Miscellaneous: 65 years ago – Inaugural match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium

The gates were opened at four o'clock on that wonderful Saturday. The spectators were entertained by an orchestra from Bayer AG. The reception for the honoured guests started at 16.30 and that was followed by a tour round the new stadium. The club chairman Dr Fritz Jacobi gave his inaugural address at 16.50. After a couple of displays from youth players of the two Leverkusen clubs Tus 04 and Bayer 04, the match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Fortuna Düsseldorf kicked off at 18.00.

The two teams were led onto the newly laid pitch by the captains Fredy Mutz and Erich Juskowiak. Bayer 04 were on top in the first 30 minutes but the ball was not doing what the players wanted and one or two good chances went begging. The scoreline was 0-0 at half-time. The spectators witnessed a similar display in the second half: Bayer 04 pressed, Fortuna sat back. But then the Düsseldorf striker Heinz Janssen broke through and rounded the Bayer 04 keeper Fredy Mutz and scored the first goal at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. A brace from the future Germany coach Jupp Derwall saw the Werkself lose 3-0 in their first game at the new stadium.

A few weeks later it is 9 November 1958 and the new pitch was so cut up after a friendly against MSV Duisburg that it had to be completely relayed. The Werkself played the rest of the season at the old Am Stadtpark Stadium.

Bayer 04 are only able to use the new pitch at the Ulrich Haberland Stadion again in the summer of 1959. The stadium on Bismarckstraße was our new home from the 1959/60 season, first as the Ulrich Haberland Stadion and then under the new name of the BayArena from 1998.