Back
1.05.2023Bayer 04

Birthday boy of the month III: Peter Szech – unforgotten

Peter Szech was born in Essen on 26 May 1953. He started his career as a striker there. After three years at Schwarz-Weiss Essen he joined VfR Neuss in 1975 where he stood out with his ability to score. Bayer 04 brought him under the Bayer Cross in 1978 and he played a significant part in promotion to the Bundesliga in his first season with 15 goals.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

In his four years at Leverkusen he was one of the regular starters making a total of 140 appearances and scoring 40 goals along the way. Older Bayer 04 fans may well particularly remember his two goals in the play-off match against Kickers Offenbach at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium in 1982. After that season, Peter Szech joined Bayer 05 Uerdingen and he ended his playing career in 1984 in his hometown at Rot-Weiss Essen.

1979-05-12_84_Minute_3_3_Bruecken_2_schiesst_den_Ausgleich_Juergen_Gelsdorf_Peter_Szech_jubeln.jpg

In the mid-1990s he moved with his family to a farm in Thailand. In February 2014 he was involved in an accident on his motorbike there and was flown to Germany where he underwent an operation in Neuss. He passed away on 3 March 2014 as a result of his serious injuries.

Peter Szech would have been 70 on 26 May. I take this opportunity to remember an important player in Bayer 04's history.

Related News

Heiko Scholz wird 60 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Januar
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Birthday boy of the month: Heiko Scholz turns 60

Heiko Scholz was born on 7 January 1966 in Görlitz. His first club as a youth player was Dynamo Görlitz. From there, he moved up to the sports school in Dresden and played in the youth teams at SG Dynamo Dresden from 1978-1982. Not considered good enough, Scholle, as he was nicknamed, had to leave the sports school to play his last two youth years at ISG Hagenwerder. Via BSG Chemie Leipzig and 1.FC Lokomotive Leipzig, who Heiko won the DDR Pokal with in 1987 and he also reached the European Cup Winners' Cup final (a 1-0 defeat against Ajax), his path finally led him back to his favourite club, Dynamo Dresden. For one million Deutschmarks, the highest transfer fee ever paid for a player in the former GDR, he moved from Lok Leipzig to the capital of Saxony in 1990.

Show more
Stefan Kießling – Torjäger, Teamplayer und Klubidol | Legende des Monats Januar
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Legends: Stefan Kießling - goalscorer, team player and club idol

Stefan Kießling was born on 25 January 1984 in Lichtenfels, Franconia. Even as a young boy, he spent countless hours on the football pitches of his home town, chasing after the ball and dreaming of playing football. His parents supported him, but they bring him up in a down-to-earth manner - hard work, honesty and modesty are values that characterise him from an early age. His talent became apparent early on, but his ambition was even more striking. Kießling always wants to improve, wants to give more than others.

Show more
Mannschaftsfoto 1936
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

From the archives: 90 years ago - a big match in Leverkusen

On Sunday 26 January 1936, the local derby between relegation-threatened BV Wiesdorf and league leaders SSV ‘Bayer’ Leverkusen took place in the first district league of the Rhein-Wupper district. On the old BV Wiesdorf pitch, where the Leverkusen job centre is today, 1,800 spectators gather to watch the match.

Show more
Vor 40 Jahren – Erster Bundesliga-Sieg in Müngersdorf | Spiel des Monats Januar
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Match of the month: 40 years ago - First Bundesliga win in Müngersdorf

It is Friday, 31 January 1986, the derby in Cologne is coming up and we're full of confidence after the home win against Hamburg SV a week earlier, having turned a 2-0 deficit at the break into a 3-2 victory. In particular, the Greek amateur player Minas Hantzidis, who came on as a half-time substitute, turned the game around. Two goals from Bum-kun Cha and a penalty from Christian Schreier gave us two important points in the battle for a UEFA Cup place. We are one point behind the North Germans in fifth place in the table, six points ahead of our neighbours from Cologne.

Show more
Von Cha bis Baumgartlinger | Tore des Monats Januar
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Goals of the month: From Cha to Baumgartlinger

In this video you can see impressive and important goals in Bayer 04 history from the month of January. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.

Show more