Bayer 04 were in the Second Oberliga West 50 years ago. The Werkself had been trying to get into the top-flight for five years. There is a top match against Wuppertal SV on matchday four in the 1961/62 season. The date is 27 August and 12,000 spectators want to watch this clash. Against a defensive Wuppertal team built around central defender Erich Ribbeck, Bayer 04 go top after a 2-1 win. At the end of the season, the team with the two future Bundesliga players and coaches Heinz Höher and Uwe Klimaschefski achieve promotion to the First Oberliga West.
A certain Manfred Manglitz is in goal for Bayer 04 – both a very good Bundesliga keeper as well as involved in the Bundesliga scandal of 1971. And the Ribbeck with Wuppertal is THE Erich Ribbeck who led Bayer 04 to winning the UEFA Cup 27 years later. The goals for Bayer 04 were scored by the captain Werner Röhrig, who ends his playing career at the age of 28 because his professional opportunities in the works were more important, and Hans Zimmerman.
21 August 1966 brings the first matchday in the Regional League West. The visitors at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium our newly promoted SSV Hagen and the local newspapers discuss the possible margins of victory. The newcomers from Hagen put up a battle. The Werkself win 18 corners to four and create lots of goalscoring opportunities but again and again are denied by the Hagen keeper Müller – and the physical approach of the Hagen players.
Above all, the defender Stöcker takes care of Karl-Heinz Ripkens, Helmut Brücken and Fredi Hennecken one after the other – and back then there were no substitutions leaving the Werkself to search for victory with only seven outfield players. The three injured players, as usual, remained on the pitch but were unable to play an effective part in events. In the last minute, SSV Hagen make it 3-2 and the visitors take both points from the game at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
Klaus Bruckmann was born in Oberhausen on 9 October 1953. He started with football at TuS Grün-Weiss Holten. After his move to MSV Duisburg his coach in the U19 squad was Willibert Kremer. With him, he won the Germany U19 championship in 1972 with a 2-0 win against VfB Stuttgart. He was then signed on professional terms and he played for MSV Duisburg 75 times in the Bundesliga from 1972 to 1977. In June 1975 he played for the Zebras in the cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt but the game ended in a 1-0 defeat.
Show moreIt is Sunday, 22 October 1933 and it's derby time in Leverkusen. Spvgg Leverkusen 04, with Bayer only appearing in the club name from 1935, and Jahn Küppersteg faced each other in front of 1,000 spectators at the Am Stadtpark Stadium.
Show moreIn this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of October. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen travel to newly promoted Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday eight in the 1998/99 season. The Werkself are third in the table with 12 points albeit with a four and seven point gap to the two Munich clubs Bayern and 1860 in first and second place. The start of the season is not seen as successful in spite of the high position. So three points are almost a must at Frankfurt.
Show moreThe first game in October takes Bayer 04 to the steel town of Solingen. Union Solingen entertain our Werkself at the Herman Löns Stadium in front of 12,000 supporters on Sunday 8 October 1978. The league leaders arrive in confident mood – and go home with a black eye.
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