Fürth drops the “Greuther”: members vote to restore the club's old name

Beer cups flew through the air, scarves were swung, and one of Germany's most awkward club names is history. On Sunday, members of second-division side SpVgg Greuther Fürth voted by 88.3 percent to go back to plain SpVgg Fürth.

What happened?

The club held an extraordinary members' meeting on 8 November. The city hall is being renovated, so more than 2,100 members gathered on the stand along one side of the stadium, in eight-degree weather.

The result was clear. From the 2027/28 season, the club will play as SpVgg Fürth again.

It took more than 3,000 days to get there. Fans went public with their wish years ago. About a year ago they launched a campaign: they urged supporters to join the club so they could vote, and the membership doubled to 5,000. They also raised over €200,000 to cover the costs of the name change.

Why was this so emotional?

The name dates back to 1996. That year SpVgg Fürth merged with TSV Vestenbergsgreuth, a village about 50 kilometres away. It was a marriage of convenience: Fürth had a ground but empty pockets, Vestenbergsgreuth had money but no suitable facilities.

Helmut Hack, now 77 and the club's honorary president, drove the merger. He then led the club for 22 years, until 2018, as president and managing director. Under him, Fürth became Germany's most successful second-division team, with exactly 500 wins and 1,846 points.

But many fans never felt at home in the new name. Even coach Heiko Vogel once asked at a fan meeting whether “Greuther” was a district of Fürth.

Hack spoke against the change, visibly bitter. “With your vote, you are also deciding whether it was good enough,” he told members. When some whistled during his speech, he said: “Whoever wants to whistle should do so. That says a lot about decency.”

He also said he understood what drove the fans: a longing for home and for the name their fathers and grandfathers once chanted.

What's next?

The change takes effect at the start of the 2027/28 season. Until then, the club still plays as Greuther Fürth.

For many fans in Germany, the vote shows something bigger: supporters can still change things at their clubs.