Up until it was demolished in 2007 it was not the favourite building of Leverkusen residents but it had been used three times for Bayer 04 celebrations. Three times? Yes, three times: 1988, 1993 and 1997. There was a motorcade through the city centre both to celebrate the UEFA Cup win and the DFB Cup win. In 1988, in rain and with protesting pedestrians ("Why are cars driving through the centre of the city?!" "They won the UEFA Cup yesterday." I don't care two hoots, this is a pedestrian zone and cars aren't allowed here!"). And another time in brilliant sunshine in 1993. On both occasions, a stand was built up in front of the town hall and the fans were able to celebrate.
Following the party after the DFB Cup win in 1993, the team met up in a restaurant with a big terrace and a view of the town hall square. The fans were singing and dancing there and waiting for their heroes to come out so they could throw them into the town hall fountain one after the other when they left the restaurant. It was too dangerous for me. I grinned at the lads, took a run and I dived in myself. When we finished as league runners-up for the first time in 1997 we used the balcony of the town hall this time without the motorcade. We don't have a town hall balcony any more since it was demolished in 2007 but there are definitely enough alternative venues in Leverkusen where we can celebrate. The only thing missing is the title we've been waiting almost 30 years for.
Willi Korth was born in Essen on 12 April 1955. He was a youth player at TuS Essen 81. After coming to the attention of Schwarz Weiss Essen, he signed for them in the Bundesliga 2 North for the 1977/78 season. He made 24 appearances and scored one goal. The Black and Whites from Essen were relegated at the end of the season.
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Rudolf ‘Rudi’ Völler was born in Hanau on 13 April 1960. His father took the young Rudi as an eight-year-old to training at TSV 1860 Hanau. In the sedate Hessen town on the Main he came to the attention of Offenbach Kickers. But Rudi completed his secondary school and started training to become an office administrator.
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Jean Pierre de Keyser was born in Cologne on 13 April 1965 as the son of a Belgian NATO soldier stationed in Spich and a German mother. His childhood dream of becoming a vet was resolutely followed at school initially. But football threw a spanner in the works.
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The third last matchday in the 1954/55 season brings a big showdown at the Stadion Am Stadtpark – the Werkself entertain second-placed SV Sodingen. A win for Bayer 04 would take them above Sodingen and qualify for the finals of the German championship if the last two games of the season in the Oberliga West 1 are also won.
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In this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of April. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
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