Championship debut 65 years ago
About the coaches at the time: “I learned a lot from Otto Mühlbauer and Pepi Blum. But the top coach was the Hungarian Janos Szep, who came to the Sturm in 1960. A real expert who unfortunately soon went to the States. The Hungarian Lajos Lörinczy (62/63) was also good, every kicker received a thick booklet from him with tactical plans and instructions,” Wagner continues to remember.
Engelbert Wagner celebrated his debut in the championship in the spring of 1960 under coach Ludwig Durek and section leader Karl Pamich. Sturm won 4-2 in the Central Regional League against Radenthein – and Engelbert was the goalscorer alongside Neuhold, Tautscher and Reisinger. “At that time I came in for the injured Heli Hauser and Otto Mühlbauer had ended his career. All of that was already on the new Gruabn turf.”
In 1962, the old boys Karl Aigner and Erich “Hein” Sajko came to Sturm in a direct exchange for Heli Hauser from GAK. “For me they were arrogant and more of a foreign body,” remembers Wagner. “Sajko came and said, how are you harbor brothers – in reference to goalkeeper Ullaga, who was accompanied by a prison guard at a home game in 1947. He was arrested because of a black market affair and was given exit from the game.”
At that time, my fanatical sense of justice won out, I stood up to Sajko and moved to Straßgang in 1963 with Doberauer and Karner. In 1966 – I had married and had two boys, Robert and Erich, who both played in Sturm’s youth ranks – section leader Karl Sachs brought me back to Sturm.
Almost 60 years ago: Sturm’s last resurgence
After the promotion they wanted to strengthen the squad. “I received an A contract with a fixed salary of 1,000 schillings plus earnest money. However, the Viennese coach Franz Fuchs, who always traveled to training and games by train, was not very motivating.”
“Since I worked professionally as a turner for the tram and family was very important to me, I moved to the Grazer Sportklub in 1967, where Pepi Blum was my coach again – and Pepi Meszaros was the co-coach. Together we managed to get promoted to the regional league.” Wagner played with Burschi Jarc at Justice Graz, then his active career ended.
However, the Gruabn remained his home, as his boys Robert and Erich were in action up to the under-20 level. And finally, to this day, the apartment of the young-at-heart 85, who always fights for justice and modesty, is just around the corner from the old Sturmplatz. A player of a generation from football times that are no longer imaginable today.