The new season was not even a minute old when Karl Heinz Spikofski struck to put the Black and Reds ahead. But the hosts, who had been in the 1. Oberliga West for four years, were able to counter-attack straight from the kick-off. They equalised from a penalty. When, just two minutes later, Bayer 04 took the lead once again through their midfield playmaker Richard Job, it looked as though a very interesting afternoon was on the cards.
Nobody at the stadium expected this performance from the Werkself. The ball moved through the ranks of the Bayer 04 players as if on a string. Very often, it goes through six or seven players without the Katernbergers in their green shirts getting a touch. The Leverkusen side got off to a calm start right from the off, as if they’d been playing in the 1. Oberliga West for years.
The Werkself hit the crossbar twice more before Richard Job and centre-forward Emil Becks scored two further goals on 34 and 36 minutes – the score was 4–1 to the visitors, and the spectators in Katernberg could hardly believe their eyes. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the match seemed to be all but decided.
But in the second half, the home side showed Leverkusen just how hard the fight for victory and points is in the 1. Oberliga West. The Katernberg manager reshuffled his team, and after the early goal to make it 4-2 in the 49th minute, the stadium began to boil over. While the Black and Reds’ fitness began to wane as the match wore on, the Sportfreunde’s play became increasingly organised. In the Katernberg cauldron – popularly known as ‘Monte Katerno’ because the points were particularly hard to come by there – the Werkself completely lost their way. When they pulled one back on 73 minutes, an equaliser was really only a matter of time. However, left winger Paul Wiorek capitalised on one of the few counter-attacks on 88 minutes to seal the win.
So, following this 5–3 victory, all Bayer 04 fans are heading home feeling confident that they won’t be easy prey for their opponents in the 1. Oberliga West this season.
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.
Show moreThe 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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