1904-1924

4 May 1904

"Yep, I'll do it!" With these words Heinrich Hilgert, a weighman at Consol Colliery, becomes the first chairman of "Sportclub Westfalia 1904 Schalke". The football-crazy youths gathered around their leader Willi Gies in a pub in the Gelsenkirchen suburb of Schalke cannot know that on that day they have founded a club that - as FC Schalke 04 - will go on to become a household name. However, during the next few years the new club is refused admission into the West German Football Association.

13 February 1912

Amalgamation with the gymnastics club "Turnverein 1877 Schalke", which already belonged to the West German Football Association.

5 January 1924

The gymnasts and the footballers go their separate ways. At the general meeting the football section adopts the name "FC Schalke 04"; the club colours change from red and yellow to blue and white.