Apparently, this constitutes the blog’s 700th
post, a milestone that will be marked with the presentation of one of the
latest, freshly-arrived additions to the European football club collection in
the form of a vintage object representing the crest of Lokomotive Leipzig from, for
the 'Ostalgically' inclined, the former East Germany, from where they emerged
into my consciousness during the 1970s (courtesy, I fancy, of being featured as
a team photo sticker in the legendary Panini ‘Euro Football’ album issued
during the 1976-77 seaon).
As regular competitors in both the Cup-Winners’ &
Fairs/UEFA Cups over a 25-year period - & frequently drawn against British
opposition - until German reunification saw their domestic star dim, Loko Leipzig
remained in both sight & mind (culminating in their appearance in the 1987
Cup-Winners’ Cup final, losing, acceptably at least, to the mighty Ajax), &
the name, another of those eastern European ‘modernist-machine’ nomenclatures, has
continued to resonate since as one of those fondly recalled.
Curiously, & disappointingly just ahead of the times,
Lokomotive Leipzig were drawn against three English clubs in the 1973-74 UEFA
Cup (the season immediately prior to my developing an interest in football),
during their progress to the semi-finals of the competition, where they
unfortunately succumbed to ‘Spuds’, having eliminated Wolverhampton Wanderers
(on the away goals rule) & Ipswich Town (on penalties) en route.
By a quirk of fate, I randomly acquired a copy of the programme for the Molineux leg of the Wolves tie whilst collecting such publications in the late 70s, thus the badge is not the first item of Loko Leipzig memorabilia to have been owned. Here’s some photographic evidence:
By a quirk of fate, I randomly acquired a copy of the programme for the Molineux leg of the Wolves tie whilst collecting such publications in the late 70s, thus the badge is not the first item of Loko Leipzig memorabilia to have been owned. Here’s some photographic evidence:
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