, Raphael Honigstein told the remarkable story of Union Berlin and their rise to the Bundesliga.
Honigstein explained that Union in their current guise began in the 1960s and were always considered to be “on the wrong side of the tracks as far as the communist regime was concerned in East Germany.”
“BFC Dynamo Berlin had the backing of the Stasi, they had the best players and would often have the refereeing decisions going for them magically.
“Union were sort of the poorer relative but because of that situation, I think they became a magnet for different types of people who saw themselves as slightly rebellious,” he said.
It is the loyalty of these fans throughout the trials and tribulations faced by the club, is what many neutrals admire about Union and their ascent to the highest tier in German football.
“When they ran into financial problems they could really rely on the support of their fans to an extent that is really unparalleled.
“The fans themselves turned up in their thousands to rebuild the stadium when they had to. Carpenters, painters; they all turned up and did it with their own hands. There was another incident where they donated blood en masse to raise funds.
In a time where the game is perhaps alienating many fans as a result of the nonstop commercialisation of the sport, Honigstein spoke about how Union and clubs like them act like a tonic.
“It’s nice to see a club that’s from a very different background, politically, mixing it with the big boys and indeed beating Dortmund like they did last Saturday.
“To be a little bit different and authentic, although that word is difficult to use at times, does come with its own appeal.
“The more that people are getting worried about the commercialisation of football and the concentration of wealth, the more I think there is a clamour and a need to embrace clubs that are a little bit different. And they don’t get much more different than Union,” Honigstein said.
In what is their maiden season in the Bundesliga they claimed their very first win with an eye-opening 3-1 triumph over Borussia Dortmund.
While Honigstein had tipped Dortmund to win the title this season, this result might make some people reconsider casting Union Berlin as favourites to be relegated. However, if one thing is certain, Union and their fans won’t go quietly.
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