50 years of Bundesliga football

When the Bundesliga was founded in the summer of 1963, it only took a few seconds for Friedhelm "Timo" Konietzka to score the league's first goal. It was too fast for the cameras - pictures of the historic moment don't exist. Konietzka scored his goal for Borussia Dortmund against Werder Bremen.

When Hertha Berlin were expelled from the Bundesliga for illegal player payments in 1965, the German Football Federation decided a different Berlin team should take their place. Tasmania 1900 were selected for promotion, but the city league club weren't ready for the top flight. They remain the least successful team in Bundesliga history, earning eight points with 15 goals scored and 108 conceded.

The derby between Dortmund and Schalke in September 1969 was a special one: After going down 1-0, the Schalke fans stormed the pitch, which upset the stewards' dogs so much that they bit Schalke players Friedel Rausch and Gerd Neuser in the backside and legs. Rausch got a tetanus shot and played on - he still has a scar on his bum today.

In April 1971, a piece of wood went down in Bundesliga history: during an attack in a game against Bremen, Mönchengladbach striker Herbert Laumen landed in the goal and pulled himself up onto the net. The rotting post buckled and the goal broke. Attempts at repair were unsuccessful and the game was called off at 1-1. Bremen won the replay 2-0.

On his 50th birthday Kickers Offenbach president Horst Canellas surprised his guests with taped recordings of telephone conversations about match fixing and bribery relating to the 1970-71 season's relegation fight. The scandal gathered steam, and many players, coaches and club officials were banned. Bielefeld and Offenbach were relegated.

In March 1973 Eintracht Braunschweig became the first club to have a jersey sponsor, sporting the deer's head of "Jägermeister" on the front of their kits. The move was preceded by a months-long dispute: the German Football Federation didn't like the idea of "players as walking advertisements." Finally, the authorities gave in and eight years, later every Bundesliga club had a jersey sponsor.

In November 1975 referee Wolf-Dieter Ahlenfelder blew the whistle for halftime after just 32 minutes. The reason: he was in the bar before the game and was not quite sober. To quote the ref, "We are men, we don't drink Fanta!" Today in a few Bremen bars if you order an "Ahlenfelder" you'll be served a beer and a shot of liquor.

At the end of the 1978 season first place Cologne and second place Mönchengladbach were fighting for the title. Before the last match day, the teams were level on points but Cologne held a +10 goal difference over Gladbach. The Foals won their match by the incredible score of 12-0. Alas, it was all for nothing. Cologne won their match 5-0 and were crowned champions.

The cut along Bielefeld's Ewald Lienen left thigh was 25 cm long thanks to the studs of Bremen's Norbert Siegmann. Lienen ran with his bloody wound up to Bremen coach Otto Rehhagel and accused him of telling his players to foul. Lienen was able to play again soon after - Rehhagel received threats and had to wear a bullet proof vest at the return match in Bielefeld.

On the 33rd match day of the 1985-86 season, Michael Kutzup had the chance to win the league title with a 89th minute penalty against Bayern Munich. Kutzup hit the post and the game ended 0-0. In the last game Bremen squandered the title and Bayern celebrated. Kutzup took 40 penalties during his Bundesliga career - he scored 39 of them.

During the Bavarian derby between Bayern Munich and Nuremburg in April 1994, a shot from Thomas Helmer rolled next to the goal. The referee gave a goal anyway, thus making the "phantom goal." Nuremburg lost 2-1 but successfully protested. Less successful was the replay, which Nuremburg lost 5-0. They were relegated at the end of the season.

In March 1998 Bayern Coach Giovanni Trapattoni publicly blew his top. Too often he had defended his players after poor performances. In his famous, angry speech the Italian (speaking in less-than-perfect German) coined phrases like: "A coach is not an idiot!", "These players played like an empty bottle", and a grammatically incorrect version of "I am finished" that everyone understood nonetheless.

In April 2001 Energie Cottbus for the first time fielded a starting 11 without a single German player. The game against Wolfsburg was an unspectacular 0-0 draw, but momentous nonetheless. The names on the historic team: Piplica, Hujdurovic, Matyus, Akrapovic, Kobylanski, Latoundji, Miriuta, Reghecampf, Vata, Franklin and Labak.

As the final match day of the 2002 season ended, Schalke thought they had won their first title since 1958 and celebrated with their fans on the field. They didn't know that that the game between Bayern Munich and Hamburg was still being played. Tens of thousands of people learned from the stadium big screen that Bayern had equalized to become champions. Bayern celebrated, Schalke cried.

During the last few months the Bundesliga has produced ugly moments again and again: Fans lit flares inside the stadiums, and several times there were scenes of violence. The German Football Federation (DFB) imposed mild penalties, but has the problem been solved?