60 years of Bundesliga
Club-by-club historical guide: Homburg
Homburg are perhaps most famous for a risqué sponsor, but Miroslav Klose, Thomas Dooley and Christian Streich have all called it home.
bundesliga.com is taking you through all the teams to have graced Germany’s first division over the last 60 years – based on the number of seasons they’ve played up to and including 2023/24.
>>> Discover many more memorable moments and records in the Bundesliga's 60-year history!
FC 08 Homburg
Years in Bundesliga: 3 (1986-88, 1989/90)
Most appearances: Uwe Freiler (66)
Most goals: Uwe Freiler (15)
Youngest player: Thorsten Lahm (18 years, six months, three days)
Homburg first appeared in the Bundesliga in 1986 after two decades in the second tier, but their top-flight existence was always precarious. They only survived the drop via the play-off against St. Pauli in their maiden campaign before going down in 17th the second year. Not too much to write home about, but they did make headlines in that 1987/88 campaign when president Manfred Ommer brought in condom producer London as the club’s main sponsor for 200,000 Deutschmark.
The DFB weren’t particularly pleased and threatened the team with a points deduction, so the sponsor’s name had to be covered with black strips on the players’ kits. Eventually, a court in Frankfurt ruled that the condom advertising on the jerseys did not violate morals or morality, allowing the players to wear the name uncensored. However, it didn’t provide the team with much protection on the pitch as they finished second-bottom and were relegated. They were back for another go a year later in 1989/90 but this time came last with a team that included current Freiburg coach Christian Streich for the only 10 Bundesliga games of his playing career.
While the likes of German legend Miroslav Klose and former USA captain Thomas Dooley have made their break at Homburg, the club hasn’t played in one of the professional leagues since Bundesliga 2 relegation in 1995 and not been in the third tier since 1999. Four seasons in the fifth tier have punctuated an almost unbroken stint at the fourth level since the turn of the millennium.
>>> Discover many more memorable moments and records in the Bundesliga's 60-year history!