The attractive design of this commemorative stamp, being issued on the occasion of the centenary of the Austrian football club, FK Austria Vienna, shows the club's emblem and photographic portraits of the four highly revered former captains, Luigi Hussak, Walter Nausch, Ernst Fiala und Herbert Prohaska.
The “Violets” as they are lovingly called after the team's colours, have been based in the Favoriten district of Vienna since 1973, and the club's history dates back to 1911, when the ” Wiener Amateur-Sportverein” (Viennese Amateur Sport Club) was founded by former players from the “Vienna Cricket and Football club” It has had its current name of Austria since the club became professional on 18th November 1926. As 23 times winners of the Austrian Championships and 27 times winners of the Austrian Cup, FK Austria Vienna is without a doubt one of the most successful Austrian football clubs. It has also enjoyed major international success, winning the “Mitropa Cup” in the 1930s, reaching the final of the European Cupwinners' Cup in 1978 and the semi-finals of the European Champions' League in 1979 and the European Cupwinners' Cup in 1983.

After difficult times during the Second World War and years of variable fortune following it, the club began a slow resurgence under the leadership of the unforgettable Joschi Walter. Its revival during the 1970s is unquestionably linked to the emergence of the young talents Herbert Prohaska, Erich Obermayer and Felix Gasselich. After the 1974 cup win, they were able to defeat the previously dominant club “SSW Innsbruck” in the championships of 1975/76. After once more falling behind Innsbruck the following year, but still winning the Cup, the club set a new course: a sponsorship deal was signed with the Austria Tobacco Works, giving the club longer-term economic security. After another sporting dry period in the nineties, which made ” Ausverkauf der Stars” (“Sale of the stars”) into a common phrase, the financial situation was put onto a firmer footing in 1999 thanks to Magma under the leadership of the Austro-Canadian multimillionaire, Frank Stronach. In the 2002/2003 season the long hoped for success returned with the club taking its first championship title for ten years.
“FK Austria Wien AG” has been in existence since 1st July 2008, after much internal strife and the recent departure of Stronach the club's name was changed back to “FK Austria Vienna”. In the last season the “Violets” once more got through to the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League – and were runners up in the Austrian Championships, just one point behind Red Bull Salzburg.
Many well-known footballing personalities, such as Ernst Ocwirk, Matthias Sindelar, Ernst Nemec, Robert Sara, Franz Wohlfahrt, Toni Polster and the four revered captains mentioned at the beginning have worn the traditional violet strip in the course of their glittering careers.

published March 18th, 2011