1.01.2023Bayer 04

From the archives: Sensational season 1967/68 – January

League leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen travel to the Radrennbahn in Cologne for the start of the Rückrunde on 7 January 1968. Fortuna Köln are the hosts in front of a crowd of 2,000 with Bayer 04 fans in the majority. The Werkself are 2-1 down at half-time. Coach Theo Kirchberg brings on centre forward Karl-Heinz Brücken for left winger Friedhelm Strzelczyk to apply more pressure – and it works. From 67 to 75 minutes, Helmut Richert plus Karl-Heinz and Helmut Brücken put the Bayer 04 4-2 up. Fortuna reduce the deficit from the penalty spot and the league leaders manage to hold on to secure a fortunate 4-3 victory.

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The home game against Preußen Münster a week later falls victim to the state of the pitch so that Bayer 04 can only play again on 18 January. Eintracht Gelsenkirchen are the hosts to the Werkself at the Südstadion in Gelsenkirchen. Ahead of kick-off, there are worried faces in the Eintracht camp as the home team have to play with three players suffering from flu. The excellent fitness of the Bayer team allows them to play their feared high-tempo game. The Werkself take the lead on 18 minutes with a deflected shot from Fredi Hennecken. The result is settled on 67 minutes when Karl-Heinz Brücken makes it 2-0. The league leaders in the Regional League West can now focus on the highlight in January – a cup tie against Bundesliga league leaders FC Nürnberg.

Preparations for the big match are underway. 12,000 tickets are sold in advance a week before the game. The public address system at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium is refurbished and brought up to the original volume required for a capacity crowd at the stadium. The building control department approves a capacity of 19,000. 300 additional seats are set up in front of the East Stand, albeit uncovered. The price per seat is eight Deutschmarks. The stadium opens at noon two hours before the start of the game and the spectators are entertained with recorded music. 70 police officers are on duty to control the traffic. Fans are advised to park under the autobahn where there is space for 1,500 cars. Fans living near to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium are advised to leave their cars at home.

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Saturday 27 January 1968 comes round. The eagerly-awaited game against the team from Franconia in Leverkusen kicks off at 14.00 CET in front of 15,000 spectators. On three minutes there is a setback: Helmut Brücken unluckily deflects a shot allowing the Nürnberg striker Heinz Strehl a simple tap-in to make it 1-0. But the Bayer team fight their way back into the game. A Richert header on the half-hour mark crashes against the post and other lesser chances are foiled by the Nürnberg keeper Roland Wabra. The Bundesliga league leaders are completely disappointing while the Werkself thrill their fans. The game is then settled on 83 minutes with a goal from a free kick by Gustl Starek. Bayer 04 Leverkusen pass the test for possible future Bundesliga fixtures. The team, fans and the police demonstrate their top-flight quality. The league leaders from the Regional League West can now completely focus on defending their lead at the top of the table after the exit from the DFB Cup.

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