Legendary legends
First of all: "Tag der Legenden" is a legend itself! It was hosted for the sixth time already (hey, I've seen half of it by now!), and the legends keep getting younger and younger which means that the game itself gets more attractive.
It resembles a regular footie game in so far as there are two teams with one keeper and ten field players in each team and three referees. The rules are the same as well. BUT: only the first half resembles something like "classical football", the second half is just fun. For example, two years ago, Richard Golz put his 6-year-old-son in goal, and Dr. Merck suddenly was no ref anymore but a field player because for once, he wanted to "be allowed to kick and bend the ball as well".
Three years ago, team Hamburg and Germany suddenly had non-footie celebs on the field: Olli Dittrich and Sasha to name but two.
But you're not interested in old stories, are you? Okay, so back to yesterday...
First of all: The motto of the day and thus Jens's first appearance was under the title "Götter des Olymp". That alone is legend! They had a huge banner of the Olymp, a mini-Acropolis and some ladies in Ancient Greek robes on/behind/above a stage. As it happens, we just sat a few seats away from stage. That's where the Legends came down from. Not a regular "Einlauf" but an altar to be whorshipped from! What fun!
Now we had 44 legends - and it happened as I supposed from the beginning: they changed both teams completely during half-time.
The two major-legends took place on the famous sofa: Horst Eckel and Uwe Seeler. It's Uwe's sofa that gets its place next to the pitch every year. It's such a freaking good joke, imho. As Horst Eckel (in the company of Loddar) did not decend the stairs from the stage but entered from the regular tunnel, my companion (let's just name her M.) told me that "it is not because Horst is too old to decend the stairs but Loddar too dumb".
Okay, but enough of that. As this was by no means a regular game, there was little to none "forbidden movements" - or warming up by goalies at all. Just a little "I'm shooting at the Jens, and then he's warm". I'm afraid to say, the "Fastplatte" has turned into a "Fast-Ganzplatte". His hair is showing the age, even if the man himself is not.
Well, but really cool was that we were in the range of the goal - though in row 22 - and we had Jens in or rather in front of our goal. He was half way up his half of the pitch most of the time. Very amusing. To be honest, that's where the two goals came from... However, Hamburg did shoot two goals in the second half as well - though only one counted. On the other hand - who cares about the score? It was a fun afternoon for the whol family, HSV- and Pauli-fans enjoying themselves next to each other. Just as the players enjoyed themselves.
Suddenly, in the second half, someone went down really bad. I was quite shocked at first, until the ambulance arrived: in the figure of a hoover-boat!! Lot's of ice-spray was spraid upon the poor lad who ended up to have drawn the wrong straw... He went of in that boat - his fingers tight in his ears. The pundit announced that he'll have a tinnitus as well... Oh my! It was just - "I wanna be back. RIGHT. NOW!"
Will Jens come back next year? I don't know. I haven't read any reactions of him so far, I've got no idea whether or not he enjoyed it as much as he expected. Moroever, it was a premier for him: His team lost at Pauli. On the other hand, he likes to help, and he loves to play...
I still remember how they once said that - as soon as Kahn had retired, they would have him. And he did not come. Jens, however, was not announced last year in advance so it was a real surprise for me, and I'd die to see him again next year. and the next. and the next. And as long as he would love to. ♥
Another fun anecdote about the Legenden: For the fourth time, they also issued a set of "Quartett" cards of at least some of the legends. This time, Card No H4 represented Jens. For his pic, just have a look at the webside of the following company: Witters Sport Presse Fotos GmbH His figures? Well, here they come:
Länderspiele/Länderspieltore 61/1
Bundesligaspiele/Bundesligatore 394/2
Körpergröße in cm: 190
Nationale Titel: 1x DM, 1x Engl.Meister, 1xItal.Meister 3
Intern. Titel: 1xUEFA Cup 1
Legendenfaktor: 7
Teilnahmen am Tag der Legenden: 1
Legendär:
Drei Meistertitel in drei Ländern und ein Notizzettel bei der WM 2006 machten ihn erst in Europa, dann weltweit berühmt. Er erzielte in seiner Karriere zwei Bundesligatore - eines davon mit dem Kopf! Sorry for those who have read this in the comm. already or the German version via mail - but this entry is to get it read by other friends as well... Hope you all like it, my dears!