Die Blauen Mailbag, Edition One!

Yes folks, you've asked for it, and you've got it! The inaugural edition of Die Blauen Mailbag is up and running with a couple of questions from the dozens of adoring fans out there. (I kid, I kid) There were plenty more in the Inbox, but I chose these softball questions to answer, and some of the other ones will be in upcoming die Arminiageschichte articles, as well as some upcoming die Blauen Maibag articles...that is when I get the answer for them. If you've got a question about the club, the blog, or anything else, fire off an e-mail to dieblauenblog@gmail.com with "Die Blauen Mailbag" in the subject line. So away we go!

Dear Die Blauen Blog,

First off, your blog is excellent and it is great to see someone talk about football clubs around the world that most people don't read about in English, much less ask folks for questions. Anyway, here's an easy question for you to answer:

Where has Ernst Middendorp coached outside of Germany? I know he was at Kaizer Chiefs when he took the job in Bielefeld this past season, but has he been anywhere else?

Thanks for your answer and keep up the great work!

Brian (Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire)

Everyone's favourite manager has his EU passport pretty full when it comes to coaching. Apart from 3 stints with Arminia, and a variety of jobs in Germany from Eintracht Nordhorn to KFC Uerdingen 05, Middendorp has coached in Ghana, Iran, and South Africa. In Ghana, he's coached the two domestic giants Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, Iranian second division side Teraktor Sazi FC, and most famously, Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, where he won the ABSA Cup (a mini FA Cup for South Africa) as well as the Supa 8 Cup (a knock-out competition with the top 8 clubs from the previous season, an expanded Liga Pokal, if you will).

Hey Man!

I'm on OleOle and I saw your blog. I would make fun of you for you liking a team that sucks but I cheer for Spurs! (lol!) Anyway, has Arminia Bielefeld won any German League titles? Keep it up man, it's a fun read.

Jonathan (Buffalo, New York)

Well, I'll forgive you for being a Spurs supporter, but to answer your question, Arminia Bielefeld has a pretty full trophy cabinet... but nothing from the 1. Bundesliga... yet!

In the early days, Arminia won several regional titles and flirted with national success, most famously reaching the quarterfinals of the now-DFB Pokal in 1923.

1922-23 West German Regional Championships (Picture courtesy of arminia-bielefeld.de)

After this golden era was quite a long period of relative mediocrity, but since the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Arminia Bielefeld have bounced around the lower divisions quite a bit (see next question), but won league titles in the following seasons, along with automatic promotion:

2. Bundesliga (Nationwide): 1999

2. Bundesliga (Nord): 1978, 1980

Regionalliga West: 1995

Oberliga Westfalen (Amateur): 1990

Dear Die Blauen Blog,

I must say that I am highly impressed that someone would care for my club enough to write a blog about them... in English! I was born and raised in the Bielefeld area, and spent plenty of days at the Alm supporting our club, but I have lived in the United States for the past twenty years and have only been back twice. Thankfully the Internet has been able to allow me to follow die Arminen closely again, much less let me find your blog!

Perhaps you can help me with something. With the club's 100th anniversary a few seasons back, the club released an all time starting eleven. Do you know who they are? And if you do, please let me know. Once again, thank you for your blog and Schwarz-weiss-blaue Ich liebe Gruesse!

Jan (Florida)

First off, thanks for the compliments, and to answer your question, here's the Arminia Bielefeld 100th Anniversary Starting XI (in a 3-4-3 Formation):

Goal: Uli Stein

Defence: Günther Schäfer, Dieter Schulz, Thomas Stratos

Midfield: Thomas von Heesenm, Walter Claus-Oehler, Frank Pagelsdorf, Norbert Eilenfeldt

Forward: Bernd Kirchner, Bruno Labbadia, Ewald Lienen

Manager: Ernst Middendorp

One last thing for this blog entry...

WE FINALLY FREAKING WON! WOOHOO!!!

Texas-sized Kudos to Christian Eigler for the double this evening, especially the match-winner in extra time. I didn't get back home until just after the match ended, and I don't think I could have watched it anyway considering the DFB Pokal's lack of coverage here in the States. It'll be a boost going into the match in Leverkusen on Saturday, so here's to at least a point, if not 3 then, an easy draw in the next round, as well as not being Hertha or Nürnberg, who both crashed out to lower division sides today!