The Bitburger-wfv-Pokal is one of the 21 regional cup competitions of German football. The winner of the competition gains entry to the first round of the German Cup. It was introduced in 1945. In 2011 the cup was renamed from WFV-Pokal into Bitburger-wfv-Pokal because of a new name sponsoring by the brewery Bitburger. WFV stands for Württembergischer Fußball-Verband (football association of the region Württemberg).

History

The competition was established in 1945 in the Württemberg part of Württemberg-Baden and in Württemberg-Hohenzollern. In 1952, these two states merged with South Baden to form Baden-Württemberg but three separate football associations, Württemberg, Baden and South Baden, remained and also their regional cups.

Initially, the final was held at a neutral ground but from 1967 onwards, one of the two finalists received home advantage. Occasionally, it would however still be held at a neutral venue when the club with the home advantage didn't have a suitable stadium. After 1981, the competitions final returned to a neutral venue.

From 1974 onwards, the winner of the WFV Cup qualified for the first round of the German Cup. At times, the WFV was permitted to send both, winner and finalist to the first round of the German Cup, currently (2008–09), it is only the winner as Württemberg is not one of the three largest federations, which are permitted to send two clubs.

Possibly the most remarkable WFV-Cup winner in terms of German Cup appearance was the SC Geislingen in 1984–85. The club drew Hamburger SV for the first round and beat the Bundesliga club 2–0, then defeated Kickers Offenbach 4–2 to go out in the third round 0–2 to the later winners Bayer Uerdingen.

Modus Professional clubs are not permitted to enter the competition, meaning, no teams from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga can compete.

All clubs from Württemberg playing from the 3. Liga to the four Landesligas (VII) gain direct entry to the first round. To make up the set number of 128 clubs for the first round, the best teams from the Bezirkspokale, which teams below tier seven play in, are also admitted.

Cup finals Held annually at the end of season, these were the cup finals since 1950:

Season Location Winner Finalist Result Attendance 1950–51 Schorndorf, 26 August 1951 ESC Ulm TSG Öhringen 3–0 1,500 1951–53 not held 1953–54 Echterdingen, 15 August 1954 FV 09 Nürtingen Stuttgarter SC 3–2 1,500 1954–55 Tübingen, 23 July 1955 Stuttgarter SC SpVgg Trossingen 5–0 2,000 1955–56 Sindelfingen, 28 July 1956 1. FC Eislingen Union Böckingen 1–0 1,200 1956–57 Geislingen, 30 June 1957 SSV Ulm 1. FC Eislingen 5–2 2,000 1957–58 Munderkingen, 22 November 1958 FC Urbach FC Wangen 3–1 600 1958–59 no final played 1959–60 Hechingen, 19 November 1960 VfR Schwenningen TV Echterdingen 4–3 700 1960–61 Metzingen, 21 April 1961 VfL Kirchheim/Teck TSV Eningen 7–1 2,000 1961–62 Esslingen, 12 August 1962 Germania Bietigheim FV 09 Nürtingen 2–0 2,000 1962–63 Heidenheim, 11 August 1963 FV Illertissen SV Hussenhofen 3–1 2,000 1963–64 Echterdingen, 12 July 1964 SpVgg Neckarsulm SV Spaichingen 3–2 2,000 1964–65 Kirchheim/Teck, 27 June 1965 VfL Heidenheim Stuttgarter SC 3–2 1,200 1965–66 Biberach, 9 July 1966 SpVgg Lindau TSG Backnang 5–3 2,000 1966–67 Saulgau, 1 July 1967 TG Biberach SC Schwenningen 6–2 1,300 1967–68 Lindau, 29 June 1968 SpVgg Lindau Union Böckingen 1–0 aet 1,500 1968–69 Tübingen, 21 June 1969 SpVgg Neckarsulm SSV Reutlingen II 4–2 aet 1,500 1969–70 Schwäbisch Gmünd, 28 June 1970 VfB Stuttgart II VfL Heidenheim 4–3 after pen. 7,000 1970–71 Ravensburg, 3 July 1971 VfL Sindelfingen FV Ravensburg 4–2 after pen. 2,500 1971–72 Ravensburg, 2 July 1972 VfR Aalen FV Ravensburg 5–3 2,000 1972–73 Weingarten, 7 July 1973 TV Gültstein SV Weingarten 1–0 2,000 1973–74 Ludwigsburg, 12 June 1974 SpVgg Ludwigsburg VfB Stuttgart II 5–3 after pen. 1,7000 1974–75 Freudenstadt, 29 March 1975 SpVgg Freudenstadt SpVgg Lindau 2–1 after pen. 1,4000 1975–76 Göppingen, 30 May 1976 TV Unterboihingen SSV Ulm 1846 4–3 after pen. 1,500 1976–77 Schwäbisch Gmünd, 4 June 1977 1. FC Normannia Gmünd Heidenheimer SB 2–1 2,200 1977–78 Böckingen, 7 May 1978 1. FC Eislingen Union Böckingen 3–2 aet 1,500 1978–79 Aalen, 4 June 1979 VfR Aalen FV Biberach 1–0 1,500 1979–80 Stuttgart, 30 April 1980 VfB Stuttgart II VfR Heilbronn 3–2 400 1980–81 Ludwigsburg, 20 May 1981 VfB Stuttgart II SpVgg Ludwigsburg 2–1 aet 2,700 1981–82 Kirchheim/Teck, 18 May 1982 SSV Ulm 1846 VfB Stuttgart II 2–0 aet 1,500 1982–83 Ulm, 18 May 1983 SSV Ulm 1846 SV Göppingen 3–1 700 1983–84 Geislingen, 8 May 1984 SC Geislingen TSV Ofterdingen 2–1 1,500 1984–85 Wangen, 1 June 1985 FV Ebingen FC Wangen 4–3 1,800 1985–86 Heidenheim, 19 May 1986 VfR Aalen TSG Giengen 7–6 after pen. 3,500 1986–87 Heidenheim, 3 June 1987 TSG Giengen VfR Aalen 5–1 2,000 1987–88 Nürtingen, 19 May 1988 SSV Reutlingen VfL Kirchheim/Teck 4–2 1,900 1988–89 Illertissen, 10 May 1989 SC Geislingen FC Wangen 3–0 600 1989–90 Reutlingen, 1 May 1990 SSV Reutlingen FC Wangen 3–0 2,100 1990–91 Reutlingen, 20 May 1991 TSG Backnang SSV Reutlingen 2–1 1,500 1991–92 Ulm, 19 May 1992 SSV Ulm 1846 VfR Aalen 3–2 800 1992–93 Ditzingen, 2 June 1993 TSF Ditzingen SV Böblingen 3–2 1,200 1993–94 Ulm, 3 May 1994 SSV Ulm 1846 TSF Ditzingen 6–0 1,000 1994–95 Ulm, 3 May 1995 SSV Ulm 1846 SSV Reutlingen 4–1 1,000 1995–96 Kirchheim/Teck, 22 May 1996 SV Bonlanden SpVgg Au/Iller 1–0 900 1996–97 Eislingen, 20 May 1997 SSV Ulm 1846 VfL Kirchheim/Teck 1–0 2,300 1997–98 Heidenheim, 20 May 1998 Sportfreunde Dorfmerkingen SSV Ulm 1846 II 1–0 1,000 1998–99 Schorndorf, 6 June 1999 SSV Reutlingen VfR Aalen 2–1 aet 800 1999–2000 Kirchheim/Teck, 25 June 2000 VfB Stuttgart II SSV Ulm 1846 II 3–1 1,000 2000–01 Heidenheim, 30 May 2001 VfR Aalen SSV Ulm 1846 II 2–0 1,400 2001–02 Eislingen, 14 May 2002 VfR Aalen VfB Stuttgart II 2–0 1,400 2002–03 Sindelfingen, 27 May 2003 VfL Kirchheim/Teck Stuttgarter Kickers 2–1 1,200 2003–04 Fellbach, 19 May 2004 VfR Aalen FSV 08 Bissingen 8–0 1,000 2004–05 Eislingen, 25 May 2005 Stuttgarter Kickers Heidenheimer SB 3–1 1,500 2005–06 Kirchheim/Teck, 24 May 2006 Stuttgarter Kickers SSV Ulm 1846 7–6 after pen. 2,300 2006–07 Aalen, 29 May 2007 1. FC Normannia Gmünd SSV Ulm 1846 2–1 1,300 2007–08 Ellwangen, 3 June 2008 1. FC Heidenheim TSV Crailsheim 3–2 2,500 2008–09 Schwieberdingen, 2 June 2009 SG Sonnenhof Großaspach SpVgg Ludwigsburg 1–0 1,500 2009–10 Ulm, 26 May 2010 VfR Aalen FV Illertissen 4–1 2,200 2010–11 Kirchheim, 11 May 2011 1. FC Heidenheim 1. FC Normannia Gmünd 2–0 2,100 2011–12 Aalen, 9 May 2012 1. FC Heidenheim SG Sonnenhof Großaspach 2–0 2012–13 Aspach, 7 May 2013 1. FC Heidenheim Neckarsulmer SU 3–1 2013–14 Aspach, 7 May 2014 1. FC Heidenheim Stuttgarter Kickers 4–2 2,500 2014–15 Stuttgart, 6 May 2015 SSV Reutlingen FV Ravensburg 2–1 3,658 2015–16 Stuttgart, 28 May 2016 FV Ravensburg FSV 08 Bissingen 5–2 3,600 2016–17 Stuttgart, 25 May 2017 Sportfreunde Dorfmerkingen Stuttgarter Kickers 3–1 5,150 2017–18 Stuttgart, 21 May 2018 SSV Ulm TSV Ilshofen 3–0 3,900 2018–19 Stuttgart, 25 May 2019 SSV Ulm TSV Essingen 2–0 3,370 2019–20 Stuttgart, 22 August 2020 SSV Ulm TSG Balingen 3–0 300 2020–21 Stuttgart, 29 May 2021 SSV Ulm TSG Balingen 3–0 2021–22 Stuttgart, 29 May 2021 Stuttgarter Kickers SSV Ulm 5–4 after pen. 2022–23 Stuttgart, 3 June 2023 TSG Balingen Stuttgarter Kickers 6–5 after pen. 2023–24 Aspach, 25 May 2024 VfR Aalen Sonnenhof Großaspach 4–1 3,217 2024–25 Stuttgart, 24 May 2025 Sonnenhof Großaspach TSG Balingen 2–0 2,850 2025–26 Stuttgart, 23 May 2026 Sonnenhof Großaspach Stuttgarter Kickers 4–1 8,533 Source: Winners in bold.

Winners Listed in order of wins, the Cup winners are:

Club Wins SSV Ulm1 11 VfR Aalen 8 1. FC Heidenheim2 6 SSV Reutlingen 4 VfB Stuttgart II 4 Stuttgarter Kickers 3 SG Sonnenhof Großaspach 3 1. FC Normannia Gmünd 2 VfL Kirchheim/Teck 2 SC Geislingen 2 1. FC Eislingen 2 SpVgg Neckarsulm 2 SpVgg Lindau 2 Sportfreunde Dorfmerkingen 2 SV Bonlanden 1 TSF Ditzingen 1 TSG Backnang 1 TSG Giengen 1 FV Ebingen 1 TV Unterboihingen 1 SpVgg Freudenstadt 1 SpVgg Ludwigsburg 1 TV Gültstein 1 VfL Sindelfingen 1 TG Biberach 1 FV Illertissen 1 Germania Bietigheim 1 VfR Schwenningen 1 FC Urbach 1 Stuttgarter SC 1 FV 09 Nürtingen 1 ESC Ulm 1 FV Ravensburg 1 TSG Balingen 1 1 Includes one win by SSV Ulm. 2 Includes one win by VfL Heidenheim.

References

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

External links Fussball.de: Württemberg Cup Württemberg football association website Die Endspiele um den wfv-Pokal der Herren seit 1950/51 WFV website – List of Cup finals