Hamburger SV is a German football club based in Hamburg. They are one of the country's oldest, most well known and best performing clubs with the unique distinction of having played continuously in top-flight German football since the end of World War I.

History

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Early years

Hamburger SV can trace its roots as far back as the September 29, 1887 merger of Der Hohenfelder Sportclub and Wandsbek-Marienthaler Sportclub to form Sports Club Germania. The current club was formed as Hamburger Sport-Verein in 1919 through the union of three city teams severely weakened by World War I: Sports Club Germania; Hamburger FC (1888); and FC Falke (1906). The club colours were the Hanseatic red and white in honour of the City of Hamburg, with the blue and black of the oldest of the founding clubs, Germania, being used on the team crest. It is through Germania, that HSV can lay a claim to being the oldest team in the country. However, other clubs may dispute that honour, as Germania was formed originally as an athletics club and did not begin to play football until 1891 when a half dozen Englishmen joined the club, bringing with them their enthusiasm for the game.

The newly formed HSV quickly became competitive and contested the 1922 national final against 1. FC Nürnberg, who were playing for their third consecutive title. The game was called on account of darkness after three hours and ten minutes of play, drawn at (2:2). The re-match also went into extra time, and in an era that did not allow for substitutions, that game was called at (1:1) when Nürnberg was reduced to just seven players and the referee ruled they could not continue. Considerable wrangling ensued over the decision. The DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association) awarded the win to Hamburger SV but urged them to refuse the title in the name of good sportsmanship – which they grudgingly did. Ultimately, the Viktoria trophy was not officially presented that year.

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