The Chronicle Part 1

The Chronicle from 1967-1990

In October 1967 the first city championship open to Lower Bavaria was announced. Top player Michael Ammer won the singles against strong competition and, together with his brother Paul, also the doubles. The first international success came at the team tournament in Mattighofen, Austria, where the team finished third.

1970 the 1st team celebrated the championship in the 2nd district league with 31:1 points. This meant promotion to the 1st league, the highest league in Lower Bavaria. That same year also saw the winning of the Lower Bavarian team championship in Landshut.

The 1970/71 season brought joy and sorrow. The players’ dearly familiar “home”, the old school gymnasium on Dr.-Bayer-Straße, burned down to its foundations and was not rebuilt. Thanks to the accommodation of the town of Pfarrkirchen, the gymnasium of the Alexi school could be occupied for training and competition. It was, in spatial terms, a turn for the better and of great importance to have a venue with optimal space and lighting conditions. For the 1st team achieved the sensation of promotion to what was then the second-highest league in Bavaria, the Landesliga Süd-Ost, with only one defeat and one draw, 6 points ahead of the runner-up TSV Deggendorf.

The section’s grassroots work, especially in the youth area, and the exemplary commitment of all section members together with section leader Reinelt bore fruit. 3 youth and 4 men’s teams were now in action. And the social side also played an essential role. Christmas parties, club outings or the section’s own carnival balls were repeatedly highlights in the club life of the section, also to the delight of the players’ ladies, who were always welcome guests.

1971 Promotion of the 1st team to the Landesliga with M. Ammer, Mladek, P. Ammer, H. Ammer, Pinsker, F. Heiß and Baier. The first company championships were held. 5th anniversary of the section, with the highlight of hosting the international match Bavaria versus Austria.

1972 Lower Bavarian title fights in Pfarrkirchen with H. Ammer as singles winner in the B class. Hosting of an international team tournament with Trostberg, Bayern München, Nuremberg, Braunau, Wels and Pfarrkirchen I and II. The winner on home tables was Pfarrkirchen I. Club outing to Langenlois/Austria. 3rd general assembly with the re-election of Norbert Reinelt as section leader. Helmut Köstler becomes new youth leader.

1973 The first table tennis masked ball in the Red Cross hall. Laumer, Günther Eder and Vogl take part in the Bavarian schoolboys’ championship.

1974 9 teams are in competitive play. TuS Pfarrkirchen has the largest table tennis section in Lower Bavaria.

1975 Runner-up championship in the Landesliga with F. Heiß, M. Ammer, Pinsker, Drexler, Maier, Reinelt. Winning of the Grenzlandcup among 60 participating clubs. 232 participants in Pfarrkirchen at the Conny Wirnhier tournament, one of the largest and most popular cup events in Bavaria.

1976 10 years of the table tennis section with a festive event in the Schöftenhuber hall in Godelsham. Tournament of the aces as an anniversary event with: Istvan Korpa, European runner-up Witold Woznica (7-time Polish champion), Detlev Siewert (top Bundesliga player), Heinz Schlüter (15-time Austrian champion and World Championship participant).

1977 Club outing to Budapest. General assembly confirms Reinelt as 1st chairman. Straßer becomes new youth leader.

1978 To promote up-and-coming players on a broad basis, beginner training is also pursued intensively. For the first time a girls’ team also takes part in competitive play. Club outing to the Kleines Walsertal.

1979 End-of-season results of the men’s teams:
1st team 5th place (Landesliga Süd-Ost)
2nd team 5th place (2nd district league)
3rd team 3rd place (3rd district league)
4th team 2nd place (2nd Kreisliga)
5th team 3rd place (2nd Kreisliga).

1980 Adam Margrandner, Gangkofen, strengthens the 1st team. 4 titles at the Lower Bavarian championships through Reinelt, Eder, Straßer and Angelika Liepelt.

At the beginning of the 1980s, 1981 marked the 15th anniversary. On this occasion the table tennis section presented an event with world-class table tennis: the “Top 5” tournament. High prize money from donations by the Pfarrkirchen business world was a real challenge for the stars. Orlowsky, Dvoracek, Suchanek, Lieck and Kinner thrilled over 400 spectators with great matches. Double world champion Orlowsky emerged as the winner. In the following years too, the section always managed to offer its supporters sporting delicacies. In an appreciation of the 15 years of table tennis in Pfarrkirchen, the Passauer Neue Presse wrote: “Table tennis players of the TuS are good ambassadors for the town”.

But a time began that was not free of turbulence. Despite the outstanding youth work of Hans Straßer and Helmut Köstler, which earned top places in singles and team competitions, only a few up-and-coming players could be permanently integrated into the senior teams. Departures to other sports, changes of residence due to the start of studies or a career, or reaching the limit of their ability were the reasons for this.

That the section nevertheless not only endured in its size and with its successes, but developed further and even overcame the odd internal crisis, is remarkable and can be attributed to the fact that the greater part of the loyal active members, some of whom had been there from the very beginning, remained loyal to their section and lost none of their ability. And not a few of those who ended their sporting careers continued to make themselves available as officials or youth coaches.

1981/82 Pfarrkirchen provides officials at district and regional level. Gotthard Gahlich becomes district referee chairman, Reinelt is on the district arbitration court. There are now 13 teams in competitive play. Günther Eder acquires the A-licence as a coach at the national training centre in Osnabrück. He is the youngest diploma holder in the Federal Republic. F. Gutheil, K. Luger, H. J. Holzberger, F. Schmid, F. Schmidmaier and H. Gaisbauer in the 3rd team become champions of the Kreisliga. The combined age of the 6 sportsmen is 287 years. Another record! The table tennis section hosts the age-group tournament for the elite of Bavarian youth for qualification for the South German Championship on 24 tables.

1982/83 Conny Wirnhier tournament with top Bavarian players. Joola Super Cup in Pfarrkirchen. World-class table tennis with European champion Appelgren, Sweden, Dragutin Surbek, multiple world champion from Yugoslavia, England’s black superstar Desmond Douglas and German champion Ralf Wosik. Reinelt no longer stands for the post of section leader at the general assembly. His successor is Peter Pinsker.

1984/85 The table tennis girls and boys are absolutely top in Lower Bavaria. 3rd place at the Bavarian boys’ cup championship through H. Hüsgen, Thomas Nopens and Erwin Goller. Due to departures of players and a lack of qualified players from their own ranks at Landesliga level, the 1st team voluntarily drops down to the 2nd district league after many years of belonging to this class. The women’s team, promoted to the district league, holds a good mid-table place. A new sporting bridge to the neighbouring country of Switzerland is built. Numerous players and officials from TTC Olten are guests of the section for 4 days. The world-famous Secretin table tennis show thrills 400 spectators in the triple gymnasium.

1985/86 The table tennis section hosts the Bavarian team championships for boys and girls. The women’s team with Andrea Weingärtner, Ulrike Jakob, Petra Wagenhuber and Sabine Pollozek becomes clear champion of the district league and, after a dramatic decider against Mitterfels in which, following a tied result, the counted balls brought victory, is promoted to the Landesliga. Pfarrkirchen I becomes champion of the 2nd district league and is promoted to the 1st league. The 2nd and 3rd teams also become champions and are promoted to the next-higher class. Carnival ball with the ballet of the gnomes.

1987/88 Youth leader Christoph Hindinger and his successor Gerhard Erl register one success after another with their protégés, such as the participation of the boys’ age group II and the girls’ age group III in the Bavarian team championships.

1988/89 The drain caused by the age-related departure among the youngsters could be handled without problems and without any drop in performance.

1989/90 Barbara Bloch and Julia Maxbauer, Lower Bavarian champion and runner-up respectively in age group IV. Together they became champions in the doubles. Huge success for the doubles pair Fritz Gutheil / Karl Luger, age group III, at the Bavarian senior championships held in Pfarrkirchen. Only in the final do they lose to the German old masters Breumaier/Englmeier and become runners-up.

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