As evening professionals, the players of SV Darmstadt 98 made headlines and gained nationwide attention in their first Bundesliga season of 1978/79. However, the journey to that point was long and interrupted by many setbacks. Founded in 1898 by high school students, the Lilies soon became one of the leading clubs in Hesse, and later in Southern Germany as well. Their greatest successes came in the 1950s and 1970s. In the all-time table of the 2. Bundesliga, SV 98 still ranks high. As one of the few Hessian clubs, this traditional club has played a significant role in professional football for a long time. And that is exactly where the 98ers want to return: spectators at the stadium at Böllenfalltor will soon be able to see the best of the best again. Wolfgang Knöss has long accompanied the Lilies as a sports journalist and is now their managing director.