The joy at an early opener on four minutes scored by Klaus Röhrig, who has to go off injured on ten minutes, is followed by annoyance about an unnecessary equaliser on 18 minutes. A Werkself side with countless misplaced passes and mistakes fail to thrill their supporters. In a defensive battle, the SSV Troisdorf defenders, served up by the unimaginative attacking football from the Werkself, again and again hit the ball into the stands. After unbroken powerplay from Matthias Brücken, who provided the assist for the first goal, Matthias Hemmersbach is set up to put Leverkusen back in front on 82 minutes. The following seven minutes sees the outstanding Matthias Brücken score a hat-trick to increase the scoreline to an unexpected 5-1.
A week later, the Werkself head to the Sportpark Höhenberg. Bayer 04 are unable to impress in the first half at Viktoria Köln on a very good pitch. After going behind early on six minutes, the team of coach Manfred Rummel are unable to find a response for a long time. They continued to attack the Viktoria goal but have to wait to the 62nd minute for the equaliser. Matthias Brücken was again goalscorer. A quarter of an hour later he is brought down in the penalty area. As usual, the very reliable Willi Rehbach steps up to take the spot-kick but this time the Viktoria keeper Horst Holubek makes the save on 77 minutes. The match ends in a draw that obviously fails to satisfy the Bayer 04 management.
Matchday 10 brings the FC Köln second team to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. 1,600 spectators watch this game but they are bitterly disappointed. The Werkself put on an awfully helpless display and again and again are unable to convert chances on goal against the very defensive approach of the second team at FC Köln. Neither Matthias Brücken, Gerd Kentschke and Norbert Sobbe nor Peter Surbach or Dieter Axemacher are able to beat the Köln keeper Bodo Mattern. The visitors thrive on their efficiency. They score three goals from four chances and push Bayer 04 towards mid-table. The Werkself are fifth on twelve points, four behind leaders SC Brühl. For two weeks the Bayer 04 players and their coach Manfred Rummel have time to lick their wounds.
The Leverkusener Stadt-Anzeiger provides an early critique of the season: "Title and promotion hardly achievable” is the headline in the Anzeiger on 22.11.1974. The Bayer 04 officials including coach Manfred Rummel and football boss Hermann Büchel appear helpless. One thing is certainly clear to everybody: Only a significant improvement in performances can help the Werkself achieve the target of returning to professional football with promotion to the Bundesliga 2 Nord. And so the fans under the Cross eagerly look forward to the two matches in December against third-placed SC Jülich and leaders SC Brühl. Now only wins can help.
Peter Zanter was born on 11 November 1965 in Wermelskirchen in the Rhineland. His passion for football was evident from an early age: As a child, he played enthusiastically for the youth teams at SV Dabringhausen and SV Wermelskirchen. His ability and discipline did not go undetected for long - and he joined the youth section at Bayer 04 at a young age.
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Boris Zivkovic was born on 15 November 1975 in the Bosnian town of Zivinice, which is now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played for FK Sarajevo at a young age. However, his youth was characterised by the turmoil of the wars in the former Yugoslavia. At the age of just 17, he was also called up and took part in the fighting - a fate shared by many young men of his generation.
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For once, this is going to be about me. About my path into football, my years as a goalkeeper at Bayer 04 and my ‘career after my career’ at this great club. So, come with me on a little journey through time...
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It is 1 November 1985, a Friday evening, floodlights on. The leaders Werder Bremen with their coach Otto Rehhagel come to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. 15,000 spectators want to watch this top match, as the Werkself, with their new coach Erich Ribbeck, are in fourth place in the table, just five points behind the leaders.
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In the video you can see impressive and important goals in Bayer 04 history from the month of November. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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