Ruhla's EFC 08 Show: Balancing Nostalgia and Progress
Hitting the Green with a BANG!
The artificial turf pitch in Thal was the electrifying backdrop for EFC 08 Ruhla's sentimental club festival. But, who was the woman to etch her name in the history books as the scorer of the first competitive Ruhla goal on the pristine new turf? Let's break it down.
In the thrilling Thuringia League clash against VfB Oberweimar, Hannah Siebert snatched the headlines, becoming the inaugural goal-scorer on the fresh turf for EFC. However, the joy was short-lived, as Ruhla fell 1:2 in the contest. A stalemate in the offensive strategies was apparent, as neither the U13 girls nor the second men's team could find the back of the net in their respective matches beforehand.
The Flag-flipping Maverick
EFC veteran Heinz Hoßfeld graced the three-day club fiesta after being released from the hospital. At 84 years old, still serving as the club's managing director, Hoßfeld trotted on time. "It was an emotional longing for me to be here," he professed. The court, a sentimental relic of days gone by, served myriad roles in his memory bank as a goalkeeper, coach, caretaker, or groundsman. He marveled at the modern facility but let slip a murmur of displeasure at the red corner flags. Quick as a flash, he whipped out four yellow towels bearing the EFC insignia, swapping the flags prior to the initiation of the C-junior lightning tournament.
Blue Pride for the Promotion Trailblazers
The weekend's pinnacle occurred during the assembly of former Ruhla players, reminiscent of a class reunion. Approximately 100 players and former players who stepped on the fields for TSG and the successor club EFC shared nostalgic tales in tropical weather. In honour of the occasion, EFC rolled out blue shirts adorned with the years of the club's four promotions - 1974, 1982, 1995, and 2010. Before Enrico Siebert adorned the new jubilee shirt, the former defender presented the 2010 black shirt emblazoned with "Landesklasse, because we belong here." However, the club has been pursuing another promotion to the Landesklasse, a prestigious stomping ground for Ruhla football, for over a decade.
Nearly Complete Reunion of the 1974 Promotion Team
Veterans hailing from distant locales, like Silvio Hoesch from the Ahr valley, and former coach Lars Dorn, settled in the Appenzell region of Switzerland, demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the reunion. The 1974 team assembly even boasted a nearly complete roster, from Alfred Engel to Waldemar Glock. "It speaks volumes of our enduring bond from yesteryears," Hoßfeld shared.
When Ruhla resurfaced in the DDR-Liga eight years after the 1974 triumph, Hoßfeld was part of the coaching team led by Manfred Jatzek. Many members of the legendary squad worked up a sweat following the invitation. Among the notable players, we find skilled midfielders like Michael Graf and Uwe Jung, Jürgen Heitmann, Steffen Brademann, Reiner Gürtler, and Uwe Scheer. The latter was etched in the memory books for his exceptional performance in March 1984, when he bagged a hat-trick in a 4:0 victory against Motor Suhl. "Even then, I wasn't the toast of the town," Scheer chuckled, casting a glance back at the limited media coverage of second-division football at the time.
A friendly encounter between the 1995 promotion heroes and an EFC legends team saw the former players reliving their glory days, indulging in reminiscing and sharing anecdotes long into the night. Several commended the new pitch, and a recurring phrase shared was: "One might wish to be younger and traverse the turf once more."
In the midst of the emotional three-day club fiesta, Hannah Siebert made history by scoring the first competitive goal on the fresh turf in the Thuringia League, delivering a memorable performance for EFC. Meanwhile, Heinz Hoßfeld, EFC's veteran managing director, expressed his pleasure with the modern facility except for the red corner flags, replacing them with EFC insignia-bearing yellow towels before the C-junior lightning tournament.
