Grasshoppers Zürich

[Thank you Sir Jack]

Some people seem a bit concerned about the news. I reckon it'll go like clockwork.

 

[Surrey Wolf]

How were Boubacar Hanne & Ed Francis getting on at Grasshoppers before footy stopped, were they getting games?

 

[OscillatingWildly]

Nothing for either although they'd only just returned from winter break.

 

[Pagey]

Some people seem a bit concerned about the news. I reckon it'll go like clockwork.

I'll definitely watch

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

I'll definitely watch

Not sure this is the time to make jokes.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

This is going to be an interesting development let me tell you. For them and Wolves

 

[Hot Fuss]

It’s a great team name, do they also play cricket?

5 days on I still don’t get it? Am I thick?

 

[JadeWolf]

5 days on I still don’t get it? Am I thick?

Grasshoppers, crickets?

 

[Hot Fuss]

Grasshoppers, crickets?

Ohhhhhh!!! Get it!!!

 

[WickedWolfie]

I would have preferred Young Boys myself.

Hmmmm... Is that a Jimmy Saville quote?

 

[Frank Lincoln]

Given their record over the years, I am surprised that all games in Switzerland are not played on neutral grounds...

 

[rincewind]

I wouldn't be surprised to see quite a few of our young players go on loan there next season. What's the standard like in their league?

 

[Sheriff Woody]

Grasshoppers also started training again this week.
Only 2 Clubs in Switzerland have done so. GC and St. Gallen.
The rest are still waiting, and a big reason is that if a team starts full training then they are not entitled to get short-time work compensations from the Govt.

The Swiss FA and the Clubs voted a few months ago not to increase the size of the Swiss 1st Division from 10 teams to 12, but now they are willing to look at this proposal again.
This would possibly mean that Grasshoppers get promotion, even though current state of play GC are 3rd in the 2nd Division.
The proposals seem to want to take the Leagues as 'finished' when the Winter Break started here and all the teams had played each other twice. In this scenario GC were 2nd, and would mean they get automatic promotion.

To think in the middle of this crisis there is renewed optimism for the Grasshoppers.

A year ago almost to the day Grasshoppers got relegated from the Top flight for the 1st time in 67 years, with their fans encroaching on the playing field during the 2nd half, abusing the players, and having the Match called off due to this, which sealed their fate.
They had already thrown pyrotechnics onto the pitch and got the game before that abandoned in Sion.

And now the future seems bright...

It's a funny old game...

It's seems there are some similarities between our clubs. At the point where Fosun invested in us things were bleak. We'd been relegated two season in a row, we bounced back to get promoted at the first attempt from the third tier but things had stalled and started to once again stagnate.

Fosun came in, got a few things wrong to begin with but then hit on the magic formula and it's been all systems go since then.

 

[rincewind]

In the short term I would expect Grasshoppers to have a similar trajectory to ourselves.

 

[JadeWolf]

Thanks @Amsel for the insight, don’t think there’s been much coverage of this at all here in the UK. Sounds quite exciting, wonder if Fosun see the future as a whole web of clubs, across the world.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Thanks @Amsel for the insight, don’t think there’s been much coverage of this at all here in the UK. Sounds quite exciting, wonder if Fosun see the future as a whole web of clubs, across the world.

Very Man City-esque....

 

[rincewind]

Thanks @Amsel for the insight, don’t think there’s been much coverage of this at all here in the UK. Sounds quite exciting, wonder if Fosun see the future as a whole web of clubs, across the world.

I can see Grasshoppers as an excellent place to give young players good experience. And it's a club with a good history although financially it will not be able to compete with the bigger leagues.

 

[Mrs E]

Very Man City-esque....

Yes they’ve just acquired their 9th club.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Yes they’ve just acquired their 9th club.

We have a little way to go then.... lol

 

[Derby Wolf]

You're very welcome
The stories just keep coming.

Grasshoppers have now sacked ( well, not extended ) the Coach's contract, which was due to run out at the end of the Month anyway.
What is more strange is that his assistant, Zoltan Kadar is taking over as Coach Short-term, and assisting him is Stephen Helm, who Grasshoppers told 2 weeks ago that he was surplus to requirements because of his wages being too high and he was being released as trainer of the U21s.

It looks to me like they are installing Kadar until this season is finished, and then they must (?) have someone 'big' coming for next Season.

At the moment it's very chaotic, but you have to restructure this Club completely, because the way it was run before Fosun was an Old Boys Network that didn't work.

The Ex-Coach, Djuricin was installed by the Ex-Sport Chef Freddy Bickel, who knew him when they worked together at Rapid Vienna, and lived at Bickel's house when he came to work for GC. When Fosun arrived Bickel had to clear his desk, and it seemed clear that his choice of trainer would have to go, so it was more surprising that he wasn't sacked, and trained the team on the first day back after the corona break last Monday, and was then sacked, but I'm guessing they were waiting for the 'yes' from their next Trainer.

Old boys network was exactly how we were before Fosun arrived, a collection of people who were complacent in the comfort of job security. This delay could be a huge benefit for you for them to do their thing and get you organised. We had to write off 16/17 season while Fosun found the people they wanted and needed to take us forward.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Agreed 100%

Just to be clear though, I'm not really a 'fan' of Grasshoppers, I just love football.
I live in Zurich, and I go to as many games as possible, so I go and watch FC Zurich and Grasshoppers, but my favourite venue ( and team ) is FC Winterthur, which is about 15 miles up the road. They are the St. Pauli of Switzerland, and the Stadium, the food, and the little oddities are just fabulous. A little cult Club with a great ambience.

I still play ( although the amateur games have been cancelled ) in the Over 50s League for my local team, so I have 'my' team here, but they are definitely nothing to write about.

I will definitely be keeping more than an eye on Wolves now though. I mentioned before that me and my Missus wanted a 'big' team to support, and have been pleasantly surprised with the Forum here, and on properly investigating the History of Wolves we are both happy with our choice of Wolves as 'our' Premier League Club....until the mighty U's ( colchester united, if it wasn't clear ) are in their rightful spot, in the highest League in England!!!

Welcome aboard.... I think though that you may have a very bloody long wait before Colchester get into the PL, given that their greatest achievement to date in their 83 year history is two seasons in what is now the Championship.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Too true, but I've got time, and I'm sure in the spring of 2013 none of you lot had Premier League and Europe in your heads either!
;-)

We had aspirations, how realistic who knows, about the Premier League, but Europe l agree. Unlike Colchester we had a rather illustrious past too...

 

[rincewind]

Fair points, well made

And were a considerably larger club. But teams like Colchester are just as important in their own way. Let's hope that they survive the current situation.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Of course Wolves are the bigger Club. The 'Colchester United for the Premier League' was just a light-hearted, throw-away line.

My Mum is older than Colchester United, and is far more famous and has won more trophies than them as well ( and as far as I know has never kicked a football in her life... ).

Back to Grasshoppers news...

They have appointed René van Eck as Trainer of the U18s.

This may not be big news in England, but here it's a a pretty big thing.
Van Eck was Assistant trainer with FC Zürich until last year, when he went back to Holland for 'family reasons'. Now, a little bird told me that the reason was that the wage the FCZ Boss was trying to get him to accept couldn't feed his family, so I'm guessing the official reason was true enough, but the guy is a Legend here.
Mainly with FC Lucerne, but his appearance and demeanor are something to behold.

He is a proper Pirate...long hair, bushy beard, covered in tattoos, he is a great signing for GC

That's him on the left...just in case...

Looks a bit like a longer-haired Klippetty with a Nuno beard....

 

[WickedWolfie]

As for the 'survival' part, yes, I hope so.

re survival in Switzerland, there is widespread speculation about which of the teams will actually survive this situation.

If Fosun hadn't come to save GC I would have bet on them being the first team to have to start again in the lower, lower Leagues after going bankrupt. There were rumours that it might have happened after relegation last season, and they have been losing money for the last 20 (?) years, possibly more. The last few years saw the rise of FC Zürich as well, so times were tricky. The previous owners were despised by the fan base, and rightly blamed for poor investments, etc., etc, but now it seems like FC Zürich could be in serious trouble.
Certainly interesting times coming.

If FC Zürich owners do decide to sell then it really wouldn't be the most stupid thing for Fosun to do to try and buy them as well, and create one 'huge' Club out of the two. I'm wary about saying 'huge', but FC Zurich have been in 2 European Cup semi-finals, the last time sadly losing to the scousers in 1977, in 64 to Real Madrid, but the combined trophy haul of both Clubs would give them 39 Championships ( second is FC Basel with 20 ) and 29 Cup wins ( second again Basel with 13 ), and might, just might get a 'United' Zurich team into maybe the second Tier of European Football, if these new European Leagues ever materialise.

Pure speculation, of course, but the FCZurich owners are not getting younger, and their combined purses are certainly a lot emptier every season, so who knows.

For me I would welcome it.

Might be a chance for Zurich to play Wolves in a real game one day...
I'm sure that there will be friendlies arranged as soon as the situation with travelling, etc improves.

The only game I've found that Wolves have played in Zurich was in 1966, when they had a friendly with FC Zurich on the 9th August.

dbFCZ | Spiel – 09.08.1966

09.08.1966 FCZ - Wolverhampton Wanderers 3:1

www.dbfcz.ch

The Wolves team that day...

Dave MacLaren (46. Fred Davies), Les Wilson (46. Ken Knighton), Ron Flowers, John Holsgrove, Bobby Thomson, Mike Bailey, Peter Knowles, Terry Wharton, Ernie Hunt, Hughie McIlmoyle, Dave Wagstaffe

What, given that l know that any proposal to merge Wolves and WBA or Villa and Blues would be armageddon, would be the likely fan reaction to the merger you suggest?

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

The only game I've found that Wolves have played in Zurich was in 1966, when they had a friendly with FC Zurich on the 9th August.

We played Grasshoppers in Zurich on the 4th May 1958, Wolves winning 3-1, we went back in May the following year and beat them 6-2 but I don't know if that one was in Zurch

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

Interesting.

Would you be so kind as to let me have a link for that info, and are you sure it was the first team?

The English season finished on the 26th April in 1958, and the Cup Final was on the 3rd May, so seems a strange time to have a friendly for the first team so quickly after the season's finished.

Plus the 4th May, 1958 was a Sunday?

Wolves All Over the World: Amazon.co.uk: Instone, David: 9780955058585: Books

It's from the above book, the day of the month might be wrong but that's what I found on the website below

Tour of Central Europe 1958 - Wolves

Wolves played loads of friendlies during this period through to the 70's, with lots of end of season tours

 

[Ironfistedmonk]

Cheers for the quick reply, and yes, it was a Sunday!

Well well.

Sunday 4 May in Zurich, Switzerland (Att 25,000)

I'll try and see what I can dig up about this game.

That would be good, I've been trying to find the Grasshoppers line ups for the 2 games we played and I can't find anything on the internet

 

[JadeWolf]

I can't believe it.
There's a game of football on Tuesday, with spectators allowed!!!

Grasshoppers are playing a friendly against SC Kriens, and there are 150 spectators allowed in at their training Campus, outside town.

You have to send an e-mail, give them your name, address and phone nr., and have your ID with you when you go in, and then sit in the Stand with 2 seats gap between you and the next person, but it's football!

Are you going @Amsel?

 

[JadeWolf]

Thanks @Amsel enjoy the game!

 

[Amsel]

Grasshoppers drew 1-1 yesterday versus Winterthur. No sign of Francis or Hanne.
They are still 3rd in the 2nd Division, on goal-difference, with 2nd place leading to a play-off game between the 9th team in the 1st Division for the promotion spot.

 

[PumpKing]

Grasshoppers are letting in 800 people to their next game.
The game between Grasshoppers and Leaders of the 2nd Division, Lausanne, on Friday will have fans in the Stadium.
The Govt. have allowed events with 1,000 to go ahead from this week.
200 people make up the players, coaches, supervisors, referees, ball children, medical personnel, stadium employees, helpers, media representatives.
400 people will be allowed in from sponsors, patrons and partners of the Club.
400 people can register today and the chosen ones will be drawn by lot.
You have to be a Season Ticket holder and you have to have ID with you when you come in the Stadium, and have filled out and signed a Declaration Form that will be sent to you, and keep a distance of 3 chair-widths between you and others.
Only the Main Stand is open, seating only.

At least it’s a start, hope you get chosen for this one too.
It can imagine this is how it will begin over here, but on a bigger scale.

 

[hollo]

Amsel we love our boris don't be too hard on him lol.
I am more interested in the relationship between our two clubs. What has sun sky said about transfers. Will Wolves farm out players to yourselves.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Amsel we love our boris don't be too hard on him lol.
I am more interested in the relationship between our two clubs. What has sun sky said about transfers. Will Wolves farm out players to yourselves.

Valid and interesting questions.

Re the first sentence that is your view and it's rather presumptuous for you to imply otherwise. From what l've seen on here many would beg to differ.

 

[clivewolves]

The article should translate in google browser.

GC-Übernahme - Die unheimliche Firma, die GC kaufte: Im Dienste der chinesischen Regierung

Nach England ist das Fosun-Konglomerat nun auch im Schweizer Fussball tätig. Welche Ziele verfolgt es mit der Übernahme des Zürcher Traditionsklubs? Eines ist klar: Es geht nicht nur um kommerzielle Interessen.

www.luzernerzeitung.ch

 

[Monketron]

The article should translate in google browser.

GC-Übernahme - Die unheimliche Firma, die GC kaufte: Im Dienste der chinesischen Regierung

Nach England ist das Fosun-Konglomerat nun auch im Schweizer Fussball tätig. Welche Ziele verfolgt es mit der Übernahme des Zürcher Traditionsklubs? Eines ist klar: Es geht nicht nur um kommerzielle Interessen.

www.luzernerzeitung.ch

An article low on facts but high on conspiracy and xenophobia.

 

[Stratman Wolves]

I guess EU/Sino relations aren't as bad as some assume if they're still investing in clubs

 

[WickedWolfie]

I guess EU/Sino relations aren't as bad as some assume if they're still investing in clubs

Switzerland isn't in the EU....

 

[Jay Jay de Wolf]

Very clever business and football move by Fosun International..
Their money / accounts are always better in a Swiss bank

 

[Stratman Wolves]

Switzerland isn't in the EU....

You're right. Probably part of the reason for investing there.