... is an industrial city in the Ruhr, Germany's most extensive urban area. In 1840 it had only 6,000 inhabitants, but over the next 60 years it became (according to Wikipedia) the most important coal mining town in Europe. Today it's the fifth largest city in Westphalia (after Dortmund, Bochum, Bielefeld and Münster), and the 25th most populous in Germany.
FC Schalke 04 took their name from the district in which they were originally based, and the year in which they were founded (1904). They dominated their regional league in the inter–war years, being champions in 19 seasons out of 20, and they won the Oberliga West four times between 1945 and 1963. Since the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963 their best finishing position has been second, in 1972 and 1977, but in 1981 they were relegated to the second tier for the first time. Starting in 1991 they enjoyed 30 consecutive years in the top flight, but in 2023 they were relegated for the second time in three years.
© Haydn Thompson 2024