Live football games on TV are completely normal these days – but that wasn’t always the case. Coincidence made it possible for the classic between Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Bayern to become the starting signal for a TV revolution.
On Saturday evening all eyes will be on the classic between Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Bayern Munich. Needless to say, the game is on a channel (Sky) will be broadcast – this is the football TV reality in 2025.
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Around 40 years ago the world was a different place, even for television viewers. Until December 11, 1984, it was simply unthinkable for Bundesliga games to be shown live on television nationwide.
There were only a few exceptions at regional level: on the last matchday of the 1971/72 season, when Bayern Munich and Schalke met in a quasi-final for the championship, Bayerischer Rundfunk broadcast live. In May 1982, Bayern’s guest game in Bremen was broadcast in the North German program, and in 1983 the Süddeutsche Rundfunk showed HSV against VfB Stuttgart. At that time, only those who lived in the region could receive these channels.
However, something like this was unthinkable and unwanted across the board with consideration for the other clubs, especially the amateurs. Until 1984, the most popular teams in the Bundesliga at the time became pioneers.
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Matthew’s return to the Bökelberg
Coincidence helped. Because Borussia Mönchengladbach was stuck at Warsaw airport for two days due to fog in November 1984 after a European Cup game at Widzew Lodz, the classic against Bayern scheduled for the weekend was canceled.
It would certainly have been shown on the ARD sports show, which, according to good old fashion, began three quarters of an hour after the final whistle and showed excerpts from three games. But now the top game also became a catch-up game, which the DFB scheduled for a Tuesday evening almost exactly 30 years ago: December 11, 1984.
Public interest in the game was huge, also because Lothar Matthäus was returning to Bökelberg for the first time after moving to Bayern.
He fueled the fire with comments like “Something like that can only happen to Borussia,” referring to the chaos trip, and Borussia manager Helmut Grashoff banned him from the house. Apart from the lawn and cabins, he was not allowed to enter any rooms on the venerable Bökelberg.
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“Then let’s do it like this now.”
ARD sports director Heribert Faßbender now came up with the idea of discussing internally whether this unrivaled game on a working day could not be broadcast.
The DFB also seemed to be moving in those days, the first broadcast cup semi-finals in the spring of 1984 were real ratings winners and went down in history as a 21-goal semi-final: Gladbach beat Werder 5:4 nV, Schalke and Bayern separated by 6 :6 nV!
And lo and behold, DFB President Hermann Neuberger let himself be beaten. For a fee of 135,000 DM to the clubs, ARD received the association’s blessing. “Then let’s do it like this,” Neuberger Faßbender is said to have said.
TV game ensures program changes
However, he did not deviate from the set date (8 p.m.) and this led to heated debates in the program conference. What was to become of the holy daily news that began at this time for years?
The football fans narrowly prevailed with a vote of 5:4 and the decision was made: the Tagesschau, in a stripped-down form, only ran at halftime. The political program “Monitor”, originally scheduled for 8:15 p.m., disappeared into the night program.
Everything for the classic of the seventies, which had lost none of its appeal in the eighties, especially since the table constellation was reminiscent of the great era of this duel. The Borussia team, coached by Jupp Heynckes, were by no means a distant fifth, Udo Lattek’s Bayern were already autumn champions.
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Gladbach prevents Bayern from going it alone
The broadcast was definitely worth it for football fans. They saw a thrilling game with the result most of the nation wanted. “Everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for Gladbach,” he wrote Kickerbecause even back then the league feared Munich going it alone.
Borussia prevented him. They got off to a furious start and were already leading 3-1 at the break thanks to goals from Frank Mill, Uli Borowka and Michael Frontzeck. Reinhold Mathy had equalized for Bayern.
Lothar Matthäus was impressed by the unfriendly reception (Judas shouts) and offered a rather discreet performance. Dieter Hoeneß’s goal came too late. Final score 3:2!
Bayern went into the winter break as autumn champions, but more football fans than usual were now convinced that they too could be beaten. The final word from commentator Faßbender was: “Certainly a sigh of relief in the Bundesliga. Dear Bayern fans, you have to understand that.”
And the Tagesschau fans got a taste of how football would change the TV landscape.
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