50 years of the Vöest title

More than a champion captain

In 1974, SK VÖEST had shaved everyone on the pitch - with players who had been unshaven for a long time.(Bild: Votava)

SK Vöest became soccer champions 50 years ago. To mark the occasion, the "Krone" is starting a series. It starts with the former championship captain Ferdinand Milanovich. Who, as "FC Rasputin", shaved everyone with the works sports club in 1974 and was the last Upper Austrian club to win the soccer "crown"! 

"Wouldn't stand out among Parisian clochards", read a caption under a portrait of Ferdinand Milanovich in the "Krone" on February 13, 1974. Alongside Fritz Ulmer, Herbert Rettensteiner, Peter Rath and Hans Scharmann, who were also pictured with wild, overgrown beards. Who, according to the text, was called "Reserve-Christus" by a fan - and 108 days later, on June 1, 1974, was in soccer heaven with SK VÖEST.

In 1974, SK VÖEST had shaved everyone off on the pitch - with long unshaven players.(Bild: zVg)

As Austrian champions!

As is still the case today, Ferdinand Milanovich was not only in the thick of things back then - as far as the soccer section of the Werksportverein was concerned, which only existed from 1946 to 1991 - but was even at the forefront. From 1969 to 1976 as a player, also in the championship year as captain, later as co-coach, head coach and/or manager.

Championship captain Ferdinand Milanovich looks back on memories.(Bild: Dostal Harald)

And "Milo" was also in the front row at the legends evening organized by FC Blau-Weiß last week in honour of the championship anniversary. Although the 77-year-old describes the connection between the current Bundesliga club and the former SK VÖEST as a "kind of soulmate" and is therefore less romanticized than the majority of fans.

FC Rasputin as champions in 1974
Which sounds almost a little slick - and thus contradicts the wild-looking beards of the 1974 championship year. What were they all about? Although coach Helmut Senekowitsch ("a man doesn't need to hide his face") was against beards, the players had decided in January not to shave any more, partly out of superstition. The pact also included this sanction: a bottle of whiskey had to be paid for violations!

Which is why Milanovich & Co. also made headlines as FC Rasputin in the spring of 1974, but in the end everyone had shaved. On June 1, VÖEST were champions. With 47 points ahead of Wacker Innsbruck (46). And who lifted the title trophy? Milanovich? Wrong! It wasn't a player, the coach or the president! Because there was no championship plate or championship trophy back then.