Builders once shouted about Wacker, now there is Turl-Wagner-Platz

And not the one for football games either Wien 12 approved Wacker-Platz, where Wacker became Austrian champions for the first (and only) time in the second post-war year.

There, with political fanfare, a piece of Meidlinger Grün was “renamed” Turl Wagner-Platz with a name tag.

Theodor „Turl“ Wagner (*1927, 2020) was considered one of the most gifted and elegant Austrian football strikers. About his Gamesart raved even those who were never Wacker supporters.

World Cup hat trick against Switzerland

At the WM 1954 In Switzerland, Wagner even managed that in the national team against the hosts Hat-trick. By scoring three goals in a row in the legendary heat battle in Lausanne. Austria won 7:5ultimately came third in the World Championships with Wagner.

The fact that Wagner was not always praised in a similarly euphoric manner compared to the Austrians and Rapid players was probably due to the fact that he was never up for a move to one of the two major clubs.

Roaring builder

If real Meidlinger (who also ran a shoe store in the 12th district), like many football fans, he was annoyed by the news that Wacker-Platz (the “rest” of which now bears his name) was to be covered in concrete.

It was also thanks to the KURIER that this didn’t happen. A big, influential one Builder At that time, he shouted into the telephone that he would ensure the dismissal of those editors who wrote even one critical word about the development of Wacker-Platz.

What the sports editors didn’t allow themselves to be intimidated by, and even more so Saving the place demanded. That was in the 70s.

Well incorporated by Admira

Although the Wacker is incorporated into Admira had long since been completed, the main stand in Meidling was quickly demolished and upper house football on Rosasgasse had become impossible, the public pressure ultimately became so great that the playing field had to remain.

And so at least one patch of grass became saved for school sports at what is now Turl-Wagner-Platz.

What wasn’t/is not so self-evident, as areas the size of ten football fields are built every day in Austria.