Happy to underline your statement. i am a 96 fan 'till the mid-90ies (not that old yet) and own one shirt sold in the 90ies (and a couple of scarfs and stuff).
At the other hand, combined with tickets and the TV contract this means less money for a BL club compared to Premiere league clubs... But it keeps the money with the fans and the highest attendance numbers in Europe!

_________________
veni vidi vici
Gegen Rassismus
Remember Lara!

I get the massage. Hannover is a nice place. On my next visit I will make a point of seeing the Royal Gardens, the Opera House, the lake, eating at the nice resturants and going shopping for a Gucci handbag. Perhaps if I get time I might even go to watch the football(!)
It is clear from the messages on this particular subject than Hannover 96 fans are very passionate about their club and their city. Links with the English Royal Family are all well and good, but in the modern world it is sport that makes people sit up and take note of a place name. The good name and reputation of the City has spread across Europe and it is Die Roten who are carrying the flag. I only hope the men in charge do not try to exploit that passion and take the club away from the loyal supporters who have followed the team through good times and bad. That is what has happened in England where the game has become poisoned by greed.
Perhaps to compete against the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester United, etc, the club will have to pay larger amounts in transfer fees and wages. That money has to come from somewhere, but the men at the top must understand that if they try to squeeze too much money from honest folk they will be biting the hand that feeds them. Perhaps German clubs will stand firm while the other big clubs in Europe crumble under their own financial pressure. Lets hope Hannover 96 are there to fill the void when the time is right.
I am so impressed with the pride people are showing for their city and their team. You deserve success!

Thanks Londoner. You'll be part of it! ;-)

_________________
veni vidi vici
Gegen Rassismus
Remember Lara!

great to see all the new faces on the english forum... looking forward to tomorrow's game!,

How did I become a fan of Hannover 96?

Truly, I often wonder this. I have never been to Hannover, let alone Germany, yet even since I was a young boy I have felt a particular affinity toward the country. For a while I figured this was perhaps due to the fact that my family almost moved to Germany from England when I was a child, but since I was unaware of this fact until recently I cannot confirm this as the source for my reasoning for being a fully-fledged lover of everything German.

Nevertheless, my first "trikot" as a boy was the classic German national team away shirt worn during the 92 European Championships. After moving from Northern England to Canada, I remember cheering on for Germany when I went to see them play in a friendly versus England as they rounded off the Three Lions with a superb Klinsmann strike. As I grew older the infatuation continued.

When I entered university, I began to take German lessons and placed an emphasis on post-WW II German history in my studies. I am always trying to improve my German, which is better than basic, but nowhere near as good as I would like it to be.

But this Germanaphilia still does not explain, why I fell in love with Hannover 96. As a boy (up to the present) Liverpool has been my team. However, my fondness for the English game is rapidly decreasing. The games are dull and boring. The English press are only just beginning to realize this, as the fast attacking-flair the Premier League is supposed to represent is replaced by tactics and defensive formations. The crowds which are paying astronomical ticket prices get little or no value for their money. And despite my love for Liverpool, I felt utterly bored every time I have watched them or virtually any other English team play. The atmosphere is gone and so has the passion from the players themselves who make 3-5 times more in a week than most of their fans will make in a year, yet they appear joyless and lethargic.

Eventually, I switched off the English games and turned on the Bundesliga matches. The first team I saw playing were Hannover 96 playing at home to Wolfsburg on October 17 2004. The result was a magnificent 3-0 victory full of attack, energy and atmosphere: all of the ingredients missing from the English game. The crowd at the AWD-Arena were fantastic and drew me in and I became one of them. The goals were wonderful, the play was free-flowing and the energy and willingness to compete were there on the pitch and in the stands. I was hooked.

However, after that game, Hannover were on television less and less, so I found out to my delight that the games were not only broadcast live, but also free through German radio. It is just another wonderful item about German football culture. While the English game has tried to sap every penny out of the fan, the German clubs still at least have some dignity- even the big clubs as Rummenigge's recent comments regarding pay-tv have shown they want to keep German football vibrant and accessible, rather than turn into the increasingly egotistical, distant and cold English game.

I still kept following Hannover's results through the end of the season, while checking back on any new signings and reading about the history of the club. After watching Per Mertesacker's remarkable performances in the Confederation's Cup I became more proud than ever to be a Hannover 96 fan, even if most fellow football followers outside of Europe do not know who I am referring to. I have recently tried to watch other English games, but they do not have the excitement on the pitch or in the stands. For me it is more of a thrill to listen to German radio broadcasting Hannover 96 and to build my German vocabulary and listening skills in process as I follow my favourite club.

Perhaps this Christmas I will purchase a scarf and a shirt to become even more of a 96 fan. In a perfect world I would be living near the arena, hold a season ticket and soak up the atmosphere of a city I love, but have never been to. Even if I could never be able to live in Hannover or Germany and be a season ticket holder, my dream is to hopefully one day be on the Nordkurve and truly become on of the 96 faithful.


God bless you Hannover 96: "The Power From Niedersachsen" Indeed!

_________________
Fussball in Deutschland: Ich liebe dieses Spiel!

Thank you for your comments, hannkanada83. They were really touching.
Did the fact that one of your fellow countrymen (Julian De Guzman) used to play for Hannover strengthen your sympathy towards the club?

I take it from your posting that you still live in Canada. In which part of the country do you live?

It's great to have you on board.

There are tears in my eyes...

_________________

Seit Jahren in einer Scheinwelt lebender und krachend gescheiterter Moderator

Love hurts.

_________________
„Dass wir den Aufstieg nicht schaffen, wird nicht passieren." Martin Kind

is there anobody in there :) ?

Here.

_________________
„Kriminelle haben im Fußball nichts zu suchen!"
― Uli Hoeneß

which of them you find the best?

_________________
„Kriminelle haben im Fußball nichts zu suchen!"
― Uli Hoeneß

by the way, there are quite a few Hannover 96 fans in this thread:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthre ... ge=1&pp=15

_________________
veni vidi vici
Gegen Rassismus
Remember Lara!

Do you have Ebay in Canada? I bought my Hannover 96 shirt on the cheap through an internet auction. Now I wear it with pride, even though the folks at my local pub cannot work it out.

The problem with ebay is that many sellers will not post items outside of Germany, but you can get around this if you have a contact over there who will act as a "postbox" for you.

In defence of English football I would say that it has retained it's reputation for being fast and furious and diving is not tolerated by fans or players alike. That apart, I agree in full with your observations, particularly about it being over-priced.

Spread the word, and if ever you are back in the UK you can look me up and help me out with my German lessons (that goes for anyone who may be reading this!). Is there any logic behind German grammer?

LOL
Well, at least the speaking is easier than the French ;-)
But most germans can't even figure out the German gramar. When speaking to a German though the effort counts. Try to speak German, even though you may make mistakes, the German will most likely understand you and if he corrects you take it as a tip, not something evil ^^
at www.expatica.de you may find a few tricks about learning German.

_________________
veni vidi vici
Gegen Rassismus
Remember Lara!