Long grass and an uneven pitch makes it almost impossible to play neat passing football - as a result, long balls dominate the action on both sides. The first half is largely uneventful. The most exciting thing: Midfielder Richard Job repeatedly being caught offside. After the ninth time, a nickname was born - "King Richard" quickly became "Offside Job". But it was precisely this "Offside Job" who finally made the breakthrough on 65 minutes. From a fantastic cross by Theo Kirchberg, he scored with a diving header for a deserved 1-0 lead. In the final phase, Bayer 04 made the most of their superior fitness, created several clear goalscoring opportunities - including a penalty missed by Hans Flohr - but the same player doubled the lead at 2-0 with five minutes to play.
With this victory, the Werkself confidently maintain their lead at the top of the table and head into a two-week break. But there is more to come: Just one week after the away win in Solingen, the South-West Oberliga team TuS Neuendorf will visit Leverkusen Stadtpark for a friendly match.
The kick-off is at 14:30 on 12 October. 4,000 spectators turn up to watch the clash between two ambitious teams - and they are not disappointed. Despite dominating the game, Bayer 04 initially fell behind. However, the Werkself turned up the heat after the break: Emil Becks netted the equaliser and Hans Steingans converted a penalty to secure a 2-1 lead. Bayer 04 not only demonstrated their courage that afternoon, but also the quality of their game - another statement on the road to top-flight football.
On the Sunday morning of 19 October 1950, the Bayer squad set off for Cologne. Their opponents were the recently founded Fortuna, set up just one week after their great rivals 1. FC Köln - with the same goal: to form one strong Cologne team from several neighbourhood sides.
The Fortuna pitch is located directly on the Rhine, on Schönhauser Straße, and is taken by storm on this day by Bayer fans and players alike. A veritable mud bath ensued on a pitch that was difficult to play on - but the technical superiority of the visitors made the difference. Time and again, the two wingers Theo Kirchberg and Paul Wiorek burst down the flanks, tearing gaps in the Cologne defence. At half-time, the score was already 3-0 after goals from Karl-Heinz Spikofski, Peter Röger and Theo Kirchberg - a flattering result for Fortuna. The game became more open in the second half, but Bayer remained clinical. Two further goals from Kirchberg and strikes from Wiorek and Job ensured a commanding 7-1 away win.
A few days later, on the Day of Prayer and Repentance, the next friendly match is scheduled. This time it's a real local duel: VfL Leverkusen will be playing at the Stadtpark. 3,000 spectators make their way to the stadium - but the match is not entertaining. The Werkself dominate at will, sending the neighbours from the other side of the Dhünn back over the bridge on Bismarckstraße with a clear 6-1 defeat - and that with a better B team.
Four days later, the regular team is back in action. Leverkusen is football mad - 6,000 spectators want to see the home game against Union Krefeld. After just three minutes, there is no stopping them: Paul Wiorek hammers the ball into the net with his powerful left foot from a melee - the early opener. But after that, the game becomes increasingly flat. Both teams rely on long balls and a classic "kick and rush" approach dominated the action. There was little to be seen of the highlights of the previous week. Playmaker Richard Job in particular is sorely missed - the organiser in the centre is missing. Nevertheless, Bayer 04 manage to hold on to their narrow lead. With their seventh win in a row, the Werkself are on their own at the top of Oberliga West 2 after thirteen games. The euphoria in Leverkusen is growing - the dream of the Oberliga 1 is alive.
Jacek Krzynowek was born on 15 May 1976 in Kamiensk, Poland, and grew up as a typical country boy. He spent his childhood less in structured training sessions and more on simple pitches, where he spent hours playing football with older boys. He realised early on that he had exceptional shooting power and enormous stamina. But for a long time, he didn't appreciate just how much talent he had. While others dream of a great career, professional football initially seems like a distant world to him that he only knows from television.
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Carsten ‘Calle’ Ramelow was born in Berlin on 20 March 1974. He began his football career in the youth teams at Tasmania 73, Tennis Borussia, SC Siemensstadt and, last but not least, Hertha Berlin. It was here that he reached the DFB Pokal final in 1993 with the Hertha Bubis team, the amateur team at Hertha Berlin, against his future employer Bayer 04 Leverkusen. But even he was unable to prevent the Werkself's 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Ulf Kirsten.
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The 1995/1996 season brought some innovations. For the first time, each player was given a squad number with his name printed on the back of the jersey. For the first time, coaches were allowed to make three substitutions and for the first time, three points are awarded for a win. And for the first time, I am no longer my team's number 1. I wear it on my back, but Dirk Heinen has taken over me in goal. So at first I sat on the bench a bit offended, but in the Rückrunde I realised I also had to make my contribution to the success of a team.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of May. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen, promoted to the Oberliga West, welcome VfL 99 Köln for the last game of a successful season. This time, the crowd of just 2,000 spectators saw more of a friendly than a championship match. Little fight, little goalmouth action and few moves in midfield to warm the hearts of the spectators. It takes a corner to give Bayer 04 the lead. Peter Röger is on hand with his head and nods home on 43 minutes for the half-time lead. When Karl-Heinz Spikofski increased the lead to 2-0 a quarter of an hour after the restart, the result was settled. The team from Cologne were able to reduce the deficit to 2-1 in the final minute, but in the end the spectators went home looking forward to the first season for a Bayer 04 team in Oberliga West 1.
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