Now comes the first friendly match. At that time it was usual for the clubs in Germany to play friendly matches many weeks before the start of the season to raise a few marks from the spectators to cover the costs of their teams.
FC Köln, who finished fifth in the Oberliga a month before, field their best possible side as did the Werkself. 5,000 spectators are at the stadium for the kick-off and they see a Werkself side on top of their game. The Bayer team produce a flawless performance, are quicker and more nimble and creative in attack. Constant harrying from the Werkself strikers creates a real threat for the Köln defence.
Manfred Höher and new signing Hans Flohe put Bayer 04 2-0 up. FC Köln pull a goal back seconds before half-time. After the restart, Manfred Höher volleys a corner from Anton Mauth into the net to make it 3-1. Shortly after that Theo Kirchberg converts a cross from Manfred Höher for the fourth Leverkusen goal. Höher scores again for his hat-trick and Mauth makes it 6-1. To date, 6-1 is the biggest victory for Bayer 04 in the clash with the neighbours.
Striking in 1950: Neither the sports journal Der Fußball-Sport nor NWDR report the result. It is probably embarrassing for the two media outlets given what happened to their Köln players in Leverkusen.
Wolfgang Vöge was born on 15 September 1955 in Ahlen, Westphalia and he was the fourth of seven children of a miner. His father, Erich Vöge, was a football referee as well. At an early age, Wolle, as he was called by his friends and teammates, developed a great passion for football and was an enthusiastic fan of BVB. His first success in football was achieved in the amateur game at his hometown club of SV Ahlen. He scored 26 goals in the first season and he came to the attention of scouts. That led to his move to Borussia Dortmund in 1975.
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Andreas Thom was born on 7 September 1965 in Rüdersdorf near Berlin in Brandenburg. Andreas displayed an exceptional talent on the ball even as a child. Early on, he joined the youth section at BFC Dynamo Berlin, one of the leading football clubs in the German Democratic Republic. There he received targeted, performance-oriented training as part of the GDR sports system. His talent, his vision and his technique led him to make his debut in the first team at BFC Dynamo at the age of 17.
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Jens Melzig was born in Cottbus on 28 September 1965. Melle, as he was called at Leverkusen, started his playing career at his hometown club Energie Cottbus. As a young player there he soon stood out thanks to his strength in challenges and his ability to read the game. He was in the Energie Cottbus first team in 1984 and he played for the club in the GDR league and the Oberliga. With 144 appearances and twelve goals he became one of the big players in defence. He made a major contribution to the club during this period – as a strong-tackling central defender who also displayed leadership qualities.
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Lucio, full name Lucimar Ferreira da Silva, was born on 8 May 1978 in Planaltina, a suburb of the Brazilian capital Brasília. He showed his passion for football even as a child. On the dusty streets of his neighbourhood he spent hours chasing the ball – often in bare feet like many Brazilian children. Despite the simple conditions he grew up in, his family always supported his dream of one day becoming a great football player. He made his first steps in club football at small local clubs before moving onto the youth set-up at the club Guará and later he singed for the big club Internacional Porto Alegre. Bayer 04 signed the internationally completely unknown defender from there in January 2000.
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In this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of September. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
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