Bremen Nacht

[The Red Baron]

As we have a fallow weekend Rovers-wise I took the opportunity to look through some old files on my computer and came across this. I think it was something I wrote in reponse to a query on the old Forum.


The game against Werder Bremen was one of four major friendlies played by
Rovers against overseas opposition between 1965 and 1970. The games were as
follows:

9th November 1965 Rovers 1 (Alick Jeffrey) Wormatia Worms 0. Att: 6,494

29th April 1969 Rovers 2 (Steve Briggs, Rod Johnson) Werder Bremen 1. Att:
8,239

28th October 1969 Rovers 1 (Chris Rabjohn) Dallas Tornadoes 1. Att: 5,667.

5th May 1970 Rovers 0 Lazio 4. Att: 8,239

The Werder Bremen game (played on Tuesday 29th April 1969) was scheduled to
come 24 hours after the final game of the season at Grimsby. Rovers were
already promoted, but could clinch the Fourth Division title with a win at
Blundell Park. This game was actually postponed after heavy rain had caused
a waterlogged pitch at Grimsby (well, Cleethorpes actually) and it was
re-arranged for 3rd May 1969, when Rovers won 3-1.

Werder Bremen had played at Sunderland on 28th April and had drawn 1-1. The
German side contained seven full German internationals and one Danish
international (Sepp Piontek, who went on to manage Denmark.) The teams were:

Rovers: Ogston, Bird, Gray, Flowers, Robertson, Haselden, Webber, Regan,
Briggs, Johnson, Usher. Sub: Rabjohn.

Werder: Bernard, Piontek, Hottges, Schulz, Steinmann, Lorenz, Goertz,
Ferner, Schmidt, Danielsen, Rupp.

Rovers took an early lead when Johnson's pass set up Briggs to score, then
Johnson doubled the lead with a deflected free kick. Hottges pulled one back
after 36 minutes to complete the scoring.


_________________________________________________

Notes and News:

A very hearty welcome to our visitors from West Germany this evening.
Seldom, in recent years, have we had the pleasure of seeing Continental
opposition at Belle Vue and certainly not of such a high standard as Werder
Bremen. Their record is such that, with their World Cup players and other
internationals, a fine game should result. Our supporters will have a fine
opportunity of seeing high class soccer and the German type of football is
more akin to British than that of any other country. We trust there will be
a big crowd to not only give them a warm welcome but also to pay tribute to
our own team after their fine season.

Our Visitors:

The football section of the Werder club was founded on February 5th, 1899,
there having been an athletic section already in existence. Membership is
2,200, with more than 800 youth members in addition.

Werder have never been relegated from their first division. They were
champions of their district five times- in 1934, 1936, 1937, 1942 and 1947.
The club possessed one of the most powerful teams in the country after the
last war, and became North German runners-up in 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 and
1963.

In 1961 they won the German Cup and were League champions in 1965 and
runners up in 1968.

Four years ago, a super league known as the Bundesliga was formed in
Germany, Werder being one of the nine founder clubs. Their positions:

1964- tenth
1965- champions
1966- fourth
1967- sixteenth
1968- second

At present they are in 14th position in the first division table, having won
7, drawn 5 and lost 11 of their 22 games. Werder spread their wings in 1964
by taking in the international tournament in New York, emerging unbeaten
winners of group one.

The "Notes and News" bit I copied out from the programme.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Bremen Nacht, eh?

http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=239175.msg333126#msg333126

[Dagenham Rover]

definitely at the Werder Bremen game and Ive got a bit of a memory of being at the Wormatia Worms one but I was 7 then

[Colin C No.3]

Me & our kid went to them all bar Wormatia.

Look at those attendances!

We played in all white with red trim to the collar & cuffs....classic.

[idler]

I went to the Wormatia game and should have been at the Werder Bremen game.
I was working at Paragon Plastics at the time. We had a job to do at Rawcliffe Bridge and after being dropped off the can was supposed to pick us up about 4-5.
We were told when we rang at five don't worry he'll be setting off soon.
About 6:30 we decided to find a bus back. I remember going along Thorne Road and seeing the floodlights in the distance at about 8:55.
I was gutted as I never missed a home game and few away in those days.
I saw the Dallas and Lazio games.  I think I have all four programmes in the loft.
 

[andyst79]

A European pre season friendly would be awesome could somebody please bring it up at the next meet the owners event. Black Bank on tour?! Where does everyone fancy?

[swintonrover]

Maldives national team away. Or Barbados, I'm not picky.

[The Red Baron]

As far as I can see, all four teams above owe us a return game. So Werder or Lazio would do nicely.

Back in the 50s we played a team from Malta called Floriana. As far as I know they are still going and Malta can be a nice destination in the summer. Maybe them?

[GazLaz]

I went to Bremen to watch them last year. It was brilliant.

[DN8ROVER]

Any excuse for a bit of Mark E Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJwB_iICms4