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1.02.2026Bayer 04

History: 75 years ago - The 1950/51 season (February)

As league leaders, the Werkself welcomed the relegation-threatened team from Rhenania Würselen. On 4 February 1951, 5,000 spectators line the touchlines despite the Sunday carnival parades. And they see a home team that is superior on the pitch. Without Theo Kirchberg, who was ill, and Emil Becks, who was suspended, the hosts attacked the opposing goal from the start. Battling against a strong wind in the first half, Bayer 04 created chance after chance, but were repeatedly thwarted by the Würselen goalkeeper. With the score at 0-0 at half-time, Karl Heinz Spikofski tried his luck on 55 minutes and hammered the ball into the opposition net from 20 metres out. Rhenania can no longer counterattack. The siege of the Würselen penalty area continued right to the end, but the game ended in a narrow 1-0 win.
Paul Wiorek im Februar 1951

A week later, the Werkself played at Cologne club SC West. In front of 2,000 spectators, the West men dominate Bayer 04 at will in the first quarter of an hour. Leverkusen goalkeeper Helmut Rennen had to make several saves. But then the visitors get going. The attacks on the Cologne goal were constant, but their defence held firm until half-time. After the break, Bayer 04 seemed to be on the verge of winning the game, but Paul Wiorek and Karl Heinz Spikofski missed their best chances. The game ended goalless after 90 minutes.

draw against Marathon, big win in Krefeld

On 18 February 1951, Marathon Remscheid visit the Stadion Am Stadtpark. Once again, 5,000 spectators support their team and once again the Werkself lay siege to their opponents' penalty area. However, a young keeper who would later become a legend in Leverkusen was in their goal: Fredi Mutz. And this Fredi Mutz saves everything, including a penalty from Richard Job. However, Bayer 04 defender Jakob Kaiser also had to make a clearance off the line for his already beaten goalkeeper Helmut Rennen during two Remscheid counter-attacks, so it was a fair 0-0 scoreline at half-time. In the second half, left winger Paul Wiorek scored the timely and much-acclaimed opener on 60 minutes, but as the Werkself were unable to add to their lead, they conceded a goal at 1-1 in one of Remscheid's few counter-attacks. However, because the competition also failed to win their games, Bayer 04 now have a commanding five-point lead at the top of the Oberliga West 2 table.

The last game in February takes the Werkself and their supporters to the Grotenburg-Kampfbahn. Their opponents there are Preußen Krefeld. After an initially evenly-matched game, Bayer 04 took the lead on 13 minutes. A free-kick shot by Paul Wiorek can only be parried by the Krefeld keeper, Karl Heinz Spikofski follows up and puts the ball over the line. Twenty minutes later, Paul Wiorek again initiated an attack and played Richard Job in to make it 2-0. After the break, the game is in full swing. The scenes in front of both penalty areas change at lightning speed, with the Werkself producing the more creative play.

In the 56th minute, Richard Job hits a powerful shot, again the goalkeeper is unable to hold on and this time right winger Theo Kirchberg is on hand - 3-0 for Bayer 04. The Krefeld team's follow-up goal does not upset the Werkself. In the final half hour, the visitors from Leverkusen dominated proceedings and increased their lead to 5-1 with goals from Hans Flohr and Karl Heinz Spikofski again. After this commanding away win, the Werkself are top of the table on 35 points, six ahead of second-placed SSV Wuppertal. The Bayer 04 fans are already in Oberliga West mood and are eagerly awaiting the next home game against their direct rivals from Wuppertal.

 

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