The most curious double-goalkeeper debut in the Bundesliga
This had never happened before or since in the over 60-year history of the Bundesliga. On August 10, 1985, in Nuremberg, there was a curious double debut of two young goalkeepers. For both, the big career would not materialize.
Shoulder joint dislocation. The diagnosis was painful just to hear. It was quickly decided: goalkeeper Ralf Zumdick, whom they still call "Katze", would be out - and that for many weeks. Trainer Rolf Schafstall's mood dropped well below zero. Once again, VfL Bochum had started a new season with only one goal: to stay in the league. But now, the reliable starting keeper Zumdick was out - right at the start of the season.
It was now evident that they hadn't signed a proper replacement for Zumdick after Reinhard Mager left for Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin. Now, young goalkeeper Marcus Croonen would have to step in, without any previous Bundesliga experience. A real risk, as it turned out just a few minutes into the match against 1. FC Nuremberg.
Marcus Croonen lasted only 25 minutes in his debut for VfL Bochum. Then, overzealously, he took down Nuremberg's Reiner Geyer and was sent off in tears. Unbeknownst to most in the stadium, it was a historic moment. It was the first red card for a goalkeeper making his first Bundesliga appearance ever. Something like this had never happened before in the long history of the Bundesliga. A record that the VfL officials would have gladly done without that afternoon in August 1985.
But at least they were prepared for the unlikely event that VfL would need another keeper. After all, Ralf Zumdick had played all 36 games the previous season. So, that morning, they had obtained a permit from the DFB for a young man from Bochum's A youth team. Only the insiders knew his name. Dirk Drescher, who was just 17 years, 5 months, and 13 days old at the time.
Back to the Nuremberg Frankenstadion. Back to the 25th minute of the first match of the two clubs in the brand new season. Back to a moment of silence. Bochum, and especially its coach, were stunned by the completely unexpected events. But eventually, VfL coach Rolf Schafstall shook himself, looked embarrassed towards the bench, took striker Stefan Kuntz off, and nodded to the nervous Dirk Drescher. He didn't dare to address him personally, as Schafstall didn't even know his replacement's first name.
The 17-year-old student stood up trembling, looked at the ground, and silently pointed at his football boots. "I was so nervous that I couldn't even tie my football shoes," recalls the goalkeeper with a smile today. Veteran Heinz Knuwe didn't hesitate, squatted down, and tied a double knot. Meanwhile, captain Klaus Fischer asked for the keeper's first name, and veteran Ata Lameck patted him - and himself - encouragingly on the narrow shoulders.
Dirk Drescher also recalled the pats on the back from his teammates and later expressed his gratitude for those first minutes of his debut: "I needed that too. After the first balls I securely held, I got the confidence I needed. After that, I played like in a trance." And indeed, it was a thrilling afternoon for everyone in Bochum.
For after ninety minutes and a rather unappealing game, VfL Bochum surprisingly won 1:0 against Club. For a moment, it seemed like a new star was born in the goalkeeping sky. However, the Nuremberg coach Heinz Hoher criticized his team more than he praised the young goalkeeper of VfL. "We weren't even able to put a ball in the net against a 13 or 14-year-old boy," he said sarcastically, dismissing the media's praise of the young goalkeeper.
Similarly, in Bochum, they saw things differently and quickly signed the experienced Gladbach master goalkeeper Wolfgang Kleff as the new number one. Red-carded debutant Marcus Croonen only played three more games for VfL Bochum, and Dirk Drescher's dream of playing in the Bundesliga remained a 65-minute episode. Eventually, he realized that the leap to the Bundesliga was too big. After a few years with lower-league clubs, he became a policeman. But he would never want to forget that special day in Nuremberg when Bundesliga history was made with a double debut in goal.
The following are the conditions that would have been considered inighter circumstances: having a replacement goalkeeper signed and ready for action, or having a experienced goalkeeper available as a backup. Despite the double debut of two young goalkeepers in Nuremberg, proper preparations were not made by VfL Bochum, leading to the granting of a permit for a 17-year-old from their A youth team in an emergency situation.
