SV Stripfing
Eastadio Franz Horr
Horrpl. 1
1100 Wien
Austria
Ground Number: 1393
Friday 7th March 2025
SV Stripfing 1-1 SV Lafnitz
2.Liga
SV STRIPFING - A BRIEF HISTORY
SV Stripfing was founded in 1951. Without significant success, the first 50 years were spent in the lower depths of the regional league system. However, a remarkable change of fortunes in the last 15 years has propelled them up the leagues. In 2011 they were runners-up in the 2nd class Marchfeld B behind SV Gänserndorf, the league sits at level 7 of the Austrian League system, although they would have to wait another year for promotion as champions. In the first season in the 1st Class North, they also did not lose a single game and were promoted to the sixth highest division, the Gebietsliga, as champions in 2013. There they were able to continue their run of success and as champions of the Gebietsliga Nord/Nordwest, they were promoted to the 2nd Landesliga after only one season in 2014. Now at the 5th level, they would have to settle for a season of consolidation until they were champions in 2016. A couple of seasons of consolidation followed, including in 2018 when they missed out on the title on goal difference to SV Leobendorf. Eventually, they were champions in 2019 earning promotion to tier 3. It was another few years of consolidation but in 2023 another championship followed for promotion to the second tier.
In 2017, they won the Lower Austrian Cup that season after winning the final against ASK Ybbs and were thus played in the ÖFB-Cup for the first time in the 2017/18 season. Originally playing at the Sportsplatz Stripfing in Weikendorf, they moved to the FAC-Platz, home of Floridsdorfer AC, following their promotion to the second tier. For this season, they moved to Austria Vienna's Generali Arena. The club hails from Weikendorf, a town in the district of Gänserndorf in northeast Austria. The population is around 1,900.
MY VISIT
Unlike the other weekends I had off in March, this was the one where I had no idea where I was going. It proved to be a frustrating time as the logistics weren't working out. I definitely wanted one new country, possibly more but things were not working out for the latter. Dublin was initially my favourite but their refusal to play on anything but a Friday evening made planning a weekend nearly impossible and I gave up in the end. Australia had a ton of matches but it was too far and pricey to do for a weekend trip. Gibraltar would have been great but it would have seen me go to just one ground for multiple games. Malta & Iceland were also considered but as with many, the flight out from Stansted was too early to do on public transport. I thought I had found a gem in Zagreb. As with others, the flight times did not work out but I could negate that by going on Thursday evening. However, whilst Saturday offered plenty of options, there was just one game on Friday and none on Sunday. Budapest was the opposite problem - lots of choice on Sunday and with some fantastic grounds. For that reason, I decided to base myself in Austria for the first half of the weekend.
Colin and I arrived back in London just before 10 on Sunday from our weekend in the North West. It was a short walk from Euston station to Euston Square Underground station but for once, we had sensational luck, arriving on the platform at the same time as the half-hourly Amersham train did. From there. it was easy to get back and following a tube, a walk and a drive, I was back home at 11.40. It was straight to bed but in the end, I was glad of a couple of days off work. It was the usual pre-match routine for Wycombe Wanderers v Burton Albion, a game I wasn't looking forward to as much as I'd like. I'd also have liked a groundhop rather than the pre-match pub after a boozy weekend but Colin had already paid for his ticket and I had the use of an unused season ticket. A couple of pints were consumed but Colin had a stroke of luck when a bloke found a £20 note he thought was his and Colin claimed it despite never having seen it before. Dinner-wise, I went to a place called Burger and Tacos. The taco, burger, wings, loaded fries, and drink were tasty but quite pricey at £15. I just made kickoff and saw Wycombe take an early 1-0 lead thanks to a smart finish from Dan Udoh. We went on to win 2-0 thanks to a comical own goal from a lacklustre Burton Albion side.
From there it was a fairly late night and an early morning for my holiday-reduced two days of work. It might have been a sunny few days but the frosts were still hanging around at 4.30 am. Other than that, the two days were a breeze, though I was kept busy planning this weekend and some other future trips. It was the usual work routine of an early morning but I had a spring in my step, parking up at Colin's at 4.50 and walking 25 minutes to Amersham station. The 05:26 train was popular, ten got on at Amersham and it gradually filled up more. It was then a quick change for the 6.40 Stansted Express which was even fuller. I was at Stansted at 7.30 and security was a breeze taking less than ten minutes. Wetherspoons was not so good, taking 25 minutes at the bar to get my first pint as it was not staffed enough. I bagged a table and ordered a second pint which took a more reasonable 15 minutes. From there it was a WH Smith Meal Deal, shockingly restricted to just four chocolate bars and no doubt creating plenty of hassle for the poor staff with this illogical move. A shuttle to gate 36 and boarding the plane was a breeze. An aisle seat in the third row was pretty good luck as I'd paid nothing to get a specific seat.
We were in Vienna by 1PM Austrian time. Transfer and passport control were very efficient, £17.08 got me a train into the city centre, plus 48 hours on all of Vienna's public transport, excluding the CAT train. I was in Vienna city centre just before 2, having bought tonight's football ticket for just over £15. A U1 to Stephensplatz got me near my pre-planned dinner visit. I arrived at Mel's Craft Beer and Diner at 2.20. They were doing a great deal with a Delirium Bad Ass Burger, fries and a small Delirium Red for 13 Euros. I added an extra patty for 2 Euros more. Maybe I should have avoided the extra patty as it was an enormous burger on its own and superb value and very tasty. After that, I headed towards my hotel but stopped at a supermarket for supplies. When I got to my hotel, I realised that I'd made an error as my two nights were in separate hotels. Tonight I'll be on the Ibis Wien Messe, tomorrow I'll be in the Ibis Budget Wien Messe. It's only a minor inconvenience with the hotels next door to each other and I'll just have to pop my bag next door tomorrow morning. It's a nice enough room and quiet too. Time is quite tight with me needing to be out again within 45 minutes but it's enough time to let my phone charge and have a shower. I was out at 5.15, getting the U1 train and getting in a few minutes before kickoff. There was barely 100 there which felt strange in such a large ground.
Stripfing were in 14th place and since the winter break had beaten Amstetten 2-0 but lost 3-1 at First Vienna. Lafnitz were bottom of the table. They'd lost 4-1 at Lifereing but managed a respectable 1-1 draw with Admira. Stripfing started on the front foot and had a couple of half chances in the first five minutes. Lafnitz came back with a couple of their own. It was a fairly open game, the first real effort though coming on 36 minutes when Stripfing hit the post from the edge of the area. The second half started with Lafnitz on top but was Stripfing who took the lead on 58 minutes, a volley from inside the area by Moritz Wels. Both sides had chances but it was Stripfing still leading going into injury time. However, Mickael Dosso stooped to head home to equalise. There was a late chance for a winner but it was blasted over just as the final whistle blew. I'd imagine the visitors went home happier but it had been a reasonable contest.
THE GROUND
THE GENERALI ARENA is a smart modern venue with a capacity of 17,500. The two side stands are all seated with purple seats in the colours of the primary tenant, Austria Vienna. The two ends have safe-standing seats on the top tier with one having normal seats on the bottom and the other a terrace. Away fans get roughly a third of one of these. The food selection looked pretty decent and reasonably priced although I saw no Stripfing merch for sale. The ground is well linked by trams and buses and parking is available. It is quite isolated with mainly roads and industrial areas nearby.
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