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4th May: 115 years ago, Schalke was born in Westphalia.
Seven league titles, five cup titles, UEFA Cup success in 1997, more than 150,000 members: The figures alone at FC Schalke 04 are impressive. When you take into account the strong emotional bond between the fans and the club and the Veltins Arena, you get one of the most dazzling football clubs in Europe. Schalke is a cult, even a myth. A ‘religious community’ was founded on 4th May 1904 by eight worker’s sons according to legend.
1904: the myth is born
The history of the club begins in a backyard near Gewerkenstrasse where a bunch of 14 to 15-year-old boys held meetings after leaving school. On Sunday’s, they would observe SuS Schalke 96, the long-established club in the region, play football. The boys were fascinated and wanted to do it themselves.
What happened next: The group founds its own club. The name: Westphalia Schalke. The first pitch: a rough patch of field near the ruined manor house ‘Haus Goor’. The club colours: red and yellow (a Holland import).
Willy Gies, Josef Ferse, Viktor Krogull, Johann Kessel, Heinrich Kullmann, Adolf Oetzelmann, Josef Seimetz and Willy van den Berg are the eight working-class men who could neve have imagined that they were going to create what they did – the club that from 1924 onwards was known as FC Schalke 04. Not even Willy Geis, leader of the group and apprentice at a stove factory called Küpperbusch, would have ever thought, “one day 90,000 people will come to watch our club!” This figure was taken from a cup final.
However, the newly formed club was not part of the Westdeutschen Spielverband (WSV), which was founded in 1898. Therefore, in its early years it was one of many “wild teams” that were forming. To this day, it remains unclear as to why the association refused to allow the club to join the association despite numerous enquiries. One potential explanation is that many working-class clubs were turned down, whilst another is that the authorities wanted to wait and see whether reforming would take place. Westfalia Schalke ended its first year in existence with 16 members.