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9.08.2017Bayer 04

Mourning for promotion coach

Bayer 04 mourn the loss of Manfred Rummel. The former Werkself coach has passed away at the age of 79 after a serious illness. In 1974/75, Rummel led the club from the lower reaches of the Middle Rhine District League to the second division and he coached the team until February 1976.
Manfred_Rummel.jpg

After winning the Middle Rhine championship, Bayer 04, with Rummel at the helm, beat Union Solingen and Arminia Hannover  in the promotion play-offs to move up to Germany's second tier – establishing the base for promotion to the Bundesliga four years later.
Manfred Rummel's main job was as a PE teacher at the Essen Special School for children with learning disabilities. After his stay at Bayer 04 , he went on to coach ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. At both clubs he went on to be a member of management after his coaching roles: CEO at Essen, general manager and vice-president at Oberhausen. As a player, Manfred Rummel was a successful striker at Schwarz-Weiß Essen and  in 1959 he played a significant part in the biggest success in the club's history in winning the DFB Cup. He scored both goals in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Hamburg SV and he also netted a brace in the 5-2 win in the final against Borussia Neunkirchen. In 1961/62 Manfred Rummel was the top scorer in the Oberliga West - the top tier in German football at the time - with 26 goals.

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