Extreme Football Tourism: AUSTRIA: DSG Union Perg

Machlandstadion, Perg (DSG Union Perg)

Austria, state: Upper Austria = Opper-Oostenrijk

15 VIII 2024 / DSG Union Perg - SU Vortuna Bad Leonfelden 0-0 / Landesliga Oberösterreich (= AUT level 4)

Timeline

1962 / Foundation of a football club Perg, which takes on the name Diözesansportgemeinschaft (DSG) Union Perg. Other than the name, the Roman Catholic origins of the club are reinforced even more strongly as Perg’s Catholic (ÖVP) mayor Josef Waidhofer becomes the club’s patron and first chairman. For the time being, the club, not disposing of a pitch of its own yet, sticks to playing friendly matches elsewhere.
1964 / As Perg’s parish puts a plot of land at Dirnbergerstraße at the disposal of the club, a pitch is laid out for DSG Union Perg on that location.
1965 / DSG Union Perg takes part in an official competition organised by Austria’s Football Association (ÖFB), being place in Upper-Austria’s 3. Division C, the lowest level of the league pyramid at that time. Also in 1965, DSG Union Perg’s table-tennis branch is formed – with third and fourth branches, for jiu-jitsu and volleyball, taking up activities in later years.
1977 / Having played at the lowest league level for the past twelve years – with various reorganisations of the league pyramid having taken place in the meantime – DSG Union Perg now registers its first tangible success, claiming the title in Upper-Austria’s 2. Division North-East, 3 points ahead of runners-up ATSV Langenstein. As such, the club wins promotion to the 1. Division North-East.
1983 / With the decision falling on the last day of the season, DSG Union Perg ultimately drops back into Upper-Austria’s 2. Division North-East after finishing in second-last place in the 1. Division North-East, with only bottom club ATSV Langenstein picking up fewer points in the course of the season.
1984 / Champions in the 2. Division North-East, 6 points ahead of closest followers ASV Hagenberg and without suffering a single defeat, DSG Union Perg manages a return to Upper-Austria’s 1. Division North-East after an absence of just one season.
1987 / Champions in the 1. Division North-East, 3 points ahead of closest rivals DSG Union Gutau, DSG Union Perg accedes to Upper-Austria’s District League North (Bezirksliga Nord), the fifth level of Austria’s league pyramid at that time.
1993 / Champions in the District League North, 5 points ahead of runners-up SV Freistadt, DSG Union Perg wins promotion to Upper-Austria’s 2. State League (2. Landesliga), the fourth level of Austria’s league pyramid at that time (but the fifth from 1994 onwards).
1994 / The foundations are laid for a new ground for the club at Machlandstraße, with part of the financing being taken care of by Upper-Austria’s FA (OÖFV). The building works are led by Josef Schreihofer and Otto Dirnberger.
1996 / With building works still ongoing, a grandstand is constructed at Machlandstraße.
1997 / With building works being completed, DSG Union Perg moves into its new ground, the Machlandstadion, thus abandoning Dirnbergerstraße after 33 years.
1998 / Champions in Upper-Austria’s 2. State League, no fewer than 10 points ahead of runners-up SV Gallneukirchen and SV Weyer, DSG Union Perg wins promotion to the 1. State League, the fourth level of Austria’s league pyramid, for the first time.
2002 / Champions in Upper-Austria’s 1. State League, 5 points ahead of closest rivals Union Vöcklamarkt, DSG Union Perg accedes to the Regional League (Regionalliga), the third level of Austria’s league pyramid, for the first time.
2003 / In the best season in club history, DSG Union Perg finishes in eleventh place in the Central Regional League (Regionalliga Mitte).
2006 / In spite of finishing in second-last place in the Central Regional League, DSG Union Perg avoids relegation due to one of the other clubs in the division, SK St. Magdalena/Pasching, ceasing its activities.
2007 / Having battled against relegation for the past five seasons, DSG Union Perg now finishes in last place in the Central Regional League, dropping back to the State League level along with the club finishing second from bottom, ASK Köflach. This is Union’s first relegation in 24 years – and only the second relegation in club history.
2008 / Suffering back-to-back relegations, DSG Union Perg finishes in second-last place in Upper-Austria’s 1. State League, dropping back into the 2. State League along with bottom club FC Braunau.
2015 / Champions in Upper-Austria’s 2. State League East, a staggering 16 points ahead of closest followers ASKÖ Pregarten, DSG Union Perg retraces its steps to the 1. State League, where the club has played to the present day.