Meadow-Side / Week Fourteen
Zino Stiles-Johnson – Correspondent for TSS
Since its inception in 1873, the Tiroler Spaß Schreibtisch has sought to earn the respect of the players of the Meadow Game and also retain the child-like joy of its most ardent fans even as its writers cover the sport.
One outcome of working with knowledge and integrity is that team leaders trust the staff of the TSS . This trust is evidenced as when its reporters are occasionally given a glimpse into the game’s inner workings. When Bernard Guttweiler, Martin’s son, called Harold Abrahams on Tuesday of last week and offered his most gracious invitation for TSS to “please make sure to attend our upcoming match,” Mr. Abrahams promised him it would be so.
Imagine my own excitement when I was asked along – on my first assignment as the newest writer for this venerable sports newspaper – to what became, as my Senior colleague recorded above – an historic afternoon along the shore of Lake Zurich. As I mingled among the fans, I took in some of the shock and pleasure as the newly re-christened Tirggel ran Munich off the Meadow. The figurehead for Zurich support is Theo “Onkel” Pfister, a huge man whose mutton-chop sideburns and prominent belly make him easy to spot. I joined him for the second half, by which time Zurich had imposed their will on their opponent, allowing the fans to revel and take endless strings of photos.
“Oh, it’s grand! Look at those jerseys! They are what Zurich ought to represent. The coat of arms … and the Biscuits on the front!” Pfister spoke in disbelief. “We’re re-made!”
While Onkel Pfister remained at his post, hundreds of fellow supporters made their way to several kiosks where sparkling new jerseys were selling at record pace. Like the players themselves, the image of the Tirggel on one shirt differed from the next one: one young fan slipped on his new team shirt, which sported a biscuit with a bird on it. His sister, a year younger, tapped the emblem on her own jersey – hers a sled.
As I made my way to a brief interview with team President Martin Duttweiler, I felt the satisfaction of fans who have waited for a long time for a sense of belief in this team.
Duttweiler was as much of a child-like fan as the others assembled this day. Wearing a cap with the new Tirggel badge, he beamed at the joyous reception and excitement this unexpected change had created. “This is as sweet as honey!” he beamed, referring, of course, to the primary ingredient in Zurich’s famous confection.
What happens next week? Zurich cannot make the playoffs for the Tyrol Cup, but they can seize momentum and take themselves safely away from the mandatory relegation that looms over the bottom of the Tyrol Division. Currently sharing third from the bottom with the Füssen Triskelions, perhaps they can maintain a winning energy that removed any doubt from the outcome of a match on a day when the entire AL paid attention to a team that determinedly re-shaped its identity and renewed its passion.