Referee leaves the field

I don't know when Andy joined the Phantoms. It must have been around 1989.
The first thing I noticed about him was his North German tone (Hamburger Schnack) and his extrovert behavior, which is rather untypical for Hamburgers. The much-vaunted Hamburg modesty and reserve was not really his thing. But he was very helpful and reliable. The Phantoms didn't have a permanent field back then and Andy was always there as we were a traveling circus for home games. He helped unload the big Fiat Ducato, made the chalk markings on the field and was always there when it came to pushing the Phantoms forward and supporting the club. So no mouth worker, but a craftsman and man of action.

#77 Andy von Oertzen (Foto: Howard Fuhs)

Andy's role in building the cheerleading team in 1992 should not be forgotten. It was he who came up with the idea of placing an ad in the American military newspaper "Stars and Stripes" in order to find a qualified coach. He discovered Teri Wilhelmy, who helped me build a cheerleading team, and he was one of the few who believed in the project, took it forward, and laid the foundation for what is now the successful Phantoms cheerleading team.

I would build up something new with Andy at any time.

#77 Andy von Oertzen (Foto: Howard Fuhs)

More photos from the early days of the Wiesbaden Phantoms can also be found online in my photo archive Lichtbildwerkstatt.Net!

Stay tuned for more to come and don't forget to support the Wiesbaden Phantoms.
Above all, stay healthy!

Have fun!
Howard #70