“Semper fahnenlos” – Fan provocation at the Kracher against RWO

Alemannia Aachen defeated Rot-Weiß Oberhausen 3:1 – and the Aachen fans also gave their rival a taste of their own medicine in the stands.

On the pitch, Alemannia Aachen’s 3-1 win over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen had plenty to offer. A goal from Nils Winter (7th), a free-kick from Anton Heinz (39th) and the second goal from the former Oberhausen player (47th) sealed Aachen’s victory. Christian März scored for RWO (87th).

Away from the field, the fan groups in the stands also came up with a few banners. The Alemannia fans provoked the Oberhausen supporters with a reference to the past.

Some masked Aachen fans displayed a banner that read “Semper flagless”. The banner was painted in the style of the fence flag of the RWO fan group “Semper fidelis”. The Aacheners wrote: “Always flagless”.

The background: When RWO played against 1. FC Köln II in the Franz-Kremer Stadium in August 2022, “Semper Fidelis” was also there and had hung its banner on the guest fence. Suspected Cologne fans disguised as stewards walked up to the guest block shortly before the end of the game, tore down the banner and brought it into the Cologne fan block.

RWO: “Semper fidelis” did not disband after losing their flag

In the Ultra culture, such a flag theft or loss of a fence flag by a fan group often results in the dissolution of the respective group. This is what happened to the “Boyz Köln”. Their fence flag was stolen by robbers disguised as FC Cologne fans at the away game in Hoffenheim in March 2018. Presumably, it was stolen by fans of rival club Borussia Mönchengladbach, in whose fan section the flag was later seen.
“Semper fidelis” decided against this step and made a comeback at the Lower Rhine Cup game against MSV Duisburg at the end of September 2022. Since then, “Semper fidelis” has been back in attendance as a group at RWO games.

The fact that the Aacheners wanted to allude to breaking this unwritten rule was made clear by another banner: “For 20 years, we’ve been getting ready. In that time, you’ve once again painted the flag that was gambled away.”