History: A memorable day
The Ulrich Haberland Stadium opened on 2 August 1958 and it was a ground met the highest and most up-to-date requirements. It was built in record time considering the poor weather conditions in 1957 and 1958.
Laying the pitch, which involved planting ready-made turf from the Netherlands, saved nine months – time that would better have been spent installing a better drainage system as that failed in a friendly in November 1958. The pitch was in such a poor state that they had to return to the Stadtpark at the end of the 1958/59 season. But nobody predicted that in August 1958.
opening match against Düsseldorf
The stands fill up with spectators from four o'clock and they are entertained by a brass band from the Bayer AG factories. To make it easier to find seats, the individual blocks are painted in the colour of the match tickets and not ordered by letters and numbers. At ten to five, Dr Fritz Jacobi, the chairman of Bayer 04, gives a speech and then receives a key from the architect and construction manager Viktor Calles in a symbolic handover.
The main event of the inauguration is the friendly between Bayer 04 and Oberliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf. In front of 11,000 spectators, Fortuna win 3-0 with the Bayer team missing lots of chances. The first goalscorer at the new Ulrich Haberland Stadium is a certain Jupp Derwall who went on to be the Germany coach and manager at Galatasaray where he won the Turkish league in 1987. At the end of the day the newspapers were positive and highlighted the special atmosphere at the new Bayer ground.
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