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1.02.2025Bayer 04

Match of the month: 35 years ago – Calli has game postponed

It's Friday, 15 December 1989. The Bayer 04 players are completing their final training session ahead of the last match before the winter break. They are set to play next to bottom FC Homburg at home on the following day. During the training session our kit man Klaus Zöller comes onto the pitch and speaks to coach Jürgen Gelsdorf who gets everybody together and announces:

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"Tomorrow's match is off."

"Why?"

"Due to rain."

Everybody looks up and somebody asks sceptically:

"What rain?"

"Don't ask, the game's off tomorrow."

There was light drizzle but you couldn't say it was raining.

The background: At the end of 1989, Bayer 04 signed the East Germany international Andreas Thom. The boss Reiner Calmund wanted to present him to the public and our own fans at a home game. And ideally without the diversion of another Bundesliga match. How he managed to have the match before Christmas called off will always remain a puzzle to me. Because the weather was good and the rain absolutely minimal.

The match was then played on 17 February 1990. Andi Thom got off to a flying start in front of 12,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. He was in the right spot for a diagonal ball from Andrzej Buncol. Martin Kree made it 2-0 from the penalty spot just before half-time. After the hour mark, the Pole Marek Lesniak sealed the win with a third goal. The match ends in a well-deserved 3-1 home win. The Werkself are second in the table after Matchday 21 level on points with FC Bayern.

The only bad news was an injury to midfielder Cristian Schreier who was in outstanding form. He had to leave the pitch on the half-hour mark and was sidelined for the next two months. Fifth place at the end of the season was enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

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