The honorary chairman of FC pressig, ottmar gerber, tells of memories of a wonderful experience. The former marketing manager of the ludwigsstadt savings bank, now 81, met with the honorary captain of the german national soccer team, fritz walter. The fubballer of the 1. FC kaiserslautern became soccer world champions in 1954 and was a legend in his own time. He is on 17. June 2002 and was able to celebrate his 100th birthday this saturday. Celebrate their birthday. This called in the pressiger and passionate fubballfan of the 1. FC nurnberg brings back memories of the fubball legend.
In the 1980s, the former ludwigsstadt district savings bank held the savings bank cup for all school and youth teams in its district. The sparkasse then took the two winning teams to a national league match. One of the most impressive trips was to kaiserslautern in 1989 with the students of FC pressig and the youth of ATSV reichenbach. Ottmar gerber reports on this trip.
In search of the pudding
In anticipation, the wish was expressed to visit the famous betzenberg stadium in kaiserlautern. Gerber complied with this request. He got 50 tickets for the national league game 1. FC kaiserslautern against FC bayern munchen, which ended 0:0. He thought long and hard about how this trip could be enriched with a dumpling, perhaps with an autograph session with fritz walter.
On one call, mrs. Italia walter was on the phone. Gerber made the request and was postponed until the next day, because she first had to talk to her husband about it. When fritz walter learned that the project involved schoolchildren and young people from the frankenwald region on the border to the germany, he agreed. Meeting point was the hotel "barbarossa" at 1 p.M in kaiserslautern. During the trip, gerber spoke only of a surprise that awaited the group in kaiserslautern.
Everyone was speechless and completely surprised when gerber entered the hotel at 1 p.M. With fritz walter. For over an hour, the soccer idol gave a riveting account of FCK, the national team and the unforgotten coach sepp herberger. Afterwards he was happy to answer the questions that were put to him. But gerber had a bad feeling, because he did not know what this hour would cost. Mrs. Walter had said during her telephone call that he should settle this with her husband on the spot. Then the big hit. When gerber asked fritz walter about the price at the end of the hour, he was told: "i'm happy to do this for free for these school and youth soccer players". He also gave a whole net of new bark balls and signed autograph cards for all the participants. "That's how he was, the most famous and popular soccer player in germany at that time", adds gerber. "I have met many famous people during my life, but in terms of charisma, appearance and humanity, fritz walter was the greatest of them all."