At 30 years old, the Bayer 04 Lions Club is the oldest kids' club in the Bundesliga and can look back on three decades full of excitement, experiences and bright-eyed children. Since 1995, the Lions Club has been an integral part of the Bayer 04 family, offering the youngest fans their own platform to experience the Werkself up close.
Members benefit from various privileges and can take part in a range of activities, walk out with the players or cheer on the Werkself directly in the stadium.
In Lukas Hradecky – who moved to AS Monaco in the summer – the Lions Club can look back on a patron who was a true role model for the children both on and off the pitch. An idol that the youngest fans could look up to. With his friendly, down-to-earth manner, he will remain unforgettable in this role. He was the first Lions Club patron to celebrate a league and cup double together with his ‘Lions’ - an experience that many children will remember forever.
Dear Lukas, thank you for your service, your approachability to the children and your great commitment to the Lions Club!
Mark Flekken, also a goalkeeper, is taking over as patron, following in the footsteps of numerous well-known predecessors such as René Adler, Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender and Julian Brandt. The Dutchman stands for values such as team spirit, down-to-earthness and reliability. These qualities perfectly reflect the spirit of the Lions Club and make him an ideal patron. Flekken is himself a family man, which is another reason why he is the right person for the role. The Lions Club is delighted to officially introduce him during the Members' Matchday against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846.
The patron of the Lions Club acts as an ambassador for Bayer 04's youngest fans. He stands for closeness, openness and enthusiasm. His tasks include accompanying events and attending activities such as the Christmas party, Easter egg hunt and readings. In addition, he conveys the club's core values to the children and serves as a positive role model. With his open manner and positive attitude, Flekken will quickly fill this role with life and bring a lot of joy to the kids.
About the Lions Club:
The Lions Club has had more than 70,000 members over the past 30 years. Currently membership stands at almost 7,500 children, making the Lions Club one of the largest youth clubs in the Bundesliga. 765 delighted young fans have already been allowed to walk out hand-in-hand with the Werkself first-team players. During the tenure of nine patrons to date (Bernd Leno, Julian Brandt, Kai Havertz, Lars Bender, Stefan Kießling, Dominik Kohr, René Adler, Lukas Hradecky and Mark Flekken), the Lions Club has also loudly supported Werkself away from home. Since 2007, the kids have already made more than 50 trips to other stadiums to cheer on their idols.
In addition to its existing events, the Lions Club plans to further expand its presence and create new, exclusive promotions and modern offerings for home and away games – and beyond. After 30 years full of history and enthusiasm, the Lions Club continues to evolve and remains a central part of the Bayer 04 family.
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