Few soccer clubs can claim to owe their existence to a pair of socks but, as in so many other ways, Austria Salzburg are proud to be an exception.
This third-division club play in a tiny ground hidden behind a supermarket, yet are backed by a flag-waving, firecracker-brandishing band of ultras who would not be out of place at a top-flight South American stadium.
They have climbed from the seventh level to Regionalliga West — part of the third tier of Austria football — in successive seasons and everyone involved, from the players to the cleaners, is a volunteer. More than anything else, the club, which boasts average home attendances of more than 1,000 in a league where 50 is more common, say they represent the determination of supporters not to succumb to what they see as excessive commercialism.
Like FC United and AFC Wimbledon in England, formed by Manchester United and MK Dons supporters defecting from their original clubs, Austria Salzburg are a splinter team set up by disillusioned fans. For 52 years, Austria Salzburg were a moderately successful top-flight team which had won the Austrian league three times, the Cup four times, reached the UEFA Cup final in 1994 and taken part in the Champions League the following season.
In 2005, the club were taken over the Red Bull energy drinks manufacturer in a move initially welcomed by fans. “Myself and thousands of Salzburg fans were happy when Red Bull arrived; we thought they could bring in some new players and rescue us from a difficult sporting situation,” said Walter.
