“In the early ’90s, my dad took me to the Grünwalder Stadion for the first time,” Marco Watson says. “The atmosphere and energy of the compact and packed stadium really impressed me as a young boy. The fact that the stadium is right in the middle of the city also made the club especially interesting to me.”
It was there, in Giesing, that his life as a supporter began. The ground is not grand, not modern, not even especially comfortable. But its presence in the heart of the neighbourhood makes it inseparable from the everyday lives of those who live around it. For Watson, it became a place that would come to define not only his weekends but also his friendships and identity.
“My fascination with 1860 has never stopped since,” he says. “Over the years, not only have many friendships been formed, but also a true love, and everything to do with the club has become a kind of life’s purpose for me.”
A tradition that endures
He is not alone. 1860 Munich, known simply as die Löwen—the Lions—still command devotion across the city, despite decades of struggle and decline. “What’s special about TSV 1860 Munich is the incredible tradition in this club,” Watson explains. “The team was not only a founding member of the Bundesliga but also became German champion in 1966.”
But tradition is only part of the story. “On top of that, 1860 has a massive and incredibly dedicated fanbase. The club has basically gone through every imaginable success and failure for decades, yet it still has about 27,000 members. Every home game at the Grünwalder Stadion has been completely sold out for years, even though we only play in the 3. Liga.”
This is the paradox of 1860: the higher peaks belong to history, but the loyalty belongs to the present.
A stadium in the city
The connection is rooted in geography as much as memory. “The Grünwalder Stadion is located right in the Giesing district, making it super convenient to get to by bike, on foot, or with public transport,” Watson says. “There are lots of great places to eat and grab a drink around the stadium. When the Lions have a home game, the entire neighbourhood buzzes. And no matter if we win or lose, there’s always a celebration somewhere afterwards—it’s just about life and community.”
Here, matchdays are not contained within ninety minutes. They spill into the cafés, the beer gardens, the streets. To speak about 1860 Munich is also to speak about Giesing itself.
Days to remember
When Watson reflects on what stands out from his years as a supporter, he struggles to narrow it down. “Since I have so many great memories with the club, it’s hard for me to pick just one,” he admits. But he does recall the derbies. “All the derbies against the hated red neighbours from across the street. Back in the Bundesliga or a match between our amateur teams—you could always feel a special, electric atmosphere in the city for days beforehand.”
There was also the 2018 promotion, a moment that seemed to defy the decline of previous years. “Another highlight of my fan career was definitely the promotion from the Regionalliga to the 3. Liga in 2018. The whole season was like a single dream with many special away games in small villages somewhere in Bavaria. At the end, we had two incredibly exciting promotion playoff games against Saarbrücken, which were thrilling right up to the last minute.”
It was then that he experienced something he had imagined since childhood. “For the first time in my life, I got to run onto the sacred pitch at the Grünwalder Stadion, and after that, the entire Giesing district was literally ‘drunk dry’!”
A life’s purpose
Supporting 1860 Munich means living with contradiction: the pull of history against the push of the present, the joy of belonging against the disappointment of results. Yet for Watson, there is never doubt. “My fascination with 1860 has never stopped,” he says again, as if reminding himself. “Everything to do with the club has become a kind of life’s purpose for me.”
In Giesing, the stadium remains full. The streets remain alive. And for fans like Watson, 1860 Munich remains the centre of everything.
