In 2006, the supporters of 1. FC Union Berlin celebrated the 40^th birthday of the club by crowning their ‘most valuable player’ of all-time. It perhaps could be expected that such an honour would go to a player from the club’s greatest achievement — the 1968 East German Cup win — or someone who dazzled through skill. Rather, Union fans put one of their own above all else: Wolfgang ‘Potti’ Matthies — a four-time ‘Unioner of the Year’, an honorary club member and part of the best-ever XI.

Older fans to this day talk about ‘Potti’ in glowing terms. They reminisce about his acrobatics in goal, but he was much more than that: more importantly, how much he stood as an embodiment of the club. As a goalkeeper, he was distinguished and was outstanding among a great lineage of number ones in Köpenick — including the likes of 1968 Cup winner Rainer Ignaczak, Gerhard ‘Leo’ Weiß, Oskar Kosche and Jan Glinker.

According to popular legend, the nickname ‘Potti’ derived simply from him ordering a pot of coffee or tea. Matthies was welcomed into the Union family in 1971. He had previously signed his first professional contract with Vorwärts Berlin who changed their location to Frankfurt (Oder), about 100km east towards the border with Poland. He developed his skills on the streets, not in a sports-specific high school and was able to attend a boarding school at his first club.

Though then-Union Berlin head coach Dieter Fietz handed him his first-team debut in December 1974, Matthies trained as a reserve keeper until he broke through finally in 1976. His first appearance in the Oberliga, the highest division of the German Democratic Republic, was that September — another 159 matches in the top-tier of East German football would follow throughout his career.

"Again and Again, Matthies"

What defined Matthies’ first spell at our club was his performances against arch rivals BFC Dynamo. At its height in the 1970s, 1. FC Union Berlin faced distorted competition. There was one preferred winner in the eyes of the state, who wanted representation at European level. Appointed FIFA match officials were acutely aware of who was supposed to win. As such, East German Cup matches, then played across two legs, were almost impossible for Union to win. When the chances of cup success looked bleak, Union often rested four or five key players to avoid potential clashes with match officials, which would lead to suspensions and thus impact on Union Berlin’s ability to maintain a strong league position.

In the 1976/77 season, a crowd of around 45,000 turned up to the Stadion der Weltjugend to watch a legendary battle against rivals Dynamo. Matthies gave an acclaimed performance between the sticks, one that would come to embody his credentials as the all-time MVP of Union Berlin. He made save-after-save, commanded his opponents and earned the headlines above Union’s winning goalscorer that day Ulrich Werder. A local football newspaper Fussball Woche described Matthies as the 'defining figure of the match' with a ‘flawless’ performance.

Matthies was called up to the military in 1979 and was away from the professional game until 1981. He returned and cemented his position as number one and cult hero. However, in 1983 Union hired ex-Dynamo player Harry Nippert as a first-team coach. It was unpopular move among the supporters and fans favourite, Matthies, demonstrated that. He left for 1. FC Magdeburg and could return when Nippert was gone. “I was and am an Unioner of heart and soul. But I could never work for a coach of the Stasi,” he explained. Although he returned to Berlin in 1985, his professional career ended two years later after 317 matches.