Photo rally station 5 - South Stand

Station 5 - Szepan draws in the crowd once again

Discover five historical photos from the history of the Glückauf stadium live and on site with the photo rally.

Go from the goal at station 4 up the slope of the south stand behind you. Look for the ball with the number 25, stand on the footprints and tap on "Start AR".

Here at Station 5 you can see a picture from Szepan's second season as coach of FC Schalke 04.

You can find detailed instructions on how to use the AR applications here on the "AR Help" page.

Station 5 is the last stop on the journey through time.

Read here how the photographer might have experienced the day

Photography is more than just a profession, photography is also a way of life. Today, I'm a private fan at the Glückauf stadium. But of course I've packed my little camera. Normally I sit right behind the touchline with the other sports photographers. Not today. Today I'm standing in the south curve. I can soak up the atmosphere of this beautiful summer Sunday without any pressure.

The atmosphere in the stands is good. People are joking with each other and laughing a lot. I'm sure it's partly due to the sun, but also to Fritz Szepan. Things have been looking up again since he took over as coach. Last year, in his second season, he led FC Schalke to their first win in the Oberliga West since the war. Before that, Schalke bobbed around in mediocrity, if at all. Now there is a spirit of optimism. It's really tight in the stadium. As I look around, I see hundreds of faces, but no empty seats. 34,000 people can fit in here, but supposedly only 25,000 people are here. Have some people sneaked into the stadium without paying?

Last week, the Knappen beat Spielvereinigung Erkenschwick 5 to 2 away from home. That took them straight to the top of the table. Maybe this is the season in which the old Schalke awakens again. My heart leaps a little at the thought of the days of the German championships, when nobody could get past Schalke. I lift the camera and look through the viewfinder. Maybe I'm taking a picture of the start of something big. Today we are hosting Sportfreunde Hamborn 07. The team from Duisburg haven't been pulling out all the stops in recent seasons either. I raise my camera and take a picture of the spectators before the game. Maybe I'm photographing the start of something big.

At the end of the day, the miners didn't manage more than a draw. Overall, the season in the Oberliga West was a success. They finish in second place. However, the group stage for the German championship is the end of the line. This is followed by a long dry spell. It was not until 1956 that Schalke took part in the German Championship again.