Adolf Hitler was a Schalke 04 fan: the club responds

Our list of the 50 worst famous football fans received a great response from the public and Russell Brand in particular. The comedian was not at all flattered to be listed in second place behind Adolf Hitler. Therefore we were delighted to be sent the following letter from Schalke 04's head of Media & PR who clearly had a point to make, but took the exercise in the spirit it was intended.

Dear Editor,

Your article on 'The 50 worst famous football fans' on November 26 made interesting reading. Until then we didn’t know Adolf Hitler had a soft spot for Schalke 04 let alone was a fan of our club.

We were very curious to find out what made the well respected Times claim this as a fact. So we checked and double-checked whether the club board between 1933 and 1945 had named a stand the “Führer Stand”, for example, and we watched every episode of 'Allo 'Allo in a bid to find a clue. Nothing.

In fact, it turned out he must have been an armchair supporter because he never bothered to turn up at any of our games, even if it was a championship final right on his door step at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Perhaps he was too occupied with his genocidal policies, or… maybe he wasn't a football fan after all.

This is at least what a scientific study commissioned by the club revealed in 2004. The authors analysed the theory that the fact that Schalke won six national championships during the Third Reich was down to the special support of the Nazis. The result was quite clear: the theory is total rubbish. At best, the Nazis tried to bask in the sun of the great popularity of a team that had ranked among the best in the land since 1927.

Hitler himself never did so for two reasons. First, the physiognomy of footballers with their bow legs and knock-knees wasn’t exactly his idea of a superior German race. Second, he did go to a football match once during the Olympic Games in 1936, but Germany lost 2-0 to Norway. Bugger!

To conclude Hitler was a fan of Schalke 04 because they won most of the titles during his regime must make Margaret Thatcher a Liverpool fan. Funnily enough she didn’t make the list.

Best regards
Gerd Voss
Head of Media & PR
Schalke 04

Read how The Times reported Schalke's 9-0 drubbing of Admira in 1939, a match which Hitler may have listened to on the radio.

Comments

[johhny urin]

I believe in 100 years us German Hitler will still pursue! Ex chancellor Kohl is Kaierslautern Fan.Gerhard Schröder Dortmund and Hanover. But dear Britten let us the past forget and enjoy with us over our Pope " Ratze" We are Pope!!!! HP. in 2 years we win again in the penalty shootout up to then practice still!!!!

[aker muntabi]

to the person who says Margaret Thatcher got United to change there name, good joke. and just incase you were trying to be serious the name Newton Heath got changed to Manchester United in 1902 after the club recieved a large investment from J.H. Davies that pulled the club away from bankrupcy

[Martin Butcher]

Russell Brand is certainly less funny than Hitler. The rubbish he writes in the GRauniad about football definitely puts him high up the list as most embarassing football fan.

[darren bent]

Are you sure that Mr Gerd Voss isn't really Jonathan?

[Forca Barca]

Pope John Paul II became an honorary member of the Schalke 04 in 1987 after celebrating a mass in the Parkstadion. Schalke was mentioned in the film Das Boot when the bosun told the crew in their ward room "I got bad news for you men. Schalke lost 5:0, looks like we won't be in the final this year!"
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=240687560

[Harry Anouse]

Gerd Voss

wunderbar hahahaha

I see you Germans beat us again on penalties .
great reply
well played sir !

[Big Paul]

QED. The theory that Hitler supported this club is looking "schalke" at best....

[Gareth]

As a British person who lives in Germany, no one believes me that the Germans have a sense of humor (everyone thinks I a making a joke). However, Herr Voss provided an excellent elegant and humorous response. Sehr nett.

[Kenneth B. Smith, P.E.]

Hitler vs. England Column of 12-05-08.
No one of my generation will ever forget the outstanding courage and determination of the people of England, as they stood alone against the armed might of Hitler, his bombers, and his "buzz bombs" . Their courage will
stand alone in history for centuries to come. They deserve our unqualified admiration, and they have it.
Sincerely; K.B.S., former naval person,
W.W.II.

[Matt]

Maybe not, but Schicklgruber played for Sturm Graz...

[JG]

That's the way to do it! Very funny. Take note, Russell Brand.

[Jez Lowe]

Brilliant response sir. I doff my cap!

[Paul S]

Alst, the Liverpool Echo maybe, but the Daily Mail! They're Millwall through and through! Only an imbecile would ever believe the calumny that Germans do not have a sense of humour or that the Americans don't understand irony. By the way, your comment does prove that some people cannot see the word Liverpool without their knee jerking into a Hitler like goosestep, followed by a Pavlovian derogatory comment. Are you from Manchester by any chance?

Ps. Adolph Hitler's nephew William Patrick Hitler (his mum Bridget Elizabeth Hitler, nee Dowling was from dublin) was actually born in Liverpool, although I believe he supported Everton, as Liverpool had too much Red in their home strip.

[mike]

It is well known that Franco was a Real Madrid fan and Salazar supported Benfica. So Power to Barcelona and Porto!!

[Joseph]

A splendid response.

Please, please amend the list. And promote Russell Brand to a well deserved No. 1 position.

PS: I believe Maggie Thatcher was an honorary president of Blackburn Rovers.

[Alistair]

haha, very witty reply. Completely agree with what alst said.

[Andrew R]

I am 100% sure that Mrs. T. was a director of Blackburn at one time . No idea why ....

[Dan]

Nice one! Top response, lol with the Allo Allo reference.

I've a favorite team in Spain and Italy, but never had a German team. I've got one now!

New Schalke '04, fan.

[john Walter]

A good way to cover up a frightful error and good of us Germans to take such a crass mistake in good heart.

[Alwyn Jones]

Well done Mr Voss, a Swiftain reply worthy of the original article. Who said the Germans have no sense of humour??

[Brett]

Brilliant!

[Allan Draycott]

According to Sefton Delmer, the Daily Express' pre-war Berlin correspiondent, who eavesdropped on a conversation he was having with Goering while waiting for Mussolini's train to arrive, the Fuhrer was a speedway fan.

[Mike]

A German is funnier than Russell Brand, oh dear - time to retire methinks Russ.

[G Chapman]

Superb response from Herr Voss - funny and dignified. Unfortunately, Russell Brand continues to cement his own reputation.

[Paul F]

Superb letter!