History: 45 years ago – Promotion season 1978/79 (March)

However, there was also critical reaction including from the Bayer 04 managing director Heinz Heitmann: “What do we want with such a big stadium if we go straight down again?” But promotion has to be achieved first with the situation at the beginning of March looking very promising. At the same time, the Werkself players faced some stiff tests in that month. There are five games in two weeks. The first is an away trip to Hamburg to play St. Pauli at the Millerntor.

On Saturday, 10 March, St. Pauli enjoy slight superiority on the pitch in front of 3,500 spectators. However, on a good surface, Bayer 04 shine with thought out and solid moves with Norbert Ziegler and Jürgen Gelsdorf having good chances before half-time. Nevertheless, the hosts take the lead on the hour mark. Coach Willibert Kremer reacts by playing two strikers in substitute Matthias Brücken and Peter Hermann – and that pays off. Matthias Brücken again scores a deserved equaliser on 78 minutes. The Bayer group are happy on the way home.

A rearranged game for Matchday 19 is played four days later, the opponents are Westfalia Herne. In front of just 4,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, the Werkself drop an important point in the race for promotion with the game ending all square at 1-1. Although the two teams produced an entertaining and hard-fought encounter, the penalty scored by Dieter Herzog is not enough for victory. Bayer 04 Leverkusen are still top of the table but the lead is melting away and another win is needed.

Viktoria Köln visit Bismarckstraße on 17 March. The team threatened with relegation are unable to exploit the Werkself nerves. The compulsion to win again after three points from the last four games is evident amongst players. The whole stadium becomes nervous when the skipper Dieter Herzog has a penalty saved by the Viktoria keeper Topalovic on 42 minutes. Willibert Kremer makes two changes at half-time bringing on his favourite substitutes Matthias Brücken and Peter Hermann as fresh legs up front. The Werkself take control. After shots from Matthias Brücken, Peter Szech, Peter Hermann and Dieter Herzog fail to find the back of the net, the opening goal finally comes on the hour mark. Thomas Hörster is wide awake and he is able to put a cross from Peter Hermann away. Then everything goes quickly. The Viktoria player Cziezewski is shown a red card a minute later for violent conduct against Klaus Bruckmann, Thomas Hörster hits the bar on 65 minutes, as does Jürgen Gelsdorf two minutes later with the second missed penalty of the game. While other good chances go begging, the second crucial goal is scored on 82 minutes. Centre forward Peter Szech, who hasn’t scored for eleven games, is on the right spot to make it 2-0. Coach Willibert Kremer gives up his reservations in public for the first time summing up his team’s ambitions as: “We’ll definitely be champions.”

The next rearranged game comes three days later, this time at the Bremer Brücke in Osnabrück. VfL are in a relegation spot and they need every point. But Leverkusen, at times playing like a Bundesliga side, are clearly on top with an impressive and calm approach to the game. Matthias Brücken, playing as the front man from the start this time, puts the Werkself ahead after an hour. His strike partner Peter Szech doubles the lead at 2-0 ten minutes later. Osnabrück pull a goal back but Peter Klimke wraps it up with a goal on 87 minutes. In a fair and fast game, Bayer 04 deservedly pick up both points to further strengthen the position at the top of the table. The short-term crisis appears to be over.

The next away game is on Saturday, 24 March 1979, in Wanne-Eickel. DSC Wanne-Eickel push Bayer 04 all the way with the game ended in a hard-fought 2-1 win. The goalscorers for the Werkself are Klaus Bruckmann with a penalty and centre forward Peter Szech who nets the winner at 2-1 on 74 minutes. Coach Willibert Kremer is critical of his team’s performance: “I can’t say the victory was deserved but sometimes you need a win like that to stay top of the league.”

Kremer’s players have the chance to take a breather after that win as the next home game is on Friday, 30 March. The visitors are Union Solingen. After an early fright on two minutes when the Bayer 04 keeper Fred Bockholt has to keep out a shot from the Solingen and former Bayer 04 player Bernd Elfering, the Werkself take control of the game with the midfielders Klaus Bruckmann, Thomas Hörster and Norbert Ziegler standing out. Matthias Brücken opens the scoring on 14 minutes when he heads home a cross from Jürgen Gelsdorf but that is not the start of a goal fest. Hans-Jürgen Scheinert makes it 2-0 with a delightful lob just before half-time and that sees Leverkusen launch a host of attacks. In spite of clear-cut chances for Matthias Brücken, Peter Hermann, Dieter Herzog and Peter Szech there are no more goals. The game ends in a well-deserved 2-0 victory.

At the end of March 1979, Bayer 04 Leverkusen are top with a ten-point lead over second-placed Preußen Münster and can look forward to the next challenges in a relaxed mood.