They played at The Showgrounds: Jürgen Grabowski

IN the continuation of our mini series, colerainefc.com’s Jonathan McNabb delves into the archives to remind supporters of great names who have graced the turf on the Ballycastle Road…

For the seventh issue, we remember classy attacker Jürgen Grabowski who featured for Eintracht Frankfurt against the Bannsiders in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1975. A one-club man, Grabowski would lift three trophies whilst at Frankfurt, as well as the World Cup and European Championship with Germany.

THE PLAYER

Jürgen Grabowski was born on 7 July 1944 in Wiesbaden, a city in central western Germany. He started his career originally as a forward with SV Biebrich 1919 and then FV Biebrich 1902, before turning into an attacking midfielder or a winger.

In 1965, Grabowski would sign for Eintracht Frankfurt and he helped The Eagles win the German Cup in 1974 against Hamburg, before they retained the trophy a year later versus MSV Duisburg.

In European Cup competitions he made 40 appearances and scored nine goals as he was a member of the Frankfurt squad that lifted the UEFA Cup in 1979/80.

He won 44 caps for the West German national team and scored five goals. He was a member of the squad in the World Cup tournaments of 1966, 1970 and 1974, the latter when the Germans lifted the trophy. He was also a part of the West German squad who won the European Championship in 1972.

He was named in the Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season eight times in his career.

THE MATCH

The second-leg was played at The Showgrounds on Tuesday, September 30, 1975 as the Bannsiders returned from Germany with a 3-1 defeat.

A 6-2 scoreline in the European Cup-winners’ Cup second leg tie at the Showgrounds on Tuesday was an injustice to a Coleraine side who tried so hard, and at times produced some very good football.

But the stronger physique, greater fitness and skills of a team of the calibre of Eintracht make it easier for them to score goals.

Coleraine had a great spell when 4-1 down with several good efforts before Cochrane scored a great goal in 74 minutes, then Dickson hit the post with a fine drive.

Coleraine had opened the score in 19 minutes when Johnny McCurdy sent in a scorcher off the underside of the bar. Grabowski equalised within 90 seconds. Nickel and Lorenz added two more shortly after.

A quiet second half opening ended with Grabowski scoring in the 65th minute and sparked the Coleraine revival. They deserved no worse than the 4-2 scoreline but Eintracht scored two more through Holzenbein 85th minute and Grabowski, three minutes into injury time.

COLERAINE: Magee, McCurdy, McNutt, Beckett, Jackson, Simpson (Gordon ’69 mins), Cochrane, Jennings, Guy, Dickson, Moffatt (Tweed ’54 mins).

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT: Kunter, Muller, Korbel, Beverungen, Neuberger, Weidle, Grabowski, Wenzel (Stradt ’54 mins), Holzenbein, Nickel, Lorenz.

Referee: Jan Beck (Holland)