The Kirchdorf Wildcats are an American football team in Kirchdorf am Inn, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 2017 when it won the southern division of the German Football League 2 and earned the right to play-off for promotion to the German Football League which they won against the Saarland Hurricanes.
The club was formed as the Simbach Wildcats in 1986, then based in Simbach am Inn. It was renamed in early 2004 after the club had moved to Kirchdorf.
History The club was formed in 1986 as the Simbach Wildcats in Simbach am Inn, Bavaria. After only playing friendlies in its first two seasons the club entered the Bavarian league in 1988. It won a league championship in 1992 and earned promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, a league later renamed to GFL2. In 1994 the club won the southern division of the 2. Bundesliga but lost both games against the Stuttgart Scorpions in the promotion round and had to remain in its league. By 1998 the Wildcats were suffering from a lack of players, forcing the club to voluntarily withdraw from the 2. Bundesliga to the tier four Bayernliga.Geschichte Kirchdorf Wildcats website – Club history, accessed: 10 September 2014Kirchdorf Wildcats season by season results football-history.de, accessed: 10 September 2014
The Wildcats quickly recovered from their decline, winning the Bayernliga title in 1999 and moving up to the Regionalliga. After three seasons at this level another league championship in 2002, followed by a victory over Wiesbaden Phantoms in the promotion play-offs, took the club back to the 2. Bundesliga. The following season, 2003, the club won another title in the southern division of the 2. Bundesliga. In the promotion round to the German Football League Simbach lost on aggregate against Marburg Mercenaries, missing out on promotion to the highest level for a second time. At the end of the season the club decided to relocate to Kirchdorf. In March 2004, the club received permission to change its name to Kirchdorf Wildcats after a move from Simbach to Kirchdorf.Namensänderungen: Kirchdorf Wildcats und Hamburg Eagles GFL website, published: 26 March 2004, accessed: 10 September 2014
Five more seasons in the 2. Bundesliga followed in which the club slowly declined in performance. In 2008 the club decided to withdraw from the 2. Bundesliga for a second time, this time to the level below, the Regionalliga. Kirchdorf won the southern division of this league in 2009 and 2010 but missed out on promotion in 2009 when it lost to the Holzgerlingen Twister. The year after it was more successful and returned to the 2. Bundesliga, now renamed GFL2. After three average seasons there from 2011 to 2013 the club took out the division championship in 2014 once more. The later qualified the Wildcats for the promotion round to the GFL once more where it faced the Franken Knights for a spot in Germany's highest league but lost both games. In the 2015 season Kirchdorf finished in third place. The 2017 season was a great success for the club. They won the GFL2 South Championship and then beat the Saarland Hurricanes in relegation.
After promotion, Kirchdorf spent two seasons in the German Football League. The Wildcats finished seventh in the GFL South in 2018, then eighth in 2019, and were relegated after losing the relegation round to the Ravensburg Razorbacks. The 2020 GFL2 season was not played because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kirchdorf returned to GFL2 competition in 2021 and gradually improved, finishing third in 2021, second in 2022 and winning the GFL2 South again in 2023. The club returned to the GFL for the 2024 season after Ravensburg withdrew from the relegation play-off, but struggled in the top flight and finished seventh in the GFL South. In March 2025, the Wildcats informed the AFVD that they would withdraw their first men's team from the 2025 GFL season and return their licence. After a one-year break from league play, the senior team relaunched in 2026 in the Regionalliga, Germany's third tier.
Honours GFL League membership: (4) 2018–2019, 2024–2025 GFL2 Southern Division champions: 1994, 2003, 2014, 2017, 2023
Recent seasons Recent seasons of the club:GFL 2 season 2012 football-aktuell.de, accessed: 10 September 2014GFL 2 season 2013 football-aktuell.de, accessed: 10 September 2014GFL 2 season 2014 football-aktuell.de, accessed: 10 September 2014 Year Division Finish Points Pct. Games W D L PF PA Postseason 2012 GFL2 (South) 6th 11–17 0.393 14 5 1 8 392 450 — 2013 5th 14–14 0.500 14 7 0 7 366 293 — 2014 1st 25–3 0.893 14 12 1 1 311 154 Lost PR: Franken Knights (22–50 & 36–42) 2015 3rd 18–10 0.643 14 9 0 5 481 309 — 2016 2nd 21–7 0.750 14 10 1 3 604 325 — 2017 1st 19–5 0.792 12 9 1 2 459 325 Won PR: Saarland Hurricanes (21–28 & 43–19) 2018 GFL (South) 7th 7–21 0.250 14 3 1 10 167 372 — 2019 8th 5–23 0.179 14 2 1 11 276 513 Lost RR: Ravensburg Razorbacks (28–40 & 34–58) 2020 GFL2 (South) No season played because of the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 3rd 10–6 0.625 8 5 0 3 227 153 — 2022 2nd 16–4 0.800 10 8 0 2 346 116 — 2023 1st 18–2 0.900 10 9 – 1 366 163 promoted to GFL, Ravensburg Razorbacks withdrew 2024 GFL (South) 7th 2–22 0.083 12 1 – 11 173 365 — 2025 withdrew before season start PR = Promotion round. RR = Relegation round.
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