1924-1933
3 May 1925
The first ever game against Borussia Dortmund. Schalke win 4-2. Their style of play was described in the newspaper as follows: "The ball wanders from man to man in a series of short, flat passes". The "Schalker Kreisel" (literally: the Schalke gyroscope, or spinning top) was born, a style that was to create problems for plenty of teams in the years to come.
8 May 1927
Schalke reach the final stages of the German championship for the first time, only to lose 3-1 against Munich 1860 in the preliminary round in Dortmund's "Rote Erde" stadium.
20 November 1927
Four years after making his debut in the first team, Ernst Kuzorra (born in 1905), becomes the first Schalke player to represent his country as Germany draw 2-2 with The Netherlands in Cologne. "Clemens", as Kuzorra is known to everybody, is in command both on and off the pitch at the club nicknamed "die Knappen" (the Miners). Together with his brother-in-law, Fritz Szepan, (born in 1907), he is the club's sporting figurehead.
1928
The club moves to a new pub base, the "Kaiserhalle" on the Schalker Markt (market place), which is run by "Mutter" Thiemeyer. Chairman "Papa" Unkel sets up the club offices there.
29 August 1928
Schalke open their new stadium, the Glückaufkampfbahn.
1929
The club is renamed "FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04" - a tribute to the city of Gelsenkirchen, which had provided financial assistance for the construction of the new stadium.
25 August 1930
The West German Football Association (WSV) rules that 14 players who had been paid cash in and in return for playing in games and attending training - in breach of the regulations in force at the time -are professionals and bans them. Eight members of the Board are also expelled from the WSV. Bank official Willy Nier, who in his capacity as treasurer had concealed the payments, drowns himself in shame in the Rhine-Herne Canal. The reserves step in for the suspended 1st team.
1 June 1931
The first game after the ban is lifted: 70,000 fans besiege the Glückaufkampfbahn to see the 1-0 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf.
11 June 1933
In their first German championship final Schalke lose 3-0 to Fortuna Düsseldorf.
