The traditional football match between German shipowners and bankers returned to Hamburg for the first time in three years with a real ding-dong battle.
The shipping companies’ first 11 triumphed in a 6-4 thriller, after the teams went in at half time tied at 2-2.
This was the shipowners’ fourth consecutive win.
About 100 spectators witnessed an exciting and keenly fought game last week at the Lokstedter Steindamm stadium, the home of the Eimsbutteler TV (ETV) club.
“The game remained very interesting and balanced throughout, ultimately resulting in a narrow 6-4 victory for the shipowners,” the organisers said.
“The bankers displayed courage and kept the game evenly matched for a significant duration,” they added.
The statistics clearly favoured the owners beforehand.
Since 2010, with the exception of 2016, they have consistently come out on top in this duel.
But as the organisers pointed out: “Statistics alone don’t score goals, it’s all about the here and now.”
The battle was billed as the experience of the owners against a young, completely renewed squad of bankers.
The lenders’ goalkeeper Michael de Visser was named player of the match for an outstanding performance.
Charity benefits
A total of €650 ($694) was collected for the youth team of Eimsbutteler TV.
Frank Fechner, president of ETV, personally thanked all the donors.
Free beer and food were provided to the crowed and there was a raffle for a bottle of Gin Sul made from Portuguese juniper berries, provided by the Altona Spirit Factory and sponsored by Euromar, the agent of the Portuguese flag.
Next year is the 50th anniversary of the first game in 1974. Covid meant there were no matches between 2020 and 2022.
Scorers: David Firkin (HCOB), Ioannis Imirziadis (Berenberg), Maximilian Besken (HCOB), Julian Ramm (Unicredit), Mehlican Yildirim (MACS), Matti Wurzel (NSB, two goals), Jan Riedesel (Northern Lloyd), Lukas Oltmann (Oltmann) and Jakob Gundermann (Euromar).
