Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.
"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.
Emil 'Bubi' Becks was born in Essen on 12 March 1925. As a teenager he played for Union Frintrop. He moved on from Adler Frintrop to the senior team at Rot-Weiß Oberhausen where he scored ten goals in 19 games in his first year in the First Oberliga West. As a skilful centre forward, he brought his teammates into play and was always dangerous in the penalty area. With increasing age he played further and further back with his last games in defensive midfield.
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It is 27 March 1955. Bayer 04 are set to play relegation-threatened Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Stadion Am Stadtpark. In the Oberliga West in the 1954/55 season, Rot-Weiß Essen are in top spot ahead of the club from Herne, SV Sodingen. The Werkself are having a good season and need every point after the defeat in Münster a week before to get back to second place, which would qualify the club for the games for the German Championship title.
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In this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of March. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
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Ahead of matchday 25 in the 1999/2000 season, the Werkself are in second place in the Bundesliga two points behind reigning champions Bayern Munich. The champions have been top of the table since matchday 10 and the rest of the league are trying to stay in touch with Bayern. From matchday 24, an exciting race develops between Bayer 04 and FC Bayern that lasts to the end of the season.
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SV Baesweiler are the visitors to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on 2 March 1975. With a 2-1 win in front of a crowd of 1,600 the Werkself get revenge for the defeat in the reverse fixture but the best thing about this game were not just two points. Leverkusen failed to really impress against battling visitors. It looked very good after an early goal from Matthias Hemmersbach on eight minutes but the Werkself again went too far with individual actions. Bayer 04 were on top in the first half. And Peter Surbach made it 2-0 with a header at the start of the second 45 but suddenly everything fell apart. Baesweiler pulled a goal back on the hour mark and besieged the goal brilliantly minded by Hubert Makel. In the end it was down to him that the game ended with a 2-1 win.
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