Bayer coach Erich Garske has to manage without a number of regular starters and instead relies on players from the junior and reserve teams. Without key players such as regular keeper Fredy Mutz, the twin brothers Karl and Martin Gramminger as well as Werner Torner and Hans-Otto Peters, the Werkself came under pressure early on.
Horst Maier gave the Black and Yellows a deserved 1-0 lead on 11 minutes. Although Reiner Arenz equalised for Bayer 04 in the 20th minute, Schlebusch right winger Johann Stahlberg restored their lead before the break - 2-1 to the underdogs.
After the restart, SV Schlebusch even increased their lead to 3-1 on 54 minutes. The Werkself now took command and created several chances, but were thwarted either by the uncompromising defence of Matthias Valentin - a former long-time Bayer 04 referee organiser - or by the outstanding goalkeeper Werner Steilen.
Steilen, a former Bayer 04 youth player who had even received a call-up to the Germany team in the 1950s, excelled himself in this match. In the 1955/56 season, he played in goal three times in place of the injured Fredy Mutz in the Oberliga West, but otherwise mainly featured for the reserve team. Now, however, he shone against his old team-mates - with saves to keep out Heinz Höher and Werner Röhrig, among others - and he secured a sensational triumph for his team.
After the final whistle, there is no holding back: SV Schlebusch celebrate frenetically, the small club has defeated its big neighbour. Although the exit came in the next round of the Pokal against FC Köln - the Goats won 4:0 - the historic victory against Bayer 04 remains unforgotten in these parts.
And: Eight years later, in 1968, SV Schlebusch struck a similar blow once again. They beat the Regional League West champions 1-0 and knocked the Werkself out of the Pokal.
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
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José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
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Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
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