In 2009 I was helping the staff of the Major Team plan and travel for their Regional Games for the Amateur and Open Cups in New York and Maryland. The night before one of these trips, my Dad suggested we need a gift to give the captain of the other team. So we created a nice graphic with both Clubs’ logos, the date and the match info. We printed and framed it and made our Captain (regrettably) hand it to his counterpart during the coin flip. We ended up losing that game but my role with the team would grow from that point forward.
In the next year or so, I noticed a pennant hanging in the trophy case in the Cocktail Lounge or “Alpine Bar” as it was then called. A triangular banner, half red and half black split vertically, trimmed in gold fringe, with the “UNITED GH SPORT CLUB PHILA PA” patch sewn in the center, hung from a stick and a string. Assuming this was from the 70’s era, I took the pennant from the case and brought it with to a visit of my grandparents Joe and Anna Hartmann in Warminster. Over some wurst and cheese and probably a Yuengling, I asked, “Grandmom, can you make this?.” I told her we don’t need the fancy fringe or the string but I’ll buy the fabric and get you the patches.
Always ready for a project, Grandmom and Grandpop took a trip to Joann’s Fabric for all of the supplies. They would not let me reimburse them. They had coupons or so they said.
A week or two later the prototype was complete. They looked great and the gold fringe absolutely needed go be included. After that production was full steam ahead.
By 2010, I was a little more involved with the Major Team, and we again qualified for the Regional Rounds of the USASA Open Cup. We hosted a first-round regional game against the Charm City FC if I remember correctly. This time we had a proper gift for the opposing captain during the coin flip and Captain Karasow proudly handed it over as we went on to win this game and advance in the Cup.
Over the next few years, we handed these to worthy opponents & friends: historic clubs here locally, our state and regional cup opponents, and our Schwope soccer clubs at the US National Donauschwaben Tournament. Those tournaments are as much about competition as they are about friendship and tradition. So it was post-game over some beers when a coach from another club thanked us saying,“…hey thanks for the wimpel!” We smiled and nodded but walking away the looks we gave each other said only one thing:
“What the hell’s a wimpel?”
Last Saturday our members attended Trenton Donauschwaben’s 70th Anniversary at the German American Society of Trenton. In the bar, both versions of our wimpel were hanging there back-to-back! We gifted the recent version to our good friends the German American Kickers during a friendly match at the 2022 Landestreffen.
When my Grandmother passed late last year, we came across the box of wimpel supplies: pre-cut red and black fabric, templates marked “this side up for red and this side for black,” sticks and cordage and a few patches remained.
I’m not sure how many were made or how many we have given out over the last 15 plus years. I know one hangs in my house with some other special soccer memorabilia. The vintage 1970s one that served as our model is probably in storage somewhere. What is extra special is to see them hanging in clubs locally and across the country. Keep your eyes out when visiting our friends!
Many have commented on the tradition of friendship and that they appreciate the gift. When people ask where we had gotten them made, I am proud each time to tell them that they were hand-made by my Grandparents.
Grandmom Hartmann (with help from Grandpop Joe),
Thanks for the wimpels!
Werner Fricker III
EDITOR’S NOTE: I have one displayed in my study too:
