Harry Gniech was born in Leverkusen-Schlebusch on 14 October 1951. He became a member of Bayer 04 at the age of nine and he started playing football three years later. He progressed through all the youth teams and moved up to the amateur team. In 1973/74 his former U19 coach Friedhelm Renno, now coaching the Bayer 04 first team, brings him in for his first game with the senior team. He is substituted at half-time in the game and he remains in the amateur team up to 1978.
He comes to the attention of coach Willibert Kremer and he plays for the first team in the final five games of the 1977/78 campaign. Those five matches were all won and the team went into the next season full of confidence. Harry becomes a regular starter with the promotion side. He plays a total of 40 Bundesliga games for Bayer 04 and is the first homegrown Leverkusen player in the Bundesliga. He celebrates his 70th birthday this month. Many happy returns, Harry!
HERE are the best goals and moves by Harry Gniech on video.
Niko Kovac was born in Berlin on 15 October 1971. He joined Bayer 04 in 1996 from relegation-threatened second division club Hertha Berlin. After general manager Reiner Calmund asked him about his brother Robert’s ability, he also signs for Bayer 04 from second division FC Nürnberg. In Leverkusen this was the start of the rebuilding under coach Christoph Daum and the battle for the title and qualification for the Champions League. Niko twice finishes Bundesliga runner-up and third once in his three years at Bayer 04. He also starts in the club’s first Champions League match against the Belgian side Lierse SK. The defensive midfielder makes 77 Bundesliga appearances and scores 8 goals in three years.
After hanging up his boots, he started a very successful career as a coach and he is now at the helm of the French top-flight club AS Monaco after being the manager of Croatia, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich. His players include former Werkself star Kevin Volland. Niko is 50 this month. Happy birthday in the principality.
HERE are the best goals and moves by Niko Kovac on video.
In 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 moreThe Werkself secured victory against Bayern Munich for the first time on 1 November 1986. On matchday 12, Bayer 04 beat the Bundesliga league leaders 3-0 at the Olympic Stadium in Munich and go top of the table.
Show moreTorben Hoffman was born in Kiel on 27 October 1974. In his youth he played for TuS Schwarz-Weiß Elmschershagen. The qualified policeman joined Holstein Kiel in 1993. Two years later he moved on to VfB Lübeck in Bundesliga two. After relegation with Lübeck in 1997 he came to attention of SC Freiburg and they signed the defender. The team relegated from the Bundesliga went straight back up with Torben who moved under the Bayer Cross in 1999 after another year in the Bundesliga. However, he was unable to establish himself at Leverkusen making only sporadic appearances and he was rarely in the starting XI. He played in a total of 30 games for the Werkself.
Show moreThomas ‘Thommy’ Reichenberger was born in Bad Kreuznach on 14 October 1974. The son of a former Bundesliga player – his father Max made 38 Bundesliga appearances for 1860 Munich – played for Eintracht Bad Kreuznach as a youth player before moving up to the first team.
Show moreManfred ‘Manni’ Pomp was born in Aachen on 25 October 1964. His first football club was the Aachen police sports club (PSV) but he signed for Alemannia Aachen after a year.
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