Ten-time Westphalian champions Schalke 04 had to endure a bitter 3-2 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund at the Schloss Strunkede stadium in Herne yesterday. Goals from Michallek, Ruhmhofer and Sandmann gave BVB victory in the final of the Westphalian championship in front of 30,000 passionate fans. The win marked an end to Schalke’s dominance in the region. A goal from Michallek shortly after half-time nullified a Hinz goal from Schalke in the first half. However, shortly afterwards Kronsbein had to pick the ball out of the net again after a free-kick from Tibulski. Heinrich Ruhmhofer, up from defence, again equalised for BVB before, with just minutes left on the clock, 17-year-old Herbert Sandmann scored the winning goal. The travelling BVB fans did not let the pouring rain stop them from celebrating with their players. BVB first played a championship match against Schalke 04 on 3 May 1925. The game, also in Herne, went to Schalke and won them a regional championship. Best Borussia player in the 4-2 defeat was the ’keeper Knipprath who held all that he could.

In the coming years BVB ran into a string of hefty defeats such as a 0-7 defeat in 1936-37 at the Rote Erde stadium or the 10-0 disaster at the Glueckauf-Kampfbahn ground. Kuzorra scored four of the goals in that game and future BVB coach Hermann Eppenhoff scored, too. Not until 1938 did BVB strike back when they won, albeit in the final of the A-youth Westphalia championship in Muenster with Max Michallek the best player in a 4-2 win in Muenster. It was with his two goals in that game that he had people thinking that he could be one of the greats in the ’Black n Yellow‘ colours. It was not until 14 November 1943 that the BVB first team was able to win against Schalke. They won 1-0 in a game at the Rote Erde stadium courtesy of an August Lenz goal. BVB confronted Schalke a total of 16 times in the regional leagues of Westphalia but could only manage one win and a draw in that time.