By 12 noon on Friday, 31 March, all clubs interested in participating in the 2023/2024 Regionalliga West must submit their documents to the West German Football Association.
1. FC Bocholt has applied to the West German Football Association (WDFV) for a licence for the 2023/2024 season in the Regionalliga.
Assuming that the club stays in the league, it is the club’s goal to be able to offer regional league football at the Hünting in the coming season.
However, in the event of staying in the league, stricter infrastructure requirements – as reported by RevierSport – would necessitate a number of construction measures in the stadium, which could be tackled immediately after the end of the season in May.
For this reason, the club has initially registered the stadium of Sportfreunde Lotte at Lotter Kreuz with the WDFV as a venue for home games.
The licensing procedure for the new regional league season is a great challenge for our club, not only financially, but also organisationally.
Ludger Triphaus, President of 1. FC Bocholt
If we manage to stay in the league and the necessary construction work is completed in time, the stadium at Hünting could be used as a home ground again. That is what has been agreed with the WDFV.
“The licensing procedure for the new regional league season is a great challenge for our club, not only financially, but also organisationally. However, we are convinced that we will be able to meet these requirements in a joint effort. Not least the atmospherically great home match against Rot Weiss Essen showed the potential of football in Bocholt,” says Ludger Triphaus, president of 1. FC Bocholt.
Christopher Schorch, assistant to the presidium, adds: “The top priority is still ‘real’ home games at the Hünting in front of as many home fans as possible. The temporary solution of first declaring the stadium at Lotter Kreuz as the venue for the games gives us time to implement the necessary infrastructure measures. With the support of the city of Bocholt, we want to make regional league football possible in Bocholt in the new season. The city, the club and the fans simply deserve it. “
With nine matchdays to go, Bocholt occupy a non-relegation spot following the withdrawal of 1. FC Kaan-Marienborn as well as a lead over Straelen, Wattenscheid and Ahlen. But Ahlen are only two points behind Bocholt. On Saturday (2 p.m.), 1st FC travel to SV Straelen.
