After Bundesliga return
TV Buhl’s volleyball player played in the Bundesliga for twelve years. After a financially sound withdrawal from the Upper House, TVB is now daring to make a fresh start in the Third Division – with a completely redesigned staff.
Photo: Oliver Stoll
After withdrawing from the Bundesliga, TV Bühler’s volleyball players are only at third tier level in the 2021/22 season, but at least indirectly, Bühlers are still included in the higher leagues.
Bühler sold the hall floor to German record champion VfB Friedrichshafen, who used it for their “home games” at the Ratifarm Arena in Ulm.
So soon on the “Bühler soil” there will be games of the Champions League. After all TV Buhl’s LED gang, which was loaned to second division club VC Gotha, is second-rate.
Former players of Bison Buhl remain in Volleyball Bundesliga
Most of the pros from the previous Bisons squad also found substantial connections after a bitter end at Buhl. For example, Stefan Thiel (Friedrichshafen), Tim Stohr (Lüneburg) and Paul Henning (Frankfurt) will remain in the Bundesliga.
However, the First Division chapter has been chosen by former Bison manager Oliver Stoll, who has been responsible for fresh starts in the Third Division since 2016 as department head.
Fresh start at TV Buhl: Trainer Dienst returns from Canada
Above all, young players should be offered a perspective on third-grade terrain. “If we do not give the youth who trained at the club in recent years a chance to compete with other teams at a higher level, they will leave. Completely lost for the club and volleyball”, says Hans-Peter Pfluger , who is responsible for the foundation of the Third Division team as the coach of the second team (Association League) in the upcoming season.
The Third Division team took over in Uwe Dienst, a Bühler home-grown man, who would pull back home after three years in “exile” in Canada, where he was coaching Trent University in the First Division.
Lots of Talent and Some Giants in the Bühler Third Division Team
The squad of the future Third Division team consists mainly of young players who finished last in the top division and created a sensation there. The squad is supplemented by two Canadian veterans, who were brought in by Dienst Buhl. Above all, ex-professional Alex Duncan-Thibaut (active in the Bundesliga with Rutenberg, among others) should play a very special role as co-coach and junior coach.
According to service setter number one in Canada, setter Thomas Martin should keep an eye on the players of the first and second teams. In addition, there are Swedish up-and-coming player Tim Johansson and Polish talent Kipper Kalucki, who should support his generation of Bühler from 2000 to 2002 in the next step towards higher works, as well as Florian Esslie and Tobias Kaleta, Two “old Buhlers” that have been reactivated.
The season for TV Buhl’s volleyball players will start on October 2 in Rotenberg.
“Due to Covid we are very far in terms of fitness and level of play,” Dienst sees the challenge above all being in creating a homogeneous unit from the available players. Test matches against experienced teams should help bring the team to operating temperature quickly and find a regular six at former Premier League rivals Rottenberg by the start of the season on 2 October.
We hope the team will play together.
Oliver Stoll, Head of TV Buhli
Service is in good spirits to be able to master the task. As the big man of Bühler’s house (from E-Youth in the club), he recorded many successes as a player and coach – with the Oberliga team Team of the Year at Bühler in 2009 – and he has helped the city and the club. knows very well. “We expect the team to play together,” says department head Stoll.
He intentionally does not mention the topic of advancement, although the infrastructure would certainly be suitable for higher levels. In terms of budget, however, TVB is far from the time of the Bundesliga. Stolle doesn’t give exact numbers, but they are in the five-digit range.
Volleyball restart in Buhali includes fan club and some sponsors.
It is heartening that the fan club will be able to count on the support of the fan club to restart and some sponsors are still on board for the past few years. Last but not least, Bundesliga team equipment can still be used. “All of this helps us a lot,” says Pflüger, who is also full of energy and who, along with a very young second team (born between 2000 and 2004), has made his goal of promotion to the top division.
