Bayer 04 were in the Second Oberliga West 50 years ago. The Werkself had been trying to get into the top-flight for five years. There is a top match against Wuppertal SV on matchday four in the 1961/62 season. The date is 27 August and 12,000 spectators want to watch this clash. Against a defensive Wuppertal team built around central defender Erich Ribbeck, Bayer 04 go top after a 2-1 win. At the end of the season, the team with the two future Bundesliga players and coaches Heinz Höher and Uwe Klimaschefski achieve promotion to the First Oberliga West.
A certain Manfred Manglitz is in goal for Bayer 04 – both a very good Bundesliga keeper as well as involved in the Bundesliga scandal of 1971. And the Ribbeck with Wuppertal is THE Erich Ribbeck who led Bayer 04 to winning the UEFA Cup 27 years later. The goals for Bayer 04 were scored by the captain Werner Röhrig, who ends his playing career at the age of 28 because his professional opportunities in the works were more important, and Hans Zimmerman.
21 August 1966 brings the first matchday in the Regional League West. The visitors at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium our newly promoted SSV Hagen and the local newspapers discuss the possible margins of victory. The newcomers from Hagen put up a battle. The Werkself win 18 corners to four and create lots of goalscoring opportunities but again and again are denied by the Hagen keeper Müller – and the physical approach of the Hagen players.
Above all, the defender Stöcker takes care of Karl-Heinz Ripkens, Helmut Brücken and Fredi Hennecken one after the other – and back then there were no substitutions leaving the Werkself to search for victory with only seven outfield players. The three injured players, as usual, remained on the pitch but were unable to play an effective part in events. In the last minute, SSV Hagen make it 3-2 and the visitors take both points from the game at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
Willi Korth was born in Essen on 12 April 1955. He was a youth player at TuS Essen 81. After coming to the attention of Schwarz Weiss Essen, he signed for them in the Bundesliga 2 North for the 1977/78 season. He made 24 appearances and scored one goal. The Black and Whites from Essen were relegated at the end of the season.
Show moreRudolf ‘Rudi’ Völler was born in Hanau on 13 April 1960. His father took the young Rudi as an eight-year-old to training at TSV 1860 Hanau. In the sedate Hessen town on the Main he came to the attention of Offenbach Kickers. But Rudi completed his secondary school and started training to become an office administrator.
Show moreJean Pierre de Keyser was born in Cologne on 13 April 1965 as the son of a Belgian NATO soldier stationed in Spich and a German mother. His childhood dream of becoming a vet was resolutely followed at school initially. But football threw a spanner in the works.
Show moreThe third last matchday in the 1954/55 season brings a big showdown at the Stadion Am Stadtpark – the Werkself entertain second-placed SV Sodingen. A win for Bayer 04 would take them above Sodingen and qualify for the finals of the German championship if the last two games of the season in the Oberliga West 1 are also won.
Show moreIn this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of April. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
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