tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39437703261977610892024-03-12T22:58:44.117-05:00SC Green White HistoryRick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-72147839111755651562016-01-04T07:49:00.000-06:002016-01-04T07:49:16.425-06:00Available Now!All of the stories on this blogsite and many many more are available in the book "Gruen Weiss Vor! 60 Years of Green White". The book includes 175 classic photographs too.<br />
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<a href="http://eckhartzpress.com/shop/grun-weiss-vor-60-years-of-green-white-soccer/">Order your copy today.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXQgpYprYQc2CxPQRaLRQLycEp3reeZ_j7YaiUaAuHdb3QX_TgGv9oEvo-i_zU9C007OkUV-GMShxZsBNczv_sT95w8G9Jziok1ZMDzl5AC9lWpBXurgpb6zU9knOh1rE-W_pfrn6doEo/s1600/Green-White-book-cover-333x533.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXQgpYprYQc2CxPQRaLRQLycEp3reeZ_j7YaiUaAuHdb3QX_TgGv9oEvo-i_zU9C007OkUV-GMShxZsBNczv_sT95w8G9Jziok1ZMDzl5AC9lWpBXurgpb6zU9knOh1rE-W_pfrn6doEo/s640/Green-White-book-cover-333x533.jpg" /></a>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-59175045307605950172014-12-31T10:12:00.000-06:002015-01-06T09:34:32.120-06:00The Mid 90s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLZ1i0abLgFztqYQ1-o-YSWtHrh6R5ve3bOPUgEhThP5nsmxMIBRhErWgdC05GsWABMCbHqAU9_q2LP1rJxcZx6xJvFWjnFtCucQJLAEg1mAl7xEOTIbtBHaDCq5ZFkkItrRCtLTT4pVy/s1600/GW90s+scan0038+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLZ1i0abLgFztqYQ1-o-YSWtHrh6R5ve3bOPUgEhThP5nsmxMIBRhErWgdC05GsWABMCbHqAU9_q2LP1rJxcZx6xJvFWjnFtCucQJLAEg1mAl7xEOTIbtBHaDCq5ZFkkItrRCtLTT4pVy/s320/GW90s+scan0038+(2).jpg" /></a></div>On October 19th, 1996, Green White held it's 40th anniversary banquet at Bristol Court in Mt. Prospect. Club president Horst Melcher had this to say on that momentous night: "The trophy cases in the clubhouse reflect the success of our teams over the years. Numerous league and state championships have been won by teams of all ages. However, the biggest success is the devotion of our many members who have volunteered countless hours over many years to work for the club, and build a strong soccer tradition."<br />
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Horst was working double duty in those days, as the president of both the senior and youth boards, assisted by VP Gus Bender on the youth side, and the many long time members who did all the work Horst referenced in his opening statements, names that have been part of Green White forever: Wittje, Schmidt, Metzinger, Kaempfer, Stadler, Zimmer, Kraemer, Harjung, Kilian, Gyurko, Mokran, Feichtl, Blaas, Kirschner and more.<br />
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Several were singled out for special recognition by the Master of Ceremonies (Rick Kaempfer from WJMK Radio) on that October night--Alex Gyurko for extraordinary services in coordination of referees at tournaments, Gus Bender for dedicated support of youth soccer at the club, community and state level, Anni Metzinger and Maria Zimmer for devoted service on the social committee, and Mr. Everett Weaver for the advance of soccer. Also, four long-time members were recognized for extraordinary dedication to the successs of the Green White Soccer Club: Hans Metzinger, Stefan Zimmer, Fritz Becker, and Horst Melcher.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhPEc_upjjrecvlamtCgnKVM1bJQO70BzJ_DeNC1ScT250oLqz4DMeJhArkKWYFYqVx5MSxjL4fgLD7Uv6PowVXN-wKo6sIXWrfAyS1z8SdpsqyVegcvEWAuLvMQf2afsU9d6U2MJ_tMx/s1600/GW90s+scan0050.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhPEc_upjjrecvlamtCgnKVM1bJQO70BzJ_DeNC1ScT250oLqz4DMeJhArkKWYFYqVx5MSxjL4fgLD7Uv6PowVXN-wKo6sIXWrfAyS1z8SdpsqyVegcvEWAuLvMQf2afsU9d6U2MJ_tMx/s320/GW90s+scan0050.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_05g5CfbcRmnmmquKUGSjx6FmDnkmELI9tTRZLVTeGm7RpAdgT8M4WJhPhne4HR6Ojnd1F7ThcpMIax8URMoSuGRvvJW5cDyeGYaKv4yqn6_0AO6udSwMlzm1Hl6c_xlTvifPHleDUxZx/s1600/GW90s+scan0046+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_05g5CfbcRmnmmquKUGSjx6FmDnkmELI9tTRZLVTeGm7RpAdgT8M4WJhPhne4HR6Ojnd1F7ThcpMIax8URMoSuGRvvJW5cDyeGYaKv4yqn6_0AO6udSwMlzm1Hl6c_xlTvifPHleDUxZx/s320/GW90s+scan0046+(2).jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEAv0EVVGJMVKvbxrJjLIaew_oN81rpTmYPiRYtUf_cp8gWwfGutkgkjUMUUCJDo2iQ0iACdbLfeYuh3D4D_4FRjhUk4vrERPwzSeHeEZkD6eMA3ynKx-Zs2WyxQWL9sjBtfiGyj5QeNY/s1600/GW90s+scan0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEAv0EVVGJMVKvbxrJjLIaew_oN81rpTmYPiRYtUf_cp8gWwfGutkgkjUMUUCJDo2iQ0iACdbLfeYuh3D4D_4FRjhUk4vrERPwzSeHeEZkD6eMA3ynKx-Zs2WyxQWL9sjBtfiGyj5QeNY/s320/GW90s+scan0052.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJLJsmoLMoBicD5lZ1zVk0FNTs2vvUaQGAR_YYJqgDtzDybo91TYHVoP3vsaPcD7qw9kK3Pyw2H-fLrrUfmZGFnxpQHTDv0FlaXPJCbvJlP-FmWstRNiG8nO-FxkHFYGOtLYTvrEewTTh/s1600/GW90s+scan0027.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJLJsmoLMoBicD5lZ1zVk0FNTs2vvUaQGAR_YYJqgDtzDybo91TYHVoP3vsaPcD7qw9kK3Pyw2H-fLrrUfmZGFnxpQHTDv0FlaXPJCbvJlP-FmWstRNiG8nO-FxkHFYGOtLYTvrEewTTh/s320/GW90s+scan0027.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiaFL71TUpyuau3D1aC159-ntDA25y6JnzGsxG9VetvBMQrJNi5p4I47rwcgrUGYNYJUrDS_hO-bBD4D9Lr_JTOBai7AbeJcrlZ27FQ-ogER21l8x2f2tpk9NCuywTTa45dwbnqyR2Jn3/s1600/GW90s+scan0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiaFL71TUpyuau3D1aC159-ntDA25y6JnzGsxG9VetvBMQrJNi5p4I47rwcgrUGYNYJUrDS_hO-bBD4D9Lr_JTOBai7AbeJcrlZ27FQ-ogER21l8x2f2tpk9NCuywTTa45dwbnqyR2Jn3/s320/GW90s+scan0063.jpg" /></a><br />
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On the field Melcher's son Kurt was now the goaltender of the first team. Among the other players on that team--holdovers like Stuart Davidson, Dan Vlaovic and Frank Speth, and the younger generation of players like Tom Czop, Bernie Czekajlo, Chris Salatino, Peter Kaempfer, and Jake Truty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGtDhGlNQAksAMzB5ccbp1Ww-0xAXsehS_evGVilUhNkMQLSaeHKh9sdnO1NWjNP3l3ZacxNzXKJ9Bgt2xYb4MF8BnddYU071GjUkQ6YfySM5Kp9rGCbqlizKkgG1nluR56IMQ1EeFctM/s1600/GW90s+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGtDhGlNQAksAMzB5ccbp1Ww-0xAXsehS_evGVilUhNkMQLSaeHKh9sdnO1NWjNP3l3ZacxNzXKJ9Bgt2xYb4MF8BnddYU071GjUkQ6YfySM5Kp9rGCbqlizKkgG1nluR56IMQ1EeFctM/s320/GW90s+072.JPG" /></a><br />
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That team was a two-time defending champion of the national Donauschwaben tournament (1995 in Mansfield and 1996 in Chicago), but they were certainly not the only Green White team. As the club celebrated its 40th anniversary, Green White was the biggest team in the state. There were over 20 teams--teams for every age group of boys and girls--plus three men's teams and a ladies team. The boys team coached by Steve Pastorelli was the state champion. 19 players with the first team or reserves had come up through the youth organization. 40+ players from the youth organization had received scholarships to play soccer in college.<br />
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Green White even commissioned a song. "Green White is 40 Years Old Now" was written by Rick Kaempfer, and performed at the 40th anniversary banquet by the Johnny Wagner Band--and sung by two former Miss Green Whites. The full text of that song will be featured in the upcoming Green White history book. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qRYYSAeCCsU4Ji2gky-umrXPvrFAWFZ9BGafoqYXc9aoP0OiWyNnixHvgLMhPdYQagSGTIZxKFQdBqPbDrnQufU6JCBo08nZMr_DYDJMp3Uoz7LFuXjJvK5H7kd7QYdqtrydjgn2E_zb/s1600/GW90s+scan0062.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qRYYSAeCCsU4Ji2gky-umrXPvrFAWFZ9BGafoqYXc9aoP0OiWyNnixHvgLMhPdYQagSGTIZxKFQdBqPbDrnQufU6JCBo08nZMr_DYDJMp3Uoz7LFuXjJvK5H7kd7QYdqtrydjgn2E_zb/s320/GW90s+scan0062.jpg" /></a><br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-32133020158062241462014-09-30T10:16:00.000-05:002014-10-01T07:10:11.946-05:001992--1994During the early-to-mid 90s Green White fielded very strong teams. <br />
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It all culminated in 1994; a very important year not only for Green White, but for soccer in America. It was the year the World Cup was played here. Several members of the US Men's National Team came out to the Green White fields at Majewski (including starter Paul Caligiuri), and met some of our youth teams (photo). That's a moment that those boys will never forget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXgYmgfJP7DBGErClCZxarDL5Hb8Mh4XvHmCtIibXySMVMYPr1wN3bwV7YYDswx_Mc_e1Pq4Wg3XQBVI98soXD-Ezpe9wstbwVTVFK2_DMYJnbKIqp5pzlwp1jrXpJHgdgVBLumDDIsjn/s1600/GW01.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmXgYmgfJP7DBGErClCZxarDL5Hb8Mh4XvHmCtIibXySMVMYPr1wN3bwV7YYDswx_Mc_e1Pq4Wg3XQBVI98soXD-Ezpe9wstbwVTVFK2_DMYJnbKIqp5pzlwp1jrXpJHgdgVBLumDDIsjn/s400/GW01.jpg" /></a><br />
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That was not the only exciting event at Metro Majewski Park. A group of well known and soon-to-be well known players gathered for a match on the main field by the Green White clubhouse that same summer. It was probably the most famous group of players ever assembled to play on that field. Gus Bender helped arrange the match that was quietly billed as a "Friendly Amherst College Almuni Reunion game". But it was much more than that. The match actually pitted Amherst Alumni from 1979-1981 against a group of French Nationals. The most famous person on the pitch was Prince Albert of Monaco. He graduated from Amherst in 1980, and is now the ruler of Monaco (ever his father Prince Rainer died in 2005. His mother was Grace Kelly) Also playing (and scoring) that day was Jerome De Bontin. He graduated from Amherst in 1981, and later became the President of Monaco. <br />
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The friendly also saw former Yugolasivan and Croatian National Team player and coach Zlatko Kranjcar and his then 10-year-old son Niko tale the field. The father's playing career spanned 18 years, and his son followed in his footsteps, playing for EPL team Portsmouth (among others) and the Croatian National Team. Manning the goal that day was Georges Carnus who was a member of the French team that competed in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, and Jean Luc Ettori, another French keeper who played professionally with AS Monaco and was capped by his National Team nine times.<br />
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It was a very heady time, and Green White's performance on the field was in perfect sync with the moment. The First Team stormed through the indoor season in the very tough Major Division of the Metro League. Coach Marcus Laxgang remembers that team fondly. "That was a special year because we had such a good mix of new young players mixing in with older long time players."<br />
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Bernie Czekajlo was one of the younger players on that team, and remembers both the pressure, and the motivation provided by Green White's enthusiastic supporters at the Odeum.<br />
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"We had to answer to them after each game and practice," he says now, explaining how they helped. "Who wanted to face Mr Zimmer in the locker room after a loss? Or Mr. Metzinger. Or worse, Mrs. Zimmer, Moni and Tina. (Laughs) The fan section at the Odeum that I recall always being there included Mrs. Kaempfer and Cindy, Mr and Mrs. Horst Melcher, Mr. Mrs Walter Melcher, the Kowalskis, the Bischoffs, The Czops, The Metzingers, the Meschbachs, and our girlfriends and fiancees."<br />
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"We didn't start out well," Laxgang admits, but the team eventually gelled by playing together as much as possible. "We tried to make the practices competitive by training for an hour and then scrimmaging--usually against the Croatians who also won the lower league championship."<br />
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The race for the Metro League Indoor Title came down to the wire. Pegasus, Eagles, United Serbs and Green White battled it out all season long, but in the end it came down to a two team race between Pegasus and Green White. In the penultimate game of the season, the two sides met on the Odeum floor. The contest was tense and riveting. Goalkeeper (and 1994 team MVP) Kurt Melcher vividly remembers the moment.<br />
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"The indoor game versus Pegasus - second to last game - was epic. We needed a win or tie to keep the top spot. We were losing by one goal and we pulled the keeper (me) for the last minute to try to get a goal. I remember this like yesterday - With time winding down - Robbie Meschbach had the ball on top of the indoor box and dribbled forward. We had all players forward in good attacking positions - 99% of the time he would have taken the shot, but this time he played a perfect diagonal pass to Danny V just to the left side of the goal. With 1 second left Danny one touched it in the goal and we tied. We beat Lightening the next week and won the league!"<br />
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Presenting the victorious 1994 champs...Front Row (left to right): Mark Laxgang, Robert Meschbach, Stuart Davidson, Danny Vlaovic, Kurt Melcher, Wally Melcher, Brian Bischoff, Mike Duffy. Back Row (left to right): Rod Hogan, Tom Czop, Chris Ryan, Peter Kaempfer, Mike Byrne, Karsten Roy (son of longtime Chicago Sting coach Willi Roy), John Wolfe, Bernie Czekaljo. Not Pictured: Ron Knestrict. Team Coach: Mark Laxgang. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ5o3jppFlAKaudc3jm9oq5Xb_KUYmSOxz_2pKXCKFGWw9wi7DAf5kKmsyqW2ICD0K0YKF3SNqZgAI7FgjfsyYpD9AjZIFV_0W9RUhVoWnHgd7IdzFD4sCpe1MIaEuSpT65TvyIbZb0UP/s1600/GW90s+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ5o3jppFlAKaudc3jm9oq5Xb_KUYmSOxz_2pKXCKFGWw9wi7DAf5kKmsyqW2ICD0K0YKF3SNqZgAI7FgjfsyYpD9AjZIFV_0W9RUhVoWnHgd7IdzFD4sCpe1MIaEuSpT65TvyIbZb0UP/s400/GW90s+074.JPG" /></a><br />
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<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
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Several players and teams were honored at the Sepp Herberger Sport, Radio, and Press ball every year during this era. The 1992 Old Timers team was named the team of the year. Green White team MVPs Peter Kaempfer (1993) and Kurt Melcher (1994) represented the First Team. And Green White ladies Tracey Pope ('94), Elizabeth Obrecht ('93), and Lisa Knaub ('92) served as Miss Green White. Green White member Rick Kaempfer served as the Master of Ceremonies.<br />
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<i>The World Cup</i><br />
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The opening ceremonies of the 1994 World Cup are held in Chicago. It doesn't exactly start smoothly. Oprah Winfrey falls through a hole in the stage, and twists her ankle. A few moments later Motown superstar Diana Ross does the ceremonial first kick of the ball, and misses the net. <br />
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It goes better from there. The US Team advances to the second round for the first time in many decades.<br />
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The final game is played in Los Angeles. The game between Italy and Brazil goes to penalty kicks...<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gZo4aY4LLSs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
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The number one song in 1992 is <a href="http://youtu.be/zDKO6XYXioc">Boyz II Men's - End Of The Road</a><br />
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The number one song in 1993 is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU">Whitney Houston's - I Will Always Love You</a><br />
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The number one song in 1994 is <a href="http://youtu.be/DNPjeIamsck">Ace Of Base's - The Sign</a><br />
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<i>Elsewhere in the News</i><br />
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~William Jefferson Clinton is elected President of the United States in 1992, and begins serving his office in 1993.<br />
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~John Wayne Bobbit becomes a nationally known figure for one of the worst reasons imaginable.<br />
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~The 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer features the off-the-ice drama of Tonya Harding's ex-husband hiring someone to club her rival Nancy Kerrigan on the knee. Both skate, and neither win the Gold.<br />
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Coming next time: The mid-to-late 90s. <br />
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<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i><br />
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Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-76340583129951162022014-08-21T15:53:00.000-05:002014-08-21T15:53:02.804-05:00The Early 1990s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ugsw-Ec7tQDnKXKdx4hKZQlx38fITegM8TJiTPPrWRBtbNTskdPhqMo_DLmHxNV8PLPoZ1iwi2B5VqPxzDFTaaAWnkL3k_SL-EWMI-yRitzT5y8Bg2H4api_AdAYC9IhPZAqglikfxUR/s1600/GW80s+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ugsw-Ec7tQDnKXKdx4hKZQlx38fITegM8TJiTPPrWRBtbNTskdPhqMo_DLmHxNV8PLPoZ1iwi2B5VqPxzDFTaaAWnkL3k_SL-EWMI-yRitzT5y8Bg2H4api_AdAYC9IhPZAqglikfxUR/s400/GW80s+042.JPG" /></a><br />
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The late 80s/early 90s were a heady time for Green White, and one of the reasons for that was one of the best teams Green White has ever assembled.<br />
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The team was led by Illinois Soccer Hall of Famer Alex Gyurko. It began very early on, when some of the boys were quite young. Chris Salatino was one of those boys. <br />
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"I met the Gyurko family when I was only eight years old," he recalls, "and I'm very thankful for that. They introduced me to Green White when I was nine, and Maggie Gyurko (Alex's wife) picked me up and drove to every practice and game until I got my driver's license."<br />
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Throughout the 80s, the youth team kept adding pieces. Along with Alex's sons Peter & Mark, and Chris (Sal), when they reached the U-14 level, additional players came aboard. Erik Bender was one of those players. <br />
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"I joined G&W after having won the State Championship with Arlington Aces - Brian McBride was my goalkeeper," he remembers. "Mr Gyurko was a good recruiter and got along famously with my father who immediately got involved with the club."<br />
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Gus Bender (Erik's father) was a good recruiter too. With both Gyurko and Bender (another Hall of Famer) on the case, more and more pieces were added to the puzzle.<br />
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"Around the end of our U-14 season," Peter Gyurko recalls, "we knew we were getting there. We picked up a few key players like Erik and Blake Rodgers."<br />
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But their real success came during their U-16 season. Green White stormed through the regular season and made it to the State Cup. By now, Tom Czop was part of the team too.<br />
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"Our first year as a team at the U-16 level was the beginning of knowing how special our team could be," he says. "We lost in very controversial fashion in the U-16 State Cup Semi-finals to Sockers FC."<br />
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Salatino agrees. "Sockers had just started to become the 'power' club that it is today. They put together a team that was a year older than us and loaded it with great players at every position. They really had to scramble and dig deep, but ultimately beat us at the end. It was at that point that we thought, here is the best team in the state (they went on to win the tournament that year) and we were just as good. After that, we had a confidence that allowed us to compete with anyone, anywhere."<br />
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"That loss really focused our team," Czop concurs.<br />
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The trips they took together also brought the team together. Some even went overseas.<br />
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"Our team traveled to Germany our first year of U-16 with GW's U-19," Tom Czop remembers. "Peter & Mark Gyurko, Erik Bender, Peter Ternes, Blake Rogers, and Mike Byrne. I may be missing a few though."<br />
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"I remember all the guys got earrings on that trip except me," Bender says. "Today, I am glad I didn't."<br />
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"There are all kinds of stories from every tournament we went to," Salatino adds, ticking off some of their locations. "Kalamazoo, Dallas, Sioux Falls, Omaha, USA cup in Minnesota, St. Louis."<br />
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When the statute of limitations expires, some of those stories may even be told.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEpI2VHsOVF0YfBbDGTBmHzfUWZEi2Pq2y3NCl8wvbWNFCzituRmU_ZfNnD1mjdtAM1eDWSIuKvUNLt8PVoWyc_70WzOtECh85pMuTcMWquiYdUT-NzHvjc8kMkr0NG7gveobQryRGl_d/s1600/Team+Photo+from+Schwaben+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEpI2VHsOVF0YfBbDGTBmHzfUWZEi2Pq2y3NCl8wvbWNFCzituRmU_ZfNnD1mjdtAM1eDWSIuKvUNLt8PVoWyc_70WzOtECh85pMuTcMWquiYdUT-NzHvjc8kMkr0NG7gveobQryRGl_d/s400/Team+Photo+from+Schwaben+Center.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRozJxKwWe2C3cpLUIO6dC1O6i2mhuzzZFhjOG1as177gEjE841gcWSR6tTPnUZxQreVW6Oa-tLdd40Fl8qUNyhUbWrEagyV5wMcdj6yixVqVrXYpKTHR5tZMnS6mIAgxbL4nnTqna1zA/s1600/Team+Photo+from+St.+Louis+Tourny.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRozJxKwWe2C3cpLUIO6dC1O6i2mhuzzZFhjOG1as177gEjE841gcWSR6tTPnUZxQreVW6Oa-tLdd40Fl8qUNyhUbWrEagyV5wMcdj6yixVqVrXYpKTHR5tZMnS6mIAgxbL4nnTqna1zA/s400/Team+Photo+from+St.+Louis+Tourny.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
"Our team chemistry and friendships were what made all of our trips memorable," Tom Czop says, getting serious for a moment. "We probably did not have the most top or best players from our area, but we had such a tight-knit group and chemistry that made us such a successful team. Not only did we play and practice as a team, but we were friends off of the field as well."<br />
<br />
But this tight knit group continued to add pieces. And a lot was asked of the new players. <br />
<br />
Goalkeeper Shaun Fogarty explains what the new players faced. "There was a dedication there...training in the cold, playing through the pain and injuries, not skipping practices, being there for one another. From my perspective we also played as a team where new members had to adapt to the team more than the team having to adapt to new players."<br />
<br />
Nate Osicka joined the team when he was in high school, and remembers being impressed. "I played at Stevenson High School up north with Blake Rodgers and he convinced Mr. Gyurko to take a look at me. By the time I joined the team it was already clear that this was a special group of guys. I remember Mike Byrne teaching me to step over the ball when I first arrived at practice. I really was pretty far behind a lot of the other guys at first and I really appreciated the couple of minutes he took to show me how to do a couple of things."<br />
<br />
When the team played at U-17, they could no longer be stopped. Tom Czop recalls the first championship. "The 1989 U-17 State Cup title win over Sockers FC was special as we won our first state title and avenged the previous year's U-16 loss to them."<br />
<br />
But it was just the beginning of their hardware.<br />
<br />
"The following year's (1990) U-19 State Cup semi-final win over Sportsclub (now the Magic) was also very memorable," Czop adds. "Sportsclub had come out of nowhere with a south suburban all-star team and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on us in the opening 15 minutes. We managed to score two goals toward the end of the first half to tie the game up and then scored two second half goals for a dramatic 4-2 win and lead us to the eventual state title and berth to our first Midwest Regionals in Kalamazoo, Michigan."<br />
<br />
Salatino has fond memories of one of their regional appearances, but for a different reason.<br />
<br />
"For me personally, I'll never forget the regional tournament in South Dakota," he says. "I had hurt my knee in the spring and wasn’t able to play, but Mr. Gyurko still took me everywhere. At regionals, we were beating a team by three or four goals, so he put me in so that I could have the opportunity to just be on the field. As luck would have it, I hurt my knee again in the couple of minutes I was in there. I remember being on the ground and everyone on the team came over right away. Cesar Alfaro dropped down and just grabbed my hand to console me. Mr. Gyurko came over and literally carried me off the field. The game was over shortly thereafter and everyone hung around me to make sure I was okay. That’s not necessarily a memory of a big game, but a fond memory of how everyone really cared for each other amongst our group."<br />
<br />
In 1991 this group reached their highest heights.<br />
<br />
"Many of us had finished our first year of college," Fogarty recalls. "Some of us played ball in our first year of college and some of us did not. We picked up where we left off before leaving for college and just played so well. It was fun. We won the state cup. Then we won the regional cup. And then we went on the National Cup in Omaha."<br />
<br />
"At the 1991 nationals semi-finals we got to play against <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Kreis">Jason Kreis</a> of RSL and now NYC fame who was on the Baton Rouge United Jags, a U-19 Select team," Nate Osicka says. "That was a big deal. I remember they edged us in the semi finals."<br />
<br />
"Thanks to some horrible officiating," Erik Bender adds.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1kg8F-UVRkNfwTO4s8_GaQCoWiOjRQ86NCckP6S5aAHtZGuIds37v2NJW4AwzHe6K8DAeiV7yDFS80qV8OkPDEc945mOfQS10mCo4kTEeaPz8cQ48iveMqLL6ToEhbjJpSv6DNBYvDqC/s1600/Team+Pic+from+Regionals.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1kg8F-UVRkNfwTO4s8_GaQCoWiOjRQ86NCckP6S5aAHtZGuIds37v2NJW4AwzHe6K8DAeiV7yDFS80qV8OkPDEc945mOfQS10mCo4kTEeaPz8cQ48iveMqLL6ToEhbjJpSv6DNBYvDqC/s400/Team+Pic+from+Regionals.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Cfwkb6IXCoGghkkvRlF0SrOQC7dRKLIw3GyBoTff3GJd_HwYuALqQojCJAT3mmf3jtm5GlhcSroG90GkP6udwofF2xe5xmQ_dPJiFk9zgrEoKnzM8MiQQoc_n-1_GE1g7AtjK53DpzrI/s1600/Team+Pic+from+Nationals.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Cfwkb6IXCoGghkkvRlF0SrOQC7dRKLIw3GyBoTff3GJd_HwYuALqQojCJAT3mmf3jtm5GlhcSroG90GkP6udwofF2xe5xmQ_dPJiFk9zgrEoKnzM8MiQQoc_n-1_GE1g7AtjK53DpzrI/s400/Team+Pic+from+Nationals.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Despite the controversy, finishing in the top four of the country, was a tremendous accomplishment--the icing on the cake. In four years this group of Green White players had accomplished something no other Green White team has accomplished before or since. Before they were through playing together, they had won three consecutive state championships. <br />
<br />
Their names will forever be connected in Green White history: Shaun Fogarty and Pat Cullnan (the keepers), Erik Bender, Mark Gyurko, Peter Gyurko, Peter Ternes, Rick Anderson, Blake Rogers, Tom Czop, Mike Byrne, Ricardo Tovar, Phil Imm, Cesar Alfaro, Tristan Nepote, Nate Osica, Gary Garcia, Chris Salatino.<br />
<br />
The group remains so close to this day, they still knew how to contact each other for this piece.<br />
<br />
"Many of us still talk and are good friends to this day," Peter Gyurko says. "We played soccer together but those were also our vacations. We played spring, summer, indoor multiple sessions, practiced all the time. We became a family, even the parents reminisce about those times."<br />
<br />
Gus Bender, one of those parents, is still impressed with this group of guys. "This is an extraordinary group of men who realized early on that the game was part of a life-learning experience." <br />
<br />
His wife Mary Jane agrees. "The camaraderie and experiences with the players and parents was amazing. A great club and team provide memories for a life time."<br />
<br />
And the club is still near and dear to their hearts.<br />
<br />
"For me," Erik Bender says, "the club taught me how to work hard. Guys like Mr Zimmer, Mr Kaempfer, Mr Melcher, Mr Gyurko, my father and a bunch of old Germans who used to pat us on the head and say, 'good game,' who worked tirelessly so that teams like ours could have these great experiences. Most of us who hung around the club and worked the tournaments have grown up to be pretty successful. That work ethic may be the best thing the club did for us."<br />
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"Alex, Gus and the entire Green White family had a tremendous influence on me during my teenage years," Fogarty says. "The club and the team were my family. I had the opportunity to experience many things that my friends outside of Green White didn't get to do. My fondest memories of youth soccer all involve Green White."<br />
<br />
"It truly was our second family," Peter Gyurko adds. "We went to picnics together, holiday parties, dances, dinners, had sleepovers."<br />
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"Green White is my connection to a wonderful time in my life," Salatino agrees. "We had a great group of guys that got along well, took great care of each other and accomplished a lot of things together."<br />
<br />
Tom Czop is still involved with Green White. "I learned to play for more than the love of the game but for the pride of our club and to support my teammates. It was always great to learn from the older players and teams above you. I believe the Green White club atmosphere was a key to our success."<br />
<br />
And there's no doubt about who was most responsible for that.<br />
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"Those Green White values were instilled in us from our coach, Alex 'Sandor' Gyurko," Czop says.<br />
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"Alex was the catalyst," Gus Bender agrees. "He recognized that it was about kids having fun, but not without responsibility."<br />
<br />
A few years ago the team reunited in honor of their beloved coach, and surprised him. Alex Gyurko, who has been with Green White since the 50s as a player, coach, and club member, says that day was the single greatest moment of his time with club. <br />
<br />
"Most of the players from many different cities showed up," he says. "Fifteen out of the eighteen, and many parents too. It was so great to see them all one last time."<br />
<br />
"One last time?" Salatino retorts. "I expect we’ll have another one. I’m pretty sure everyone is still active in soccer one way or another these days. I don’t think it’ll be too hard to pull it together for another run."<br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-60968121724390045072014-07-07T13:28:00.000-05:002014-07-08T18:14:17.713-05:001989Green White had a few big highlights, among them a trip to Germany (see below), but it was also a time of tragedy for the club. Within a few months of each other, original members Eckhard Kaempfer, Toni Kirschner, and Franz Fernbach all passed away. Each of them contributed greatly to the success of the club during it's first 33 years, and each of them are still missed today. They were only in their 50s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg4h_DWB19DTgeYJNxaOj2JvnDkrJrxkgM1uj48a32fN2D8SNkEtewwfwzSrMGfAaQqVwQwdNAWAIeXhUHLbpt4C2N_S6Mm1iSu9v1i7brQ_Uo8_sIZxXSPqby50oceMb6C4pONQ6fNsK/s1600/GW80s+scan0077.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg4h_DWB19DTgeYJNxaOj2JvnDkrJrxkgM1uj48a32fN2D8SNkEtewwfwzSrMGfAaQqVwQwdNAWAIeXhUHLbpt4C2N_S6Mm1iSu9v1i7brQ_Uo8_sIZxXSPqby50oceMb6C4pONQ6fNsK/s200/GW80s+scan0077.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpmFxstqnMOnwPURaRBZYItSVCpIOnzVefqzZt6MNGA39eLuciYalu-AC5XhLmR3CKAeoEsHrXe5p4Z02h6ESMwEVCg17BF_NElaHSY4haA2cvtq0J2Z8OLkIuwOZzSliGadu0mS-WDjv/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpmFxstqnMOnwPURaRBZYItSVCpIOnzVefqzZt6MNGA39eLuciYalu-AC5XhLmR3CKAeoEsHrXe5p4Z02h6ESMwEVCg17BF_NElaHSY4haA2cvtq0J2Z8OLkIuwOZzSliGadu0mS-WDjv/s200/Image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNzvQLxSNUrrC6ICXYWEsl3PdxibT7HVLLfhCHoWuZG8W2FrihStjVvBTKoQwatpgmeMTTqDV18Nj9kMIgQ9PV5fAXNcCpv4WE-bqU-7liE5mYxLqlXsi4c-Hx4d0_q7TIUiV7c4OhRvY/s1600/GW80s+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNzvQLxSNUrrC6ICXYWEsl3PdxibT7HVLLfhCHoWuZG8W2FrihStjVvBTKoQwatpgmeMTTqDV18Nj9kMIgQ9PV5fAXNcCpv4WE-bqU-7liE5mYxLqlXsi4c-Hx4d0_q7TIUiV7c4OhRvY/s200/GW80s+003.JPG" /></a><br />
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On the field, Green White played a full season without Rudi Mayer for the first time in two decades. Richard Meschbach was named the first team's MVP and represented the club at the 25th annual Sport, Radio & Press ball along with Miss Green White, Terry Toth, and the master of ceremonies for that silver anniversary event, Green White's Rick Kaempfer.<br />
<br />
But the real excitement came for Green White's U-14 boys team, led by Wolfgang Richter and Steve Pastorelli. That team went to Germany over spring break to play in Hanover, Kaiserslautern, and Niederrheim (among others). Once again, the Germans didn't know what hit them, as Green White won three games on the trip.<br />
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The roster for that team was: Ryan Ewanio, Jason French, Todd Svihla, Michael Hane, Scott Holper, Miro Ivelic, Michael McAdams, Carlin Metzger, Alan Piro, Christopher Trenn, Eric Urban, Ryan Peterson, Kurt Peterson, Kyle Peterson, Kevin Yoyen, and Anthony Pastorelli.<br />
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Here are a few pictures from that trip, courtesy of Steve Pastorelli...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE-6OV0ikkS-4KVFHsfK6oZB7QjVFbDcbogxpiXTXkXYeM7DeUKdkrxYjwXsHpO39wx92wbyNkK-MZtbztKYLHtQL9O7nJuv2Mfkb1KWSn-0dwPhmpdvGjujAa4gEkuy4Z8t7uQQkXUDA/s1600/GW04.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE-6OV0ikkS-4KVFHsfK6oZB7QjVFbDcbogxpiXTXkXYeM7DeUKdkrxYjwXsHpO39wx92wbyNkK-MZtbztKYLHtQL9O7nJuv2Mfkb1KWSn-0dwPhmpdvGjujAa4gEkuy4Z8t7uQQkXUDA/s320/GW04.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMDgpfi1znhrbK59srD-BplcqOWkdwN8bxPZc4-jcajWjBOJgvtnmWpN4EY9f6L9KUms7RaGfOyYOl2CUAjW_aT8ImtJTWNsbaVTfVCud3d5CFJb-MtVDhAVkfkFmwz44vFN-6UlJHH2S/s1600/GW14.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMDgpfi1znhrbK59srD-BplcqOWkdwN8bxPZc4-jcajWjBOJgvtnmWpN4EY9f6L9KUms7RaGfOyYOl2CUAjW_aT8ImtJTWNsbaVTfVCud3d5CFJb-MtVDhAVkfkFmwz44vFN-6UlJHH2S/s320/GW14.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTYGYRE_IEy5NB-TG9dq1DOROPJbEHsufT1wgXdPkjgdbfyWd2by0MkXAqUD2PQGl_LtfB6scVR0R1TZjSBoK0O23UuqHSb4s9TR-ORPOryDzyAAVorfjisn7eS2zZWZS5z_mPp5MMZ8a/s1600/GW05.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTYGYRE_IEy5NB-TG9dq1DOROPJbEHsufT1wgXdPkjgdbfyWd2by0MkXAqUD2PQGl_LtfB6scVR0R1TZjSBoK0O23UuqHSb4s9TR-ORPOryDzyAAVorfjisn7eS2zZWZS5z_mPp5MMZ8a/s320/GW05.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZccZZCrgj0ngj7p5ESumtN2EJlKe1POUqOJ52eXSfX2evfRpcW6mFy74yQYoIJ9_nMXuTKXsJtPy0401HWM4kxfBx1Ta_PSzDfCyeh5P_j8pbbNqkomttuYizAE4ecAegv3LT5c_9EHU/s1600/GW07.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZccZZCrgj0ngj7p5ESumtN2EJlKe1POUqOJ52eXSfX2evfRpcW6mFy74yQYoIJ9_nMXuTKXsJtPy0401HWM4kxfBx1Ta_PSzDfCyeh5P_j8pbbNqkomttuYizAE4ecAegv3LT5c_9EHU/s320/GW07.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9TKDzvAZu96qW6psuKijgWtrI6oqpbRLZ-jY49R_CsVFNWHx_cSDcW_CT7jNmFT_gE875cHF2tgoFiYQ7WGFj9wdI4D9gM9gige4pxqQfgrqiyThp65Ei14uwlkNIwL6LqpNwChd8lpN/s1600/GW80s+scan0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9TKDzvAZu96qW6psuKijgWtrI6oqpbRLZ-jY49R_CsVFNWHx_cSDcW_CT7jNmFT_gE875cHF2tgoFiYQ7WGFj9wdI4D9gM9gige4pxqQfgrqiyThp65Ei14uwlkNIwL6LqpNwChd8lpN/s320/GW80s+scan0006.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uKLTtVqQpE">"Look Away"</a> by Chicago.<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was given to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR0oZ2pnhyg">"Driving Miss Daisy"</a><br />
<br />
*The top rated television show of 1989 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_oGFvYtSFc">The Cosby Show</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1989</i><br />
<br />
~George H.W. Bush takes the oath of office as the 41st President of the United States.<br />
<br />
~Ted Bundy is executed in Florida.<br />
<br />
~China cracks down on the student protests at Tiananman Square.<br />
<br />
~Pete Rose agrees to a lifetime ban from baseball after evidence of his gambling on the sport emerges.<br />
<br />
~An earthquake hits San Francisco during the World Series between two bay area teams, Oakland and San Francisco.<br />
<br />
~The Berlin Wall comes down during protests. East Germans can leave their country for the first time in nearly 40 years.<br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1990. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-20155016591996867482014-06-11T12:42:00.000-05:002014-06-11T12:42:01.879-05:001988<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiL7_NCfJfKm5ORoCGFjxOUgJHy4SM_6QxRpRT9s4LrlepxRTIdqdMaY_c_hKXTrb38tNuXrNaDbyzsGJL7Ivf5RnrlKXQJD44fo2XVcFepgm9QOasG3rDgB-d-EjFYm43tbnW0UoN0y_/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiL7_NCfJfKm5ORoCGFjxOUgJHy4SM_6QxRpRT9s4LrlepxRTIdqdMaY_c_hKXTrb38tNuXrNaDbyzsGJL7Ivf5RnrlKXQJD44fo2XVcFepgm9QOasG3rDgB-d-EjFYm43tbnW0UoN0y_/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" /></a></div>In 1988 Rudi Mayer’s long playing career with Green White ended after 28 great years. To commemorate the year 1988 in Green White history, we thought it would be fun to reconnect with Rudi and discuss his incredible soccer career.<br />
<br />
<i><b>GW:</b> When did you start at Green White, and how did you hear about it?</i><br />
<br />
<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I heard about them because my dad went to the First Team games, and I played with the kids at the games who were all players with the Green White Juveniles. And they always asked “Why aren’t you playing with us?” I said “Because my mom won’t let me.” (laughs) She was afraid I was going to get hurt. My dad and uncle put some pressure on her, and she finally agreed, so I started playing indoors in 1960. We were practicing in a gym on Barry in Chicago.<br />
<br />
<i><b>GW:</b> What are some fond memories from your Green White youth days?</i><br />
<br />
<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Some years we would win lots of games, sometimes 15-0, 10-0. And then some years we would lose games like that. It all depended on how many good players we had. At that time Juveniles were ages 7 to 15. We had 7 year olds playing against 14 year olds sometimes. I was 12 when I started.<br />
<br />
<i><b>GW:</b> Who were the players that you looked up to when you were young?</i><br />
<br />
<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I didn’t really learn what soccer was all about until I was a little older, but when I really began to understand the game, I looked up to guys like Steve Zimmer and Steve Laxgang. Those guys were very good players. Toni Zimmer. Gottfried Winter. I watched them all every Sunday with my dad. That was our Sunday thing to do.<br />
<br />
<i><b>GW:</b> Do you remember the first time you got to play with the first team?</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhGMmw4YAP6mzYs3OnZx2W9zPWD5ZRI7ZG_8aOejVnBjNWSSYN_7K8ouxQ5PS-kSFhjIiono4skZyLemxnrBxMUlrTlbJu2R6HhOrnQCNEuHmVVOryHTf7zcuIjHjxsXH0xTw-hhjORMN/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhGMmw4YAP6mzYs3OnZx2W9zPWD5ZRI7ZG_8aOejVnBjNWSSYN_7K8ouxQ5PS-kSFhjIiono4skZyLemxnrBxMUlrTlbJu2R6HhOrnQCNEuHmVVOryHTf7zcuIjHjxsXH0xTw-hhjORMN/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_402.jpg" /></a></div><b>Rudi Mayer: </b>Oh yes I do. I remember it vividly. I had just turned 17. This was the spring before the team went to Europe and they decided they wanted some more players for the First Team and they decided I was ready, so they asked my father if I could play. He resisted it for a long time. I was a lot smaller than a lot of the guys on the first team, and he didn’t think I was ready. The games were pretty rough back then. In the end, Peter Erhardt, who was the coach at the time, talked my dad into it. Adi and Georgy Kaempf were on the team at the time. Klaus. Joe Laxgang. Steve Zimmer. I had a junior game in the morning, and they had me dress for the First Team in the afternoon at Hansen Stadium. In the second half they put me in. They put me on right wing, and I got a through ball on the right side, and the center back came across and knocked the s**t out of me. He didn’t try to tackle me, he just ran me over. He knew I was going to get past him and that he wasn’t going to be able to catch me, so he hit me so hard, I think I was knocked out for a second. I had to come out of the game. I think I played three or four minutes, and touched the ball twice. That was my first game. That was against the Liths. They had a big center back. Really big. I was young and thin and fast and he knew he wasn’t going to catch me. So he floored me.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> So did you go on that trip to Germany shortly thereafter?</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncri4QvecKVwBU5Ayqejo6gNrXpsmPZF0E_oOZoO0lcYHe9ptPgqgojUuc4YIK4o9E3RNWCnDCWownaGubyY3p1JCBjkqIc59bxUsR3k1zSrpAeDKtwhPCnpEmwjEQ7BSEyja5UpyEgtu/s1600/GW60s+scan0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncri4QvecKVwBU5Ayqejo6gNrXpsmPZF0E_oOZoO0lcYHe9ptPgqgojUuc4YIK4o9E3RNWCnDCWownaGubyY3p1JCBjkqIc59bxUsR3k1zSrpAeDKtwhPCnpEmwjEQ7BSEyja5UpyEgtu/s320/GW60s+scan0007.jpg" /></a></div><b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Yeah, I got to go on that trip. And that was great. It was a lot of fun playing against these Germans who thought the Americans couldn’t play. On that trip we played five games against first division amateur teams, and we won four and tied one. I got to start all five of those games at either center forward or right wing, and in those five games I scored eight goals. That was a riot. In hindsight, though, I think I played really badly. I was more lucky than anything. The Germans were better ball handlers and I was in the right spot at the right time. Of those eight goals, probably three of them were breakaways. They underestimated our whole team. They played possession, so they played in our half. Adi told me to just wait at the half line, and when he got the ball he just pointed at me and sent the ball, and I had at least three breakaways that way. (Photo: The Green White Germany Trip Group)<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> Did you have any mentors in the Green White organization?</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Oh everybody, they all mentored me, but I think Adi Kaempf is probably the guy who helped me the most. He really mentored me and took me under his wing.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> You played in the 60s, 70s, and 80s with the first team. Do any highlights from each of those decades come to mind?</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2VgVQkni8WTX45_xXALe9PnEriGMoX78x2aHWY8peijazlsRH3f8NzCfrgsI_f9TIbV8Kl4AEPnfKzoKKU9VZZgEIxv84I8qTzTUU_sc1V4CbJBvetqBGPZ7ZlKdnwe9YicU3mL1qvru/s1600/mayers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2VgVQkni8WTX45_xXALe9PnEriGMoX78x2aHWY8peijazlsRH3f8NzCfrgsI_f9TIbV8Kl4AEPnfKzoKKU9VZZgEIxv84I8qTzTUU_sc1V4CbJBvetqBGPZ7ZlKdnwe9YicU3mL1qvru/s320/mayers.jpeg" /></a></div><b>Rudi Mayer:</b> We won a few championships indoors and one outdoors too. I remember that year we won it at Welles Park. We were demoted to the First Division and took it personally, and killed everyone, and then we made it back up to the Major Division and kept on winning. I got to play with my brother, which was great. He also started on the First Team when he was 17. That Green White Junior team he was on was really really good. That whole team kind of came up and replaced the existing First Team. I went from being the youngest player on the team to being the oldest just five years later. It was a lot of fun. (Photo: The Mayer Brothers)<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> You were also named Player of the Year a few times during your Green White career. Was it two or three times?</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8LyGNxLL2ZALK_4YoGmDZ2htNdE6U5Z_T6KiDwT50d6PctTvS7f8e_kCdm_LwNUDyf1Q8_g56RSifdBrBvxxrk5QR8fBQrznIpDHXiyDlVfPngCvXBFLPhoQrX78nBwulyFA2SWka10Q/s1600/GW70s+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8LyGNxLL2ZALK_4YoGmDZ2htNdE6U5Z_T6KiDwT50d6PctTvS7f8e_kCdm_LwNUDyf1Q8_g56RSifdBrBvxxrk5QR8fBQrznIpDHXiyDlVfPngCvXBFLPhoQrX78nBwulyFA2SWka10Q/s320/GW70s+003.JPG" /></a></div><b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I was the Player of the Year three times. I got to meet the National Team coach of Germany—he handed me the Player of the Year Award. Actually, I got to meet two of them. Sepp Herberger handed me the award the first time I won it, and Helmut Schoen handed it to me the second time. That was a huge thrill. Uwe Seeler was one of my idols and he was there the last time I won it.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> You also played at Michigan State.</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I played there from 1968-1972. That team had great players. Olympic players from the U.S, Jamaica, and Canada. My first year there we won the National Championship.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> Did you ever play for the Olympic Team?</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I did make the Olympic team in 1972. However, even though I was named to the team, I broke my ankle skiing in January, and they started playing games in the spring. They left me on the roster hoping that I would get fit enough by the time we played in the actual Olympic games in June, but I barely had gotten my cast off by then. It was a serious break in my ankle. So I did get to practice with them, but not in the games.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> You also played for the Chicago Sting.</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Yes, I did. 1976 and 1977, I believe. I went to the tryouts and Bill Foulkes, a former Manchester United defender, was the coach. He asked me to be a part of the team, and I said yes. We played indoors and outdoors at the time. The outdoor games were at Soldier Field. It was always empty, except when we played against the Cosmos with Pele. Then we had 40,000 in the house.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> At that time most of the players on the Sting were English, weren’t they?</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeYVjnTQmsw_JmRpGfHqSRa0mbszGP7ssRfc2IJZcHw4N6i5uNY4-ZcGVa6V4_L51OnWoUlxVsVxsIZmjsy67N-MkWMZuB-OkzM1v1zURTvYCmMh1VYMY-JVYO4-kL-vB-tOPsVp285gd/s1600/Sting+76+Road+Team+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeYVjnTQmsw_JmRpGfHqSRa0mbszGP7ssRfc2IJZcHw4N6i5uNY4-ZcGVa6V4_L51OnWoUlxVsVxsIZmjsy67N-MkWMZuB-OkzM1v1zURTvYCmMh1VYMY-JVYO4-kL-vB-tOPsVp285gd/s320/Sting+76+Road+Team+2.jpg" /></a></div><b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Yes. I was one of the few non-English players on the team. The coach was using the team as a farm club for Manchester United. So my passing was a little too short. I didn’t play that English style of kicking the long ball and running people over. I was more a finesse player, and the coach didn’t really like that. I remember I started the first game of the season. We were playing the Tampa Ray Rowdies, and he didn’t tell us who was starting until two minutes before we walked out on the field, and he said: “OK, Rudi, you’re playing center back” I had never played that position before in my life. I wasn’t prepared at all. And who do we play against? We played against Rodney Marsh, an English National Team player, and Clyde Best who was a Jamaican National Team player. Those were their two center forwards. I had to cover Rodney Marsh. I thought, “Wow, he’s a great player and great ball handler”, but I did really well against him. Except for one time I took the ball away from him and passed it to my fellow back Alex, and Alex rather than stepping up and taking the ball, stepped even further back, which meant that Rodney Marsh got between us. He got the ball, out-dribbled Alex, and scored. I got blamed for the goal and was taken out of the game. And that was it. The coach never liked me after that. I played various different positions but couldn’t really work my way into a regular starting position.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> Did you ever try out for the U.S. National Team.</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> Yes I did. I can’t recall exactly what year it was. Early 70s sometime. The tryouts were in St. Louis and they took mostly St. Louis players, but I believe they did take a player from the Lions and Schwaben, but nearly the whole team came from St. Louis.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> I’ve interviewed a lot of the old timers at Green White, and they swear that the quality of soccer back in those days was vastly superior than the quality we see today. What do you think of that assessment?</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> I think the quality of the soccer then was better than it is now in the Metro League, although the current crop of Metro League guys are more fit and run more—most of them are right out of college and they’re used to that. Our team wasn’t as fast, and we weren’t as fit. But our creativity, the quality of passing, the playmaking, the imagination, and finesse was very good in those days. Our quality at that time was more on the level of the MLS today—again, without the fitness and the speed. Don’t forget that we had pros coming from Europe routinely playing in our league at the time. Guys who were in their late 20s/early 30s, that might have been just past their prime or didn’t get the big contracts in Europe. The Croatians had five National Team players at one time. The Maroons had good players. Adolf Bachmeier from the Kickers—he was my idol for a long time. I thought he was the best German player ever to play in Chicago.<br />
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<i><b>GW:</b> So what made you decide it was time to hang it up with Green White after nearly three decades?</i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> 1988 was the year my daughter was born. I figured I had to be home to hold her. No more practicing. By that time I was 38, and without practicing three times a week, I couldn’t keep up with the 24 year olds anymore. It was time.<br />
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<i><i><b>GW:</b> What has Green White meant to you?</i></i><br />
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<b>Rudi Mayer:</b> That was my second family. I knew everybody. Everybody knew me. It was just great being there. We were all friends, really. Even though there were age differences, when we got together it didn’t matter if you were 21 and the guy you were playing with was 33, it didn’t matter. You were buddies. You liked each other. You played for each other. We fought for each other. The spectators were always there for us—the members who came out to support the team—they really made us want to play well. We wanted to win for them, to make them proud, to give them the kind of team they wanted. There were 400 of them—and they were our extended family. It was a great feeling and I really miss it.<br />
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<i>More from 1988</i><br />
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*An Illinois Soccer Hall of Famer Robert Meschbach was Green White's MVP and player of the year in 1988. <br />
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*Club Co-founder Adam Harjung's daughter Laura served as Miss Green White.<br />
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<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
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USSR faced the Netherlands in the European Cup final (in Germany). The Netherlands were victorious, 2-0.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0ufZKwBG-ZI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
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*The number one song of the year was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3VTngm1F0">"Faith"</a> by George Michael.<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKC3W0awjm0">"Rain Man"</a><br />
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*The top rated television show of 1988 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_oGFvYtSFc">The Cosby Show</a>"<br />
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<i>Elsewhere in 1988</i><br />
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~The 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Calgary Alberta. <br />
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~Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States.<br />
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~Sonny Bono was elected Mayor of Palm Springs.<br />
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~The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea.<br />
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~Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush defeated Massachusets Governor Michael Dukakis to become President of the United States.<br />
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Coming next month: 1989. <br />
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<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-58189776721542206132014-04-30T13:43:00.001-05:002014-04-30T13:43:56.562-05:001987In the wake of their 30th anniversary the previous year, Green White made several hat tips to their past in 1987. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuA_oCZ29ZX-3mMcCUzKABcU_vrAXDpTgFo5ROoPb6VgUVlS0zgLQ0-11Bq6wf7JGsvqvW1dhLhucEX_pYqOdW-a3BVdImZPdZv9h4sMk25yy0DGIrPEQftIDA4ZshiWOvIwnw6r8Nvz-/s1600/team+shot+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuA_oCZ29ZX-3mMcCUzKABcU_vrAXDpTgFo5ROoPb6VgUVlS0zgLQ0-11Bq6wf7JGsvqvW1dhLhucEX_pYqOdW-a3BVdImZPdZv9h4sMk25yy0DGIrPEQftIDA4ZshiWOvIwnw6r8Nvz-/s320/team+shot+2.jpeg" /></a></div>Every year the players on Green White chose a most valuable player of the First Team. In 1987, the team of mostly younger players gave the award to the man who had been their goaltender for more than fifteen years; Hardy Ritter (photo). Ritter starred as the keeper of the 1970 and 1971 youth championship teams before joining the first team. It seemed only fitting to honor him for his twenty years of outstanding play for Green White. (Ritter also received invitations to try out for the U.S. Olympic team in his earlier years).<br />
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At the 30th anniversary party the club also saluted all of the previous winners of Miss Green White. One of the honorees was the first Miss Green White, Helga Peltzer, who was now known as Helga Albrecht. She won the crown in 1963. Well, 24 years later, she must have been proud when her daughter Andrea Albrecht wore the same crown. They became the first (but not the last) mother-daughter combination to serve in that role. Andrea was 17 years old and studying at Loyola University at the time of the Sport, Radio, and Press ball.<br />
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Nearly every Green White member was in attendance at the dinner that year, because club founder Martin Schneider was honored as Sepp Herberger's Man of the Year. His long-time friend (and fellow Green White member) Wilhelm Franz was the Master of Ceremonies. This is a short excerpt of what he had to say...<br />
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<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGSOSf8pJyYq0BdVkTGmvxlujafQbAa15K-6mTBKjgFQyv6fO6vuu_1hsqVkHTWGYSzzvS_A-ez_Qi3sEvB4VGotbsD9jQS2G02QmDiB3X_riY897wZ-lfatF5Aen7febxmUUyvDBkKHF/s1600/GW80s+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGSOSf8pJyYq0BdVkTGmvxlujafQbAa15K-6mTBKjgFQyv6fO6vuu_1hsqVkHTWGYSzzvS_A-ez_Qi3sEvB4VGotbsD9jQS2G02QmDiB3X_riY897wZ-lfatF5Aen7febxmUUyvDBkKHF/s320/GW80s+075.JPG" /></a></div>"Mention the name Martin Schneider in soccer circles in Chicago and you really need no further description. Martin Schneider is known for his long commitment to soccer. His willingness to be of help whenever and wherever needed has made him any friends, not only within his own club (SC Green White), but all German-American soccer clubs in the Chicago area. No sooner did Martin arrive in Chicago, when he joined others to found the SC Green-White. As all of us recall, the early 50s were the golden years of post-war soccer in Chicago. Those were the years when it took hard work to even secure playing fields. It took the patience of a person like Martin Schneider to guide his club through the early turbulent years, and there is no position within the club that Martin did not hold at one time or another.<br />
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From the very beginning Martin was a member of the Sepp Herberger Commitee as well, and again, true to his character, has held many positions. The purpose and results achieved by the committee need not be described here, for they are well known. One of our commitments has always been to be an active part of the German-American community. Most visible is our participation in the Steuben Parade.* All the work behind the scenes is usually in the hands of Martin Schneider. <i>(Photo: Martin Schneider/middle at the Steuben Parade with Wilhelm Franz/right and Green White board member Eckhard Kaempfer/left)<br />
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Our thanks for a job well done, Martin Schneider!"</blockquote><br />
*For our younger members, the Steuben Parade was featured in this 1980s classic film "Ferris Buehler's Day Off"...Note the German outfits...<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RaIjYvIayj0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
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1987 was a big year for the Green White youth program. Both the U-16 boys team (led by Alex Gyurko) and the U-19 boys team (led by Walter Melcher and trained by Frank Speth) went to Germany to play a series of exhibition games. For most of these boys it was their first time visiting. <br />
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Peter Kaempfer was a member of the U-19 team and remembered it this way: "Our U-19 team did very well against the mighty Germans. I think we were 3-0-3, undefeated. Staying in the homes of some of our opponents led to some interesting stories too, especially the ones that had no ability to communicate with one another at all. The team from Kaufbeuren was especially hospitable – we hit it off well with them – and returned the favor when they visited us in the US the next year."<br />
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Kaempfer neglects to mention that he also lost his passport, and had to be left behind as the U.S. Embassy made him a new one. Here are a few photos from that memorable trip...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NdonU7DpGpxqaAR2hgy1Nh2Rd-hAcKAgCgezh1ap1d8KGtmMhCcBB4NMruaZdQRftQ5S7Ik8T10z6_Daot3_7GN3XS_RgW5qhrElLLC3d82g2hTu_qaHfMjoyqXY1cqXSY-HvwDdvaYR/s1600/GW80s+scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NdonU7DpGpxqaAR2hgy1Nh2Rd-hAcKAgCgezh1ap1d8KGtmMhCcBB4NMruaZdQRftQ5S7Ik8T10z6_Daot3_7GN3XS_RgW5qhrElLLC3d82g2hTu_qaHfMjoyqXY1cqXSY-HvwDdvaYR/s320/GW80s+scan0002.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPDJSSwiqFV8xm2A6ZdGyRc3CBG_bNVrQK7MAuTQ-xrcqCH4xsKCfXs9NFKn6u0IfEocqqq2PnGRKYKIsB6H15mcEW2NMm-JQXe7Cg5NSYHkreU5Qz1g65FRfTqsVRZzL7gac1ZCm6f35/s1600/1987+Salt+Mines+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPDJSSwiqFV8xm2A6ZdGyRc3CBG_bNVrQK7MAuTQ-xrcqCH4xsKCfXs9NFKn6u0IfEocqqq2PnGRKYKIsB6H15mcEW2NMm-JQXe7Cg5NSYHkreU5Qz1g65FRfTqsVRZzL7gac1ZCm6f35/s320/1987+Salt+Mines+Tour.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
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*The number one song of the year was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv6tuzHUuuk">"Walk Like an Egyptian"</a> by The Bangles.<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBUbmT8cCkM">"The Last Emperor"</a><br />
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*The top rated television show of 1987 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_oGFvYtSFc">The Cosby Show</a>"<br />
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<i>Elsewhere in 1987</i><br />
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~The Dow Jones closed above 2000 (and then later 2500) for the first time.<br />
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~Pennsylvania politican Bud Dwyer shot himself during a live televised press conference<br />
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~President Reagan addressed the nation and admitted dealing arms for hostages<br />
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~U2 released "The Joshua Tree"<br />
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~The largest indoor audience for a sporting event in history attended WWF's Wrestlemania III in Pontiac, Michigan; more than 90,000 fans. (That record has since been broken)<br />
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Coming next month: 1988. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-15331205749007265962014-03-30T13:57:00.000-05:002014-03-30T13:57:16.658-05:001986<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11crKLvjzNnTMuJPY3y4pzqbHbND7biUxqK6jepTdj6asmEl86OeV0mrIdAnteA_fa1dfUxjuB7i5SjmBFjHXrggzZb6Bkwv9TiLsvGVZS__c5_FByw21_m94LqF89-A8LRd01whqzP28/s1600/GW80s+scan0079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11crKLvjzNnTMuJPY3y4pzqbHbND7biUxqK6jepTdj6asmEl86OeV0mrIdAnteA_fa1dfUxjuB7i5SjmBFjHXrggzZb6Bkwv9TiLsvGVZS__c5_FByw21_m94LqF89-A8LRd01whqzP28/s320/GW80s+scan0079.jpg" /></a></div>On October 26, 1986, Green White celebrated their 30th anniversary at the Schwaben Center in Buffalo Grove. It was a night to remember the club's glorious past, to honor those who were contributing to the club in 1986, and to celebrate a bright future. (Photo: Board Members Frank Stadler, Franz Fernbach, Horst Melcher, Fritz Becker, Stefan Zimmer, and Hans Metzinger)<br />
<br />
The awards ceremony began with recognition of board members who had served for more than twenty five years, club founders Fritz Becker, Frank Stadler, Horst Melcher, Adam Harjung, Eckhard Kaempfer, and Henry Wittje.<br />
<br />
Board members Gus Bender, Walter Melcher, and Steve Zimmer were also given awards in recognition of meritorious service, Hans Metzinger Sr. was honored for being the longest tenured president in Green White history, and Mr. Everett Weaver and the Mount Prospect Park District were given awards for promoting the sport of soccer.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White 1986 Renee Kilian was recognized as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTBBW2mMdSd3blrKhro10PKLeBOrIqixm88aOx30aUWvUD_tiXN5nFDgCD4hsKe-R21PVUcOnBDhY129KL35Lwb5d6L72ph8N1CTPPABxxnr0SjztLvpfcVBCyDjRsGpnKETCAkuFtNDf/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3F0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTBBW2mMdSd3blrKhro10PKLeBOrIqixm88aOx30aUWvUD_tiXN5nFDgCD4hsKe-R21PVUcOnBDhY129KL35Lwb5d6L72ph8N1CTPPABxxnr0SjztLvpfcVBCyDjRsGpnKETCAkuFtNDf/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3F0.jpg" /></a></div>Then it was time to honor the players. Frank Speth and Hans Metzinger Jr. were recognized for their contributions to the team, and Frank Schmaltz was named Green White's Player of the Year. The entire first team was on hand to applaud his performance. Among his First Team teammates in 1986 were Mike Andres, Mike Blaas, Marcus Laxgang, Robert and Richard Meschbach, the Arciniegas, and Rudi Mayer. Yes, Rudi Mayer was still playing on the First Team.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_X68sKUZ1Q-__mxxdRbqWYT899lyY7J9BTS_bFGUf69-YSJosXhIdXM0Tps-y4LeB2q6-a9YMy38IZ-wKIWxs2GkkUabv6xGBSPTPHgfc5B28IYzy6q5ixkAS0vCSt-qI3-XmP-U7brE/s1600/mayers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_X68sKUZ1Q-__mxxdRbqWYT899lyY7J9BTS_bFGUf69-YSJosXhIdXM0Tps-y4LeB2q6-a9YMy38IZ-wKIWxs2GkkUabv6xGBSPTPHgfc5B28IYzy6q5ixkAS0vCSt-qI3-XmP-U7brE/s200/mayers.jpeg" /></a></div>The program book listed the all-time leading scorers in Green White history as of 1986. At the top of the list were brothers Rudi Mayer (184 goals) and Hans Mayer (143) (photo), followed by brothers Adam Kaempf (138) & Georg Kaempf (124), A. Kelm (110), John Woolfe (101), Rudi Hrbacek (94), G. Winter (83), Stefan Zimmer (63), and P. Berger (63). <br />
<br />
The players who had logged the most games played were Joe Laxgang (856), Stefan Zimmer (625), Rudi Mayer (611), Nick Willer (558), and John Woolfe (530).<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The youth program</i><br />
<br />
Green White had thirteen teams in 1986, and many of them were achieving quite a bit of success on the field. The U-19 team, led by coach Robert Mokran, won their division, and provided a pipeline of young players to the First Team, including Danny Vladic and Walter Mecher Jr. The U-19 Strikers team coached by Horst Melcher, was no ordinary B team. They featured players who would contribute for years to come, including Bernie Czekajlo, and Goalie Kurt Melcher. The U-16 team featured the likes of John Woolfe Jr., Peter Kaempfer, Brian Bischoff, and Tony Melcher. <br />
<br />
In 1986, there were two U-14 teams led by coaches Hawkins and Stadler. The Hawkins-led team had a player named Cole Lanham who has a son (Max) playing for Green White today (the U-11 Cosmos), and the U-14 Strikers team featured current Green White board member Robert Stadler.<br />
<br />
Green White also had a Ladies team coached by Klaus Kilian. The team was captained by Arlene Mayer (a former Miss Green White), and featured 1986's Miss Green White (Renee Kilian) and the previous Miss Green White Monika Zimmer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
The 1986 World Cup was held in Mexico. The four semi-finalists were West Germany, France, Belgium and Argentina. Argentina beat Belgium to reach the finals and West Germany beat France. That led to a very memorable World Cup Final in the oppressive Mexican heat. Argentina jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but West Germany stormed back to tie it, with goals from Karl Heinz Rumminigge and Rudy Voeller. With seven minutes left to go in the game, Diego Maradona fed his teammate Jorge Burruchaga with a perfect pass, and Argentina won the game 3-2. Maradona won the Golden Boot award as the best player.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p6KoBwPx_KA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V22ahe9xzC4">"That's What Friends Are For"</a> by Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder & Elton John.<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPi8EQzJ2Bg">Platoon</a>"<br />
<br />
*The top rated television show of 1986 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_oGFvYtSFc">The Cosby Show</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1985</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE0QSPoGZh0vjZBIpOQAoeVMwlC8ImyDvXdebGi9fEd925iCZ1C4IcKHFVoJgVeZyb8tPsKD9j4ZLkJPha90QA2j-DjvWcSwuL3O-dw8_gKVwlzn2aPH0QZpLGU1VDddStjw4yJ3RHHDm/s1600/Bears+superbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE0QSPoGZh0vjZBIpOQAoeVMwlC8ImyDvXdebGi9fEd925iCZ1C4IcKHFVoJgVeZyb8tPsKD9j4ZLkJPha90QA2j-DjvWcSwuL3O-dw8_gKVwlzn2aPH0QZpLGU1VDddStjw4yJ3RHHDm/s200/Bears+superbowl.jpg" /></a></div>~The Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX by crushing the New England Patriots 46-10.<br />
<br />
~The Space Shuttle Challenger carrying teacher Krista McCaulife blew up in the sky killing everyone aboard.<br />
<br />
~Microsoft held it's initial public offering of stock.<br />
<br />
~The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occured in the Ukraine, killing thousands of people and costing billions of dollars.<br />
<br />
~5 million people linked hands across the country for "Hands Across America" to raise money to fight hunger.<br />
<br />
~The Iran-Contra Affair was revealed to the American public for the first time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1987. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-6013397786564649792014-02-27T16:21:00.000-06:002014-02-27T16:27:09.246-06:001985After their big championship season of 1984, a few of the First Team players moved on and played for different clubs, but the core of the club remained. One key member, John Dunkas, was injured during the season, thinning their roster further. When Green White staged a men's tournament at their new fields in the summer of 1985, they dipped back into their archives for some help. Among the players they brought back was one of their all-time greats, John Woolfe. He may have been getting up in age, but John still had the touch, scoring a key goal in a Green White victory.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd93EmkB0rrEpydZ0ayV0IffgehILy8ZN_KpovGTzGvRdLtE0LlDKhqo2VvNEAlvzELu0BX343jL7yH3z37z9HazGDpMyJBCw4cwlgBk0m1sfVS1FZez0ZI-FvS_VQAcahlrMSsuR-YKt/s1600/GW80s+scan0074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd93EmkB0rrEpydZ0ayV0IffgehILy8ZN_KpovGTzGvRdLtE0LlDKhqo2VvNEAlvzELu0BX343jL7yH3z37z9HazGDpMyJBCw4cwlgBk0m1sfVS1FZez0ZI-FvS_VQAcahlrMSsuR-YKt/s320/GW80s+scan0074.jpg" /></a></div>Just a few weeks after that, Green White got a visit from an Austrian team, Edelweiss Linz. They scrimmaged at the Green White fields, and the home team was victorious. Final score: Green White 1--Edelweiss Linz 0. (Photo: Green White captain Rudi Mayer greeting the Edelweiss captain before the game)<br />
<br />
While Green White lost a few players, they also welcomed back Mark Laxgang. Mark's father Stefan, and his uncle Joe, were widely regarded as two of the best players to ever wear a Green White uniform. Mark's cousin Mike Blaas had been one of the players holding down the fort while Mark was away at college, and had played a key role on the 1984 Green White championship team. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtKBP0uXwecxdjszUKtC_7bsRFdAc1rxE7uTjBbBZWD_DK0jZa6as9o9prS9Q1-r55UjlCz2P_W-kkkiKSGHz77OEA16WSat2id4NSJK6v_0cxtWmths0jeHx6cVFWoxLO0rrzBDHOD8k/s1600/GW80s+scan0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtKBP0uXwecxdjszUKtC_7bsRFdAc1rxE7uTjBbBZWD_DK0jZa6as9o9prS9Q1-r55UjlCz2P_W-kkkiKSGHz77OEA16WSat2id4NSJK6v_0cxtWmths0jeHx6cVFWoxLO0rrzBDHOD8k/s320/GW80s+scan0017.jpg" /></a></div>A lot was expected from Mark. He had just graduated from Indiana University, which he attended on a soccer scholarship. The Tacoma Stars had just drafted him with their first round pick. But instead of playing pro ball, Laxgang returned to Chicago and donned the same Green and White colors he had been wearing since the age of seven. Mark didn't disappoint the Green White fans upon his return. He led the team in scoring, was named their MVP, and was recognized at the Sport, Radio, & Press ball as Chicago's Player of the Year. That made him the fifth Green White player to be so honored. (The others were John Woolfe 1968, Rudi Mayer 1972 & 1975, Hansi Mayer 1973, and Roberto Arceniega 1982).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1CtJHz0ELHGvz_c4Eb44GxNyC7ctnyC3GSie7dUsEyIfCWP2a7MVZRmkz7nU06ix22bYkVgt8FSVvUq4qrl7wbZOuLZGN_FolUT1h_23NH08q4gt5rKo1bOYRrDD2pYDxHM3OMGonWi8/s1600/GW80s+scan0040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1CtJHz0ELHGvz_c4Eb44GxNyC7ctnyC3GSie7dUsEyIfCWP2a7MVZRmkz7nU06ix22bYkVgt8FSVvUq4qrl7wbZOuLZGN_FolUT1h_23NH08q4gt5rKo1bOYRrDD2pYDxHM3OMGonWi8/s320/GW80s+scan0040.jpg" /></a></div>The final Zimmer girl, Moni, was named Miss Green White in 1985. (Photo: President Hans Metzinger, Miss Green White Moni Zimmer, and her proud dad Stefan Zimmer)<br />
<br />
In those days, Miss Green White was expected to give a speech. This is a portion of Moni's prepared remarks from 1985...<br />
<br />
"I have been a Green White member all my life, and for as long as I can remember, have been spending every Sunday at the soccer fields. I have been playing soccer since the age of eight and have currently finished my last season in high school. I am still playing with the Green White Ladies Team and will continue to do so. My parents have been active members of Green White since the club was founded. My dad is now the coach of the first team. Soccer plays a big part in my life, and I find it a great honor to have been chosen to represent the Green White Soccer Club."<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-GNemQ0JTc">"Careless Whisper"</a> by Wham.<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbVTzvvvtQ8">Out of Africa</a>"<br />
<br />
*The top rated television show of 1985 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_oGFvYtSFc">The Cosby Show</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1985</i><br />
<br />
~Ronald Reagan was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States.<br />
<br />
~Live Aid, a gigantic charity concert for the starving people of Africa, was held in both Philadelphia and London simultaneously. Sting, U2, Queen, David Bowie, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Tom Petty, The Cars, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, and the Rolling Stones were among the many acts. Phil Collins appeared in London, then flew to Philadelphia and appeared there too.<br />
<br />
~Michael Jordan was named Rookie of the Year.<br />
<br />
~Da Bears had one of the most incredible seasons in football history, going 15-1, and clinching a spot in the Super Bowl. (Spoiler Alert: They won it in early 1986)<br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1986. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-91245121435056245232014-01-31T13:43:00.001-06:002014-01-31T13:43:30.487-06:001984<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe4N6_rcvw6NErAluMaFBklgescKO2ZodmY-jb7TAQb4fdSsUeMorKBha2H9cvEGTnAQ6yCLl3uqQaR9AAP7MEUa09DsywymEtr_r3aTf2W6fosDQnYCP6UBJtqUHnyJRnLLss65zKSQL/s1600/GW80s+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJe4N6_rcvw6NErAluMaFBklgescKO2ZodmY-jb7TAQb4fdSsUeMorKBha2H9cvEGTnAQ6yCLl3uqQaR9AAP7MEUa09DsywymEtr_r3aTf2W6fosDQnYCP6UBJtqUHnyJRnLLss65zKSQL/s400/GW80s+015.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
1984 might just have been the best year in Green White First Team history. This picture (above) was taken at the Schwaben Center, the day Green White clinched the Major Division Championship. <br />
<br />
"That team was made up of a very special mix of players," 1984 Team MVP Frank Speth recalls. "Half the team was experienced and the other half, was still wet behind the ears. Experience & youth, what a combination!" <br />
<br />
John Dunkas remembers it the same way. "Great crew as it had a mix of both older and younger players."<br />
<br />
The team was managed by Steve Zimmer and Hans Metzinger, and Speth recalls the roles of each of the players. "Our leader was the never aging Rudi Mayer. In addition, we added a little Polish flair to the team that year w/Joe, Tony & Lester, all whom were very key contributors. Our other veterans were Roberto Arciniega, Nick Wosnyj & Hansi Metzinger Jr. The youth group, (who did the dirty work & all the running by the way) were led by goalkeeper Matt Clark, (who still looks the same today), defenders Mike Andres, Frank Schmaltz & myself. The workhorses in the midfield & up front were Mike Blaas, Rich Hart & John Dunkas."<br />
<br />
Dunkas will never forget the day captured on film above. "The final game was against Schwaben and it went down to the wire. We won 2-1 with less the 5 minutes left." Dunkas scored the winning goal in his last healthy season with the first team. (He was injured the following year). <br />
<br />
The First Team later also won the Amateur Cup and the Donauschwaben Tournament.<br />
<br />
“A Season to Remember," Frank Speth says to this day. "We were so happy to make all the Green White members proud again."<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Tournaments</i><br />
<br />
Throughout the 1980s, Green White tournaments were staged every year. Here are a few pictures of the people helping out at the Green White chuck wagon, some familiar faces and key Green White members. The top photo left to right, Helen Melcher, Hilde Becker, Rolf Albrecht, Annie Metzinger, and Trude Winterkorn. In the bottom photo, left to right Gus Bender, Eckhard Kaempfer, Herta Melcher, and Horst Melcher. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXhTs2goEdvSYNwqW4KG4NbC96u3rwgANP8OlLjXls0FKBs4SQ8mAlE4e8UHqJBO6DxcVw4yK6jvmXzNZh5U3eFTMYlHOYEFXNpMDGKGtiHZ5Hl-6-jO4PC_Ty31G7fhQU0d_YnyLyQc4/s1600/GW80s+scan0076.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXhTs2goEdvSYNwqW4KG4NbC96u3rwgANP8OlLjXls0FKBs4SQ8mAlE4e8UHqJBO6DxcVw4yK6jvmXzNZh5U3eFTMYlHOYEFXNpMDGKGtiHZ5Hl-6-jO4PC_Ty31G7fhQU0d_YnyLyQc4/s320/GW80s+scan0076.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHJ0aIJ5mQ5BuL4Nv1lkSTPbF9LfOmq83RRrBiMajNRckC2r4AiMpvXq_FZ9dbgmpJJ3MFWAa54hFlyqgJP3KwxZ5kglKJHLW_yBxs9086zMTiCAvHNfTgbmAHGImNE-9Bp3x3w-7hbxL/s1600/GW80s+scan0077.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHJ0aIJ5mQ5BuL4Nv1lkSTPbF9LfOmq83RRrBiMajNRckC2r4AiMpvXq_FZ9dbgmpJJ3MFWAa54hFlyqgJP3KwxZ5kglKJHLW_yBxs9086zMTiCAvHNfTgbmAHGImNE-9Bp3x3w-7hbxL/s320/GW80s+scan0077.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTow2EspnqeirxTqP2_xQXuA75ucGTEIelHp33JiRczwAAIk2aMM9ZVeRx9q4TJS0ibgFGOqKkKYm8vq7gpRUnOnv4ufjQqpU6TjKNCANUra0_UCIHbvu23QXZS_Jhk8VwuqOA0qXINWG/s1600/jan+a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTow2EspnqeirxTqP2_xQXuA75ucGTEIelHp33JiRczwAAIk2aMM9ZVeRx9q4TJS0ibgFGOqKkKYm8vq7gpRUnOnv4ufjQqpU6TjKNCANUra0_UCIHbvu23QXZS_Jhk8VwuqOA0qXINWG/s200/jan+a.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Green White women's team player, and life-long member (to this date) Sonja Melcher (Nilson) was named Miss Green White 1984/85. She is celebrating her 30th annivesary as Miss Green White by wearing her sash and tiara to work every day this year. Right Sonja?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
~The European Championship was held in France, and West Germany had a disappointing tournament, failing to reach the semi-finals after losing to Spain 1-0. The host nation France won it all. Michel Platini scored nine goals in the tournment to lead his country to the title.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mEovN1BJo6Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
~The Chicago Sting played their final outdoor season. One of the members of that last Sting team was former Green White player Robert Meschbach.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "When Doves Cry" by Prince.<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ciFTP_KRy4">Amadeus</a>"<br />
<br />
*The top rated television show of 1984 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjpCU4Zy9Cs">Dynasty</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1984</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vKeYCYwjchWlwo1LdGSwyoI0peI4PSaNYe8jtzvthhAyy36W8BHWf-ng-x9DbFGkLaBfFnWPVrW64IhABwtaGP0nmA5nXuJf70LKEfmdGLx2OUxZpW55Y9T1L5T-bEvH9BISGTcRpZvI/s1600/1984-george-orwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vKeYCYwjchWlwo1LdGSwyoI0peI4PSaNYe8jtzvthhAyy36W8BHWf-ng-x9DbFGkLaBfFnWPVrW64IhABwtaGP0nmA5nXuJf70LKEfmdGLx2OUxZpW55Y9T1L5T-bEvH9BISGTcRpZvI/s320/1984-george-orwell.jpg" /></a></div>~George Orwell's novel did not come true.<br />
<br />
~The first personal computer by Apple was unveiled in an iconic Super Bowl commercial. <br />
<br />
~The Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan with the third pick in the NBA draft.<br />
<br />
~Ronald Reagan was re-elected president in a landslide victory over Walter Mondale, and the first female vice presidential candidate in American history, Geraldine Ferraro.<br />
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~The Chicago Bears made it to the NFC Championship game, losing to eventual champs, the San Franscisco 49ers.<br />
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<br />
Coming next month: 1985. <br />
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<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-43415327422367259042013-12-31T13:11:00.000-06:002013-12-31T16:35:45.906-06:001983<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYZRHaZl8frCpJjZmnQ138wL7XEObq9vAHr90T6Dd7cB5cZqas1c5LVNdwwNyVmqt10MFMBuY9hNSMOUYljmD5i0ieaXvfWGZAx_upKFSziV2nCI44B0r_mtmDb2j2dT9vddn1SCvvApI/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3E8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYZRHaZl8frCpJjZmnQ138wL7XEObq9vAHr90T6Dd7cB5cZqas1c5LVNdwwNyVmqt10MFMBuY9hNSMOUYljmD5i0ieaXvfWGZAx_upKFSziV2nCI44B0r_mtmDb2j2dT9vddn1SCvvApI/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3E8.jpg" /></a></div>1983 was the first full season in Mt. Prospect for Green White, and while some of those games were a little rough because the field wasn't quite in shape yet, Green White managed to hold their own despite losing their star striker Robert Meschbach (he was playing professionally for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers alongside former German superstar Gerd Mueller). Frank Schmaltz (photo) was one of the players on that year's first team, along with the Speth brothers and Hans Metzinger Jr.<br />
<br />
As for the younger Green White clubs, once again a Green White youth team won the state championship. The U12 team led by Joe Schlenhardt did it again, the third year in a row a Green White U12 team won the championship.<br />
<br />
With the new fields, Green White also was able to finally do something they had dreamed of doing for years--hold their very own tournament. It was a huge undertaking, but for the crew that had just spent the last year and a half literally building fields and a clubhouse from scratch, this was a task they were ready to tackle.<br />
<br />
Helmut Filian was in his last year running the youth organization and he remembers it well. "We had the first youth tournament in the area here in 1983. We had 50 or 60 teams. That was no easy job because we didn’t have computers to create the brackets or anything. We were lucky that Alex Gyurko helped us get the referees—he convinced them to whistle for free that first tournament to help us build this thing. That whole tournament was a huge undertaking. Everyone pitched in—some helped out in the chuckwagon--some helped out on the fields, some helped to keep track of the brackets, some helped with traffic. Everybody helped, and I mean everybody. I got the teams to get here—that was my job.”<br />
<br />
Former Green White President Hans Metzinger chuckles at the memory of the kids helping out. "We made some benches for the spectators, and had a few of our kids help paint them. Peter Kaempfer and Kurt Melcher had more paint on their faces than they had on the benches because didn’t turn the planks, they went underneath to paint them."<br />
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<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKkZ5tRm6eDLAV7p3D10GllQuMQfFzCdy7Ch4UXDqg3jaM37pel-HoMsWz9PsyHpw4GmUQNiH0bLZzTQ8U2gVblNZCSbEstGI-oGrOhAAWoCXmrA6VuRfEByZab1f8ucGudMtnbZbuyV2/s1600/GW80s_050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKkZ5tRm6eDLAV7p3D10GllQuMQfFzCdy7Ch4UXDqg3jaM37pel-HoMsWz9PsyHpw4GmUQNiH0bLZzTQ8U2gVblNZCSbEstGI-oGrOhAAWoCXmrA6VuRfEByZab1f8ucGudMtnbZbuyV2/s320/GW80s_050.JPG" /></a></div>The one down side to moving out to Mt. Prospect was the loss of the Donauschwaben banquet hall in Chicago. That made it a little more difficult to stage some of the annual social events the club had been having for the past 27 years. Needless to say, that little hiccup didn't stop the party. Most events were moved to the Schwaben Center in Buffalo Grove, including the annual Schlachtfest (an event that still goes on to this day). This picture was taken there. <br />
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Once again a Miss Green White was crowned. In 1983 it was future club president Cindy Kaempfer (photo), who went on to be named Miss Soccer at 1983's annual Sport, Radio & Press ball. Some of the first team players and coaches are in the picture with her including a very young John Dunkas, Frank Schmaltz and Frank Speth (back row), Mike Andres (glasses) and coach Stefan Zimmer.<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA">Every Breath You Take</a>" by The Police.<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY0GM9KHU8o">Terms of Endearment</a>"<br />
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*The top rated television show of 1983 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsVZUJVVaIE">Dallas</a>"<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1983</i><br />
<br />
~The Chicago White Sox won their division and lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS.<br />
<br />
~Chicago Archbishop Bernandin was named a Cardinal by the Vatican.<br />
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~Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album went to #1 and stayed there for 37 weeks.<br />
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~Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America.<br />
<br />
~Ronald Reagan signed a bill declaring Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday.<br />
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Coming next month: 1984. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-76416920025060671332013-11-30T12:16:00.000-06:002013-12-31T12:27:09.416-06:001982<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvVpH4zC-_f5u0zwVODHtNx5DfD1wJq8AiHkBxJ4Cu4j7gJAhTM02xRA-bkEcU-BttnhORJ_d9M3keTdr3jPxhnhF03mTAfyTzaRfz6-tjg0e32ECCw8UUA56ZxGPgK68GiF5Pf-q7hhc/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvVpH4zC-_f5u0zwVODHtNx5DfD1wJq8AiHkBxJ4Cu4j7gJAhTM02xRA-bkEcU-BttnhORJ_d9M3keTdr3jPxhnhF03mTAfyTzaRfz6-tjg0e32ECCw8UUA56ZxGPgK68GiF5Pf-q7hhc/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
By 1982, Green White's home field was no longer Welles Park. Green White had been sharing the field with the Fichte Rams, and now the city was also allowing other teams to play there, so it was crucial that Green White find another place to play. They found some fields in Northbrook, but they knew it was only a temporary arrangement. The fields were being lent to the club for nothing, and it was only a matter of time before they were reclaimed.<br />
<br />
Luckily for Green White, that season they had a player on their team named Paul Weaver. His father, Everett Weaver, was a big supporter of Green White, and put his time and money where his heart was. Mr. Weaver (as everyone called him) helped spearhead the search for a new field and a new clubhouse.<br />
<br />
Helmut Filian was running the youth program for Green White at the time. "I spent days with Mr. Weaver driving around and scouting locations. We went all over the place; north, south, east and west. He kept finding potential spots for us, but none of them were quite right."<br />
<br />
"We had a location on Northwest Highway," Hans Metzinger says. "And another one near Higgins, and another that is now used by United. We even looked at an old airfield. There was a lot of land there, but I said--'Where can we put the fields?'”<br />
<br />
Finally they got a big break.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6Tzi4A_vgThuR6wiJujq3DAFjQGeLLCWbwBTsYaEBT8jxmPX0djRCMKq_Id7bS_xbY-S-Lv-LeRHN-3WVnju6o9U-uLGZtaQd3DT0ifjTbtg6xAfegv-3q-m7-v9Eh7bORYd6Bidd1NU/s1600/20131025165013_00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6Tzi4A_vgThuR6wiJujq3DAFjQGeLLCWbwBTsYaEBT8jxmPX0djRCMKq_Id7bS_xbY-S-Lv-LeRHN-3WVnju6o9U-uLGZtaQd3DT0ifjTbtg6xAfegv-3q-m7-v9Eh7bORYd6Bidd1NU/s200/20131025165013_00001.jpg" /></a></div>“I was on the board of the Young Sportsman Soccer League, and they told me that there was some land that was controlled by the Mount Prospect Park District," Helmut Filian (photo) recalls. "At the time there was nothing there at all—they were building the waste treatment plant—but that was it. Just nothing. So Mr. Weaver and I came over to look at it. There was this little house (our current clubhouse) that the Corp of Engineers was using as an office, and a place to store their stuff, but there was lots of room to create some fields. I went with (long time Green White Preisdent) Horst Melcher to lots of meetings with the park district, and they agreed to let us develop that land, and assured us that they would support us, but only if we financed it and did all the work to create those fields.”<br />
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That was no small project. This was a project that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and would require hundreds and hundreds of man hours of work. Once again, Mr. Weaver came to the rescue.<br />
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"We didn't think we could raise that much money," Hans Metzinger recalls, "but Mr. Weaver gave us a check for $80,000. That was a good start. I remember Mr. Mokran gave us a lot of money too."<br />
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"Everybody from the club gave whatever they could give," Hildegard Kaempfer remembers. "A lot of us had kids going to college, so we didn't have a lot of money, but we still gave whatever we could."<br />
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"We did a big fundraiser at a nearby hotel," Helmut Filian adds, "the biggest one we've ever done. We had a big club at that time, and everyone contributed."<br />
<br />
But securing the financing was only part of the process. There was still the challenge of converting the vast rocky ground into playable soccer fields. It turned out to be a bigger challenge than anyone realized.<br />
<br />
“The biggest problem with the land was there were lots of stones," Klaus Kilian says. "We spent so much time and effort getting all of those stones out of there.”<br />
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Luckily a few of the Green White members had their own businesses, and they enlisted the help of their workers. "Helmut Filian sent his work crews over to help, and so did I," Hans Metzinger recalls. "We excavated the land with 50 men. We had lots of engineers. Horst Melcher, Eckhard Kaempfer, Toni Kirschner, Franz Stadler, they all helped out. Mr. Schmaltz made something to mark the fields with, and he went out there and marked it. Simon Andres, Konrad Meschbach, Helmut Filian, and Stefan Zimmer were the ones that really created those fields and got them ready to go."<br />
<br />
“It was horrible at first," adds Helmut Filian. "We seeded it and re-seeded it. We spent a fortune trying to get it playable. The board declared that we were going to have a grand opening, so we really had to work hard to get it done on time. I took two weeks of vacation just to work on it, and so did a lot of the other guys.”<br />
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"These two fields closest to the clubhouse weren't even the hardest ones," Metzinger remembers. "We called the field on the hill the potato field because it was about as smooth as a potato and craters and holes all over it."<br />
<br />
And if that wasn't enough, the club was still searching for a clubhouse. They almost bought a home nearby, but they kept looking at that little Corp of Engineers office.<br />
<br />
"The Army Corp of Engineers was going to tear it down," Kilian says. "It was a mess. They had the whole garage stacked to the ceiling with garbage, and they had a makeshift office here. There was only one bathroom in the middle of the house.”<br />
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Again, Mr. Weaver came to the rescue.<br />
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"Mr. Weaver found them a better place to go, and convinced them to let us take over this house instead of tearing it down," Hans Metzinger remembers, "but again this was going to cost us a lot of money and effort to improve it. A lot of man hours. Every single worker, every single penny came from Green White.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgE-txktyok-zPRO4QM4_xjPMPrzKrV2iJlwk2dDsYodv0V6e5WOOH6ekVs3yrgmuK7O8wF57Fz6TGIZQ9lp1CDPXeXNz0L8zQV6_6CanuTsV_Roc-0gk-FxizpEDy6cWuL15Dk0CToUN/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgE-txktyok-zPRO4QM4_xjPMPrzKrV2iJlwk2dDsYodv0V6e5WOOH6ekVs3yrgmuK7O8wF57Fz6TGIZQ9lp1CDPXeXNz0L8zQV6_6CanuTsV_Roc-0gk-FxizpEDy6cWuL15Dk0CToUN/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3E2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ccgJiLWzFN1pPb0NdUiwbQrkVnZREoI5SNse98ICHvOSkSCQSfrQ2PCYaXx0EHqQ4Hw7BqFQb5wQGgCO3BZypdcz42n6iz3CQIXYDUioPiNJohh_OhJ7_1GHXDDMQVaQYa4-EfWVK1wb/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3FA.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ccgJiLWzFN1pPb0NdUiwbQrkVnZREoI5SNse98ICHvOSkSCQSfrQ2PCYaXx0EHqQ4Hw7BqFQb5wQGgCO3BZypdcz42n6iz3CQIXYDUioPiNJohh_OhJ7_1GHXDDMQVaQYa4-EfWVK1wb/s320/%5BUntitled%5D_3FA.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
"We did it all," Klaus Kilian says. "We tore down walls. We made the kitchen. We dug out the basement. We built the deck. We did it with our own hands. Hans Metzinger was our project manager. He was the superintendent. He led the whole project. We had to do a lot of structural work, because the middle pillars that are in the clubhouse now is where the back wall was…and it was a load-bearing wall."<br />
<br />
“Klaus did all the plumbing," Metzinger adds. "Rolf Albrecht did a lot of work. Tony Filian. We poured the concrete. We paid a few of the younger guys to help out. Eddie Speth was there. Stefan Zimmer was there. Polaretzky. Nick Willer and I did the whole deck. Franz Fernbach. You name it, everyone was out there.”<br />
<br />
Even the players got in on the action. John Dunkas was on the first team at the time.<br />
<br />
"After practice," Dunkas recalls, "they handed us shovels and said start digging."<br />
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There was one last touch before the fields could be christened. Once again, Mr. Weaver stepped up with one last grand gesture.<br />
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"He donated the lights," Helmut Filian says. "That was his gift to the club."<br />
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When the Grand Opening occured, something had changed forever. <br />
<br />
"Hans Metzinger donated a construction trailer because I wanted a hot dog stand," Helmut Filian says. "We painted the trailer green and white, and when it was done we had our chuckwagon. When we finished painting it, we put our logo on there. It was the first time we had ever called ourselves ‘Green White Mt. Prospect’ and that’s what we’ve been ever since.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaWqDfXmQ9QfnN2S8R0xcmRONPH-2jbtyVD87F-coOzdIGbMm_ErX2QKfZr1FWmVWAl15X8_NDgtKYbiwgn8d3Tod8WCDzwT0QFi0Eg1ZhCiwRQkHvOqDQOQTcx9kXVqsq1qhGLTh9nbn/s1600/jan+b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaWqDfXmQ9QfnN2S8R0xcmRONPH-2jbtyVD87F-coOzdIGbMm_ErX2QKfZr1FWmVWAl15X8_NDgtKYbiwgn8d3Tod8WCDzwT0QFi0Eg1ZhCiwRQkHvOqDQOQTcx9kXVqsq1qhGLTh9nbn/s320/jan+b.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
(Photo: The Green White chuckwagon. Maria Zimmer at the window. Green White Ladies Team members Sonja Melcher, Moni Zimmer, and Miss Green White 1982 Arlen Mayer say hello)<br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>Green White On the Field</i><br />
<br />
Maybe it was because he had been spending so much time working on the fields, but when it was time for the national Donauschwaben Tournament in 1982 (in Cleveland Ohio), Hans Metzinger Sr. laced up his boots and played with the team. The 52 year old entered the game in the second half of an open match against Cleveland Concordia and scored two (2) goals in the 4-2 win, much to the consternation of Mr. Haller, Sr. of the Concordia Club.<br />
<br />
The Green White first team had a good season, led by the player of the year, Roberto Arceniega, but once again it was one of the youth teams that was the pride of Green White in 1982.<br />
<br />
The U-12 Boys team, led by coach Joe Schlenhardt, won the state championship for the second year in a row, despite losing many of it's star players from the year before to the older team. Peter Kaempfer was the captain of that team. "It was a great team," Pete recalls, "Although it hurts to realize my greatest sporting achievements were behind me by the age of 12 (laughs)"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggDYts526NdgFi4VHMk6wdHRw87yYLv5sXy4EgdsNcnYJp9r1Pt9wIV2j8dD9SwglVfywkAVmLbux0qFcXIam6lJHJ2Lprv7Tn3iaxr0pFSDgjWOGMwAxJSz13Q5tIeAj93-8FhPx3IdN/s1600/GW80s+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggDYts526NdgFi4VHMk6wdHRw87yYLv5sXy4EgdsNcnYJp9r1Pt9wIV2j8dD9SwglVfywkAVmLbux0qFcXIam6lJHJ2Lprv7Tn3iaxr0pFSDgjWOGMwAxJSz13Q5tIeAj93-8FhPx3IdN/s400/GW80s+109.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
The 1982 World Cup was held in Spain. The two finalists were Italy and West Germany. The West Germans made it to the final by beating France in one of the most dramatic games in World Cup history. The game went to overtime and in the first few minutes of overtime, the French scored two goals to take a 3-1 lead. The Germans only had 12 minutes to come back, and come back they did. Karl Heinz Rumminigge scored to make it 3-2, and then in the 108th minute Klaus Fisher tied the game with a dramatic bicycle kick. They then won the game on penalty kicks.<br />
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But in the finals, luck ran out for the German side. Led by Golden Boot winner Paolo Rossi, the Italians prevailed 3-1.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/e4Q1oA8-2oQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA">Let's Get Physical</a>" by Olivia Newton John.<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWqlb_TlLQ">Ghandi</a>"<br />
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*The top rated television show of 1982 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb6UgPSdp0o">60 Minutes</a>"<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1982</i><br />
<br />
~John Hinkley was found not guilty of attempted assassination by reason of insanity.<br />
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~Princess Diana and Prince Charles welcomed the birth of their first born son, William.<br />
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~The first issue of "USA Today" hit the newsstands.<br />
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~Cyanide-laced Tylenol killed seven people in Chicago. The murderer was never captured.<br />
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~The first artificial heart is transplanted into dentist Barney Clark. He survived for 112 days.<br />
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~The first episode of "Cheers" airs on NBC.<br />
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Coming next month: 1983. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-42434453427734381342013-10-31T14:15:00.000-05:002013-10-31T14:15:31.356-05:001981<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLdKPi61fb_Z33_rmShM-WGxZdnRPcoDP34biVRcqMWOTCctcuLUqCP_uEVf3P7qqms2IZ1wIMzxGVvHZIcmrJPtZmYh_y-fKRM0dxSAw2eKy_L3ouRrwXZ9vhpvfobMDjvROKmAxT1-N/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLdKPi61fb_Z33_rmShM-WGxZdnRPcoDP34biVRcqMWOTCctcuLUqCP_uEVf3P7qqms2IZ1wIMzxGVvHZIcmrJPtZmYh_y-fKRM0dxSAw2eKy_L3ouRrwXZ9vhpvfobMDjvROKmAxT1-N/s200/%5BUntitled%5D_3E6.jpg" /></a></div>1981 was the 25th anniversary for Green White and they celebrated by having a huge season on the field and off. A resolution was passed the City Council of the City of Chicago, and signed by Mayor Byrne, declaring May 23, 1981 as "Green White Day" in Chicago, in honor of the club's 25th anniversary.<br />
<br />
By the time the members gathered to celebrate the anniversary at the Donauschwaben Clubhouse on Lincoln Avenue in October, they had several on-field accomplishments to celebrate as well. The first team once again had the league's Player of the Year, captain Rudi Mayer (photo). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVt3CaS7ueA4I6k6_FzmZidJ4BQoVXdtb1k__vxj2fdADfvf0i5wM0l2qbWTSRogvC0bes5tsJ_G3BQtwoDFI6PfY33_25Cn8BMuZzuKFvrj_HxcErMltppL6PdWHjigDe-MYjCBR36fs/s1600/20131025165013_00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVt3CaS7ueA4I6k6_FzmZidJ4BQoVXdtb1k__vxj2fdADfvf0i5wM0l2qbWTSRogvC0bes5tsJ_G3BQtwoDFI6PfY33_25Cn8BMuZzuKFvrj_HxcErMltppL6PdWHjigDe-MYjCBR36fs/s320/20131025165013_00001.jpg" /></a></div>The youth program had an even better year. Led by team manager Helmut Filian, the U-12 boys won the state championship. Filian was in the midst of making major changes, and this was his first big success story. "We won the under-12 state championship—and I was very proud of that team, but I was proud of the whole youth program. We had eight teams. We usually divided the groups into A-teams and B-teams, the A-teams were our competitive teams, and the B-teams were the kids that liked to play for fun. It was always a tough balancing act, but for several years there we really pulled it off. I always believed that in order for the kids to perform at their best, it was important for them to look good. So I got corporate sponsorships to get the best uniforms possible. Before that we were wearing uniforms in eleven different shapes and sizes. Some of those old uniforms were just that...old uniforms.”<br />
<br />
Among the players on that state championship team; sons of long-time members Adam Wambach, John Woolfe, Helmut Filian, Horst Melcher, Eckhard Kaempfer, Walter Melcher, Joe Schlenhardt, and Leo Skorochod. Future Herman Award winner as the NCAA College Soccer Player of the Year, Ken Snow, and his brother Steve were also on the team.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG8ZQSbaKhaaZZcizKdpm1UvpvuJscQGd0PdFNm8b7-25hYk4Rg4AmadbOou_7BtBR6mr0gccE2M8MHKeVmRCBvkqT8M938sXCO74PU_iNRotqt46ZQpx57HXyOmmpqTfVPS1aiAXy0yk/s1600/%5BUntitled%5D_3DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG8ZQSbaKhaaZZcizKdpm1UvpvuJscQGd0PdFNm8b7-25hYk4Rg4AmadbOou_7BtBR6mr0gccE2M8MHKeVmRCBvkqT8M938sXCO74PU_iNRotqt46ZQpx57HXyOmmpqTfVPS1aiAXy0yk/s200/%5BUntitled%5D_3DC.jpg" /></a></div>And while the youth and men's programs thrived, the women's team also had a milestone season. Team founder Maria Zimmer remembers it well. "I finally hung up my boots in 1981," she recalls, "but that last campaign will always be my favorite. It was the one and only season I was able to play with all three of my daughters. We were truly a soccer family, and Green White was at the center of it all."<br />
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Her middle daughter Tina was also Miss Green White that year. Other members of that 1981 women's team included Maria Blaas (coach), her daughter Linda, Sonja Melcher, and future club president Cindy Kaempfer.<br />
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<i>Green White Off-The-Field</i><br />
<br />
On October 10, 1981, Green White gathered in the Heim Der Donauschwaben at 4219 N. Lincoln Avenue to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The band Johnny Wagner's Polidor entertained the crowd, pausing only briefly for a ceremony honoring past and present players and board members. <br />
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The all-time leader in goals scored (Rudi Mayer--161 goals and counting), and games played (Joe Laxgang--856 games) were acknowledged. As were the board members who had been on the board the entire twenty-five years; Fritz Becker, Franz Stadler, Horst Melcher, Adam Harjung, Eckhard Kaempfer, and Henry Wittje. But the honored guest of the night was the man they all acknowledged as the father of the club, Martin Schneider, who was given a special award to thank him for his service.<br />
<br />
Franz Stadler gave a brief history of the club in a speech, and ended it this way...<br />
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<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn1G2EjoCYPtEGPyiuJ_YtE8Ra_Id1-pEipJf2yFTBxQ8Lez9MfQ9bc0Pmab4B8wR8ndQLRuoKrbPaYuL-g6TtNkKTjsk6ojzp9OwrQLn3x1s6CR2Ft2kTxSCxfGsXGV4BFvVlTFmDMbC/s1600/youth+team+shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWn1G2EjoCYPtEGPyiuJ_YtE8Ra_Id1-pEipJf2yFTBxQ8Lez9MfQ9bc0Pmab4B8wR8ndQLRuoKrbPaYuL-g6TtNkKTjsk6ojzp9OwrQLn3x1s6CR2Ft2kTxSCxfGsXGV4BFvVlTFmDMbC/s320/youth+team+shot.jpeg" /></a></div>25 Years of Green White! The time has gone too fast.<br />
<br />
The strength of our club has always been our club members. Our parties have always attracted big and friendly crowds; the masquerade balls, the anniversary dinners, the Schlachtfest, and the club picnics. Our ladies club has spent hours preparing for them, and making our clubhouse beautiful. The Executive Board is rightly regarded as one of the most active among all the German-American soccer clubs. They have particularly emphasized the true pride of our club, the youth division, again and again. The list of championships won by our youth teams is too long to mention at this time, but we did add to the list once again this year when our under-12 team won the state championship, and our under-16 team won the league championship.<br />
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And as we stand here today, the majority of the members who were there from the very beginning are still closely connected to the fate of Green White. The majority of them are still here, still contributing many hours of their time and effort to the cause, working to make this the best club it can be.<br />
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To the next 25 years!<br />
<br />
May we always say: “Gruen Weiss Vor!”</blockquote><br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
1981 also brought Chicago it's first championship since 1963, when the Chicago Sting won the Soccer Bowl. Among the stars of that Sting team: German players Karl Heinz Granitza, Arno Steffenhagen, Ingo Peter, and Dieter Ferner. The coach of the team was Willi Roy, a former National Soccer League player, and a regular spectator of league games, including Green White's.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EpAo9c705RE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPOIS5taqA8">Bette Davis Eyes</a>" by Kim Carnes<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-7Vu7cqB20">Chariots of Fire</a>"<br />
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*The top rated television show of 1981 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA0SRx9NfaM">Dallas</a>"<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1981</i><br />
<br />
~Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President of the United States. Only a few weeks later, John Hinkley attempted to assassinate him. Reagan survived a gunshot wound.<br />
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~Iran released the American hostages from the U.S. Embassy.<br />
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~Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. Their wedding was a worldwide television event.<br />
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~Walter Cronkite stepped down as the anchor of the Evening News. He was replaced by 60 Minutes Correspondent Dan Rather.<br />
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Coming next month: 1982. Green White makes a big move.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-7477130104851910682013-09-30T12:35:00.000-05:002013-09-30T12:35:47.825-05:001980<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5BfUU9z21pe3TnbMwyekc0jYfTJTsbcFgkZqoTGgslps9t3svIzxPstaT_a7aRvemTxALsD_Q7UTCvxLpDHsTolhBlOF1nxY-3etVg4xY8nzCATx23FDpZWqEn7nR7Ga3vwPeYFIYldf/s1600/GW80s+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5BfUU9z21pe3TnbMwyekc0jYfTJTsbcFgkZqoTGgslps9t3svIzxPstaT_a7aRvemTxALsD_Q7UTCvxLpDHsTolhBlOF1nxY-3etVg4xY8nzCATx23FDpZWqEn7nR7Ga3vwPeYFIYldf/s200/GW80s+015.JPG" /></a><br />
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The Green White first team had a rough season to start off the new decade. With young stars like Joe Filian playing professionally in New York, Robert Meschbach putting up an All-American season for Indiana University, and Parade Magazine High School All-American John Dunkas enjoying his first year at Miami of Ohio, Green White struggled. Luckily they still had the steady leadership of captain Rudi Mayer, and longtime player Hans Metzinger Jr. (who was named the team's MVP), so they managed to stay afloat.<br />
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But while the first team struggled, the youth side was building a mini-dynasty, even if they didn't yet know it. Helmut Filian's under-12 team (photo below) was in first place, and poised for bigger and better things. Filian remembers that time well: “We had some really great players that came from our original Green White families, players like Peter Kaempfer and Kurt Melcher. They were on the A-team because they earned their way onto the team, but we had lots of other players from the surrounding areas too.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIixrPSEd9aZXlYScZHBNPqV-XLuVSAhhYpwq8fOeHHtlBmiNRDkCI0e6nlseRISpQVyqOTx-KAvIpHEg_TagRBO5YHaWBTw1SAJ3LH_1LpP963XQTJav68N4NhozGJeHFBfIxmzY0IDi/s1600/GW80s+pic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIixrPSEd9aZXlYScZHBNPqV-XLuVSAhhYpwq8fOeHHtlBmiNRDkCI0e6nlseRISpQVyqOTx-KAvIpHEg_TagRBO5YHaWBTw1SAJ3LH_1LpP963XQTJav68N4NhozGJeHFBfIxmzY0IDi/s320/GW80s+pic2.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
The U-10 team was also dominant for such a young team. Chris Salatino was a member of that team, and remembers those early practices beginning when he was only eight years old. "Mrs. Gyurko drove us to practice at the field on Austin & Foster in her Volkswagen Rabbit. Sometimes there were six of us crammed in there. That was before seatbelt laws, of course." <br />
<br />
That team would likewise develop into a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
<br />
Miss Green White 1980 was Lore M. Willer, and she represented the club at the annual Sport, Radio & Press ball.<br />
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The Green White board remained the same, with the exception of one old friend returning to the fold. Eckhard Kaempfer returned from Germany, and immediately reclaimed his old position as secretary. Hans Metzinger remained the president, and for awhile, even helped coach the first team. According to the minutes from the board meetings, the board was already discussing their dissatisfaction with their fields in Chicago. A plan was being hatched to move, although it would take a few more years, and a few significant developments before that occurred.<br />
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<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
*Future first team player Brendan Connor.<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
After their incredibly disappointing performance in the 1978 World Cup, a new generation of West German stars won the 1980 European Cup, beating Belgium at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JUma5TvPx0E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3Q_CZy968">Call Me</a>" by Blondie<br />
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*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZYHe8IAlto">Ordinary People</a>"<br />
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*The top rated television show of 1980 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA0SRx9NfaM">Dallas</a>"<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1980</i><br />
<br />
~President Carter ordered a rescue effort for hostages in Iran. It failed.<br />
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~Ted Turner started up a cable news channel that provided 24-hour news coverage. He called it C.N.N.<br />
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~Pacman and Rubik's Cube were released and enjoyed instant popularity.<br />
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~Ronald Reagan was elected president of the United States, defeating incumbent president Jimmy Carter, and independent candidate John Anderson.<br />
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~John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York by a deranged fan named Mark David Chapman. Most of America heard the news during the Monday Night Football game.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n73GFvAyIjs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<br />
Coming next month: 1981. Green White celebrates their 25th anniversary.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-68904165588816481772013-08-22T13:28:00.000-05:002013-09-30T11:41:03.767-05:001979<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv5zg6XlEzv-866xxYdM-xD19vWCqXXcCqH5EsZRrdDVLS-5c0lYNrWpAa0cofsAm-X-STbSWGFiYDqsWFY85TGKBWe0wFL4yBGrVwxLtYgLWU6kqRrnb0I3E_Qt6UhMaT0p9y8Xdl7g0/s1600/GW70s+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv5zg6XlEzv-866xxYdM-xD19vWCqXXcCqH5EsZRrdDVLS-5c0lYNrWpAa0cofsAm-X-STbSWGFiYDqsWFY85TGKBWe0wFL4yBGrVwxLtYgLWU6kqRrnb0I3E_Qt6UhMaT0p9y8Xdl7g0/s400/GW70s+040.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
1979 belonged to the Green White Junior team coached by Simon Andres. The team was populated with familiar Green White names like Laxgang, Blaas, Wagner, Stadler, Andres, Dunkas, and Bischoff, and they won the league championship, the city championship, and the Schwaben tournament. Several of those players would become mainstays on the Green White first team in the years to come.<br />
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The first team wasn't quite as successful in 1979, finishing in the middle of the pack of the Major Division. Frank Speth led the team with 20 goals, and Hans Mayer added another nine. The team had a much better season indoors, coming just shy of winning of the championship.<br />
<br />
One other Green White team, however, did not fall shy of their goal. The Green White Women's Team, led by Maria Blaas, finished their season in first place with a record of 10-2-2.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoLVdOXi7ShrXQQUC8deDzHtZlEEzzh5KU7ii_nB4gKmE77jQlOMN9e8_HR3lDGJauP1Jn_Y33HE20fqiUpSLAkS246LrISvQbVF8jNQNu80ZlBGP893QQpDfDnH_iNTb9zrN5qKOhmuT/s1600/1979+ladies+team.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoLVdOXi7ShrXQQUC8deDzHtZlEEzzh5KU7ii_nB4gKmE77jQlOMN9e8_HR3lDGJauP1Jn_Y33HE20fqiUpSLAkS246LrISvQbVF8jNQNu80ZlBGP893QQpDfDnH_iNTb9zrN5qKOhmuT/s400/1979+ladies+team.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6j5Zf0yk_gHUv9kJz4OegHmCbsyTd8ZLN40zi5JySX8haX4PGXcVPMw_-Om4P14rcNT3BqjTsDL1KianPgoOW0nq9PLDCg8_Fm5yi7CM4gzaVoA2eLB1w3zusC6BrACDDF2dW13v75Qp/s1600/GW70s+Scan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6j5Zf0yk_gHUv9kJz4OegHmCbsyTd8ZLN40zi5JySX8haX4PGXcVPMw_-Om4P14rcNT3BqjTsDL1KianPgoOW0nq9PLDCg8_Fm5yi7CM4gzaVoA2eLB1w3zusC6BrACDDF2dW13v75Qp/s200/GW70s+Scan1.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Susie Zimmer represented the club as Miss Green White at the 15th annual Sport, Radio & Press Ball at the Bismarck Hotel Ballroom. The Conant High School senior noted in the program that "Practically all my time is spent at the soccer fields because I love the sport so much." Susie shared space in the program with that night's special guest of honor, Chicago Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, as well as the dignitaries who sent well wishes including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and German National Team coach Helmut Schoen. The biggest prize of the night, Junior Team of the Year, was won by Green White.<br />
<br />
One former Green White player, Joe Filian, was meanwhile enjoying his time playing professional soccer in the NASL as a member of the New York Cosmos. Among his teammates, the legendary Franz Beckenbauer. That's Joe with the big afro in the back row, good ol' #27...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw2jl7FsDr5wxskzGuggm2fnyh2Hzc4N4YcUuPcnuG6RCwq1rCNq5ZddzZ5R1-nmTUvLrhwXD1EDtbbUeUX7fLeDxca-GvB3ugq3PUN2edUqudvPjBFCuzvo_oQtH6xJD1pt0JpGB8vmy/s1600/Cosmos+79.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw2jl7FsDr5wxskzGuggm2fnyh2Hzc4N4YcUuPcnuG6RCwq1rCNq5ZddzZ5R1-nmTUvLrhwXD1EDtbbUeUX7fLeDxca-GvB3ugq3PUN2edUqudvPjBFCuzvo_oQtH6xJD1pt0JpGB8vmy/s320/Cosmos+79.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
*Future first team player Bunnyray Larmond was born on December 4th.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ded4MZVVAhE">My Sharona</a>" by The Knack<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was given to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNLcfJ06y34">Kramer vs. Kramer</a>"<br />
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*The top rated television show of 1979 was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb6UgPSdp0o">60 Minutes</a>"<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1979</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gTU1bzgGaD822FmhbdyZVvJGOn9foN4CyHDk-M_oG71sI8_nA2-mmJDUiYOQ24t7M6VSxhR3MQTU2eZsQmfdq9-0WpsqP2dN3-qa4PHqrF6SITUFV5Vws9dGzrdSbVX7difhMz_8NJAc/s1600/1979+snowstorm.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gTU1bzgGaD822FmhbdyZVvJGOn9foN4CyHDk-M_oG71sI8_nA2-mmJDUiYOQ24t7M6VSxhR3MQTU2eZsQmfdq9-0WpsqP2dN3-qa4PHqrF6SITUFV5Vws9dGzrdSbVX7difhMz_8NJAc/s200/1979+snowstorm.png" /></a><br />
<br />
~Nearly twenty inches of snow fell in one weekend in Chicago; one of the biggest storms in city history.<br />
<br />
~The Shah of Iran fled his country and was replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini. Militants seized the U.S. Embassy and held Americans hostage.<br />
<br />
~An accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant released radiation in Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
~Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister of Great Britain.<br />
<br />
~Pope John Paul II visited the United States, including Chicago. He performed mass in front of an overflow crowd of worshippers in Grant Park.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HaBRBiaXHL8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<br />
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<br />
Coming next month: 1980.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-53219685390706854492013-07-31T23:08:00.000-05:002013-09-25T13:33:45.961-05:0019781978 was the year of the old-timer at Green White. The first team had a fine season--they finished with a winning record--but the old timers (known as the Alte Herren) dominated. They were managed by Alex Gyurko (photo) and they only lost two games all year. At the time, old timers were defined generally as anyone over 30 years old, and while some were just barely over the threshold, others were not. A few of the best players (including Stefan Zimmer and Joe Laxgang) joined an all-star team of Alte Herren, and took that team back to Germany. America's Alte Herren and Germany's Alte Herren had a great time and made some lifelong friends.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46gTd2JjVSsFuMSpAHWFXKtIumRURAmGgsW7jHJiBbbrO3w6tdWsXASsmdu37uiMoZi9jSWUu22KwiWEj8FrVT99072Lva4dxazjepB0RgXmkS9Au1fthFNmHhsDXg4CgbS3BL90Ii3s2/s1600/GW80s+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46gTd2JjVSsFuMSpAHWFXKtIumRURAmGgsW7jHJiBbbrO3w6tdWsXASsmdu37uiMoZi9jSWUu22KwiWEj8FrVT99072Lva4dxazjepB0RgXmkS9Au1fthFNmHhsDXg4CgbS3BL90Ii3s2/s200/GW80s+042.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Back in Chicago the Green White Juniors, led by Frank Speth (15 goals) had another good season, but they were eclipsed by the work of the Green White Juveniles managed by Martin Schneider (photo below). The Juveniles shredded their way through the league, making it all the way to the National League finals. They lost the title game to the Chicago Kickers, but considering this was their first season in the A division, it was considered a remarkable achievement.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplvQ-H1F8aMbLZ1ug7HGSlt3Fxj7yurseGMKonZCZxUYZ41hPbqxiOI0AQEHlijkbn97IeBf-ImtkPmbkUaPM5zbaBdqKanQxVFgW3eZoDSYkgUiN-znqYiDVwkkpnLWdiaeZYghoxmjI/s1600/GW80s+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplvQ-H1F8aMbLZ1ug7HGSlt3Fxj7yurseGMKonZCZxUYZ41hPbqxiOI0AQEHlijkbn97IeBf-ImtkPmbkUaPM5zbaBdqKanQxVFgW3eZoDSYkgUiN-znqYiDVwkkpnLWdiaeZYghoxmjI/s200/GW80s+075.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
<br />
The executive board of Green White remained the same in 1978. In his year-end address to the board, Green White president Hans Metzinger said exactly the right words. Recording Secretary Franz Stadler captured his short and sweet speech nearly verbatim. "I'd like to thank everyone who worked hard for us this year--all the members, board members, and workers--but most importantly, I want to thank my wife Annie."<br />
<br />
Smart man.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White in 1978 was Linda Mehler, and she competeted for the crown of Miss Soccer at the Sepp Herberger Sport, Radio & Press Ball in November. It was a star studded event, featuring a couple of very special guests. If a fight had broken out no-one would have been surprised because the guests of honor that night were famous boxers; former heavyweight champ Max Schmeling (who was visiting from Germany), and former middleweight champ Tony Zale (who was visiting all the way from Gary, Indiana). The program book features a photo of Max Schmeling with another guest of honor that night; Chicago Sting soccer coach Willi Roy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
<br />
*Born on 4/5/1978, future first team and reserve standout Robert Czop<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
The 1978 World Cup was held in Argentina, and the home team managed to make it to the finals against the runner up from 1974, Holland. (The Germans were knocked out early by the Austrians--probably their worst showing in World Cup history). When the final piece of confetti fell, the Argentinians were the champions for the very first time.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E0ckp3hoodE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The #1 song of 1978 was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcHlL6PR5NU">"Shadow Dancing"</a> by Andy Gibb.<br />
<br />
*The Academy Award for best picture was awarded to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw-Tyr6Rb6I">"The Deer Hunter"</a><br />
<br />
*The top rated show on television was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbPOxUZsoHU">"Laverne and Shirley"</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1978</i><br />
<br />
~The Chicago Daily News, a fixture in Chicago since 1875, published it's final issue. Among the journalists who found themselves unemployed was Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Mike Royko. He moved to the Sun Times after the Daily News shut its doors.<br />
<br />
~Velcro was put on the market for the first time.<br />
<br />
~The comic strip Garfield debuted.<br />
<br />
~Three Popes reigned in 1978. Pope Paul VI died in August. Pope John Paul I replaced him, but died only a few months later. He was replaced by the first Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDKV94TlVdYNjKicFh8IgyBBinb-tgmEqZPLKE0CgHAPGr3tce246t3svZ9vi6INtXh3aVrjpyZa-ONa5psDkg2YZBz70XLgIos075DnrSMb4-tD2-4ZPcFammnmd2cqUfG91gJVQcSUR/s1600/John+Paul+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDKV94TlVdYNjKicFh8IgyBBinb-tgmEqZPLKE0CgHAPGr3tce246t3svZ9vi6INtXh3aVrjpyZa-ONa5psDkg2YZBz70XLgIos075DnrSMb4-tD2-4ZPcFammnmd2cqUfG91gJVQcSUR/s200/John+Paul+2.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1979.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-32442737728075515942013-06-26T13:15:00.000-05:002013-06-26T13:15:45.049-05:001977<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnX3nok1DbSd9Xd6WntHDlm8pqhLqKAOcsTqP7GQuurZfYeAjsw9nLud8b6xSSsnWL59EZfKbOF3gpQUAXbyudmLsJx3oBDHodI8MJL_x5EzuwISsuYaltzoNpf6IplEiXc4j0TDZQLGA/s1600/team+shot+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnX3nok1DbSd9Xd6WntHDlm8pqhLqKAOcsTqP7GQuurZfYeAjsw9nLud8b6xSSsnWL59EZfKbOF3gpQUAXbyudmLsJx3oBDHodI8MJL_x5EzuwISsuYaltzoNpf6IplEiXc4j0TDZQLGA/s320/team+shot+4.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
Rudi Mayer returned to the team and was named as the second best player in the league at the Sepp Herberger Awards. But by 1977 it was becoming obvious that Green White's accomodations didn't quite live up to some of their competitors. While Schwaben AC had a lush grass field, cluhouse, and banquet hall in Buffalo Grove, Green White was still making do with their north side Chicago clubhouse and the field at Welles Park. <br />
<br />
Many of the original Green White members had since moved out to the suburbs and they continued to make the trek into the city, but it was becoming more and more of a burden. But that was nothing compared to what the players had to deal with playing on that soccer field.<br />
<br />
“When we played at Welles Park," Klaus Kilian remembers, "we were right across from a church, and the priest would come out there and complain because we were playing on Sundays, and he didn’t like us interrupting his service. ‘Could you guys keep it down!’”<br />
<br />
The park district was having a very hard maintaining the fields, and soccer clearly wasn't a priority for them.<br />
<br />
"We played on fields that had everything on them except green grass," Hans Metzinger Jr. remembers. "It was not uncommon for both teams to line up together, single file, and clear the field of all debris left from the previous night."<br />
<br />
"I never forget those pregame field trash collections at Welles Park," current over-40 coach John Dunkas concurs. "But don't forget the indoor fields. I remember getting a tetanus shot after playing at the Chicago Armory because the field was shared by a stable of horses."<br />
<br />
As the 1970s were winding down, so was Green White's time in the neighborhood. It would be another five years before they found new fields, but the rumbling had surely begun.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
<br />
1977 marked the beginning of Helmut Filian's youth coaching career with Green White. He was the coach of the Midget A team, a team that he probably didn't quite realize at the time had the makings of greatness.<br />
<br />
The Junior team was led by Konrad Meschbach. His oldest son Robert was now a mainstay on the first team, but his younger son Richard was a member of the Junior team. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzSltnokkaWEbZkyAP7jC0Vmk4KmV_5oZq-FbIXkeKy5F09lxoAnTSNEukpN6VHYkKDFsVuROB2tKJvs_MmIZqqEvZ5sq4MMcn5tr3lBFyhicnfgcOmd8XTRFeMElleevc8Y_ttvbZpwx/s1600/GW70s+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzSltnokkaWEbZkyAP7jC0Vmk4KmV_5oZq-FbIXkeKy5F09lxoAnTSNEukpN6VHYkKDFsVuROB2tKJvs_MmIZqqEvZ5sq4MMcn5tr3lBFyhicnfgcOmd8XTRFeMElleevc8Y_ttvbZpwx/s320/GW70s+076.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
The Green White Board was led by president Hans Metzinger, but he was joined by the veritable who's who of Green White history. Among the other names that year, Martin Schneider, Franz Fernbach, Franz Stadler, Horst Melcher, Fritz Becker, and Josef Schuster.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White in 1977 was Marianne Schmidt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
Future Green White player Sean Connor was born in 1977. Don't ask what his first word was.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The number one song in the country was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZr6AE-u2UM">"Tonight's the Night"</a> by Rod Stewart.<br />
<br />
~<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBzHphcc2Jw">"Annie Hall"</a> won the Academy Award for best picture.<br />
<br />
~The top rated television show in America was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ZXjY5rTHg">"Laverne & Shirley"</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elswhere in 1977</i><br />
<br />
~Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah, marking the first execution in America since the death penalty had been reinstated.<br />
<br />
~Roots was a cultural phenomenon after airing for the first time on ABC.<br />
<br />
~"Star Wars" was released and becomes the highest grossing film of all-time (at that time).<br />
<br />
~Elvis Presley died in his home in Memphis at the age of 42. Groucho Marx died three days later at the age of 86. Three members of Lynyrd Synryd died in a plane crash a few months later.<br />
<br />
~The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was released to coincide with the release of the movie, and it became the then biggest selling album of all time.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bNOq-BFF78mI4eCJP8md15W1qNeGfQ7G03kYGv5j_V-nnfUlXsjL7TskTAhUx6UZjjWmzPiF-oUVUuzkVv6YqxnsC4nd0oPhofqw1m2m9z80PNOaAEKl18gufrHPTiUYQntxOdwbkrc-/s1600/Saturday+Night+Fever.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bNOq-BFF78mI4eCJP8md15W1qNeGfQ7G03kYGv5j_V-nnfUlXsjL7TskTAhUx6UZjjWmzPiF-oUVUuzkVv6YqxnsC4nd0oPhofqw1m2m9z80PNOaAEKl18gufrHPTiUYQntxOdwbkrc-/s320/Saturday+Night+Fever.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1978.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-51463543224457672682013-05-29T12:54:00.000-05:002013-06-04T11:34:06.595-05:001976<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxEHo6vzqxfXfmg2qUKDrwi1fGVJLb3hAwwH926uqhh0PbGPQNiTKQbfuSOjsekd6ewCfJhiAwbPxihTZE_wjG21IeTibAVWdy0FLhnpo3wqBGEL2rru43nHZ5q9GfnwJCqhTzLmJpi6H/s1600/team+shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxEHo6vzqxfXfmg2qUKDrwi1fGVJLb3hAwwH926uqhh0PbGPQNiTKQbfuSOjsekd6ewCfJhiAwbPxihTZE_wjG21IeTibAVWdy0FLhnpo3wqBGEL2rru43nHZ5q9GfnwJCqhTzLmJpi6H/s320/team+shot.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
Green White celebrated their 20th anniversary in 1976. The First Team was led by team manager Steve Zimmer, and a few mainstays that played virtually every game in 1976. Hans Marx played in 51 of the 55 (!) games that season, followed closely by goal scoring leader Peter Berger and defensive stopper Hans Metzinger Jr. (Both Berger and Marx were honored at the Sepp Herberger Awards--coming in 2nd and 4th respectively in Player of the Year balloting)<br />
<br />
Green White played in no fewer than ten tournaments during the nation's Bicentennial year. They finished in 3rd place in the Memorial Day tournament in Minnesota, won the Real F.C. and Schwaben tournaments in July, and finished in second place to the Fichte Rams in June's Sepp Herberger tournament and August's Fichte Rams tournament.<br />
<br />
The First Team was much younger than it had been in previous years as long-time stalwart Joe Laxgang began to wind down his playing days after reaching his 800th game milestone, John Woolfe cut his playing time a bit too, and even Rudi Mayer stepped back from Green White to concentrate on playing for the Chicago Sting. Because of all the tournaments Green White played, names like Willer, Kilian, Zimmer, and Polaretzki (who hit his 400 game milestone in 1976) occasionally graced the lineup sheet, but Green White fans were just as likely to see young pups like Meschbach, Filian, Schmalz, and Mansfield.<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
<br />
The Junior team finished in second place in the state of Illinois, but they probably remember 1976 for something even more exciting. They went to Europe and played exhibition games in Austria and Germany. Joe Filian, Robert Meschbach, the Speth brothers, Frank Schmalz, and Richard Schneider were among the lucky players who went overseas to show Europe that American boys knew how to play a little soccer too.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EWV-zoT3bKwHsrg0nq-wHvVtlyZnW7k5vc24-5bMcw4IE0hi0vT8CLuoNFXu79EhEBgk_RAhKtkX7j24uLdH1-mbDfwgWHv8aGC31Mlr3WB7PpwsqC-ykxdj_o8yaRh_iDz8L4WqZeEs/s1600/GW70s+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EWV-zoT3bKwHsrg0nq-wHvVtlyZnW7k5vc24-5bMcw4IE0hi0vT8CLuoNFXu79EhEBgk_RAhKtkX7j24uLdH1-mbDfwgWHv8aGC31Mlr3WB7PpwsqC-ykxdj_o8yaRh_iDz8L4WqZeEs/s320/GW70s+047.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
On October 16th, 1976, Green White celebrated their 20th anniversary with a big party at the Heim Der Donauschwaben (4219 N. Lincoln Avenue). Team president Hans Metzinger welcomed the attendees with a thank you for everything club members had done, and a plea for their continued use of the Green White clubhouse as the center of their social lives.<br />
<br />
He must have been proud to crown Miss Green White that year, his own daughter, Marillac High School Senior Christine Metzinger. Christine was a figure skater (Schlitschuhlauferin).<br />
<br />
The Green White board in 1976 featured names that had been a part of the club since the very beginning; Hans Metzinger, Martin Schneider (first VP), Franz Fernbach (second VP), Fritz Becker, Alex Jordan, Peter Berger, Horst Melcher, Toni Kirschner, Heinrich Bischoff, Franz Stadler, Eckhard Kaempfer (in abstentia), Heinrich Wittje, Joseph Schuster, Maria Blass, Maria Zimmer, and Adam Harjung.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
*Future Green White player and Senior Board member Jon Duddles was born in 1976.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm0GXqYxfGNVkTgNHi9yuAtDMfyVSmlHYjoW6NA_AjGRXpYvUuDXZONzbsaZbrfvPr9tH3mvFdLNskeTLHgeF7pPyAQQTgOwSMzP-CEqksXLot5ViR87pMANdv2pYbBh7gVRNl9_jKmJX/s1600/photo+5+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm0GXqYxfGNVkTgNHi9yuAtDMfyVSmlHYjoW6NA_AjGRXpYvUuDXZONzbsaZbrfvPr9tH3mvFdLNskeTLHgeF7pPyAQQTgOwSMzP-CEqksXLot5ViR87pMANdv2pYbBh7gVRNl9_jKmJX/s320/photo+5+-+Copy.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer </i><br />
<br />
The 1976 European Cup was held in Communist Yugolavia. The defending World Cup Champion West German team beat the host nation in the semi-finals before facing Czechoslovakia in the finals. After falling behind 2-0, the West Germans came back to tie the game. At the end of extra time the score was still tied 2-2. <br />
<br />
The game went to penalty kicks. Both teams made their first three shots. The Czechs added a fourth. German midfielder Uli Hoeneß stepped up to take the fourth penalty kick for the West Germans, and in a moment that has not been forgotten by his countrymen, kicked it over the goal. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5UrbLym4oE">The Czechs put in their final shot and won the European Championship</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_aVNUND-k7DRWYURxbz3YJ2-rmGpsbcs37IVeE4sBTUosk67DH7glovZqNtu3YdpgGXDDAQWgjdDQSQtwZ39Oy1XJQjc5R92zXQ81LRahOSqASLqBhjXDa7ghypcreB7-GVcHcEuL6V2/s1600/uli-hoeness-1976-252152.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_aVNUND-k7DRWYURxbz3YJ2-rmGpsbcs37IVeE4sBTUosk67DH7glovZqNtu3YdpgGXDDAQWgjdDQSQtwZ39Oy1XJQjc5R92zXQ81LRahOSqASLqBhjXDa7ghypcreB7-GVcHcEuL6V2/s320/uli-hoeness-1976-252152.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The number one hit of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_kkp9S9a3w">Silly Love Songs</a>" by Wings.<br />
<br />
~The Academy Award for 1976's Best Picture went to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP3MFBzMH2o">Rocky</a>"<br />
<br />
~The #1 rated show on television was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMxkMy9JvXI">Happy Days</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1976</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIuzWe7xefsmfXi6FC2zAnjf6B60UKKYQzv37Z1JAkzfxJg8uPq2C9WUhwkeGa22so1clSQlxWr3WlHPjBDXNqJY4iF__DxvB2TtRnBMEFx2J0NHuCQfIzTNLrNNp48Y13r_3fdfsLvt8/s1600/US+Bicentennial+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIuzWe7xefsmfXi6FC2zAnjf6B60UKKYQzv37Z1JAkzfxJg8uPq2C9WUhwkeGa22so1clSQlxWr3WlHPjBDXNqJY4iF__DxvB2TtRnBMEFx2J0NHuCQfIzTNLrNNp48Y13r_3fdfsLvt8/s320/US+Bicentennial+Logo.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
~If you liked the colors red, white & blue, 1976 was a great year, because the nation celebrated it's bicentennial by painting nearly everything red, white and blue. In Washington, D.C. a huge celebration was presided over by President Ford and televised nationally. His guest that night was Queen Elizabeth. Walter Cronkite hosted a sixteen hour special on July 4th, which featured a large international fleet of tall-masted sailing ships gathering in New York City. <br />
<br />
~Because of the bicentennial, every major sports league's All Star Game was held in Philadelphia.<br />
<br />
~In the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10.<br />
<br />
~In November Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th President of the United States.<br />
<br />
~And in the Chicago area, television's Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) appeared with WLS disc jockey John Records Landecker at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Organizers expected 3000 fans. More than 30,000 screaming teenage girls flooded the mall. Travolta wowed the girls with his catch phrases: "What?" "Why?" "Where?"<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUdlQ4rkn0Cerd_iRdGz5vs214EDvY5sx6h4eJMgthKlzxlnuZk5mHWWuJP5tl8j0E8psUujt3prbtIcVDsc23Too_Ylk1tjnBM_OKdbt-8zTnanu426wRheHnyRQppy97RvpvGp3l63q/s1600/Travolta_Woodfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUdlQ4rkn0Cerd_iRdGz5vs214EDvY5sx6h4eJMgthKlzxlnuZk5mHWWuJP5tl8j0E8psUujt3prbtIcVDsc23Too_Ylk1tjnBM_OKdbt-8zTnanu426wRheHnyRQppy97RvpvGp3l63q/s320/Travolta_Woodfield.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1977.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-7561644159944235822013-04-30T14:13:00.000-05:002013-04-30T14:13:20.222-05:001975<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqUA3q1hkLQeNwnlmrpmDK35XvcEz5wMvHFg07LoLG-JZn6UjC1t_9NTYc-fIRyPaH8h7I5Fw6nqWJuW3iyCtKS8UDXsYuDHvq5PVY93omhyphenhyphenO019jKCsK-ywm0X_OufOkcsXNTLBPwIJm/s1600/team+shot+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqUA3q1hkLQeNwnlmrpmDK35XvcEz5wMvHFg07LoLG-JZn6UjC1t_9NTYc-fIRyPaH8h7I5Fw6nqWJuW3iyCtKS8UDXsYuDHvq5PVY93omhyphenhyphenO019jKCsK-ywm0X_OufOkcsXNTLBPwIJm/s320/team+shot+4.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
1975 was an eventful year for Green White. Led by manager Steve Zimmer and president Hans Metzinger, the first team had a very good season. In August the first ever Donauschaben Tournament was held in Akron Ohio. Teams of similar Danube Schwabian descent from all over the country battled it out on the soccer field. Green White was undefeated and unscored upon in those games, and were scheduled to play in the finals against Cleveland but it was cancelled because of heavy rain. At the end of the weekend tournament, after tabulating the goal differential, Green White was awarded the championship trophy. The tournament is still held annually, and Green White continues to participate.<br />
<br />
If you were present for the First Team game on September 7th, 1975, you saw Green White past, present, and future all on the field at the same time. <br />
<br />
Two youngsters made their First Team debut that day, according to the meticulous records kept by club archivist Andreas Laxgang. Joe Filian started at midfield and Robert Meschbach started at striker. Both of these teenagers would later go on to play professional soccer, but on this day they shared the field with the Green White greats that came before them. Long-time players John Woolfe, Joe Laxgang and Nick Willer all played that day, as did the current stars of the team, Hans Mayer, Rudi Mayer, Peter Berger, and Hardy Ritter, along with longtime Green White names like Wirs, Schuster, and Wittje. The three generations of Green White players battled to a 2-2 tie against O.H. United in Lane Tech Stadium.<br />
<br />
1975 also marked the first season for the professional Chicago Sting. The Sting recruited Green White's captain, Rudi Mayer, to be a part of that team <i>(bottom row, far left)</i>. The Sting would remain an important part of the soccer landscape in Chicago for next decade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPVLJOU43esk1ei_dKdEhXjS2Y9ZE2p3DWauDNG5N88UfDhNxXzALvUzV7cIYViUWg_MavhkAOZQSbrjOd-9728DAYkHtCFDGL5spRM11Oh8LLjXNcwVBClwvc6-3zA1-tcGvQNfuHf2v/s1600/Sting+76+Road+Team+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPVLJOU43esk1ei_dKdEhXjS2Y9ZE2p3DWauDNG5N88UfDhNxXzALvUzV7cIYViUWg_MavhkAOZQSbrjOd-9728DAYkHtCFDGL5spRM11Oh8LLjXNcwVBClwvc6-3zA1-tcGvQNfuHf2v/s320/Sting+76+Road+Team+2.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
While Rudi was showing Chicago and America what soccer could be, a collection of all-star Old Timers from the German teams in Chicago went on a tour of Germany to show their former countrymen the old guys still had what it took to kick the ball around. Among the players on that all-star team were Green White's very own Steve Zimmer and Joe Laxgang.<br />
<br />
And the Green White ladies team showed what they were made of as well. In the summer tournament at the Schwaben Center, the Green White ladies team made it all the way to the finals before losing 2-0 to the Chicago Kickers in the final game.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpRKEKCt2Yu2x2jD7phv6rzPsZ7zpukHBXSvfWXKQoMzcjDdejn-EP7LjlodDjcWUwCyZkVUiz_GTIGZTuW4nxaOvh-zRUyeTawh4iN1YRPKnp5wa_QNz-eeKVnwSQZIyPRZDsW1kI4Da/s1600/GW70s+Scan1+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpRKEKCt2Yu2x2jD7phv6rzPsZ7zpukHBXSvfWXKQoMzcjDdejn-EP7LjlodDjcWUwCyZkVUiz_GTIGZTuW4nxaOvh-zRUyeTawh4iN1YRPKnp5wa_QNz-eeKVnwSQZIyPRZDsW1kI4Da/s320/GW70s+Scan1+(3).jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
Brigitte Maria Kiefer was named Miss Green White and represented the club at the annual Sepp Herberger Sport, Radio & Press Ball. Green White's Junior Team (which featured the likes of Filian, Meschbach, and the next decade's First Team starters) was awarded the Junior Team of the year award.<br />
<br />
Green White's Rudi Mayer was awarded the Sepp Herberger trophy for Player of the Year, and First Team goaltender Hardy Ritter finished in third place for that same award.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The #1 song of the year was <a href="http://youtu.be/pFtbgpKAmTM">"Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille</a><br />
<br />
~The top rated show on television was "All in the Family"<br />
<br />
~The Academy Award for Best Picture of 1975 went to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND31PWVW-TQ">"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"</a>, but "Jaws" was the big winner at the box office.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1975</i><br />
<br />
~In John Wooden's final game as coach, UCLA won their 10th NCAA championship of the past 12 years.<br />
<br />
~Frank Robinson became the first African American manager in baseball (Cleveland Indians). Bill Veeck bought the White Sox.<br />
<br />
~The U.S. evacuated US citizens from Saigon prior to an expected North Vietnamese takeover, and U.S. involvement in the war officially came to an end.<br />
<br />
~Cher divorced Sonny Bono.<br />
<br />
~Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit.<br />
<br />
~Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is unsuccessful in her assassination attempt against President Ford in Sacramento.<br />
<br />
~Patty Hearst was captured by the FBI after being kidnapped, and then participating in several bank robberies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax0mj7xDIcKguCRMda6AC8_uo1fz-0SCSazZievYpXVC9mPQDz2I6ZWKwpSEpsHUf3FOYBvp_X2vyxK1zeoXGjoSF37mPRav6uqmtMWiCUhFte2WGqkegxQ25-KnmYFnWNa5-z6NH3AzN/s1600/Patty+Hearst.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax0mj7xDIcKguCRMda6AC8_uo1fz-0SCSazZievYpXVC9mPQDz2I6ZWKwpSEpsHUf3FOYBvp_X2vyxK1zeoXGjoSF37mPRav6uqmtMWiCUhFte2WGqkegxQ25-KnmYFnWNa5-z6NH3AzN/s320/Patty+Hearst.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1976. America celebrates a Bicentennial and Green White celebrates their 20th anniversary.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-67462173252619547722013-03-23T22:10:00.000-05:002013-03-23T22:10:09.877-05:001974The 1974 season might not have been the best in league play for Green White's first team (they finished in the middle of the pack), but the summer of 1974 was packed with tournaments around the area, out of state, and even out of the country.<br />
<br />
Once again led by the Mayer brothers (Captain Rudi scored 17, his brother Hans scored 16), Green White fared well in the Minneapolis tournament at the end of May, and then came back to Chicago and played well in the tournament at the brand new Schwaben Center in Buffalo Grove. <br />
<br />
The first team had some fun during that tournament, letting the players try out different postions. In one game defender Konrad Kirschner<i> (photo below)</i> played in the goal. Coach Stefan Zimmer got back in the first team lineup during that same tournament. In another tournament Stefan Strumberger made a return appearance in goal (after a long absence from first team play) so that keeper Hardy Ritter could get some time on offense. They wrapped up their tour of the continent over Labor Day weekend, when the club made the trip up to Canada, and dominated the Canadian team from Windsor.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPoqV_Jkoti3nWbFWS4yEiGSC4b0_VOdWIa_2FgeG07rcTz86RTA4ESuWvzXnvL5zDInFTAsJLUpCZwks1pyuCRvFwfEf4IRV5Xturq5PaOJsjF_SifsRN8qDRdJw2sX8HE1BDAaIRdpa/s1600/GW70s+scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPoqV_Jkoti3nWbFWS4yEiGSC4b0_VOdWIa_2FgeG07rcTz86RTA4ESuWvzXnvL5zDInFTAsJLUpCZwks1pyuCRvFwfEf4IRV5Xturq5PaOJsjF_SifsRN8qDRdJw2sX8HE1BDAaIRdpa/s320/GW70s+scan0002.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
1974 also marked yet another milestone for club mainstay Joe Laxgang. He played in his 700th game in a Green White uniform. He must have felt at home on the field, because he was playing alongside long-time teammates Nick Willer and John Woolfe during that historic game. Green White won the game 3-2 versus the Fichte Rams on a late goal by Gary Kaiser.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
<br />
While the first team had fun, the Green White youth teams took care of business. In one of the best seasons in Green White youth soccer history, both the Juneniles team and the Midgets won the city and state championships. The Juveniles were led by coach Simon Andres and his star players Frank Schmaltz, Frank Speth, and a player who still plays for Green White today: John Dunkas.<br />
<br />
The midget club (photo below) featured some of the long-time names associated with the team since it's beginning, including two sons of Coach Franz Stadler (Walter & Ricky), two Laxgangs (Marcus & Ricky, sons of Stefan and Joe), Michael Blaas (also a cousin of the Laxgang boys), Mike Schmaltz (little brother of Frank), Richard Schneider (son of club founder Martin), Toni Harjung (son of original member Adam), and Eckhard Kaempfer's son--yet another Ricky (There were six boys named Richard on this team). The Kaempfers moved to Germany in December of 1974. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNvrbudJYGQ-DXUWwEXoZ-_r9qqnnXAlLsqVHozY_RCtrrsA2NR7AEx7RyrppD4ZR1pNhHrIpClB4WlHOfoJ-hAL3YLNMuJCG2Eu6WSv94kFRAKa_er5GvfXp6qTsuVlx768-94HZkySf/s1600/you+know+this+one.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNvrbudJYGQ-DXUWwEXoZ-_r9qqnnXAlLsqVHozY_RCtrrsA2NR7AEx7RyrppD4ZR1pNhHrIpClB4WlHOfoJ-hAL3YLNMuJCG2Eu6WSv94kFRAKa_er5GvfXp6qTsuVlx768-94HZkySf/s320/you+know+this+one.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off The Field</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJVrrY5Zo30PyjMUzN-DswCiBtuwj2b5SjhcVcEn3xK22SbaT0_GtarJOOIhpV5llRTNza7wui6kCgdCUFnMExBryhT7CqtI1N8vaiKznx9NXCqXugIhfnyHFxqJbphTNuUcci6Vubd2H/s1600/GW80s+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJVrrY5Zo30PyjMUzN-DswCiBtuwj2b5SjhcVcEn3xK22SbaT0_GtarJOOIhpV5llRTNza7wui6kCgdCUFnMExBryhT7CqtI1N8vaiKznx9NXCqXugIhfnyHFxqJbphTNuUcci6Vubd2H/s320/GW80s+003.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
There was a changing of the guard in the executive suite of Green White in 1974. Hans Metzinger became Green White's president, a position he would hold off and on for the next thirty years.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White in 1974 was 18-year-old Hildegard Schneider. Hilde was an honor student at Loyola University.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
*Future Green White player and current Green White board member Robert Stadler was born on May 9, 1974.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Other Soccer News from 1974</i><br />
<br />
The Green White clubhouse was abuzz during the summer of 1974 as the World Cup was held in West Germany. The German team was led by captain Franz Beckenbauer and star striker Gerd Mueller, and they won it all, defeating Holland in the final game 2-1 to win their second World Cup Championship.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/caK-Hu2Pc4Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-KPGh3wysw">"The Way We Were"</a> by Barbra Streisand<br />
<br />
*The Best Picture of the year was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJr92K_hKl0">"Godfather II"</a>. The biggest hit at the box office was "Blazing Saddles".<br />
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*The top show on television was once again "All in the Family"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1974</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAmFJHIfoiEugcfHj2B7rjFMzf1zv3VFqZ5CIhuXlM2XGuw1iEvy1GpsGIvU3IrgwnY-vd7ilDyoMhs993d2ttM3dn88RfeXMaxY19wxMehj4MR9ejWTiWBTi-igUa5VCOMiXs0TSWwg5/s1600/nixon+farewell.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAmFJHIfoiEugcfHj2B7rjFMzf1zv3VFqZ5CIhuXlM2XGuw1iEvy1GpsGIvU3IrgwnY-vd7ilDyoMhs993d2ttM3dn88RfeXMaxY19wxMehj4MR9ejWTiWBTi-igUa5VCOMiXs0TSWwg5/s320/nixon+farewell.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
*President Richard Nixon resigned his office, and Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States. He remains the only president in history that was never elected vice president or president.<br />
<br />
*In April, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, moving ahead of Babe Ruth as baseball's all-time home run king.<br />
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*In August, rock star Peter Wolf (The JGeils Band) married movie star Faye Dunaway in one of the big celebrity events of the year.<br />
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*In October, Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" to regain his Heavyweight title.<br />
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*In November John Lennon made his final on-stage appearance. He came on during the encore of Elton John's concert at Madison Square Garden to perform with Elton.<br />
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<br />
Next month: 1975<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i><br />
<br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-66823811318278308682013-02-28T13:56:00.001-06:002013-02-28T13:56:26.005-06:001973A few Green White players reached milestones during the 1973, including Rudi Mayer (below right) who played in his 200th game with the club, and Nick Willer who made the exclusive 500-game club, but 1973 really belonged to Rudi's younger brother Hansi (below left). The former star of the Green White youth program was now showing his stuff with the First Team.<br />
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Green White played a 2-3-5 lineup which was common at that time. There were several different starting lineups, but the team that donned the Green and White most often looked like this: Hardi Ritter in the goal. Fladischer and Kirschner in the back. Joe Laxgang, Kelm, and Marks in the midfield. And the strong front five of Hansi Mayer, Team Captain Rudi Mayer, Mathes, Michajlovitsch, and Drace. (Others that contributed to the First Team in 1973, often in the starting lineup themselves were Berger, Ratschan, Lehman, Willer, Kaiser, Pressling, Wittje, Schuster, and the ever-present John Woolfe.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhCDrkE4XfGJX2MuKPakBmUw15ytyvYNW16kFeg_eKv-sQaFEH62I7gPQRxPL71ZYv8Lc4iJ-SfZOmSYVaMHI3tuMojeNtgyjxuTKKMFtU4_XNM5EF2sGGe1tQvXFeR1vagDFRUjKAYa5/s1600/mayers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhCDrkE4XfGJX2MuKPakBmUw15ytyvYNW16kFeg_eKv-sQaFEH62I7gPQRxPL71ZYv8Lc4iJ-SfZOmSYVaMHI3tuMojeNtgyjxuTKKMFtU4_XNM5EF2sGGe1tQvXFeR1vagDFRUjKAYa5/s320/mayers.jpeg" /></a><br />
<br />
Peter Mathes led the team in scoring, but when the dust settled after the 1973 season, only one player stood on the stage to accept the Player of the Year award: Hansi Mayer.<br />
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The award was presented at the annual Sport, Radio & Press ball (in the Golden Tiara Ballroom at 3231 N. Cicero in Chicago) by the German National Team coach, Helmut Schoen. Also on hand, "World Cup Willi" Schultz, the recently retired star of the 1970 German World Cup team. <br />
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The Green White first team didn't compete for the title, but they stayed in the Major Division, while the Eagles and Maroons were relegated.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Youth Teams</i><br />
<br />
The 70s belonged to the Green White youth program, and they were strong once again in 1973 at every single level. One group of boys featured long time players like Frank Schmidt Jr., Frank Olah, Mike Weiss, Hans Metzinger Jr., Mike Bappert, and Steve Marx.<br />
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Some of the former Midgets team had moved up an age group, and they dominated there too led by Frank Schmaltz, Frank Speth, Robert Klaus, and Mike Hrbacek (who led the team in goals).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGEb3GFfiPKI-ifiIgYQXrj_eOiTozRmKljPLrtECkuea0yhgkdnsEg7uzXRka8LqvSAdqswniUUCOxYsvnjHvOOjCoSVciR4UMGCcYfNYUQmGEbUMvP9NpeNdeIS_mAN9lQ4GO0fXzuJ/s1600/GW70s+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGEb3GFfiPKI-ifiIgYQXrj_eOiTozRmKljPLrtECkuea0yhgkdnsEg7uzXRka8LqvSAdqswniUUCOxYsvnjHvOOjCoSVciR4UMGCcYfNYUQmGEbUMvP9NpeNdeIS_mAN9lQ4GO0fXzuJ/s320/GW70s+038.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
And the Midgets finished in 1st place again. The strong team featured the boys in the photo above; Richard Schneider, Mike Blaas, Marcus Laxgang, Peter Wagner, and Robert Bless<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
<br />
Martin Schneider served as President for the final time in 1973. The man who had helped organize and found the team in 1956 would turn over the reigns the following year. The club was more than 300 strong, and membership at the time cost a whopping $15.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White made history. She was not only Miss Green White, she was also one of the players on the women's team. 18 year old Eva Stengel from Good Counsel High School announced in her speech that she planned to study nursing.<br />
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The Green White ladies club also staged a "mod dance" for which most of the men grew mustaches. Some of them never shaved them off.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>1973 Green White Babies <br />
</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3S03KoKSza8llob6rvYBDpKSl5ckH6oGC9wBmC3AHEkRSYMdA_9-Hg28GLOp8Qq22Ysed2E6CZC31WLSbKkDMx8c-R1arBDhhvRfggDCmI_NcfJbPf0wSFK-PnJTrknZJMWhjsfAEwX7/s1600/jeff+feichtl+1973.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3S03KoKSza8llob6rvYBDpKSl5ckH6oGC9wBmC3AHEkRSYMdA_9-Hg28GLOp8Qq22Ysed2E6CZC31WLSbKkDMx8c-R1arBDhhvRfggDCmI_NcfJbPf0wSFK-PnJTrknZJMWhjsfAEwX7/s320/jeff+feichtl+1973.jpeg" /></a> <br />
<br />
*Jeff Feicthl (photo)<br />
<br />
*Current Green White First Team Coach Jason (Jake) Truty<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
*All in the Family remained the #1 television show in the country. It kicked off the Saturday night lineup on CBS, which is still probably the strongest single night lineup in television history (M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show, and the Carol Burnett show)<br />
<br />
*The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IeiAuHGUkQ">Tie a Yellow Ribbon</a>" by Tony Orlando & Dawn. (Spoiler alert: there were a hundred yellow ribbons round the old oak tree.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1973</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-FujXebpPBbGhp7IA_Qu4wC5j7SSwNS6GZeS8m0jn3P0DO0zOLV6LRFpOSJOcYekYmjtLBfG5hZIRClVqUSwia9VdDR5gxamcJP8RT3B5_Fdx-Np4DMig8L0WCsAhqMvC1qDwOPIMe9b/s1600/Elvis+73.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-FujXebpPBbGhp7IA_Qu4wC5j7SSwNS6GZeS8m0jn3P0DO0zOLV6LRFpOSJOcYekYmjtLBfG5hZIRClVqUSwia9VdDR5gxamcJP8RT3B5_Fdx-Np4DMig8L0WCsAhqMvC1qDwOPIMe9b/s320/Elvis+73.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
~<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob1xdgPZ6vQ">Elvis Presley did the first world-wide broadcast hosted by an entertaine</a>r. His concert from Hawaii drew more viewers than the moon landing in 1969.<br />
<br />
~Pink Floyd released one of the biggest selling albums in history; "Dark Side of the Moon".<br />
<br />
~All afterschool specials were pre-empted to present the Watergate hearings. Impeachment talk started after President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to dismiss Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Richardson refused and resigned, along with Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. Solicitor General Robert Bork, third in line at the Department of Justice, then fired Cox. <br />
<br />
~Roe vs. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court.<br />
<br />
~The first designated hitter batted in the Major Leagues; Ron Bloomberg of the Yankees.<br />
<br />
~Secretariat won horseracing's Triple Crown.<br />
<br />
<br />
Coming next month: 1974. <br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-81949321094824031372013-01-30T14:56:00.001-06:002013-02-26T11:47:54.939-06:001972In many ways, 1972 was one of the best years in Green White history.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUjxF8p6RNW3Ja3hOEcsiemlJUIiZhlkhyBlE7aoldXYIAzvu35ywG6GLZKmdGtV3Y9-Wd7fLD7fDLLnrxMNMYW7RHx7BTxRdBT7Np1gUcipTbd2dA4GrktT5nd-SUTpB1wey5OOSrsUo/s1600/GW70s+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="215" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUjxF8p6RNW3Ja3hOEcsiemlJUIiZhlkhyBlE7aoldXYIAzvu35ywG6GLZKmdGtV3Y9-Wd7fLD7fDLLnrxMNMYW7RHx7BTxRdBT7Np1gUcipTbd2dA4GrktT5nd-SUTpB1wey5OOSrsUo/s400/GW70s+002.JPG" /></a></div>It all began with the first team. In his debut season as the First Team coach, Stefan Zimmer molded the team into a successful unit immediately. With a good mix of young players (like Captain Rudi Mayer, his brother Hans, Hans Marx, and Peter Mathes) and long-time stalwarts (like Joe Laxgang and Nick Willer), Green White dominated the First Division of the NSL and were promoted once again to the Major Division. Then, in the fall of 1972, Green White was named the team of the year at the annual Sport, Radio & Press ball. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9tBnGW5X-PA-AN9LddPlEqJTzuMjGtwCRwcDiKNJzAH1BCl5rRWjo800DMykzWYm5SofIN3BDkgXNtL3TPF5U6IKhchBLd6TH3-dePr_VIUHonZKlE5yRUVmKla_L9DYRaT66NokFfGf/s1600/GW70s+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="293" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9tBnGW5X-PA-AN9LddPlEqJTzuMjGtwCRwcDiKNJzAH1BCl5rRWjo800DMykzWYm5SofIN3BDkgXNtL3TPF5U6IKhchBLd6TH3-dePr_VIUHonZKlE5yRUVmKla_L9DYRaT66NokFfGf/s320/GW70s+003.JPG" /></a></div>In addition to the team honors, some of the individual players were honored as well. Peter Mathes was named one of the top five players in the league (4th place), and Rudi Mayer was named the player of the year (the Sepp Herberger award). He was personally handed the trophy by Sepp Herberger himself. The former German National Team coach (1954 World Cup Champion) brought along his former superstar player Uwe Seeler (the star of that team). <br />
<br />
The two German soccer legends also wanted to personally witness some of their former countrymen play the game here in America, and as part of their tour of German soccer in Chicago, they came by the Green White fields at Welles Park on Montrose and Lincoln the next day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwILptlpFchf9jEg8QGWBFbDGMajPR3zACvzwB2_Qt0s4vap1efntzZdg3JxJBSdAl-SR6EzeBSe5z2SEoBkE2a2tmhIq7jGXy-mdWsTLRvfPDwMdBBscWi9L_S5Q20GLvt3MogknrU9Qk/s1600/jan+e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="312" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwILptlpFchf9jEg8QGWBFbDGMajPR3zACvzwB2_Qt0s4vap1efntzZdg3JxJBSdAl-SR6EzeBSe5z2SEoBkE2a2tmhIq7jGXy-mdWsTLRvfPDwMdBBscWi9L_S5Q20GLvt3MogknrU9Qk/s320/jan+e.jpeg" /></a></div>It's hard to overstate how momentous this occasion was to the German soccer loving members of Green White. Klaus Killian was there, and explains just how big of a deal this was...<br />
<br />
"I met Sepp Herberger when he came here. I had my picture taken with him <i>(left)</i>. And I met Uwe Seeler, and got my picture taken with him too. They were really nice people—such down to earth guys. Herberger was like a father figure to all of us. What a thrill it was to meet him.”<br />
<br />
At the time, nine out of ten Chicagoans would have walked right past Sepp Herberger, despite his worldwide fame. The unassuming kindly old man came from a part of the sporting world that most of America hadn't yet embraced. Sepp Herberger became an important part of spreading the word. The Sepp Herberger Committee that sponsored the Sport, Radio & Press ball every year as a fundraiser, donated thousands of dollars to promote youth soccer in Chicago. By 1972, that total was already more than $20,000.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkUb93_ujFhUTUYjOwUj_u58qTA4fbfH8Xc9voiOicf_poRS_rYBmTXn2NNQ4YP7Cqw_04DLyFVVp86kIppVarEyWmAelEPaedVMUzv0e2nm4NwacqOBCLYRsWga0kUlzH67K-cciTztn/s1600/Frank+Schmaltz+trophy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkUb93_ujFhUTUYjOwUj_u58qTA4fbfH8Xc9voiOicf_poRS_rYBmTXn2NNQ4YP7Cqw_04DLyFVVp86kIppVarEyWmAelEPaedVMUzv0e2nm4NwacqOBCLYRsWga0kUlzH67K-cciTztn/s200/Frank+Schmaltz+trophy.jpg" /></a></div>The Green White youth program was flourishing in 1972. All of the teams performed well, but the Midgets A team (yes, they really called them that) had a particularly great year. The entire team was recognized for their first place finish at the Green White Anniversary party, and one boy in particular was singled out. His name was Frankie Schmaltz (The German newspaper "Eintracht" was on hand to chronicle his big night and publish this photo). Frank's name would be a Green White mainstay for many more years. <br />
<br />
(Green White also chose a Miss Green White--her name was Monika Schmidt, and she was a senior at Jones Commercial High School)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
*The Gyurko family had twin boys, Peter & Mark. Of course they would eventually wear the Green & White colors. The Schlenhardts also welcomed a son and future Green White player, Mike.<br />
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*Fellow future Green White players Chris Salatino, Tom Czop, and Erik Bender were also born in 1972.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in Soccer</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVgHsgRH4c-Zra9WhEyw0Bu7nPcSB8xn9BvduwXnvATEksK9YBzhtosn9s-29wjLOd2x0rHZXDY8kRKfZj9Nnc1sclaDJ0B8Dz4wO05bU7jxt7brSimySU_jED3UcjGBGIHE-Nto8EgHu/s1600/1972+European+Champs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="102" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVgHsgRH4c-Zra9WhEyw0Bu7nPcSB8xn9BvduwXnvATEksK9YBzhtosn9s-29wjLOd2x0rHZXDY8kRKfZj9Nnc1sclaDJ0B8Dz4wO05bU7jxt7brSimySU_jED3UcjGBGIHE-Nto8EgHu/s200/1972+European+Champs.jpg" /></a></div>*The European Cup was held in Belgium in 1972, and the host nation made it to the final four, but they ran into the West German juggernaut and lost 2-1. The West German team led by Franz Beckenbauer went on to beat the Soviet Union and claim the 1972 European Championship. Gerd Mueller scored twice in that final game. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The number one hit of the year was <a href="http://youtu.be/Go9aks4aujM">"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"</a> by Roberta Flack.<br />
<br />
~The Best Picture of 1972 was <a href="http://youtu.be/LN2hBOIXhBs">"The Sting" </a>. (The Oscar was awarded in 1973)<br />
<br />
~The Top Rated Television show was <a href="http://youtu.be/0d8FTPv955I">All in the Family</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1972</i><br />
<br />
~Alabama Governor and presidential candidate George Wallace was shot at a political rally in Maryland.<br />
<br />
~President Nixon had a great year. He went to China on a historic trip, and he won re-election by the biggest landslide in American history. On the other hand, five men were apprehended by police in an attempt to bug Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.’s Watergate complex. That was the start of the Watergate scandal.<br />
<br />
~Two trains colided in Chicago, causing the worst commuter train crash in city history. 45 people died and 332 were injured.<br />
<br />
~The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich. Mark Spitz won seven gold medals, but these games will always be remembered for something else. The tragic murder of the Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists.<br />
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Coming next month: 1973<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-32268412716546071982012-12-27T12:54:00.000-06:002012-12-27T12:54:08.278-06:001971<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yQMWI15yu4bg5wY0-eJSxIJKRoe0dtlJTq_WwwbcWZZXkulCubS1g95ASQ_YS_qTwOtkAY9WyOyA8jTMHojDgIgH3c7HW2k1jjkjQ2_6LiLeZwQaM4YbknTXB5F8phU2yZPmluFR6YfC/s1600/jan+7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yQMWI15yu4bg5wY0-eJSxIJKRoe0dtlJTq_WwwbcWZZXkulCubS1g95ASQ_YS_qTwOtkAY9WyOyA8jTMHojDgIgH3c7HW2k1jjkjQ2_6LiLeZwQaM4YbknTXB5F8phU2yZPmluFR6YfC/s320/jan+7.jpeg" /></a></div>1971 wasn't the best year for the Green White first team, but it was pretty obvious that the times they were a changin. Team manager Rudi Hrbacek was mixing in some of the younger players (like Peter Mathes) along with the mainstays like Joe Laxgang (photo), John Woolfe, Steve Zimmer, and Nick Willer, and though the team didn't quite make it back up to the Major Division, they were close.<br />
<br />
The club celebrated their 15th anniversary in 1971, and paid homage to the players that had helped make Green White into what it had become. Joe Laxgang was singled out, because he had now played in over 600 games with either the first team or the reserves. Stefan Zimmer wasn't far behind with over 500, and three others had logged more than 400 (Nick Willer, Albin Schwarz, and Rudi Hrbacek). Others honored that night included the over-300 club (Sam Berleth, Stefan Laxgang, and George Polaretzki), and the 250-club (Fred Ott, Alex Gyurko, Stefan Strumberger, and Klaus Kilian).<br />
<br />
President Martin Schneider wrote the following in the 15th anniversary program book...<br />
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<blockquote>“Dear sports friends, a hearty welcome to all of you on the occasion of our fifteenth anniversary. It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since this small group of soccer friends from the Donauschwaben Jugendgruppe formed this club. 15 years that have brought us on a journey all the way to the Major Division. Yes, we have slid backwards for a short time and currently reside in the First Division, but our pride and joy is our young talent. They represent our future. Like all other German-American clubs, we can no longer rely on players coming here from the homeland. I think Green White has been on the right path in that regard for the past few years. With our wonderful homegrown talent, I’m absolutely certain we will move back up to the Major Division soon. <br />
<br />
Since our tenth anniversary we have made two trips to Germany, once with our men’s team (1967) and once with our junior team (1970). Both trips were a big success, providing great competition and camaraderie. We’re also in the midst of renovating our clubhouse, and we’re working closely with the Donauschwaben to also find a regular field for Green White.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, I’d like to express my gratitude and thanks to all of the hard workers on the Green White board over these past 15 years. Without your sacrifice and diligence, we certainly wouldn’t be here tonight celebrating our anniversary. We’re a big club with over 300 members, and we can be very proud of them all. We’re on the right path and our future looks bright.<br />
<br />
I hope you all have a wonderful evening tonight, and I encourage you to continue to make our clubhouse the center of your sporting life."</blockquote><br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
<br />
As Martin Schneider mentioned, the youth program was very strong. But that didn't stop the Green White newsletter from making the following observation early in 1971...<br />
<br />
<blockquote>“It’s sad to report that things aren’t going quite as well as they should with the youth team this year because some of the players just aren’t taking their training as seriously as they should. It’s too big of a job for one man—currently Nick Racz, the manager of the team. He needs some help. Whoever is willing to volunteer must understand the youth of today—not the easiest thing to understand.”</blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF47P5UwVYb-WmbEu3fhyEyyBszKr2Ee5HBbzVKozyM2FDzGkqzXLLbpWk0e0zYuyaqp_HnTYSSnLPxvpwlz0dpA_F3tCWExl1aE8WPyikpjziYTygySdY8fQhFQ1kelVmBEbgxtDRUc_i/s1600/tn+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="154" width="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF47P5UwVYb-WmbEu3fhyEyyBszKr2Ee5HBbzVKozyM2FDzGkqzXLLbpWk0e0zYuyaqp_HnTYSSnLPxvpwlz0dpA_F3tCWExl1aE8WPyikpjziYTygySdY8fQhFQ1kelVmBEbgxtDRUc_i/s320/tn+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div>The mindset of the Green White old guard was pretty obvious, and was reflected perfectly by the title of a much ballyhooed father-son game. They called it: "The Generation Gap Game". It was held on August 29.<br />
<br />
Hans Metzinger Jr. remembers it as one of the highlights of his Green White career. "Playing in that father-son game with the Green White Juvenile team in 1971 at Welles Park was a special memory. It was probably the biggest crowd to ever watch a youth soccer game in Green White history."<br />
<br />
Among the dads on the field that day: Christian Kidric, Frank Schmidt, Walter Dinkel, Hans Metzinger, Steve Friedrich, Lou Massong, Frank Olah, Micheal Meiss, Martin Schneider, Franz Hehn, Gustave Stark, Mathias Mayer, Adam Knoll, Hans Pfatschbacher, and Stefan Lemann. They faced off against their sons Gerhardt, Frank, Tom, Hans, Steve, Lou, Frank, Mike, Guenther, Gus, Gerhard, Joe, Hans, and Manfred. <br />
<br />
The sons came out victorious, winning the game 6 to 3.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCOGHe3rS9yd6pCBwnA9rQZOM9Qf14hm3QSLFaOdHBeOvi_ffHqqwRKYwNajLcHCQIazIDfP5nziNTdv05VRQXWk7AckZLGHIZDQvJr1DCgk1RT0ggeTEL8T4ehy5WHu6HjM_J-kENjd3/s1600/knaben+b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="207" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCOGHe3rS9yd6pCBwnA9rQZOM9Qf14hm3QSLFaOdHBeOvi_ffHqqwRKYwNajLcHCQIazIDfP5nziNTdv05VRQXWk7AckZLGHIZDQvJr1DCgk1RT0ggeTEL8T4ehy5WHu6HjM_J-kENjd3/s320/knaben+b.jpeg" /></a></div>The youngest Green White team, the Midget "B" team, also showed signs of things to come. Manager Simon Andres and trainer Stefan Laxgang reported in the Green White newsletter that the boys were improving every year and forming a very strong disciplined club. Among the goal scorers at that point of the season: Mike Andres, Mike Hrbacek, Richard Schneider, and Robert Klaus. Other players included Michael Blaas, Frank Schmalz, Markus Laxgang, Robert and Tony Bless, Walter Stadler, Nick Racz, and Mike Kraemer. Many of those names would make their mark at every stage of their Green White development.<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Women</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSMHLbM1fOhzOCfVsQdRznmGI5N_TKo17NMSaHrbnfCCNUudN89bVWmRsoBQRQSHleH4e38Gb5YW8lfKb58E10EUXcfTLUR_0F9wI79OFrRHiTftHk1eumhrvQK__nOB4rEy3Owm7VISI/s1600/GW70s+Scan001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="228" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSMHLbM1fOhzOCfVsQdRznmGI5N_TKo17NMSaHrbnfCCNUudN89bVWmRsoBQRQSHleH4e38Gb5YW8lfKb58E10EUXcfTLUR_0F9wI79OFrRHiTftHk1eumhrvQK__nOB4rEy3Owm7VISI/s320/GW70s+Scan001.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The first Green White women's team took the field in 1971, coached by Klaus Kilian. One of the mainstays of that team was Maria Zimmer (photo), who remembers that time very fondly. "Our first game was against Schwaben," she recalls. "We formed a league a few years later with teams like the Chicago Kickers, Park Ridge Orange Crush, Real FC, Schwatben and a Hoffman Estates team. In those early years, I played in the midfield."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
<br />
President of Green White was Martin Schneider and the VP was Peter Hehn. The rest of the executive board was Alex Jordan—Treasurer, Eckhard Kaempfer—Secretary, Anton Kirschner—Protocol Secretary, Horst Melcher—General Manager. Among the other board members and coaches: Martin Rutterschmidt, Ottmar Scheer, Heinrich Bischoff, Franz Stadler, Mathias Kraemer, Otto Fladischer, Fritz Becker, Fred Feichtel, Adam Kessler, Helmut Jicha, Peter Berger, Adam Harjung, Christian Kidric, Franz Schmidt, Stefan Friedrich, Hans Kolleng, Josef Schuster, Heinrich Wittje.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdBzYMvRZGUcWB9DR_Vwog1zP7-wcp7Rm4GGPp2uUYgd5ZuFqgSA7x76VfpUk-b_7eO__4s2wghT_4lHGC8XfDj-2ewtyu-M-Vz_tazXRY70nJEL2wY9JyxKr6SLzENsW0NqqscuY43oN/s1600/1971+ladies+board.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="225" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdBzYMvRZGUcWB9DR_Vwog1zP7-wcp7Rm4GGPp2uUYgd5ZuFqgSA7x76VfpUk-b_7eO__4s2wghT_4lHGC8XfDj-2ewtyu-M-Vz_tazXRY70nJEL2wY9JyxKr6SLzENsW0NqqscuY43oN/s320/1971+ladies+board.jpeg" /></a></div>The president of the women’s club was Sue Hauptmann (shown here with fellow board members Anni Scheer, Hilde Kaempfer, and Trude Stadler). The big event of the year was a family bowling night at Golf Mill bowling alley in May.<br />
<br />
Miss Green White 1971 was Anni Richter. The 15th annivesary program book described her this way: "She came to the U.S in 1963, and became an active member of the Donauschwaben youth group, eventually becoming their president in 1969-1970. She attends the University of Illinois (circle campus), and is studying languages. She speaks German, English, French and Spanish!"<br />
<br />
<i>1971 Green White Babies</i><br />
<br />
A bevy of future Green White players were born in 1971 including...Brian Bischoff, Greg Boltz, Keith Andersson, Chris Ryan and Les Rebbeck.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The number one hit of the year was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFypAB7nYGA">Joy to the World</a>"<br />
<br />
~The top show on television was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9vRVyV914">All in the Family</a>"<br />
<br />
~The Best Picture Academy Award went to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP_7ZopT6oM">The French Connection</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1971</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMTYfWUejHKkzpyAO8gUCI5C-aAPVCDFpG6BSAKnb1JZ5_DicDSkNUoDVOMUFlFiUbTjC3D2e-vdkRDzms23JyCIzjFCvp1Ft1zX7ElDjX298VXdc7LYwIZRq0GD8QKIhEyI63H0ldzvg/s1600/The+Lunar+Rover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="190" width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMTYfWUejHKkzpyAO8gUCI5C-aAPVCDFpG6BSAKnb1JZ5_DicDSkNUoDVOMUFlFiUbTjC3D2e-vdkRDzms23JyCIzjFCvp1Ft1zX7ElDjX298VXdc7LYwIZRq0GD8QKIhEyI63H0ldzvg/s320/The+Lunar+Rover.jpg" /></a></div>~Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first to ride in a lunar rover on the Moon.<br />
<br />
~Evil Knieval set a record by jumping 19 cars with his motorcycle.<br />
<br />
~The New York Times printed the Pentagon Papers.<br />
<br />
~Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.<br />
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<br />
COMING NEXT MONTH: 1972. The Green White youth program pays dividends.<br />
<br />
<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i><br />
Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-41569547581089343892012-11-30T15:13:00.000-06:002012-12-01T21:49:34.200-06:001970In 1970 the National Soccer League expanded the Major Division from 8 teams to twelve. But after a few years of very solid play, Green White was a team in transition that year. Long time team captain Adam Kaempf was contemplating leaving the club. His brother Georg had already gone to the Kickers.<br />
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"I was listening to the German radio on a Saturday morning and the announcer Manfred Gursch said: 'Big news! Georg Kaempf has signed with the Kickers.' I said 'WHAT? That son of a gun didn't even tell me he was leaving. I still give him a hard time about that. My own brother, and I heard the news on the radio."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8bqmcqN6KY27NU62ox43fA78PG0ChyphenhyphenrVcg5KsIP0H0S-thLG7S7l0WMG9Xe99pODOWOKrMQPHsb_OC1QoWbeIK2Cuh_n7hI1mtTVTBnxkm7ZHJUoIUowKtNzOfbfcbQZGpSkUNamUhm2/s1600/GW60s+scan0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8bqmcqN6KY27NU62ox43fA78PG0ChyphenhyphenrVcg5KsIP0H0S-thLG7S7l0WMG9Xe99pODOWOKrMQPHsb_OC1QoWbeIK2Cuh_n7hI1mtTVTBnxkm7ZHJUoIUowKtNzOfbfcbQZGpSkUNamUhm2/s200/GW60s+scan0008.jpg" /></a></div>And, while some of the former mainstays were leaving or retiring or playing with the reserves, some of the young new stars were also away from the team, playing in college. The NCAA rules prohibited them from playing on a club team at the same time. So, players like Joe Laxgang, Nick Willer (photo), Leo Skorohod, and Johnny Woolfe gave it their all, but at the end of the season it wasn't quite enough. Green White was relegated back to the First Division. <br />
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Adam Kaempf made his farewell official at the end of the year. "Why did I leave Green White? You know, to be honest, trying to think back now what my reason was, I'm just not even sure anymore. I really loved the club. My wife was very involved with the women's club. The kids loved the clubhouse. I look back on that time as the best time of my life."<br />
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<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPfmnHCtf08W-muoTZvhil7Yq7SBcbhV3dgJqqKt6r2FbbFJ8Hn4a6-mOime4uGTHwkRyRMfaSY9JNjN3mcw2pZ2UVwzmWXfrrniXHdFGDm-jzfcA2ETGTJ3bQXhRNp2UyRKO_e6MhITc/s1600/tn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="157" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPfmnHCtf08W-muoTZvhil7Yq7SBcbhV3dgJqqKt6r2FbbFJ8Hn4a6-mOime4uGTHwkRyRMfaSY9JNjN3mcw2pZ2UVwzmWXfrrniXHdFGDm-jzfcA2ETGTJ3bQXhRNp2UyRKO_e6MhITc/s200/tn.jpg" /></a></div>While the men's team was struggling, the rest of the Green White teams were showing the older guys how it was done. The Junior team remained dominant, finishing in first place once again. In July, they took that team to Germany where they played against Ebingen, Tailfingen and Reutlingen. <br />
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The younger teams were following in the footsteps of the older boys. The midget boys "A" team, trained by Green White's first big star Stefan Laxgang, started off strong (beating teams like Hansa and Real F.C. 8-0 and 9-0), and they continued on that path all season. The midget "B" team coached by Simon Andres also played well.<br />
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The Green White youth system appeared to be stocked with enough good young players to keep them competitive for the next fifteen years.<br />
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<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8tllWynXM7mHNLQ80EkdY26woyWdngfL6ip2oDH5dSVALTCD2mfYry6JsUCv8nUmnLODQC6vrI4JTalErTLv6Y3h-ianlYsgxxXnB6AX0gAsV9BlPvhwb0jErBFVLXnYWeASm-TEAtsE/s1600/The+Kraemers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8tllWynXM7mHNLQ80EkdY26woyWdngfL6ip2oDH5dSVALTCD2mfYry6JsUCv8nUmnLODQC6vrI4JTalErTLv6Y3h-ianlYsgxxXnB6AX0gAsV9BlPvhwb0jErBFVLXnYWeASm-TEAtsE/s200/The+Kraemers.JPG" /></a></div>The Green White board was led by the husband-wife team of Matz and Joanne Kraemer. (Matz was the President of the men's club, while Joanne was the president of the Women's club.)<br />
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And while the men's team was in transition on the field, the board of directors for both the men's and women's side read like a Who's Who of Green White history. On the senior board, names like Martin Schneider, Josef Schuster, Eckhard Kaempfer, Alex Jordan, Horst Melcher, Martin Ruterschmidt, Fred Feichtel, Franz Stadler, Rudi Hrbacek, Adam Harjung, Toni Kirschner, Heinrich Bischoff, Ottmar Scheer, and Walter Melcher. On the women's board--Maria Zimmer, Hedy Klaus, Trudi Stadler, and Maria Blaas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9ei1tJFXRYx1yXgCafosOepcst7514Ur5TZzhsAyChZP63PiXnLSLL-e5QZpqp1pr1dI_kUTFj0MekL5t8akGZv8GExObk_FWZHizGvgUCPaHgNXYYkHkvvEqnCsC08vDKy1IwyKpm-9/s1600/GW70s+scan0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9ei1tJFXRYx1yXgCafosOepcst7514Ur5TZzhsAyChZP63PiXnLSLL-e5QZpqp1pr1dI_kUTFj0MekL5t8akGZv8GExObk_FWZHizGvgUCPaHgNXYYkHkvvEqnCsC08vDKy1IwyKpm-9/s200/GW70s+scan0012.jpg" /></a></div>Green White didn't have to work at creating a family atmosphere, because they <i>were</i> a family. Even though most of the members no longer played soccer, the Green White games were still the hub of activity for the week. The families hung out together on the weekends.<br />
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There were 235 members of Green White in 1970, and nearly all of them still lived in Chicago. A few families had begun to move to the suburbs (in towns like Mt. Prospect, Des Plaines, Schiller Park, Niles, Bensenville, Morton Grove, Hoffman Estates, and Prospect Heights), but they still attended most of the Green White events. <br />
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<i>(Photo: Mr. Green White Steve Zimmer entertaining the crowd at the Green White family picnic)</i><br />
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<i>1970 Green White Babies</i><br />
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*Tony Melcher<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM3ohEa45dPKXAUTQM5_8DrjXg0GgCQLKyuZbMkJIvsLUsl2JEymALV4xmmnvQ5L2xmkhpqHbCQSiU_2BZF0WCOFuA-tAIFADc0f6MMVUFfE1L2s7ZS0PD5FijMPdjSbD3ThLMbftAvAq/s1600/peter+kaempfer+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="133" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM3ohEa45dPKXAUTQM5_8DrjXg0GgCQLKyuZbMkJIvsLUsl2JEymALV4xmmnvQ5L2xmkhpqHbCQSiU_2BZF0WCOFuA-tAIFADc0f6MMVUFfE1L2s7ZS0PD5FijMPdjSbD3ThLMbftAvAq/s200/peter+kaempfer+baby.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
*Future first team player Peter Kaempfer <br />
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*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyI-j64FyT1wKXkBDbDWH2Rb-w_58gzBodau4mJ24jFmeaPzl4fTE5jBq8s5aGqhFJ5yrXcBqifhrYY9GQo9yd_bcE356MVI5tgCvW-Jubldzwi5mRkvuNkAtKnIbFM47GbJwJlJwo_1H/s1600/tanya+feichtl+1970.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyI-j64FyT1wKXkBDbDWH2Rb-w_58gzBodau4mJ24jFmeaPzl4fTE5jBq8s5aGqhFJ5yrXcBqifhrYY9GQo9yd_bcE356MVI5tgCvW-Jubldzwi5mRkvuNkAtKnIbFM47GbJwJlJwo_1H/s200/tanya+feichtl+1970.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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<br />
<br />
*Tanja Feichtel<br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in soccer, 1970</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCC44_5A-jJrRdEXbwumb8QLSfi_Oc4cb8qB-dkS5Er6JYU5pnOiqxnjvLPtINt-IwV18Ti31pQez54UOpElpJH0T8Lxht7vQVqSkru88mIhqOE_Do81E2lOV19NZPQ6RsYGTiRiJ5XzU/s1600/Mexico+1970.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCC44_5A-jJrRdEXbwumb8QLSfi_Oc4cb8qB-dkS5Er6JYU5pnOiqxnjvLPtINt-IwV18Ti31pQez54UOpElpJH0T8Lxht7vQVqSkru88mIhqOE_Do81E2lOV19NZPQ6RsYGTiRiJ5XzU/s200/Mexico+1970.png" /></a></div>The 1970 World Cup was held in Mexico, and is considered one of the all-time classics. The final four featured Brazil vs. Uruguay, and West Germany vs. Italy. Naturally the Green White crowd was following this closely. The Germany game was particularly exciting; considered by some to the be the greatest World Cup game ever. After 90 minutes the score was tied 1-1. Two goals were scored in injury time to make it 2-2. It went to into overtime and once again each team scored, making it 3-3. Italy finally scored a fourth goal in the 111th minute to win the game. Franz Beckenbauer played the last few minutes of the overtime session with a broken clavicle because both replacements had already entered the game. <br />
<br />
Of course the real star of the 1970 World Cup was Pele. He led Brazil to their third World Cup title. <br />
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<br />
<i>In Pop Culture</i><br />
<br />
~The number one song of the year was "<a href="http://youtu.be/0obJLcz-uPA">Bridge Over Troubled Wate</a>r" by Simon and Garfunkel.<br />
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~The most popular show on television was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRmhb7mhiB4">Marcus Welby, M.D.</a>" <br />
<br />
~The Academy Award winning film was "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-0dTpzNzwo">Patton</a>" starring George C. Scott<br />
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<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1970</i><br />
<br />
~Two consecutive days of huge snow storms crippled the city on March 25 and 26, among the ten worst back to back days of snow in Chicago history.<br />
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~Vietnam War protestors at Kent State University clashed with National Guard troops. The National Guard fired into the crowd, killing four, and wounding nine.<br />
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~The Beatles broke up after the release of their album "Let it Be"<br />
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~Ernie Banks hit his 500th career home run, and Hank Aaron & Willie Mays got their 3000th hits.<br />
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~Cigarette Ads were banned on television.<br />
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Coming next month: 1971. Green White celebrates its 15th anniversary.<br />
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<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943770326197761089.post-5246794709590221872012-10-31T14:21:00.000-05:002012-12-26T14:49:22.276-06:001969Coming off their strong 1968, Green White had high hopes for 1969. Manager Rudi Hrbacek's club got off to a good start, making it all the way to the finals of the Illinois Amateur Cup. Unfortunately, with player of the year John Woolfe hospitalized, and two of their other stars (Szabo and Mavric) classified as "pros" (and therefore, ineligible to play in the Amateur Cup), Green White fell one game short once again. <br />
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The Eagles won the Cup, 3-0.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JtsEAZOaFiULr1-i_EPXXbCOQHF2yLm66Zd7qxrZkT-ed1wVTPzg5DEOnGjqr5es-WDiocTI0BHZ_Ig5AbTAZGglnrzHfNYPq_xnb3H0XXM2uFa4iNb5Rw-Vy5qNKDMvRNYArgWmvgS/s1600/jan+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1JtsEAZOaFiULr1-i_EPXXbCOQHF2yLm66Zd7qxrZkT-ed1wVTPzg5DEOnGjqr5es-WDiocTI0BHZ_Ig5AbTAZGglnrzHfNYPq_xnb3H0XXM2uFa4iNb5Rw-Vy5qNKDMvRNYArgWmvgS/s200/jan+9.jpeg" /></a></div>But 1969 had a few memorable highlights, as well. Joe Laxgang (photo), a fixture on the team since the very beginning, played in his 500th game for Green White. Then, in August, Green White hosted a team from Germany; SC Reutlingen. Several members of the board took the Germans to Harry Kempf's "Treffpunkt" restaurant, and then escorted them to the Donauschwaben tournament to play Green White on the field. After a very close 2-1 Green White victory, SC Reutlingen gave special gifts to Green White members Peter Hehn, Josef Schuster, Matz Kraemer, Eckhard Kaempfer, and Martin Schneider to thank them for their hospitality.<br />
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At the end of the regular season, Green White was in the middle of the pack of the Major Division.<br />
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<br />
<i>Green White Youth</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrpc9wvSL5ywkLq5i0es1Z957mie3plENX6gJVAfPVMB5Obqo0vx8pYYQC64AsUZPzluZuDaQ0rCbHrmEwfmLcpx01xvp6xtXmculI-GRJVgd_2QgYEL3weSNYc4w3IxnWySVIzSlNF1m/s1600/jan+s3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrpc9wvSL5ywkLq5i0es1Z957mie3plENX6gJVAfPVMB5Obqo0vx8pYYQC64AsUZPzluZuDaQ0rCbHrmEwfmLcpx01xvp6xtXmculI-GRJVgd_2QgYEL3weSNYc4w3IxnWySVIzSlNF1m/s320/jan+s3.jpeg" /></a></div>But while the men's team was scuffling a bit, the Green White youth team had a season for the ages; simply one of the most dominant seasons in Chicago soccer history. The goal differential for Green White's Junior team was a sickening 200:4 in 26 games. They easily defeated the Liths 6-0 in the city championship game.<br />
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The star player of that team was Hansi Mayer. Hansi scored an astounding 61 goals.<br />
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Trainer Fritz Fernbach (photo) also took the boys to training camp that season in Genoa City. According to the Green White newsletter, the boys did something better than excel at soccer there. They behaved well...<br />
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"Our boys made a great impression--the people running the camp were very impressed by their good behavior, especially since the last few teams that came there from Milwaukee and Chicago (including, sadly, some our fellow German clubs) had to be sent home after one night for bad behavior. Our boys represented Green White with honor."<br />
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Unfortunately, not all of the Green White youth were quite as upstanding. It appears that there was a bit of an issue at the New Years Eve party. The Green White newsletter reported the news this way...<br />
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"Because the price was $10 for all you can eat or drink, a few of the youth members from the Donauschaben took a little advantage of the situation, if you know what I mean, and this caused some problems. We’ll have to be more careful in the future."<br />
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<i>Green White Off the Field</i><br />
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The women's club led by Julie Kaempf (Pres), Stella Polaretzki (VP), Martha Hrbacek (Sec), Maria Zimmer (Rec. Sec) and Maria Blaas (Treas) kept the club hopping. They had all sorts of events for the kids and the grown ups.<br />
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In March they organized two outings; a bowling night, and a dinner at the Bismark Hotel followed by a Blackhawks game at the Stadium (against the Maple Leafs). In April they put on a special Western-themed dance, where all the good German cowboys and cowgirls dressed in traditional Wild West costumes. In July, they took all the kids to a Ladies Day game at Wrigley Field. (Little Ricky Kaempfer kept his scorecard that day. The Cubs beat the Pirates 7-5, and four future Hall of Famers homered; Stargell, Clemente, Williams, & Santo). On July 26th, the same week Neil Armstrong took his one giant leap for mankind, the Green White ladies helped the men organize a big picnic/pig roast at Rock Lake.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKxwJZT0vL-fQWNavdG__o7sl68wRVXwA7gYa4v0pafsNwfsSZTGeM44ao4iNTbFLBrqOAip0lPBCLLX95yYCkPfahESlX6b-Shc78PPaQX60hGXCpFO2Ml3B8Tg-mRLb9eZW0A1eQKGM/s1600/Das+Heimatquartett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKxwJZT0vL-fQWNavdG__o7sl68wRVXwA7gYa4v0pafsNwfsSZTGeM44ao4iNTbFLBrqOAip0lPBCLLX95yYCkPfahESlX6b-Shc78PPaQX60hGXCpFO2Ml3B8Tg-mRLb9eZW0A1eQKGM/s200/Das+Heimatquartett.jpg" /></a></div>But those activities paled in achievement to the collective accomplishment of four Miss Green Whites. Julie Hehn (1966), Ingrid Winterkorn (1967), Marianne Oswald (1968), and Annie Schuster (1969) formed a singing group called "Das Heimatquartett". They released an album on IRC Records which got quite a bit of airplay on the German radio stations. IRC Records is the same record label that recorded Green White's house band (Die Goldene Drei), and some famous radio personalities in Chicago, including Dick Biondi ("The Pizza Song") and WGN's Franklyn MacCormack ("Why Do I Love You").<br />
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<br />
<i>Green White Babies</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbrmp3U0VGm6e7ikG1Z0IN7vVDsPNu4ThKkUv6grryOqrY9kXoTQS1aS_zi08lMJnqLfCUyAwnvOyhGtIagCZlGP-jT7gmM8s1ET4MViM-QRfkLDns4JvlIQBGTrwQfVPcMgAaK5KDgme/s1600/Gyurko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbrmp3U0VGm6e7ikG1Z0IN7vVDsPNu4ThKkUv6grryOqrY9kXoTQS1aS_zi08lMJnqLfCUyAwnvOyhGtIagCZlGP-jT7gmM8s1ET4MViM-QRfkLDns4JvlIQBGTrwQfVPcMgAaK5KDgme/s200/Gyurko.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The Gyurko (photo), Laxgang, Polaretzki, Jordan, Harjung, Franz, Scheer, Albrecht, and Kilian families all had baby girls in 1969.<br />
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The Filian, Schlenhardt, Melcher, Wambach, and Skorohod families bucked the trend by having boys (Norbert, Tom, Kurt, James, Paul).<br />
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<br />
In Pop Culture<br />
<br />
~The number one hit of the year was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y84lrgNs8-g">"Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In"</a> by The Fifth Dimension.<br />
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~The number one show on television was still "Rowan & Martin's: Laugh In"<br />
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~And the Academy Award winning film in 1969 was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6GzKWiIAs">"Midnight Cowboy"</a><br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>Elsewhere in 1969</i><br />
<br />
~Green White's own Nick Wirs returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam, but while he was gone, public opinion had changed. That summer 250,000 people marched on Washington to protest the war.<br />
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~The John Hancock Building was completed in Chicago. The Green White logo was changed to incorporate it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAJlx_BJrgtS21LWTDSNV3JQcl9GzHBdT81r9W8rt_CrUN4qHeaF8qfHyzyUWyIM_H_m-2m63PUTZxSluX4MO6_CmZtf70aODzTtzhe4cexvLnyBTyFCKedDyCrRDWn5f8K7euLDKKe9/s1600/Woodstock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="197" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMAJlx_BJrgtS21LWTDSNV3JQcl9GzHBdT81r9W8rt_CrUN4qHeaF8qfHyzyUWyIM_H_m-2m63PUTZxSluX4MO6_CmZtf70aODzTtzhe4cexvLnyBTyFCKedDyCrRDWn5f8K7euLDKKe9/s200/Woodstock.jpg" /></a></div>~In August, the Woodstock Music Festival was held in upstate New York. Among the performers; Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly & the Family Stone, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, The Band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Jimi Hendrix.<br />
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~Charles Manson and his crazed followers went on a murder spree in California.<br />
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~Edward Kennedy was involved in the death of woman in what became known as the Chappaquiddick Affair.<br />
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-Two Iconic television shows debuted: "Sesame Street" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus".<br />
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Next month: 1970<br />
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<i>As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.</i>Rick Kaempferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464574326742574835noreply@blogger.com0