Actually, there were still four games left to play in the Regionalliga West this year. One of them has now been canceled for the second time.

The calendar of Rot Weiss Ahlen and FC Schalke 04 U23 will be a little fuller than planned in 2024. The catch-up game from the 17th matchday, which was actually scheduled for Wednesday, cannot take place again. “We have to inform you that the catch-up game against FC Schalke’s U23 team planned for next Wednesday has been canceled again. Despite all our efforts, the pitch is still unplayable,” the Ahlen team announced on Monday.

The game was originally scheduled to take place on November 25, but at the time the city blocked the pitch at the Wersestadion due to weather conditions. Now it is clear that it is not possible to play in Ahlen even two and a half weeks later.

This means that the Ahleners will have to play two catch-up games next year. Finally, the home game against SV Rödinghausen on match day 18 was also canceled due to the unplayable condition of the field and has not yet been rescheduled.

However, the rescheduling has a positive side effect for RWA: the 15th-place team is sure to go into the winter break with a sense of achievement. On Sunday, the Ahlen team confirmed the upward trend under Björn Joppe and showed a reaction to the 1:3 against Gladbach’s U23. There was a 2:0 victory at the U23 of 1. FC Cologne. Prior to that, Joppe had already been able to celebrate victories over the top teams from Düren (3:1) and Wuppertal (2:1) after taking office.

Schalke also enjoyed success last weekend, claiming a comfortable 3-0 victory over 1. FC Düren. This result ensures that the miners will go into the winter break in a secure eighth place in the table.

However, three more catch-up games are still to be played in the Regionalliga West this year. An overview:

Wednesday, December 13, 7 p.m.:

SV Lippstadt-FC Wegberg-Beeck

Saturday, December 16, 2:00 p.m.:

Borussia Mönchengladbach U23-Rot-Weiß Oberhausen

FC Gütersloh-SC Paderborn U23