The floodlights, sponsored by Bayer AG to mark the company's centenary, were unveiled on 10 August 1963. The most modern and brightest system in Europe at the time passed its performance test behind closed doors on 17 December 1963 for a friendly against a Middle Rhine team and was only used again on Maundy Thursday in 1964 for a friendly against Wacker Innsbruck. The Werkself won that game 2-0.
After the event on New Year, the other three floodlight pylons were used as 'VIP seats' whenever the stadium was full. The fourth floodlight pylon was only replaced in 1970.
Our team played their first league match under floodlights on a Friday night. Bayer 04 beat Alemannia Aachen 2-1 at home in the Regional League West on 17 October 1970. However, the brightness of the lights became a problem over the years. Bayer 04 had to dim the floodlights to stop dazzling drivers on the A1 autobahn. That meant the Werkself players had to strain their eyes in night games to maintain a clear vision of proceedings.
Only with the rebuilding of the "Gem of the Bundesliga" and the completion of the first half of the construction of the new East Stand in October 1986 did the Ulrich Haberland Stadium have two new floodlight pylons in the north-east and south-east of the ground so that the drivers on the A1 were no longer dazzled. That meant our team played night matches at the time with light from two new and two old floodlight pylons. All four floodlight pylons were upgraded in October 1988.
Lighting at the stadium was no longer a problem with one exception: After an away game in the Champions League qualifier at Dinamo Tbilisi in 1997, coach Christoph Daum organised a training session at the stadium on their return at four in the morning – with all the lights on. Residents around the stadium experienced significant disruption during the night. Since then, there has never been another similar hush-hush operation.
Peter Zanter was born on 11 November 1965 in Wermelskirchen in the Rhineland. His passion for football was evident from an early age: As a child, he played enthusiastically for the youth teams at SV Dabringhausen and SV Wermelskirchen. His ability and discipline did not go undetected for long - and he joined the youth section at Bayer 04 at a young age.
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Boris Zivkovic was born on 15 November 1975 in the Bosnian town of Zivinice, which is now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played for FK Sarajevo at a young age. However, his youth was characterised by the turmoil of the wars in the former Yugoslavia. At the age of just 17, he was also called up and took part in the fighting - a fate shared by many young men of his generation.
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For once, this is going to be about me. About my path into football, my years as a goalkeeper at Bayer 04 and my ‘career after my career’ at this great club. So, come with me on a little journey through time...
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It is 1 November 1985, a Friday evening, floodlights on. The leaders Werder Bremen with their coach Otto Rehhagel come to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. 15,000 spectators want to watch this top match, as the Werkself, with their new coach Erich Ribbeck, are in fourth place in the table, just five points behind the leaders.
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In the video you can see impressive and important goals in Bayer 04 history from the month of November. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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