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The Frankfurt Lions were the first American Football team in Germany. The founder and American Football pioneer Alexander Sperber has given us his go-ahead for this historic fanwear. Become part of Germany's oldest American Football tradition: "Go Frankfurt Lions"
In the historic year of 1977, Germany experienced the burgeoning spirit of American Football when Alexander Sperber and Wolfgang Lehneis laid the groundwork for the sport in Frankfurt. They founded the "Frankfurt Löwen" (Frankfurt Lions) – the first club of its kind on German soil. Shortly thereafter, more teams were established: the Düsseldorf Panther, Munich Cowboys, Ansbach Grizzlies, Bremerhaven Seahawks, and the Berliners, then known as the Bären (Bears), who today fly as the Adler (Eagles).
It was a time when a shared passion and meetings in Grüneburgpark laid the foundation for the club. Sperber and Lehneis, two pioneers of the new movement, found each other and formed a team with up to 15 enthusiastic players – Germans and Americans side by side. They competed against superior US teams, learned through defeats, and celebrated camaraderie.
Alexander Sperber's father, a US Air Force engineer and part of the historic Berlin Airlift, inspired the team's formation. When Alexander was unable to join the Air Force team for insurance reasons, the decision to form his own began to grow. It all started in 1975 with a chance encounter between him and Wolfgang Lehneis, a judo enthusiast who caught fire for American Football. The two friends laid the groundwork in Grüneburgpark, throwing the football and inviting more and more football lovers, including numerous Americans stationed in Frankfurt. The informal touch and flag football games often evolved into exciting tackle football matches without equipment.
Emerging from the "Frankfurt Hot Dogs" formation, they developed a strong community which officially adopted the name "Frankfurt Löwen" (Frankfurt Lions) in 1977 and established itself as a club. A year later, the Düsseldorf Panther appeared on the scene, another milestone for American football in Germany. Before an impressive crowd of 4,000 to 6,000 spectators, the Lions defeated the Wiesbaden Flyers, leaving a lasting impression – both in the American community and in later media reports.
The official league operation started on August 4, 1978. At the DSV 04 Stadium in Düsseldorf, the "Frankfurt Löwen" met the "Düsseldorf Panther" and triumphed with 38:0 in front of approximately 4,400 spectators. A brilliant victory that was repeated in the return match with a 32:0 success. The Frankfurt team had got the hang of it and was also successful during the season. They won the first two German championships in 1979 and 1980 against the Ansbach Grizzlies, 14:8 in 1979 and 21:12 in 1980. In 1981, the Frankfurt Löwen became German Vice-Champions, losing in the final to the Grizzlies 27:6.
Sperber and Lehneis founded more and more teams, and the Frankfurt Löwen eventually became history – but what a history it was.
