VfL Bochum
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| Full name | Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft eingetragener Verein |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1848 as Turnverein zu Bochum 14 April 1938 as VfL when Germania and TuS were merged into the Turnverein |
| Ground | Vonovia-Ruhrstadion |
| Capacity | 29,299 |
| Chairman | Hans-Peter Villis |
| Head coach | Gertjan Verbeek |
| League | 2. Bundesliga |
| 2015–16 | 5th |
| Website | Club home page |
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum [faʊ̯ ʔɛf ˈʔɛl ˈboːxʊm], is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.
VfL Bochum is one of the oldest sports organizations in the world claiming an origin date of 26 July 1848 when an article in the Märkischer Sprecher – a local newspaper – called for the creation of a gymnastics club. The Turnverein zu Bochum was then formally established on 18 February 1849. The club was banned on 28 December 1852 for political reasons and then reestablished on 19 June 1860. The club was reorganized in May 1904 as Turnverein zu Bochum, gegründet 1848 and formed a football department on 31 January 1911. On 1 April 1919 the club merged with Spiel und Sport 08 Bochum to form Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1848. On 1 February 1924 the two clubs from the earlier merger split to into the Bochumer Turnverein 1848 (gymnastics department) and Turn- und Sportverein Bochum 1908 (football, track and field, handball, hockey and tennis departments).
Bochumer Turnverein 1848 was forced by the Nazi regime to merge with Turn- und Sport Bochum 1908 and Sportverein Germania Vorwärts Bochum 1906 into the current-day club VfL Bochum on 14 April 1938. After the merger VfL Bochum continued to compete in the top flight as part of the Gauliga Westfalen.
As World War II progressed, play throughout Germany became increasingly difficult due to player shortages, travel problems, and damage to football fields from Allied bombing raids. VfL became part of the wartime side Kriegsspielgemeinschaft VfL 1848/Preußen Bochum alongside Preußen 07 Bochum before re-emerging as a separate side after the war. Although they fielded competitive sides, they had the misfortune of playing in the same division as Schalke 04 which was the dominant team of the era: VfL's best result was a distant second place in 1938–39.
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