Lajos Tichy, one of the greatest stars of Kispest football, was born on March 21, 1935, the first day of spring. Alongside his exceptional shooting technique and dazzling ability, his love for his club and country elevated him among the very best. He delighted supporters in countless memorable matches.
He was not yet 19 when he made his debut in Salgótarján for a Honvéd side in which even the bench was packed with internationals and world-class players such as Puskás, Kocsis and Bozsik were everywhere. He came on as a substitute in the 58th minute and, 23 minutes later, not only completed his first NB I appearance but also scored his first NB I goal. A year later, in Oslo against Norway, he also marked his debut for the Hungarian national team with a goal.
In the autumn of 1963, inspired by Tichy, Honvéd were already 3–0 up against Ferencváros after a quarter of an hour and eventually won 7–2. It was then that György Szepesi delivered his famous line on the radio: “anyone who has not come out yet should head to the Népstadion immediately”.
Another memorable match came in the summer of 1964. Vasas were still leading 3–2 in the 87th minute, but Honvéd turned the score around to win 4-3 as Lajos Tichy scored twice in three minutes.
On June 20, 1971, in Kispest against Vasas, he bade farewell to active football. Perhaps it goes without saying that he did so with a goal – and not just any goal. In the 45th minute, following a cross, he met the ball first time and smashed a tremendous shot into the right corner. He said goodbye in the way only the very greatest can.
During his extraordinary career, he won two league titles with the Kispest side and finished as the league's top scorer five times. He won the Central European Cup in 1959 and the Hungarian People's Republic Cup (Hungarian Cup) in 1964. He made 72 appearances for the national team and scored 51 goals. He found the net four times at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and three times in Chile in 1962. Even after his playing career, he remained loyal to his beloved club, Honvéd. From 1971 he served the club as a coach. He first coached the youth and reserve teams, before becoming head coach of the senior side in 1976. In 1980, he also won the league title with Honvéd as a coach.
The Nation's Bomber would be 90 today.
