Lower Saxony Cup

Lower Saxony Cup

Founded	1956
Region	Lower Saxony, Germany
Qualifier for	DFB-Pokal
Current champions	SV Drochtersen/Assel (2015–16)
Most successful club(s)	Sportfreunde Salzgitter (4 titles)

The Lower Saxony Cup (German: Niedersächsischer Pokal) is an annual football cup competition, held by the Niedersächsischer Fußball-Verband (English: Lower Saxony Football Association) since 1956. For sponsorship reasons, the official name of the competition is Krombacher-Pokal.^[1] The Krombacher brewery, sponsor of the competition since 2010, also sponsored, at the time, the cup competitions in Thuringia, Westphalia, Hesse and Rhineland.^[2] It is one of the 21 regional cup competitions in Germany and a qualifying competition for the German Cup, with the winner and runners-uo of the competition being automatically qualified for the first round of the German Cup in the following season.^[3]

The record winners of the competition are Sportfreunde Salzgitter with four titles, followed by Kickers Emden, VfL Wolfsburg, and Hannover 96 with three titles each to their name.

Mode

The competition is open for all member clubs of the Lower Saxony FA playing in the 3rd Liga, Regionalliga Nord and Niedersachsenliga. Additionally, the four regional cup winners in the state are also qualified. Reserve teams are not permitted to compete anymore. Regardless of which club has been drawn first, clubs from a lower league will always have home advantage when playing a club from a higher league. In case of a draw after regular time, no extra time is played and the game instead decided by a penalty shoot out. The two cup finalists automatically qualify for the first round of the German Cup.^[4]

Winners

The winners of the competition:^[1]

Club Wins Years Sportfreunde Salzgitter^1 4 1957, 1961, 1964, 1975 VfL Osnabrück 3 2005, 2013, 2015 Kickers Emden 3 1996, 2000, 2009 VfL Wolfsburg 3 1962, 2002^‡, 2003^‡ Hannover 96 3 1982^‡, 1998, 1999 Eintracht Braunschweig 2 2004, 2011 SV Wilhelmshaven 2 2007, 2010 Eintracht Nordhorn 2 1974, 2008 Sportfreunde Ricklingen 2 1992, 1993 TSV Verden 2 1987, 1988 VfV Hildesheim 2 1956, 1976 SC Göttingen 05 2 1963, 1967^‡ SV Drochtersen/Assel 1 2016 BSV Schwarz-Weiß Rehden 1 2014 TSV Havelse 1 2012 BV Cloppenburg 1 2006 SC Schüttorf 1 2001 SV Meppen 1 1999 SSV Vorsfelde 1 1995 Sportfreunde Oesede 1 1994 TSV Kaltenweide 1 1991

Club Wins Years TuS Bersenbrück 1 1990 VfL Bückeburg 1 1989 TSV Stelingen 1 1986 VfR Langelsheim 1 1985 TSV Friesen Hänigsen 1 1984 TuS Lingen 1 1983 TuS Celle 1 1981 Borussia Hannover 1 1980 MTV Gifhorn 1 1978 TuS Hessisch Oldendorf 1 1977 TSV Burgdorf 1 1973 FC Wolfsburg 1 1972 VfL Rütenbrock 1 1971 TuS Bodenteich 1 1970 SV Einbeck 05 1 1969 Roland Delmenhorst 1 1968 TuS Haste 1 1966 Wolfenbütteler SV 1 1965 Olympia Wilhelmshaven 1 1960 Preußen Hameln 07 1 1959 VfB Peine 1 1958

• ^‡ Won by reserve team.
• ¹ Known as Sportfreunde Lebenstedt before 1964.
• No competition held in 1979.

References

1. Krombacher-Pokal Herren des NFV (German) Lower Saxony football association website, accessed: 30 June 2011
2. Krombacher-Brauerei ist neuer Premium-Partner (German) Lower Saxony football association website, published: 21 December 2010, accessed: 1 July 2011
3. DFB Cup Men - Mode DFB website, accessed: 28 June 2011
4. Ausschreibung Krombacher Pokal Herren des NFV 2010/11 (German) Lower Saxony football association website - competition rules, accessed: 1 July 2011

Sources

• Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, (German) An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS

External links

• (German) NFV - Lower Saxony football association
• (German) Official DFB results website