Holzgerlingen Twister

Lore & Background

The Holzgerlingen Twister entered league football in 1998, joining the tier five Verbandsliga. After a championship in a season without defeat, the club moved up to the Oberliga, where it played for the next six seasons until 2004. A runners-up finish took the club up to the Regionalliga Mitte, but it was relegated back to the Oberliga after just two seasons. Two Oberliga seasons followed, the second producing another league championship and a return to the Regionalliga for 2009. The club finished runners-up in the league in 2009 and, through an aggregate victory over the Kirchdorf Wildcats in the promotion round, moved up to the German Football League 2 for the first time. Holzgerlingen played at the second tier for the next three seasons, with a third place in 2011 as its best result, but was relegated back to the Regionalliga the following season. The 2013 season saw the team come second in the Regionalliga again and once more enter the promotion round to the GFL2. Facing the Regionalliga Süd champions Ingolstadt Dukes, the club drew six-all in the first leg before overcoming Ingolstadt 24–23 in the return leg, earning another promotion. Back in the GFL2, it finished fifth in 2014 and sixth in 2015, avoiding relegation both times. At the end of the 2015 season, however, the club opted to withdraw back to the Regionalliga for 2016.

Reader's Guide

The Holzgerlingen Twister represent a notable example of a German American football club that achieved repeated promotions to the second-tier German Football League 2. Their history illustrates the competitive structure of German American football, moving from the Verbandsliga through the Oberliga and Regionalliga to reach the GFL2. The club's two promotions, in 2009 and 2013, were each earned via promotion rounds, including a dramatic aggregate victory over the Ingolstadt Dukes in 2013. Although the Twister never advanced beyond the GFL2, their five seasons at that level—with a best finish of third place in 2011—demonstrate sustained competitiveness. The club's voluntary withdrawal back to the Regionalliga after the 2015 season highlights the financial and organizational challenges faced by smaller clubs in the German football pyramid. The Twister's journey offers insight into the development of American football in Germany outside the top tier.

Did You Know?

• The club entered league football in 1998 at the tier five Verbandsliga.
• Holzgerlingen won a championship in a season without defeat before moving up to the Oberliga.
• The club's best GFL2 result was a third-place finish in 2011.
• In 2013, the Twister earned promotion by defeating Ingolstadt Dukes 24–23 in the return leg after a 6–6 first-leg draw.