FC Bayern München eV held its first away members’ Stammtisch in Cologne ahead of the final Bundesliga game of the season. Thirty-four members attended and enjoyed a convivial evening in ‘Rut un wiess’.
Gearing up for the final day
The atmosphere at the club’s first away members’ Stammtisch was excellent - almost as if the members present in Cologne had already guessed what would happen one day later in the season finale...
Just 24 hours before the dramatic 2-1 victory against Köln, eV managing director Benny Folkmann, Allianz Arena boss Jürgen Muth and Markus Meindl, head of the fan and fan club support department, invited members to an exchange at the ‘Brauhaus zum Prinzen’ in Cologne.
More than 500 applications
More than 500 applications had been received for the evening, but only 34 members from the area were finally invited - and they all came! It was Bayern’s fourth members’ get-together this season, but the first outside Munich - and once again an excellent opportunity for conversation and exchange among like-minded people.
„We want our members to feel at home in the FC Bayern family.”
Benny Folkmann, FC Bayern München eV managing director
“The FC Bayern family continues to grow, and so we can feel at home wherever we are,” Folkmann said when opening the evening. “We are proud and grateful for so many loyal members who shape the active club life of FC Bayern.” He was particularly pleased about the positive feedback on the dialogue formats: “We are in close contact with our grassroots because the exchange is very important to us. The members should feel that their concerns are taken seriously and that they are part of the FC Bayern family.”
And what was on the minds of the Reds from Cologne? The most important topics were, of course, the current sporting situation of the professional teams, ticketing and all questions concerning the Allianz Arena. FC Bayern seems to be popular in all social classes in the Rhineland. The youngest member was 19 years old, the oldest 77. The membership numbers ranged from 1,112 to 301,036.
For the right atmosphere, the Kölner Brauhaus was transformed into a miniature version of a Munich pub. With a snack platter, red and white beer mats, napkins and a large FCB flag, it almost looked as if they were meeting in Bavaria - only the smaller beer glasses and a picture of Lukas Podolski on the wall betrayed the Rhineland ‘away game’.
Surprise guest Kathleen Krüger
As a surprise guest, team manager Kathleen Krüger also dropped by the Brauhaus, gave the members exciting insights into the current processes with the team before the last Bundesliga match, and took the very best wishes back to the players' hotel. It appeared to help!
FC Bayern München eV plans to continue organising away members’ Stammtische in the future, making it possible for members who do not live in the immediate vicinity of Säbener Straße or the Allianz Arena to experience FCB up close and personal. The lively discussions about member services, fan club matters and the glorious history of Bayern showed once again that dialogue with the members is of central importance. After all, football is a team sport in which the 12th man and woman play the most important role.
Find out more about Bayern’s title win here:
