Reporting legend Wolfgang Winheim celebrates his 80th birthday
One of the defining figures of Austrian sports journalism is celebrating a special birthday today, Tuesday: Wolfgang Winheim turns 80. First Vienna FC 1894 sends its warmest congratulations!
For more than six decades, Winheim has followed national and international sport. While still at school, the Vienna native wrote his first reports for KURIER. In 1966, an exclusive interview with Pelé marked his breakthrough as a journalist, and from January 1967 he became a permanent member of the KURIER sports desk. He remained loyal to the newspaper until his retirement in 2011 and is still associated with it today as the author of his well-known “Tagebuch” column.
Over the course of his extraordinary career, Winheim reported from 15 Olympic Games, nine FIFA World Cups and 16 Alpine World Ski Championships. He witnessed some of the greatest moments in Austrian sporting history at close quarters and influenced generations of readers with his extensive knowledge, critical eye and unmistakable style. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded, among other honours, the professional title of “Professor” and the Golden Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria.
As a true Döblinger, Wolfgang Winheim also shares a long history with Vienna and the Hohe Warte. His first published piece was a letter to the editor of the sports programme Sportfunk. At the age of nine, he objected to the fact that coverage focused mainly on Rapid, even though Vienna had become Austrian champions in 1955.
The beginning of his journalistic career also has a blue-and-yellow connection. During a chance encounter with Pelé at the Mandl wine tavern in Döbling, the tavern owner – a Vienna official – introduced the young Winheim to the world star as one of Vienna’s greatest football talents. The conversation that followed appeared on the front page of KURIER shortly afterwards.
The Hohe Warte has been part of Wolfgang Winheim’s life since his youth. As a youth footballer, he still changed in the old changing-room barracks, beneath which an intact unexploded bomb was discovered during demolition in 1973. He also worked as a Ballschani at the stadium in his younger years, helping with matchday duties in the natural arena. Later, he described the Hohe Warte as the most beautiful of Austria’s traditional football grounds and dedicated numerous articles to its history. There is also a family connection to Vienna: his son Alexander played for the club’s first team for several years.
Dear Wolfgang,
Vienna wishes you all the very best for your 80th birthday, above all good health and continued enjoyment of sport and writing. We look forward to many more encounters.
Happy Birthday!
