BORUSSIA Dortmund’s march towards the Bundesliga title has brought back memories for lifelong Town fan Graham Brown.
For the Holmfirth-based supporter clearly remembers the German giants visiting Huddersfield for a pre-season friendly back in 1967.
It was a big deal, because Dortmund had become the first German side to win a European trophy by landing the Cup Winners’ Cup the year before.
Their side included three of the 1966 West Germany World Cup squad – forwards Lothar Emmerich and Sigfried Held and defender Wolfgang Paul.
And 8,821 turned out to watch a match interrupted by a violent thunderstorm, which forced the players back to the dressing rooms for 18 minutes during the first half.
The only goal of the game was scored soon after the players reappeared, with Joe Harper heading home from Jimmy Nicholson’s cross.
Big things were expected of the 19-year Scot, above, who had been recruited from Greenock Morton the previous March.
But his spell in Yorkshire was to prove unhappy, and he returned to Morton in August 1968 before his career flourished at Aberdeen.
Harper, who won four Scotland caps and made the squad for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, later had spells at Everton and Hibs before returning to Aberdeen.
“Harper showed plenty of neat footwork and was a good finisher, and it’s a shame it didn’t work out for him here,” said Brown.
“I was only 11 at the time we played Dortmund, but I well remember it, and others against the likes of Werder Bremen and Twente Enschede.”
Town had another game against Dortmund as part of a pre-season tour in 1970, as they prepared for their return to the top flight after years.
This time the Germans were 1-0 winners at their Stadion Rote Erde (Stadium Red Earth), which was their home before moving to the Westfalenstadion, built for the 1974 World Cup.
Champions League winners in 1997, Dortmund have a 10-point lead going into today’s clash with St Pauli.
