Hall of Fame

Outstanding Athletes and Remarkable Individuals

Over 100 Years of Tradition. Over 100 Years of Connection to the City of Frankfurt — Especially to Our Beloved Bornheim. Throughout these years, alongside many sporting milestones, we have not only welcomed outstanding athletes into our club, but also truly remarkable individuals. We are grateful and proud that they wore our crest, and we strive — through both our athletic and social commitment — to carry on their legacy.

We thank you for everything you have done for FSV Frankfurt 1899 and will always remember you.

Armin Hary – World Record in the Colors of FSV Frankfurt 1899

He belongs in the same breath as legendary athletes like Carl Lewis, Bob Hayes, Donovan Bailey, or Maurice Greene:
Armin Hary, who, competing for FSV Frankfurt, won the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. That same year, he also set a new world record with a time of 10.0 seconds. Hary, who was born in Saarland, had already run a world-record time back in 1958 in Friedrichshafen, but because the track had a one-centimeter downhill gradient, the double European champion’s time was not officially recognized. Two years later in Zurich, another world record attempt initially went unrecognized. After the race, a starting official claimed that Hary had false-started.

A Hero’s Welcome at the Bornheim Clock Tower

The official explained the lack of a starting signal by saying the starting pistol had misfired and he had therefore been unable to indicate the false start. Hary was furious but lined up again with two other sprinters—and once more, under the roaring applause of 16,000 spectators in Zurich, he ran world-record time. This time, the record was finally ratified.b Upon his return home, the sprint star was welcomed with great celebration at the Bornheimer Uhrtürmchen. But shortly after the Olympics—Hary was just 23 years old at the time—the 1960 Olympic champion announced his retirement. An injury and a suspension due to an alleged violation of amateur regulations led to his decision.

Hary withdrew completely from the world of sports. A trained precision mechanic, he later earned his living as a real estate agent and now lives near Landshut.

Richard Herrmann – Legend of the Hang

Richard Herrmann’s kiosk on Berger Straße, in the heart of Frankfurt-Bornheim, still exists today. And so does the Herrmann legacy: while the legendary striker of FSV Frankfurt is no longer behind the counter, his sons Horst and Rolf have long taken the reins. The small shop was originally given to Herrmann by the club in 1952 to persuade him to turn down a lucrative offer from AC Torino, who were offering an eye-watering 60,000 Deutsche Marks to lure the quick-footed forward across the Alps. Herrmann stayed—and wore the black and blue jersey until his retirement in 1960.

Since his debut in 1947 for FSV (incidentally against Bayern Munich), Herrmann scored exactly 100 goals in 320 league appearances for the club. Though not physically imposing, Herrmann possessed everything that defined a great footballer: powerful shooting, precise ball control, stamina, and a blistering pace. “He was faster with the ball than most were without it,” recalls his son Horst, describing his lightning-fast father.

A World Champion from Bornheim

Herrmann was Bornheim’s ultimate football idol—admired not only for his skill but also for his modest and likable nature. These qualities caught the attention of Germany’s national coach Sepp Herberger, who included the down-to-earth Frankfurter in the squad for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Herrmann played one of his eight international matches during the group stage. Though Germany suffered an 8–3 defeat to Hungary, the FSV player scored a goal, just like Helmut Rahn and Eintracht’s Alfred Pfaff. After Germany’s historic victory in the final against Hungary, Herrmann returned to Bornheimer Hang as a World Champion.

He continued playing for FSV Frankfurt until 1960, then spent a year and a half coaching SG Seckbach. In 1962, at the age of just 39, Herrmann passed away from liver disease. Statements made by Herrmann shortly before his death, along with letters from the German Football Association, have fueled speculation in recent years that his death may have been linked to non-sterile vitamin injections administered by the German team doctor during the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. On his deathbed, Herrmann is quoted as saying: “If only I’d had a drink now and then—maybe then my liver would’ve fought back.”

In 2009, in honor of the FSV icon, the square in front of the Frankfurter Volksbank Stadium was renamed Richard-Herrmann-Platz.

Mikayil Kabaca – Black and Blue at Heart

Men like him shape a club. Mikayil Kabaca has been with FSV Frankfurt for so long that there are hardly any people left at Bornheimer Hang who can remember a time when the Turkish-born Kabaca wasn’t part of the club.

It was sometime in the early 1990s when he joined the Bornheimers as a youth player. Kabaca lives and breathes FSV and identifies with the traditional club from Bornheim like no other. His style of play matched that loyalty: always giving 100%, never shying away from physical effort, always putting the team first.

It was never about style or elegance with him. Kabaca had his off days too—but he never stopped fighting.

Hessen Championship and Promotion to the Regionalliga

From 1996 to 2005, Kabaca played for FSV Frankfurt’s first team, experiencing both highs and lows alongside the club. In 1998, he celebrated winning the Hessen Championship and earning promotion to the Regionalliga. Just two years later, he had to endure the team’s relegation due to an administrative error involving an ineligible substitution.

Kabaca is held in the highest regard by club officials, teammates, and fans alike. He even coached FSV’s U13 team, and back then, teammates used to joke that “Kaba” would one day become manager or even president of the Bornheim club.

In July 2008, part of that prophecy came true when Kabaca was promoted to team manager of FSV Frankfurt’s 2nd-division side. Then, on November 22, 2010—his 34th birthday—he was officially honored as an Honorary Team Captain of FSV Frankfurt during the club’s general assembly.

Werner Niebel – A Model Sportsman

On November 25, 1961, our long-time league player Werner Niebel was named an “Honorary Team Captain.” In recognition of his great athletic achievements, the board and council of elders unanimously decided to award him the “Gold Badge of Honor.” In his twelfth year with FSV Frankfurt, Werner Niebel was a constant presence in our first team. Only serious injuries ever kept him from playing in official matches. Thanks to his excellent technique and outstanding positional play, even Germany’s national coach Sepp Herberger took notice of our Werner. Niebel received the great honor of being called up by the DFB to represent Germany in the B national team against Austria—and did so successfully. He remained a member of the national team pool for quite some time and proudly took part in many representative matches for city and regional select teams.

A Role Model Even in Defeat

What truly set him apart was his character—modest, respectful, and grounded. He showed grace and humility in victory, and dignity and sportsmanship in defeat. Not only in football but also in his professional life, Werner Niebel stood his ground. He was a master craftsman in shoemaking, a trade he pursued with great skill in his shop on Bergerstraße—where he was ably supported by his charming wife. Werner Niebel was always a role model for his teammates and especially for our youth. FSV Frankfurt is proud and grateful to count such a principled and accomplished sportsman among its own.

Horst Trimhold – Honorary Team Captain for Life

The quote is well remembered: When FSV coach Erich Gehbauer in 1972 banned his players from having sex starting Tuesday before a match, captain Horst Trimhold spoke up and said:  “Alright, coach. We still have Sunday and Monday.”

In 1971, Horst “Schotte” Trimhold transferred from Borussia Dortmund to Bornheimer Hang. He earned his nickname after not buying a round following his first professional contract until the money had actually landed in his account. Trimhold had played five years for Dortmund and previously three years for Eintracht Frankfurt (167 Bundesliga appearances). The one-time international (1962: Yugoslavia–Germany 2:3) helped the FSV reach its golden era.

Decisive Goal in the Final

Together with players like Karlheinz Volz, Peter Rübenach and Hubert Genz, Trimhold led the club to the final of the German Amateur Championship in 1972, where “Schotte” scored the decisive 2:1 goal in the 90th minute against TSV Marl-Hüls. In 1975, the team was promoted to the Second Division after a 2:2 draw in the decisive match at Bornheimer Hang in front of 17,000 spectators. The club remained in the second tier until 1981, with its best finish coming in 1977—securing seventh place, still with Trimhold’s support. He retired from playing for the FSV in 1981 at the age of 36, but not before being named honorary team captain. Trimhold would return to Bornheimer Hang many times—if only to relive and share the old stories.

Karlheinz Volz – A Goalkeeper Who Made a Name for Himself

Karlheinz Volz guarded the goal for FSV Frankfurt from 1972 to 1980, making himself unforgettable during that time. His spectacular saves, cat-like reflexes, and modern playing style for that era made him well known beyond Bornheimer Hang. It was in part thanks to his performances that the Bornheimers were promoted from the Oberliga to the Second Division in 1975. The local press reverently wrote, “Bornheim’s pride, Karlheinz Volz.” As long as the honorary team captain kept the Bornheimer net clean, the FSV was never relegated.

Premature Career End

The goalkeeper was forced to end his career prematurely due to a knee injury. However, he remained with the club for another three-quarters of a year as a co-coach under Dietmar Schwager. He then went on to coach several Hessian teams himself before becoming an advertising consultant. Even today, the 64-year-old honorary team captain is drawn to Bornheimer Hang at every opportunity. As he says himself, once an FSV player, always an FSV player.

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