Evening of camaraderie: Haßberge referees celebrate 100 years!

Evening of camaraderie: Haßberge referees celebrate 100 years!

The camaraderie evening of the Haßberge referee group, which took place on December 5, 2025 in the SSV Gädheim clubhouse, was a brilliant celebration of community and honors. With around 100 participants from the referee family and a few guests of honor, the atmosphere was excellent. Chairman Moritz Meisel, who has been in office for 54 days, opened the celebrations and thanked the active and passive referees and their families for their support. His appeal for responsibility, fairness and community underlined the group's cohesion. He emphasized how important the support of partners and families is for the referees, who often work in the background.

A special atmosphere of camaraderie and cohesion ran through the evening, which began with a champagne reception. The focus was on honoring long-standing members: Jens Bönisch, Robert Fanenbruck, Werner Friedrich, Jürgen Hümpfner and Bernhard Mantel were honored for 30 years of commitment. Alexander Bergmann, Marcel Geuß and Wolfgang Glos were also pleased to receive a district honor for 25 years. Thorsten Bockelt, Andreas Eiring, Cornelius Göb, Daniel Hau, Kerstin Hug, Jan Kapar, Thomas Krug, Philipp Leuerer and others received the silver award for 20 years. The commitment of Wolfgang Ankenbrand, Wilhelm Dinkel, Lukas Halpfer and Gerald Makowski for 15 years was also recognized.

Farewells and appreciations

Board members who vacated their chairs were not forgotten. Christian Wetz was retired after 10 years as a member of the referee group, where he was active as group leader for 7 years and as deputy group leader for 1 year. Wetz received praise for his achievements in referee training, division and youth work. Alexander Bergmann, the deputy group leader, and event manager Udo Kessemeier were also honored. A special thank you went to Rudi Langhans for his many years of work as materials manager, which should not go unmentioned.

The celebratory get-together ended with a raffle, auctions, coffee and cake in a friendly atmosphere. A big thank you went to SSV Gädheim, who provided the catering and the facilities, as well as to all the cake bakers and sponsors who made this evening possible.

A look into the future

With the 100th anniversary of the Haßberge referee group, the future of referee training is also coming into focus. In times of staff shortages, especially in lower leagues, it is important to attract new talent. The importance of referee training has been clearly highlighted to counteract this trend. Initiatives to promote and support referees could be crucial in ensuring commitment in the lower classes and finding new faces for the future of football. A report from Club Hero highlights how referee training can become the backbone of football in Bavaria and what measures are needed to inspire a new generation for this important job learn more.