Spectator record

Amateur soccer in Vorarlberg is booming

The packed stands in the stadium on Holzstrasse.(Bild: FC Lustenau)

More than 12,000 fans stormed the soccer pitches in Vorarlberg's lower house at the weekend. The derby between FC Lustenau and Austria's amateurs in particular drew in the crowds. 

The final weekend of the season set a new attendance record in the Vorarlberg soccer leagues: The 58 matches in the eight Ländle leagues and the three games in the Regionalliga West, which were played in Vorarlberg, attracted more than 12,000 spectators. As many as 1,300 came to the stadium on Holzstraße in Lustenau to see FC win 1:0 against the amateurs of local rivals Austria. "The atmosphere was reminiscent of the big derbies in the 2nd division," enthused FCL managing director Armut Hüseyin.

Around 1,000 spectators made their way to Lochauer Hoferfeld - most of them to celebrate Lauterach's return to the Western League after 24 years. The fans did not have to regret coming, as Daniel Sereinig's team won 5:3 in a brilliant game. The Lochau treasurer was also delighted, as the visitors from Hofsteig generated a lot of revenue after the final whistle: "We celebrated the title in Lochau until 10 p.m.," reported Lauterach's head of sport Thomas Bayr. The champions flew to Mallorca the very next day, where the party continues.

Even in the lower leagues, the pitches were stormed: in the 2nd regional division, for example, 500 fans were counted at the promotion duel between Alberschwende 1b and Mühlebach. The visitors from Dornbirn won 4:0 and were promoted for the fourth time in a row.