The joy at an early opener on four minutes scored by Klaus Röhrig, who has to go off injured on ten minutes, is followed by annoyance about an unnecessary equaliser on 18 minutes. A Werkself side with countless misplaced passes and mistakes fail to thrill their supporters. In a defensive battle, the SSV Troisdorf defenders, served up by the unimaginative attacking football from the Werkself, again and again hit the ball into the stands. After unbroken powerplay from Matthias Brücken, who provided the assist for the first goal, Matthias Hemmersbach is set up to put Leverkusen back in front on 82 minutes. The following seven minutes sees the outstanding Matthias Brücken score a hat-trick to increase the scoreline to an unexpected 5-1.
A week later, the Werkself head to the Sportpark Höhenberg. Bayer 04 are unable to impress in the first half at Viktoria Köln on a very good pitch. After going behind early on six minutes, the team of coach Manfred Rummel are unable to find a response for a long time. They continued to attack the Viktoria goal but have to wait to the 62nd minute for the equaliser. Matthias Brücken was again goalscorer. A quarter of an hour later he is brought down in the penalty area. As usual, the very reliable Willi Rehbach steps up to take the spot-kick but this time the Viktoria keeper Horst Holubek makes the save on 77 minutes. The match ends in a draw that obviously fails to satisfy the Bayer 04 management.
Matchday 10 brings the FC Köln second team to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. 1,600 spectators watch this game but they are bitterly disappointed. The Werkself put on an awfully helpless display and again and again are unable to convert chances on goal against the very defensive approach of the second team at FC Köln. Neither Matthias Brücken, Gerd Kentschke and Norbert Sobbe nor Peter Surbach or Dieter Axemacher are able to beat the Köln keeper Bodo Mattern. The visitors thrive on their efficiency. They score three goals from four chances and push Bayer 04 towards mid-table. The Werkself are fifth on twelve points, four behind leaders SC Brühl. For two weeks the Bayer 04 players and their coach Manfred Rummel have time to lick their wounds.
The Leverkusener Stadt-Anzeiger provides an early critique of the season: "Title and promotion hardly achievable” is the headline in the Anzeiger on 22.11.1974. The Bayer 04 officials including coach Manfred Rummel and football boss Hermann Büchel appear helpless. One thing is certainly clear to everybody: Only a significant improvement in performances can help the Werkself achieve the target of returning to professional football with promotion to the Bundesliga 2 Nord. And so the fans under the Cross eagerly look forward to the two matches in December against third-placed SC Jülich and leaders SC Brühl. Now only wins can help.
Anders Giske was born in Kristiansund in Norway on 22 November 1959. In his youth he played for Goma IL. At the age of 20 he moved on to top-flight Norwegian club Brann Bergen. Over his three seasons there he became a central midfield player with an eye for goal. He was called up to the Norway squad in 1979 and he went on to make 38 international appearances – including eleven as captain. After a move within the league to Lillestrøm SK, he rejoined Brann Bergen for a season after a year away.
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Andreas Nagel was born in Hagen in Bremischen on 7 November 1964. The goalkeeper played for Hagener SV throughout his time as a youth player. He came to the attention of Bayer 04 playing for the Germany youth team, where he finished runner-up in the U16 European Championships in 1982, and he joined Leverkusen in 1983.
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On 21 November 1954, the Werkself travel to the Müngersdorfer Stadion with the support of 3,000 Leverkusen fans. After Bayer 04 lost 7-3 to FC Köln away in 1953/54, the team led by coach Sepp Kretschmann want to do better. And they do that – and how!
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In the 1984/85 season there is a clash between Bayer 04, lying tenth in the table, and the leaders Bayern Munich. After five games without a win, Bayer 04 coach Dettmar Cramer is under fire and already sacked according to the media. After a communal walk on 17 November 1984, without the coach, the squad go to the meeting room for a pre-match team meeting and we players sit down but the coach is still not there. But on the flip chart there is the line-up and the words: "SWALLOW IT!"
Show moreThe Werkself only have three games in November 1974. Bottom-of-the-table SSV Troisdorf 05 visit the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Matchday 8. Only 1,200 spectators find their way to the stadium to watch a game that perfectly suits the weather conditions: Poor (Bayer 04), poorer (the weather, persistent rain throughout the game) and even worse (SSV Troisdorf 05).
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