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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.

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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.

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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.

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