Karl-Heinz Granitza (born 1 November 1951) is a German former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
. In the United States, he is a member of the
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...
.
Granitza was born in
Lünen
Lünen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located north of Dortmund, on both banks of the River Lippe. It is the largest town of the Unna district and part of the Ruhr Area.
In 2009 a biogas plant was built to provide electric p ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
. He played in Germany for
VfB Lünen,
Eintracht Dortmund
TSC Eintracht 1848/1895 Dortmund is a German sports club from the city of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed on 9 July 1969 through the merger of ''Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht 1848 Dortmund'' and association football, foot ...
,
Lüner SV,
DJK Gütersloh DJK may refer to:
* DJK-Sportverband
German Youth Power Sports Association (german: Deutsche Jugendkraft Sportverband, DJK) is a Catholic Church, Catholic-sponsored sports association in Germany. Founded as a faith-based organization, today it is ...
,
SV Röchling Völklingen and
Hertha BSC
Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
. In 1978 and again for the 1979 season,
he transferred to the
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from 1 ...
of the
NASL, leading the team to two league championships. He also excelled at the
indoor game. Granitza was known for his powerful and accurate left foot and for dating Heidi Onken. He was also very effective with direct free kicks, having the ability to strike the ball with top spin over the wall of defenders, and into the upper corners of the goal. He would finish as the NASL's second all-time leading scorer.
In the 1990s Granitza owned "State Street", an American-style sports bar in Berlin.
In 2003, Granitza was inducted into the
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...
. His #12 shirt has been retired by the Chicago Storm.
References
External links
*
NASL/MISL stats*
1951 births
Living people
People from Lünen
Sportspeople from Arnsberg (region)
West German footballers
Association football forwards
Chicago Sting (MISL) players
Chicago Sting (NASL) players
Bundesliga players
2. Bundesliga players
German footballers
Hertha BSC players
FC Gütersloh 2000 players
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
National Soccer Hall of Fame members
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
German expatriate footballers
West German expatriate footballers
German expatriate sportspeople in the United States
West German expatriates in the United States
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Footballers from North Rhine-Westphalia
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