Third division club Rot-Weiss Essen is gaining more and more members. The club’s problem: Not all RWE fans want to pay their dues.

This number is impressive. Third division soccer club Rot-Weiss Essen reported at its annual general meeting on Sunday that the club now has 12,817 members. The number has risen sharply compared to the previous year.

In February 2023, there were still 9,000 members. The club has gained many supporters through its last successful season in the 3rd division. In a league comparison, RWE ranks fifth with this number of members; only Dynamo Dresden (28,039), Hansa Rostock (27,700), TSV 1860 Munich (26,500) and Arminia Bielefeld (15,147) had more club members as of August 2024.

Membership fees are an important source of income for RWE. The annual fee for adult members is 90 euros, children from 7 to 17 years pay 30 euros, and membership for toddlers from 0 to 6 costs 19.07 euros. However, one problem of Rot-Weiss Essen is the lack of willingness to pay among some members. The club apparently did not have the means to take countermeasures in the past.

In an interview with this editorial team, RWE board member Alexander Rang emphasized that the club is currently trying to solve this problem. “We are constantly growing in the membership area and there will be further measures to support this positive development. But you also have to have good and serious processes in place to collect the membership fees. We have left a lot of this behind in the past, and we are now working on it,” said Rang.

Rot-Weiss Essen: Members can be excluded after six months

RWE took the first step at the Annual General Meeting on Sunday. Of the members present, two motions were passed by a large majority that should enable the club to defend itself against members unwilling to pay in the future. If a member does not pay despite two reminders and has been in default for more than six months, they are to be excluded.

The statutes now stipulate that members must have paid their dues for the following year by December 31. If a member pays half, the second part must be received in the RWE account by June 30 of the calendar year.

Rot-Weiss Essen wants to prevent fraud in ticket sales

Following an objection from a member, the club has emphasized that it is not about excluding financially disadvantaged members. Instead, the club wants to take action against people who take advantage of the benefits of membership, such as the right to pre-order tickets, without paying the fees.