Together with other fans, clubs and associations, we organize campaigns to raise awareness and donations for ME/CFS research.
Past activities
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Our first award: Empty Stands wins the “Löwenpudel der Saison” 25/26!
© Löwenpudel e. V. This past Saturday, on May 9, 2026, the big moment finally arrived. Since 2021/2022, VFL Osnabrück has traditionally used its final home game of the season to present the “Löwenpudel der Saison” (Lion Poodle of the Season)—a fan-voted award recognizing community, integrative, and social contributions to football. Right in the thick of it last weekend…
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Successful End of Season: Awareness Matchday in Wiesbaden
© Supremus Dilectio On May 3, 2026, Wiesbaden was the next stop for an Awareness Matchday. In the run-up to the event, the club had a wonderful gesture ready for those affected by ME/CFS and their relatives: Up to 50 people who, despite their symptoms, were able to attend the match in the stadium (particularly those with mild…
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Participation in the Health Awareness Day in Mainz
On April 25, 2026, we took part in the Health Awareness Day before the match between Mainz 05 and FC Bayern München. We were there with an information booth where we raised awareness, collected donations, and handed out our merch. In addition, several of our posters were put up throughout the stadium. We would like…
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Awareness Matchday with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
© Hasan Batic On April 4, 2026, our Awareness Matchday in cooperation with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim during the home match against FSV Mainz 05 took place. The highlight of the day was the walk-out action: Oli Baumann walked onto the pitch carrying a pair of shoes instead of a child, to symbolize the absence of children who suffer…
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Awareness Matchday in Eichstätt
© Stefanie On March 28, 2026, we were guests at VfB Eichstätt during their match against Würzburger Kickers. Alongside the pitch, we ran an information stand to raise awareness among visitors about us and our conditions. As a sign of solidarity, the team also stopped by for a group photo with us. In addition, one of our…
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Participation in the Inclusion Match Day in Nürnberg
© Stefanie On March 7, 2026, we attended the Inclusion Match Day organized by 1. FC Nürnberg during their game against Fortuna Düsseldorf. With an information booth, we were able to raise awareness among many people about our conditions and distribute remaining stock of our solidarity T-shirts in exchange for donations to the ME/CFS Research Foundation. At…
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Awareness Matchday in Heidenheim
© 1. FC Heidenheim On March 7, 2026, 1. FC Heidenheim hosted an awareness matchday for ME/CFS sufferers during their game against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. We were also present with a booth, which was managed on our behalf by a team of volunteers. The awareness campaign featured an article in the stadium magazine as well as an interview with…
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Awareness Matchday in Sandhausen
© SVS On February 12, 2026, we were guests at SV Sandhausen. Our information stand allowed us to reach many people once again and raise awareness about our illnesses. Additionally, Charlotte gave a stadium interview before the match started. The ultra group “Szene 1916” also supported us with a banner. Before the game, an interview was published…
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Succesful Start to the New Year: Awareness Matchday in Wuppertal
© rot-blau.com On January 24, 2026, our first awareness matchday of this year took place at Wuppertaler SV during the game against SSVg Velbert. At our information stand, WSV fans could learn about ME/CFS and get our solidarity T-shirt in exchange for a donation. Behind our information stand, we also prepared a small exhibition about our illnesses…
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Awareness Matchday in Hamburg
On November 30th, our next Awareness Matchday took place during the match between Hamburger SV and VFB Stuttgart. As part of this, we informed visitors about ME/CFS at an information booth. We were also able to conduct a stadium interview before the game. In collaboration with the ME/CFS Research Foundation, we also launched a fundraising…
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Awareness Matchday in Hannover
Friday evening – floodlights – 49,000 stadium visitors – SOLD OUT. Never before has one of our campaigns taken place in front of so many spectators. Perfect conditions for a top-class match between Hannover 96 and Schalke 04, as well as for our next matchday campaign, which was carried out as part of the nationwide…
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Recognition at the German Football Culture Awards
© Matthias Scharf On October 24, 2025, the German Football Culture Awards were presented, and we were right in the thick of it. We, as EmptyStands, were nominated for the easyCredit Fan Prize “Barrier-Free to Football.” Unfortunately, we did not win the prize; it was apparently a very close call. The jury praised us several times (also in…
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Our birthday – One year Empty Stands
© Karl One year ago, we founded Empty Stands. It all started with a small chat between a few members with the vision of hanging up posters in stadiums. We could never have imagined what it would become within just one year. At the same time, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you! To…
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Awareness Matchday in Osnabrück
© VFL Osnabrück On September 20, 2025, our action matchday took place at VfL Osnabrück‘s match against Erzgebirge Aue. For me personally, it was the long-awaited return to Bremer Brücke – 847 days after the legendary promotion (90+6) on May 27, 2023, I was able to watch a VfL match live for the first time again. Together with…
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Riding the Wave into the Summer Break: Awareness Matchday at KSC
On May 18, 2025, our last matchday campaign of the season took place in Karlsruhe during the game against SC Paderborn. As part of this, our awareness video was shown a total of three times – twice before kickoff and once during halftime. Additionally, together with dedicated volunteers, we operated a booth where we provided…
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Awareness Matchday in Babelsberg
© 03FOTOS.DE On April 5, 2025, our action matchday took place during SV Babelsberg 03’s home game against Viktoria Berlin, where fans and the club impressively demonstrated that solidarity and visibility have their place in the football stadium as well. FI99 supported us with banners that read: “Giving the illness a face” and “Fight ME/CFS.” Engagement was…
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Awareness Matchday in Bremen
© privat On March 15, 2025, our first major matchday campaign took place during the Bundesliga game between Werder Bremen and Borussia M’gladbach. There, we raised awareness for ME/CFS on multiple levels. Our awareness posters featuring the motif “Missing in the stands – lost to ME/CFS” were distributed throughout the stadium. Additionally, in cooperation with the ME/CFS…
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Visiting Meppen: Raising Awareness for ME/CFS
© privat On February 22, 2025, during the Regionalliga home game between SV Meppen and VfB Oldenburg, we were able to raise visibility for ME/CFS. A text was printed in the matchday program that highlighted the difficult fate of Elias, an 18-year-old SV Meppen fan who has been ill for three years. Additionally, SV Meppen, like 1.…
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Our First Awareness Campaign at the Betzenberg in Kaiserslautern
© Der Betze brennt On February 2, 2025, our first awareness campaign in cooperation with the ME/CFS Research Foundation took place at the Betzenberg during the 1. FC Kaiserslautern game against Preußen Münster. Our video was shown on the stadium screens before the game and during halftime. Additionally, the stadium announcer read a text about ME/CFS and informed the…