Perfect pitch for some holiday cheer
BERLIN— Thousands of Union Berlin soccer fans gathered together on Monday to sing Christmas carols and celebrate a Bundesliga debut that has been exceeding expectations.
Some 28,500 supporters held candles as they packed the stands and covered the pitch of Union’s Stadion An der Alten Forsterei (Stadium at the Old Forester’s House), singing old favourites such as “O Tannenbaum” (O Christmas Tree), “Kling, Glockchen, kling,” (Ring, little bell, ring) and “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night). Many wore Santa hats — which share the club’s colours — or reindeer antlers, and fuelled their singing voices with mulled wine or beer. The smell of grilled bratwurst sausages filled the festive air as the fans gathered for what has become an annual celebration in the eastern borough of Kopenick.
It was the17th Christmas carol singing event, a tradition that began when 89 Union fans broke into the stadium on Dec. 23, 2003, to sing on the terraces for the first time. The club agreed it was a good idea and the event has grown in the intervening years. Tickets are now sold out within hours.
Fans’ enthusiasm was not dimmed by two defeats in a row for Urs Fischer’s team. They focused on a season that has provided many highlights so far, including wins over Borussia Dortmund — the club’s first Bundesliga victory — and Borussia Monchengladbach, and especially city rival Hertha Berlin in the initial top-flight derby between the sides.
Union fans have been singing of being “Stadtmeister” (city champions) at subsequent games.
Despite three games without a win, Union finished the first half of the season in 11th place, one point above Hertha and five ahead of Fortuna Dusseldorf in the relegation zone. Bundesliga’s survival is expected of fans after the team’s encouraging performances.
Fischer has forged a hardworking unit whose strength lies in a defence marshalled by goalkeeper Rafa Gikiewicz. Gikiewicz further endeared himself to the Union faithful by standing up the club’s own masked supporters when they stormed the pitch to approach Hertha fans after their fiery Berlin derby on Nov. 2.
Union has long had a close relationship with its fans. Supporters came to the financially strapped club’s rescue in 2008 when it needed to modernize its stadium. About 1,600 volunteers contributed an estimated 90,000 hours of work to save on construction costs.
Four years before, fans gave blood under the slogan “Bleed for Union” to raise almost 1.5 million euros ($2.2 million Canadian) to help the club escape bankruptcy.
The fans still sing about the club’s hated rival, Dynamo Berlin, the favourite of Stasi chief Erich Mielke.
Amid allegations of match-fixing and politically influenced favours, Dynamo won 10 successive East German titles between 1979 and 1988. However, reunification wasn’t kind and it now languishes in the fourth division.
28,500 supporters pack home of Union Berlin for annual singing of carols