Just thought I'd start a thread on Rapid Vienna to see who was interested, I mentioned them in my intro thread & given the fact that our first European success came against this team I thought there might be some affinity towards them amongst our great supporters.
I don't like the Villains much and joked when Rapid knocked Villa out of the qually round of the Europa in '09 that I would become a Rapid supporter, when they did it again this year and when I saw the way their fans were at that game I proper fell in love with this team.
I don't speak / read German so it's been a bit difficult to find out much about the club that isn't on wiki but I'm going to stick at it and plan to make a trip there at some point though it'll probably be the start of the 11/12 season by the time I can afford it.
While it's been an uneventful transfer window re incoming players at Everton, Rapid have pulled off a huge coup :huh: in signing Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink so I wasn't totally disappointed yesterday but alas, when it comes to results, this weekend was disappointing on 2 fronts, while we were battering on the door & getting nowhere at Villa, Rapid were being stung by lowly Linz having not capitalised on the chances that came their way.
Some Rapid facts:
On the Rapid site it says that the club has 126 registered official fan clubs though I can't seem to find a UK supporters club via google.
A bit like our own William Ralph, the all time record for goals in a season in the Austrian league (Formed in the '74-'75 season) is Johann "Hans" Krankl, with 41 goals from 36 games in the '77-'78 season. As I'm sure you all know, Krankl was also the sole scorer against Everton in the Cup Winners Cup Final, May 15th 1985. This was during his 2nd spell at the club which began at the tender age of 17, inbetween these spells at Rapid, Krankl had an impressive season at Barcelona scoring 29 goals in 30 games and halping barca to the Copa Del Ray. Krankl scored 392 goals in 518 games in his playing career.
Rapid have won the Austrian league title 32 times, more than any other team. They also won the first Austrian football league, held in 1911/1912 & became the first club to win the Austrian Cup in the 1918/1919 season, as you can tell this club is steeped in history.. and if, yer know, yer 'istory...
Rapid play their home games in the beautiful Gerhard Hanappi Stadium which is named after a former player who, once his footballing career was over, became an architect & was given the assignment of designing the new stadium. The stadium was completed in 1977 & was renamed when Gerhard Hanappi himself died of lymphoma in 1980. Rapid play most home games at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium which holds 19,600 fans but sometimes derby games against Austria Vienna & European ties are played at the magnificent Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna which is also the home of the Austrian National side.
The club is famous for the "Rapidviertelstunde" tradition where the rapid fans applaud (and make a shed load of noise and wave co-ordinated flags etc) for the final 15 minutes of every single game to motivate the players. Plenty of videos on youtube re this.
Between 1938 & 1945 the Austrian league was combined with the German league, Rapid won the German cup in 1938 and, in a remarkable game in 1941 they came from 3-0 down against Schalke to win 4-3 and seal the German-Austrian league title.
I think that's about enough information for one day, I'd be very appreciative if there any Austrians / Germans who could educate me more about this great club.
Thanks for reading.
Arrold
I don't like the Villains much and joked when Rapid knocked Villa out of the qually round of the Europa in '09 that I would become a Rapid supporter, when they did it again this year and when I saw the way their fans were at that game I proper fell in love with this team.
I don't speak / read German so it's been a bit difficult to find out much about the club that isn't on wiki but I'm going to stick at it and plan to make a trip there at some point though it'll probably be the start of the 11/12 season by the time I can afford it.
While it's been an uneventful transfer window re incoming players at Everton, Rapid have pulled off a huge coup :huh: in signing Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink so I wasn't totally disappointed yesterday but alas, when it comes to results, this weekend was disappointing on 2 fronts, while we were battering on the door & getting nowhere at Villa, Rapid were being stung by lowly Linz having not capitalised on the chances that came their way.
Some Rapid facts:
On the Rapid site it says that the club has 126 registered official fan clubs though I can't seem to find a UK supporters club via google.
A bit like our own William Ralph, the all time record for goals in a season in the Austrian league (Formed in the '74-'75 season) is Johann "Hans" Krankl, with 41 goals from 36 games in the '77-'78 season. As I'm sure you all know, Krankl was also the sole scorer against Everton in the Cup Winners Cup Final, May 15th 1985. This was during his 2nd spell at the club which began at the tender age of 17, inbetween these spells at Rapid, Krankl had an impressive season at Barcelona scoring 29 goals in 30 games and halping barca to the Copa Del Ray. Krankl scored 392 goals in 518 games in his playing career.
Rapid have won the Austrian league title 32 times, more than any other team. They also won the first Austrian football league, held in 1911/1912 & became the first club to win the Austrian Cup in the 1918/1919 season, as you can tell this club is steeped in history.. and if, yer know, yer 'istory...
Rapid play their home games in the beautiful Gerhard Hanappi Stadium which is named after a former player who, once his footballing career was over, became an architect & was given the assignment of designing the new stadium. The stadium was completed in 1977 & was renamed when Gerhard Hanappi himself died of lymphoma in 1980. Rapid play most home games at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium which holds 19,600 fans but sometimes derby games against Austria Vienna & European ties are played at the magnificent Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna which is also the home of the Austrian National side.
The club is famous for the "Rapidviertelstunde" tradition where the rapid fans applaud (and make a shed load of noise and wave co-ordinated flags etc) for the final 15 minutes of every single game to motivate the players. Plenty of videos on youtube re this.
Between 1938 & 1945 the Austrian league was combined with the German league, Rapid won the German cup in 1938 and, in a remarkable game in 1941 they came from 3-0 down against Schalke to win 4-3 and seal the German-Austrian league title.
I think that's about enough information for one day, I'd be very appreciative if there any Austrians / Germans who could educate me more about this great club.
Thanks for reading.
Arrold
