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Sports

Uwe Seeler turns 80

Uwe Seeler, who turns 80 this Saturday, is one of the most prolific strikers to play for Hamburg and West Germany. His sporting prowess and humility made him popular with the fans, who still known him as "our Uwe."

  • Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa)

    A Hamburg icon

    No other player is as synonymous with Hamburg as Uwe Seeler. The Hamburg native played for his hometown club from 1953 to 1972 - first in the Oberliga-Nord, the top-flight division in the north of West Germany - before the Bundesliga was founded in in 1963.

  • Bildergalerie Hamburger SV (picture-alliance/dpa/Heidtmann)

    Goal getter

    Beginning in 1953, Uwe Seeler made a total of 476 appearances and scored 404 goals for Hamburg in the Oberliga-Nord and the Bundesliga. He was the Oberliga-Nord's top goal scorer seven times, including in 1954-55, when he shared the honor with teammate Günter Schlegel. He was also the top scorer in the first season of the Bundesliga, 1963-64.

  • Uwe Seeler Fußballer des Jahres 1964 (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Individual success

    While Seeler enjoyed a lot of individual success - he was named West Germany's player of the year in 1960, 1964 and 1970 - Hamburg only managed to win two titles with him in the lineup; the German championship in 1960, and the German Cup in 1963.

  • Uwe Seeler ehemaliger Fußballspieler (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Comeback from injury

    In a match against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1965, Uwe Seeler sustained a torn hamstring. In those days, such a serious injury would normally have ended a player's career. No player before him had ever comeback from a torn hamstring. However, Seeler did just that, with the help of a special shoe provided by equipment supplier Adidas.

  • HSV Stadion Uwe Seeler Fuß Statue (imago/McPhoto)

    Cast in Stone

    Seeler spent his entire career in Hamburg, turning down lucrative offers to move abroad. Inter Milan had even offered the German club more than a million deutschmarks for him - a fortune at the time. In 2005 this bronze statue of his right foot was unveiled in front of Hamburg's stadium, in honor of his service to the club.

  • Uwe Seeler 1966 (imago/United Archives)

    Eagle on the shirt

    For much of his career, Uwe Seeler was also one of the first names on the lineup card for the national team. West Germany coach Sepp Herberger first called him up as a 17-year-old. He would go on to play a total of 72 games for West Germany, scoring 39 times. He appeared in the same four World Cups as Brazilian legend Pele from 1958 to 1970, scoring a total of nine goals.

  • Fussball WM Mexico 1970 - Deutschland gegen England - Uwe Seeler Kopfballtor (picture-alliance/S. Simon)

    Back of the head

    The best-remembered of his goals for West Germany was this one against England in the quarterfinals of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Seeler struck the ball with the back of his head, beating England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti to even the score at 2-2. West Germany went on to beat England 3-2 and advance to the semifinals, where they would lose to Italy in extra time.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/K. Schnoerrer)

    Good loser

    Seeler was also known for his sportsmanship - in victory and defeat. His sportsmanship did not go unnoticed by the English fans, who applauded not just Seeler but the rest of the West German team for how they conducted themselves after losing the 1966 World Cup on a disputed goal at Wembley.

  • Die drei deutschen Ehrenspielführer Franz Beckenbauer Fritz Walter Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa/Werek)

    Honorary captain

    In 1972, the DFB (German football association) named Seeler the second honorary captain of the West German national team. Here he appears with the first man to receive the honor, the late Fritz Walter (left) and Franz Beckenbauer (middle), who became the third in 1982. Here, Beckenbauer was about to take part in a charity match that same year.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/R. Rick)

    Club president

    After his playing career ended, Seeler worked as an ambassador for Adidas and for a short time he owned a petrol station. From 1995 he to 1998, he served as president of Hamburg, the football club for which he had played so many games.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gambarini)

    Mover and shaker

    Seeler holds a long list of titles bestowed upon him by the city-state of Hamburg, including honorary citizen and honorary police commissioner. Berlin has honored him with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Here is is seen with another of Hamburg's most famous sons, the late former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

  • Uwe Seeler und Ehefrau Ilka (picture alliance/dpa/M.Brandt)

    Happily married

    Despite his fame, the son of a Hamburg harbor laborer still has both feet planted firmly on the ground. He has been married to his wife Ilka since 1959. His recipe for a happy marriage? "I make the major decisions, she makes the minor decisions. She decides which are major and which are minor."

  • Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa/A. Warm)

    Faded into the background

    Seeler is no longer a regular at Hamburg's home games, but he is still a keen follower of the club. Like many other fans, he has observed developments at the club in recent years with dismay. "I hope I never see Hamburg get relegated," he has said.


  • Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa)

    A Hamburg icon

    No other player is as synonymous with Hamburg as Uwe Seeler. The Hamburg native played for his hometown club from 1953 to 1972 - first in the Oberliga-Nord, the top-flight division in the north of West Germany - before the Bundesliga was founded in in 1963.

  • Bildergalerie Hamburger SV (picture-alliance/dpa/Heidtmann)

    Goal getter

    Beginning in 1953, Uwe Seeler made a total of 476 appearances and scored 404 goals for Hamburg in the Oberliga-Nord and the Bundesliga. He was the Oberliga-Nord's top goal scorer seven times, including in 1954-55, when he shared the honor with teammate Günter Schlegel. He was also the top scorer in the first season of the Bundesliga, 1963-64.

  • Uwe Seeler Fußballer des Jahres 1964 (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Individual success

    While Seeler enjoyed a lot of individual success - he was named West Germany's player of the year in 1960, 1964 and 1970 - Hamburg only managed to win two titles with him in the lineup; the German championship in 1960, and the German Cup in 1963.

  • Uwe Seeler ehemaliger Fußballspieler (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Comeback from injury

    In a match against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1965, Uwe Seeler sustained a torn hamstring. In those days, such a serious injury would normally have ended a player's career. No player before him had ever comeback from a torn hamstring. However, Seeler did just that, with the help of a special shoe provided by equipment supplier Adidas.

  • HSV Stadion Uwe Seeler Fuß Statue (imago/McPhoto)

    Cast in Stone

    Seeler spent his entire career in Hamburg, turning down lucrative offers to move abroad. Inter Milan had even offered the German club more than a million deutschmarks for him - a fortune at the time. In 2005 this bronze statue of his right foot was unveiled in front of Hamburg's stadium, in honor of his service to the club.

  • Uwe Seeler 1966 (imago/United Archives)

    Eagle on the shirt

    For much of his career, Uwe Seeler was also one of the first names on the lineup card for the national team. West Germany coach Sepp Herberger first called him up as a 17-year-old. He would go on to play a total of 72 games for West Germany, scoring 39 times. He appeared in the same four World Cups as Brazilian legend Pele from 1958 to 1970, scoring a total of nine goals.

  • Fussball WM Mexico 1970 - Deutschland gegen England - Uwe Seeler Kopfballtor (picture-alliance/S. Simon)

    Back of the head

    The best-remembered of his goals for West Germany was this one against England in the quarterfinals of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Seeler struck the ball with the back of his head, beating England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti to even the score at 2-2. West Germany went on to beat England 3-2 and advance to the semifinals, where they would lose to Italy in extra time.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/K. Schnoerrer)

    Good loser

    Seeler was also known for his sportsmanship - in victory and defeat. His sportsmanship did not go unnoticed by the English fans, who applauded not just Seeler but the rest of the West German team for how they conducted themselves after losing the 1966 World Cup on a disputed goal at Wembley.

  • Die drei deutschen Ehrenspielführer Franz Beckenbauer Fritz Walter Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa/Werek)

    Honorary captain

    In 1972, the DFB (German football association) named Seeler the second honorary captain of the West German national team. Here he appears with the first man to receive the honor, the late Fritz Walter (left) and Franz Beckenbauer (middle), who became the third in 1982. Here, Beckenbauer was about to take part in a charity match that same year.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/R. Rick)

    Club president

    After his playing career ended, Seeler worked as an ambassador for Adidas and for a short time he owned a petrol station. From 1995 he to 1998, he served as president of Hamburg, the football club for which he had played so many games.

  • Fußball Uwe Seeler wird 80 Jahre alt (picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gambarini)

    Mover and shaker

    Seeler holds a long list of titles bestowed upon him by the city-state of Hamburg, including honorary citizen and honorary police commissioner. Berlin has honored him with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Here is is seen with another of Hamburg's most famous sons, the late former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

  • Uwe Seeler und Ehefrau Ilka (picture alliance/dpa/M.Brandt)

    Happily married

    Despite his fame, the son of a Hamburg harbor laborer still has both feet planted firmly on the ground. He has been married to his wife Ilka since 1959. His recipe for a happy marriage? "I make the major decisions, she makes the minor decisions. She decides which are major and which are minor."

  • Uwe Seeler (picture-alliance/dpa/A. Warm)

    Faded into the background

    Seeler is no longer a regular at Hamburg's home games, but he is still a keen follower of the club. Like many other fans, he has observed developments at the club in recent years with dismay. "I hope I never see Hamburg get relegated," he has said.


       

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