Birthday Boy of the Month 1: Dieter Bast turns 75

from Essen to Bochum

After two years in the Regionalliga West, during which Bast became a regular starter, the club from Hafenstraße was promoted back to the Bundesliga in 1973. Over the following four seasons, he played as a striker for the Essen-based side, making a total of 213 Bundesliga and 64 Regionalliga West appearances for the club over seven years.

Following another relegation in 1977, Bast moved on to VfL Bochum for a then-record transfer fee of 800,000 Deutschmarks. Only one player was signed for a higher fee that year: Paul Breitner, who moved from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid.

At Bochum’s Ruhrstadion, Bast initially also played on the right flank, but he was already far more defensive than he had been during his time at Essen. When captain and libero Franz-Josef Tenhagen moved from Bochum to Dortmund, VfL coach Rolf Schafstall converted the attacking player Dieter Bast into the organiser of his defence. Over the next two years, he proved himself to be a skilful libero and also made 14 appearances for the Olympic team in that position.

captain of the Werkself and the olympic team

After playing 192 Bundesliga matches for Bochum, Bast joined Bayer in 1983 and, under manager Dettmar Cramer, was a key part of the Bayer 04 defence during his first two years there. In just his second season with the Werkself, the 33-year-old was elected captain by his teammates.

One highlight of his career was his participation in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Dieter Bast was captain of the Germany team, which, with coach Erich Ribbeck on the touchline, were knocked out by Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals. Ribbeck then went on to become his club manager in 1985 – and opted for Thomas Hörster as libero in a more modern-style Bayer side. For Dieter Bast, the only position available in his first Bundesliga matches was that of left-back; he made just seven appearances in total. At the age of 35, after 71 Bundesliga appearances and two goals for Bayer 04, Bast transferred to Rot-Weiss Essen in Bundesliga 2. He ended his career there in 1989.

In the Rot-Weiss Essen team of the century

Even while playing professional football, Dieter Bast was a co-owner of a Renault dealership. He also served on the board of Rot-Weiss Essen from 1991 to 1995, where he was responsible for sporting affairs. In 1996, Bast founded the Essen veterans team, which he continues to manage to this day. In 2007, he was voted into the Rot-Weiss Essen Team of the Century and has been an honorary member of the club since 25 June 2023.

Dear Dieter, I wish you all the best on your special day. Stay well and enjoy the celebrations!