myproject50-blog

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VV Montfoort-Spakenburg (1:1) Dutch Topklasse 31.03.12

After filling my stomach with food from the breakfast buffet, i checked out of the hotel and made my way to Apeldoorn train station to catch the train to Utrecht. It was from here i would get the bus to Montfoort, a small village South of Utrecht. I was meeting some Scottish groundhoppers at the bus stop in Utrecht and made it with seconds to spare. The bus was only a 20 minute journey and having located the stadium on google maps before i left i knew where we were going so finding the stadium would not be difficult. Again everything worked liked clockwork and we were there well before kick off for a few beers and something to eat. Montfoort were currently sitting second bottom of the Topklasse and not having the best of seasons. They had, the previous season, just been promoted from the Hoofdklasse but results had not been in their favour. Spakenburg on the other hand were sitting proudly on top and looking good to win the league so the odds were stacked against the home side.

We walked accross some parkland and arrived at the little quaint stadium. It had a small stand with about 200 seats and a clubhouse. The remainder of the ground was uncovered standing areas. We paid our 8 euros entrance money and headed for the clubhouse to escape the breeze and for a much needed beer, the first of the day. As we entered you could not help to notice that there were people of all ages sitting eating and drinking and it seemed a nice community family atmosphere. A game of Hockey one one pitch, U19's were playing on another so it was quite a busy and vibrant place. The crowd began to gather with many Spakenburg supporters in good mood due to their teams lofty position. As kick off approached we made our way to the far side opposite the main stand and took position to the right of the half way line. The game ebbed and flowed but was very stop start due to the erratic decisions of the referee, both teams being caught offside on numerous occasions. Spakenburg hit the post twice during the game but could not find away through the stubborn Montfoort defence. The longer the game went on the more frustrated the visitors got and began making mistakes. This allowed Montfoort to enjoy some decent possession and with the game looking like ending 0-0, in injury time Montfoort scored a breakaway goal. Was this to be it? No....Spakenburg hit back within a minute and equalised. In the third minute of added on time Montfoort could have won it but the the ball hit the post and it finished 1-1. We had to wait for injury time  before we got loads of action but it was an enjoyable afternoon and another new ground to tick off the list.

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AGOVV Apeldoorn-MVV Maastricht (1:1) Dutch 2nd Division 30.03.12

This trip was not a normal one for a number of reasons. Firstly it was not booze fuelled and secondly this was my first MVV away game of the season (albeit March!). Located in the centre of Holland, I had planned to do Apeldoorn on the Friday night followed by a trip to see the Topklasse game between Montfoort and Spakenburg.

I caught the 11am KLM flight again from Aberdeen to Amsterdam and upon arrival had judged it nicely to catch the train to Apeldoorn in the hope of arriving around 6pm at my hotel. This would give me 2 hours before kick off and luckily, for once, my connections were good and everything went to plan. The Hampshire Hotel was only a 10 minutes walk away so the location was perfect. I had a few pre match beers before leaving the hotel and made my short journey to the ground by foot.

The 'Sportpark Berg en Bos' as it is usually referred to has now been renamed to the Fly Brazil stadium, funnily enough for sponsorship reasons and is located in the west of the town beside the zoo and a national park. From the road you would not know it was a football stadium as it is nestled on four sides by trees from the adjoining national park. There seemed to be only one entrance but just as i asked where the away fans entrance was i saw the buses from the south arrive. Two full buses with the Ultras bus running late and still to arrive.

I entered through an opening in the trees and paid the 12 euros entrance money, cheap by my standards i thought. The away section was tiny and surrounded by barbed wire. It consisted of 3 sections of seats about 4 metres wide and smelt of urine. Not a welcoming sight and smell but nevertheless i proceeded to hang my flag up at the front. Attaching it to the metal fence which hemmed us in, i noticed that the bottom would be hidden from view as the tall advertising boards were taking prominence around the pitch. I purchased a coke from a small wooden refreshment kiosk and waited for the arrival of my friends on the Ultras bus. 10 minutes before kick off they eventually arrived and the game kicked off on time at 8pm.  Early play was in favour of MVV and in the 10th minute we were awarded a penalty. This had been given after their keeper Osteroff had adjudged to have brought down Rajcomar.  Osteroff was given his marching orders and there was a short delay as AGOVV shuffled their back line. From the resultant spot kick Rajcomar hit a rather weak shot which was saved well and the score remained goaless. AGOVV began to gain the upper hand they took the lead against the run of play. A free kick floated past Bulters and it was 1-0. Nuts and Bananas were now being waved in the direction of the home side, poking fun at their close proximnity to the Zoo. The game had kind of died and the action was mostly in the midfield area and it was no surprise when the referee blew his whistle for half time to give us a welcome break.

The second half was slightly livelier. MVV had plenty of chances to score but just could not find the net, passing up a number of good opportunites. It was then a sense of relief that after Tom van Hyfte scored from close range following a corner to equalise, delerium in the away section as we all jumped around liked monkeys escaping from the zoo. Time ran out and we had to settle for a 1-1 draw.  I needed a beer! I said goodbye to my friends and made my short journey back to the hotel. I had a few beers before calling it a night as i knew i had a busy day ahead of me and wanted to be fresh.

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Wisla Plock-Olimpia Elblag (1:1) Polish 1st Division 18.03.12

Our adventure to Plock was highly unsuccessful bet hey at least i saw a nice riot!

We were late leaving Warsaw and we were all not fully aware just how far it was away from the centre of the city. We started driving and it took 2 hours to get there so by the time we arrived it was half time. We travelled with no tickets thinking we would get them at the gate when we arrived.

Approaching the ground there were Police roadblocks and riot police standing by which wasn't the best first impression. We asked one of them where to park not knowing which was the home end or which was the away end and were sent to park over an adjacent bridge. The street we happened to be on, with all the riot police, was the away section.

We parked the car and walked 300 metres back across the bridge only to be fronted by the riot police on one side of the street and some rowdy Legia supporters who it turns out, have a friendship with Elblag. They were loitering outside the away section entrance and some of them by the looks of it had been drinking for most of the day. The entrance gate was closed and we could not work out why this was. Were they too rowdy to let in? We asked for tickets and were told they would be available in 10 minutes.

The already sour atmosphere began to turn as soon as 2 buses pulled up and loads of Elblag supporters poured off who we found out later had been delayed in travelling from the North. Bottles began to fly and the crunch of broken glass was heard in the wierdest sort of friendship greeting i have ever seen! Our quest for tickets looked to be solved but we asked ourselves....would we survive?

We located a girl who was selling tickets but had to wait longer to see who claimed them from the awaiting Legia supporters. The gates were still locked and supporters started to climb on the gate to get in and harass the stewards on the other side. They began to hurl bottles and beer crates in their direction. Stun bombs deafened our ears and the police moved in, this was our cue to move. We decided for our own safety to move to the other side of the street. As we did there was a charge at the police by the drunken mob which had now swollen to twice its size.

We started to retreat fast just as the water cannon sprayed the mob. Stones, bottles, rocks anything they could get their hands on were hurled at the police and a full scale riot ensued. We were lucky to get out when we did and scarpered back over the bridge to the car. I desperately wanted to take photos but seriously it was not safe to do so and luckily, for once, i saw sense.

The police pushed back over the bridge and the road was sealed at either end so walking back to the car we next wondered whether we would get out or end up being trapped. We drove to the top of the road and asked a female officer who directed us into a nearby field which she said would lead us back to the centre of Plock. It was part tarmac and part field so did no favours for the suspension of the car. Nevertheless we made it back to the home end of the stadium and continued in our pursuit of match tickets.

The hatches selling tickets closed just as we got there and we were out of luck as there was no way in. Boys were standing on the railings outside in an attempt to view the game for free, two youngsters made good use of the height of their bikes standing on the saddles to peep over the fence in a scene similar to that of the 1950's. As we stood peering through the fence at one side of the pitch we pondered our next move. No club shop, no programmes, no badges and no ticket...hmmm what now...2 hour drive home????? We were told that there was a club shop but it was located in a nearby shopping centre so we decided if nothing else we could go for a beer and something to eat.

Luck was not on our side as the shop was closed when we got there so beer is always a good consolation for any disappointment. So we sank a few drinks before making it back to the car for the long drive home. Exciting as it was to witness a full scale riot there we left disappointed with the lack of football action. When we arrived back in Warsaw we went out for a few more beers which ended in another late night.

More photos of the action inside and outside of the stadium can be viewed here http://www.portalplock.pl/pl/426_galeria/575_pilka_nozna/416_zadyma_pod_stadionem_czyli_liga_wystartowala.html/od=0

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Legia Warsaw-Polonia Warsaw (0:0) Polish Ekstraklassa 17.03.12

Scotland has seen a steady influx of workers from Poland come to our great country over the last 10 years, so in good honest fashion it was now my time to go over to Poland. However, I was not there for work I was there on a short city break to Warsaw. Poland and Ukraine will be staging the ‘Euros’ this summer and I was looking forward to my first trip to the country to see what kind of atmosphere fans could expect. I was hoping to turn the negative stories I had heard and my aprehension into positive stories to tell on my return.

I conveniently picked the weekend of the big Warsaw derby, Legia were at home to Polonia at the Pepsi Arena. Wait a minute…Pepsi Arena??? Yes it’s been renamed for sponsorship reasons in case you missed the clue. The stadium was called the Polish Army Stadium but has been redeveloped over the past couple of years to be ready for this summer and now renamed.

I must confess that I did not know much about Polish football until my friend Lukasz briefed me on all things Legia. With the team currently top of the Polish Ekstraklasa (premier league) it was THE time to watch them but getting a ticket for the derby might be a problem. 20,000 tickets were sold in 2 days so we faced an uphill task getting them. Normally they are only available to buy in person and you need to have a clubcard. However, Lukasz managed to presuade the ticket office to hold them for his dad to collect on the basis that I emailed a copy of my passport for ID purposes.  I even got a 70% discount as I was a first time visitor not bad I thought for a game of this magnitude.

We arrived eventually in Warsaw by car after a three hour white knuckle ride. A lot of the roads are still being constructed and with countless roadworks, traffic lights and single lane carraigeway, in the dark the drive seemed to go on forever. Our driver took each straight road at breakneck speed narrowly avoiding the waiting police cars at the side of the road.  “He’s an experienced driver and knows his car” I was told, but this did nothing to ease my already tightly quenched buttocks. The main road from Lodz to Warsaw has no overtaking lanes and is similar to the A9 from Perth to Inverness so to say I was needing a pint when I arrived was an understatement.

Lucky to be alive we sampled the Warsaw nightlife well into the early hours. Bottles of 6% proof Lagerowe went down a treat as well as a few tokes on a cherry shisha pipe. The transport network in the city is excellent. There is a choice of Metro, Bus or Tram and plenty of night buses for all those late night revellers. I seem to remember seeing 4am on the nightbus timetable and with my tiredness beginning to creep up on me I yawned all the way back to our accommodation.

(there's only one palm tree in Warsaw, one palm tree in Warsaw!)

I woke up the following morning with my head slightly dull from only 5 hours sleep, no need to wallow in self pity as it was derby day. A quick breakfast, shower and away we went shopping to Carefour to buy a white t-shirt. To let you understand if you support Legia it is customary to wear white. When packing my case I never thought of this and of course what did I have on…yes I was wearing black, the colour of Polonia. With white t-shirt in hand we made it back into the centre of the city to sample a few more delicious beers. As we made our way to the stadium we heard lots of shouting and commotion. It was the Polonia fans marching through the city centre surrounded by police. Roads were blocked off, helicopters circled overhead as the potential for this to descend into chaos was pretty high. Which other city would this happen in, on derby day? Would you ever see 5000 Celtic fans march through Govan before a meeting with Rangers? I don’t think so. We darted in and out the side streets to catch a glimpse of any trouble but it looked like the police had things well under control.

Amidst yellow flares and the intermitant drop of stun bombs we met some other friends outside the stadium for yet another pre match bottle of beer. The darkness had already descended but outside the Legia clubhouse the atmosphere was sizzling nicely. Songs against their oppostion were the most common and the large crowd were in a good mood with absolutely no hint of aggression. 

Bottles clunked and the sound of trodding on broken glass echoed across the streets as we slowly made our way to the entrance gate. They have never heard of queues in Warsaw so it is very much the case of he who has the biggest elbow wins. As I starred up at the large Pepsi logo I could already hear the noise inside. When reaching the top of the stairs I caught a glimpse of the pitch and then I witnessed a sight I may never see at a football game ever again. The stand behind one goal called Zyleta was a sea of white, banners hung from every available inch and the noise that belted out was near deafening. If I was a player how could I play football in this I thought?

As the teams entered the stadium a huge banner of 70 feet square covered the Zyleta, The text, translated to English read “Pyro-holics”. This was in relation to Zyleta’s relationship with the use of Pyro at most of their games. In the majority of countries Pyro is banned but kind of tolerated. I was told the supporters collect money from each member each week to pay for the fines that are dished out by the Polish FA for clubs who use Pyro inside the stadium.  This money is then handed over to the club to pay for this fine. Hows that for two fingers up at the authorities.  It was a sell out and 30,000 fans were now on their feet. Everyone held their scarfs in the air as the stadium speakers pounded out the Legia club anthem. Confetti thrown from above covered us in a truly memorable sight.

Amongst this chaos the game kicked off and loud whistles were directed at each Polonia player as they touched the ball. Legia had a few decent chances but could not turn their possession into goals. The crowd did their bit still on their feet, all 30,000 singing every song. It was relentless for the remainder of the half, line by line, verse by verse they sang from every last breath of air they had in their lungs. The action on the pitch was not up to much and as the half wore on few chances were created and with both teams not wanting to loose they went into the break no scoring. Maybe some quiet for 20 minutes? Not a chance, however there was a half time proposal on the pitch which dulled the signing for five minutes. How he managed to hear the word YES was still astounds me but as soon as he got off his knee off the stadium went again. LEGIA, LEGIA, LEGIA.

The action on the pitch in the second half I had hoped to be better but it didn’t turn out this way. A red card reduced Polonia down to 10 men but even with this advantage Legia could not score. The game finished with the Legia players do a lap of honour thanking the support they were given. It was the supporters who were the true winners. Nowhere in the world have I seen anything like the support these fans gave. For the full 90 minutes at full volume the whole stadium singing at once. Quite remarkable and this is what made this derby a great success. I left the ground exhausted with the noise of the songs still ringing in my ears. Warsaw is unique as it is the only city in Poland to have skycsrapers I would say, from that showing, they also have the best fans in the country.

No matter what you have heard or what you have read, Poland is a wonderful country. It has a rich history and lovely friendly people. If you are a fan and you are going to the Euro Championships this summer then you should be in for a wonderful time you will not be disappointed.

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St Andrews United v Linlithgow Rose (2:3) East Juniors Superleague 10.03.12

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Aberdeen v Celtic (1:1) SPL 03.03.12

Last week the sun in Madrid, this week the cold and misty delights of Aberdeen. I must console myself in the knowledge that my trip to Poland is only two weeks away. I took my sun tan to Scotland's game of the day.This was quite a good match and probably the most entertaining seen at Pittodrie this season. Aberdeen could have easily won this in the second half as Celtic were rank rotten. Many chances were missed and time ran out. However a draw it was and it kept the Dons unbeaten run going.

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Athletico Madrid v Barcelona (1:2) Spanish Primera Division 26.02.12

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Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid (0:1) Spanish Primera Division 26.02.12

We woke early on the Sunday morning to the sound of the bin lorry clearing away the previous nights street trash. We discovered that the youth of Madrid like to go out late at night and go home early in the morning. In true Scottish fashion the fearless threesome found one of the cheapest rounds to be around 6 euros in a nearby Rock Bar. We had placed our buttocks on seats until 3am the previous night. Most of Madrid were just starting their night and we were on our way home back to the hotel. However up we got happy in the knowledge that we were about to visit 2 of the worlds greatest teams in one day. Part 1 of this double header was Real Madrid's trip to play city neighbours Rayo Vallecano. In Spain all you really hear about is Barca and Real so i was intrigued to find out a little about Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo are Madrid's third team and are, this season, back in the top division following their promotion last season. This was a high risk match we were told as not only was it a derby but the first time the two teams had met since 2002. We had secured our ticket yesterday before our trip to Alcorcon. It was the most i had ever spent on a football ticket but parting with 80 euros did not seem such a bad idea considering it's not everyday you are in town and there just happens to be a derby match on.

We plonked ourselves outside the stadium in the local bar about 3 hours before kick off to watch the atmosphere build up. Slowly trickles of supporters appeared. We were then told that the convoy of about 30 police vans that passed was a result of the Real Madrid team bus arriving soon. It never did appear much to the dismay of thousands that had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their idols. The bus must have taken an alternate route maybe based upon police advice i thought.

So there we were commenting on the police officers and joking that the ones getting dressed up with tear gas cannisters and flak jackets were for the three rowdy half cut Scotsmen across the street. They looked the business with black shades and tooled up, quite an intimidating sight. Our jokes were turned to reality as they marched across the street in our direction and  positioned themselves within touching distance. They had formed a line along one side of the street and we found ourselves surrounded in a high risk area.

In my previous experience when Police advance forward, fans tend to show solidarity and unity in signing and right enough that's what started off the choir. We were on our feet as song and song was belted out by the leader of the pack, surprisingly a 6 year old boy on his dad's shoulders. It was good natured and friendly until the Real supporters arrived. We caught a glimpse of them as they climbed the concrete  stairs to the top section where they were to be housed for the afternoon. Volleys of abuse were directed at them and it became clear that they were really disliked.

We posed for photos with some of the Rayo supporers who were happy that we had come over from Scotland to watch their team. We could have stayed and drunk with our new friends all afternoon but realised that kick off was fast approaching and we decided to make our way inside. Part of the street where the players and officials entrance was situated was cordoned off by the police so we were routed through a nearby street. Washing hung from window to window, a real working class place this was.

Inside the atmosphere was bubbling nicely. This was a small and proper football ground. No expensive executive boxes, no purpose built concrete jungle this was the old proper stadium. The Supporters were close to the pitch and one end behind the goal had apartment blocks towered over. Fans packed balconies to get a free uninterupted view of the game. This was a community, united, and it could be felt all around the stadium. We could see the small pocket of Real Madrid supporters high in the stand opposite. Their hands fixed to their foreheads shielding the scorching afternoon sun. It was February yet still 25 degrees celcius. The Rayo fans put on a superb show of support for their team unveiling a huge TIFO as the teams entered the pitch. It covered the entire section behind the goal to our left and stayed until the match kicked off.

It became clear very quickly that Ronaldo and Pepe are two of the most hated figures in the Real team. Ronaldo however silenced the stadium with a quite reamrkable goal. He had the audacity to try a back heel from 12 yards which trundled past the entire defence and keeper and hit the back of the net. Boos rang out from the home side which silenced the small celebrating Real supporters.

The atmosphere was electric, a typical hard fought derby. It had the lot, balls hitting the crossbar, great saves by the keepers, yellow cards and a red card. Tough tackling and end to end football. It was fast and flowing, tense and thrilling. All three of us were on the edge of our seats for the entire 90 minutes and the best 80 euros ever spent. We then remembered that the next game in the evening was Athletico-Barca, this would have to be even better to top this. Had we peaked too soon?

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Alcorcon v Cartagena (1:0) Spanish Segunda Division 25.02.12

Glorious afternoon sunshine greeted 3 Scotsmen as they exited the Alcorcon Centrale metro station. We walked 20 minutes past a couple of housing estates in the direction of the ground and found the welcoming sight of the floodlights in the distance. We navigated our way to a local bar to savour some pre match atmosphere and wet our lips with glasses of Mahou (the local beer) and plates of free tapas dished out unasked for by the cheerful bar staff. After a few refreshments we made our way to the Estadio Santo Domingo. The game itself kicked off at 5pm. Still roasting hot at this time of the evening we joked as the girl in the club shop had her heater on. Supporters began to trickle in and a reasonable sized crowd witnessed a slow paced and slightly boring match. Alcorcon passed up a number of easy chances which would have made the scoreline look more convincing. Cartagena on the other hand were a poor team and only ventured forward in the last 15 minutes trying to grab a last gap equaliser. It was not to be and the solitary strike was scored by Quini which proved to be the winner.

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Aberdeen v St Johnstone (0:0) SPL 19.02.12

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St Andrews United v Kilbirnie Ladeside (1:1) Scottish Junior Cup 5th Round 18.02.12

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Dyce Juniors v Forres Thistle (3:2) North Juniors Superleague 11.02.12

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MSV Duisburg v FSV Frankfurt (1:2) German Bundesliga 2 03.02.12

In April of last year I had completed 3 games in 3 days in 3 countries, to Holland, Germany and Belgium. The plan this year was to go one better and attempt 4 games in 4 days in 4 countries. 

It was by no means an easy task as I had planned to go and see MSV Duisburg-FSV Frankfurt in Germany on the Friday night. This was to be followed by West Ham-Millwall on the Saturday and FC Vise-KSK Tienen in Belgium on the Sunday. The trip was to end after my attendance at the Limburg derby in Holland between Fortuna Sittard-MVV Maastricht on the Monday evening.

I caught the late morning flight from Aberdeen to Frankfurt and worked out that I could catch a train direct to Duisburg from the airport when I arrived. This would take me straight to the centre of city and then I would just walk to the stadium. 

The flight was smooth and my connections worked out perfectly with me arriving in Duisburg 4.35pm. This gave me enough time to get to the ground for kick off at 6pm and obtain a ticket. MSV play at the all seated 31,000 capacity Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. This ground was opened in 2004 on the site of the old ground, the Wedaustadion. It is now the usual rectangle modern arena with plastic blue tip up seats that you see anywhere else these days. 

Outside is where it looks best with blue neon lights running around the top of the concrete structure. These lights seem to reflect off the metalwork and gives a similar kind of colourful glow as the Allianz Arena does in Munich. Outside was also the fan shop where I was headed to buy a ticket. I opted for a seat along the length of the pitch so paid a premium of 32 euros for this ticket. Later I realised I could have got it a lot cheaper standing at the end behind the goal but had wanted a good seat to get some nice photos. 

MSV Duisburg have been classed as one of “the yo-yo” teams of German football. Their last appearance in the top flight in 2007-08 lasted only one season and to date ply their trade in the Bundesliga 2. FSV on the other hand are Frankfurt’s second team and do not have the same level of support as city neighbours Eintracht. Both were middle table going into this game so although I thought it was never going to be a classic I had at least hoped that it would be entertaining.

Wrapped in my newly purchased scarf and hat, I sat shivering in my seat waiting for the game to start. The temperature was –12c. One of the coldest nights I have ever watched football. Colder than Cove on a Friday night and colder than Arbroath’s Gayfield Park. I bought a beer, the locals call it Konig Pils. A little bit weak I thought and void of any real taste. Watching football and sitting with a beer in your hand is still a novelty for me when travelling abroad, such are the laws in Germany, Holland and Belgium which make this possible. 

Both teams entered the arena to the sound of what I understood to be the “MSV anthem”. A cross between Loch Lomond and Chesney Hawkes I thought. The game started and within the first five minutes MSV had two “how cold you miss that” moments. 4 yards out with an open goal not once but twice, both times well over the crossbar. This was followed by another two great chances that were missed also due to poor finishing. I could sense the MSV fans loosing faith in their team already and FSV, with their small band of fans to my left, were starting to get the ball down and playing a little. It was no surprise then when they opened the scoring after 17 minutes. 

The 9,500 home fans were now frustrated seeing their team a goal down and now throwing away possession easily. They were second to every ball, lacked conviction and confidence. Somehow I thought this was not the real MSV and hoped that it would be a better contest when the teams returned for the second period. 

My beer had an ice film on top after my half time refuelling. I had to pick the ice off the top of my pint. Now don’t get me wrong I love ice cold beer but I start to loose interest when it becomes so cold outside that your beer starts to freeze. It was a struggle to finish it but to uphold the good old Scottish tradition I didn’t let my country down and necked the last dribble.

Two minutes after the restart we had an equaliser and the constant drumbeat coming from the Duisburg Ultras behind the goal began to beat faster and louder. Goran Sukalo was the hero netting from a free kick. So it now looked that we might just have a game on our hands with the goal spurring the home side into action. However in a similar pattern to the first half the home side passed up a number of decent chances only for FSV to creep in front with a simple goal. This sent the small travelling support into raptures. Time ran out and so did the chances for the home side and following the final whistle all the supporters scurried home to the waiting buses to get warm.

I made it back the station and caught the train to Liege where I was staying overnight. It was to be an early start in the morning as I was travelling with the Belgium Hammers on a bus that was leaving Mechelen at 6am. Time for some zzzzzzzzz

I woke after my 3 hours sleep knowing that I should not had that last beer at 2am. We sheepishly made our way to Mechelen train station which was our departure point and with the temperature –19c I was beginning to think what am I doing here, why am I mad crazy and I would do anything for 10 hours in a comfy bed.

The Belgian Hammers make the trip over the Channel for every home game and believe it or not I found this the easiest way of obtaining a ticket for one of the most fiercest rivalries in English football only made possible following West Ham’s relegation last year.

All was going well until we reached Calais, we streamed through the passport office and got back on the bus only for it not to start. 30 minutes later we had not moved and discovered that the bus had broken down. It was 9.30am and kick off was 3 hours away. We still had to wait for a replacement bus and travel another 2 hours across Kent so the chances of making the game were fading. The replacement bus never turned up and we ended up being stranded outside the Calais passport office.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text, which brought further bad news. Due to the low temperatures the Limburg derby was now cancelled. I then asked around to see if any other games were still on for my football feast. “No” was the answer all were cancelled. So I suppose I can be glad that I at least got to one game.

Oh……the replacement bus finally turned up at 5.30pm after spending a day in the nearby shopping centre watching the Hammers-Millwall game streamed live on the internet in a bowling alley. For a weekend that started well and promised so much it ended a but of a cold, damp squib. Next up is Madrid in a few weeks, surely in Spain there won't be any snow? Can there???

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St Andrews United v Cumnock (1:1) Scottish Junior Cup 4th Round 21.01.12

A trip to St Andrews again to see my team, the Saints, take on West Region giants Cumnock in the Scottish Cup. A crowd of close to 200 saw an entertaining game with Saints scoring in first half injury time with a slightly wind assisted free kick from Kevin McMullen. The second half sprung into action with a bizarre decision by the referee which ultimately changed the course of the game. A collision occurred in the home sides penalty area and Saints captain Ricky Patrick was redcarded. Cumnock equalised from the resultant penalty. Play raged on but there was no further scoring and tie goes to a replay at Cumnock the following week.

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Arbroath v Glasgow Rangers (0:4) Scottish Cup 4th Round 08.01.12

I love going to Arbroath, it gives me a special feeling. I think it’s the wide open spaces and fresh sea air so when the Scottish Cup 4th round draw was made it pitted the current 3rd division champions against the current SPL champions. Arbroath v Rangers doesn’t happen every day so i thought this was too good an opportunity to miss and managed to secure my ticket before New Year. It was then announced that the Sky TV cameras would be in attendance ensuring a worldwide audience and a bumper pay day for the Angus outfit. It would be nice to see the old ground full I thought and more so to see the Red Lichties produce a shock and put one over the Glasgow giants. Ok maybe that was a bit far fetched but hey it’s the romance of the cup isnt’t it?

  The police had warned everyone to get in early to avoid queuing at the turnstiles and reminded everyone that as the game was live on TV, the game would kick off at 12.45pm and no later. I arrived one hour before kick off just as the heavens opened and the rain started to pour. The town itself was buzzing, cars everywhere, people walking to the ground and not a car parking space to be had. When visiting Gayfield in the past, I have usually parked at the front next to the sea but this looked to be full of buses and with the police waving me on I decided to park up the hill close to the Infirmary. This flash of inspiration entered my brain having once recalled a photo of Gayfield i’d seen taken from the adjacent hill. It gave a superb overview of the stadium and surroundings.

Outside the turnstiles people were making their way into the ground and without much evidence of any queues my entrance was smooth and hassle free. Once inside my essentials were bought (pie, programme, bovril and a good vantage point). The ground was pretty full already with a good atmosphere being created by both sets of supporters singing back and forth. It was shaping up nicely to become a decent game and I had hoped that Arbroath would at least give a good performance for the world to see. I noticed two large electric advertising boards bedded in front of the main stand, a fixture which is not normally there. It was flashing intermittently between William Hill and Tay Taxis. A good way to be seen worldwide with thanks to the Sky TV juggernaut.

  The teams were out and plumes of smoke billowed out of the visiting support which slowly drifted across the pitch. This had been generated by some flares and smoke bombs that the Rangers ‘Ultras’ had let off. Over the past year we have seen fireworks, smoke bombs and the worldwide ultras scene creep its way into Scottish football which is great, in order to create an atmosphere, but it was slightly laughable at Gayfield. This creates a headache for the the police who are ill prepared for this type of fanatacism and do not have the equipment that would normally be used throughout Europe for example.

  To the game itself…well…it was a disappointment to see two goals in twenty minutes being fired in by the blues which you could sense from the home support that it was game over already. It felt a bit like being smacked in the face, it was a sharp wake up call to not only the fans but to the Arbroath player too. You knew there was another smack coming but just unaware when! Highly rated  star Josh Falkingham probably had the best Arbroath chance of the half as his dipping volley was tipped over by the alert McGregor in the Rangers goal.

  The second half produced much of the same and Rangers scored another two goals to win comfortably 4-0. I don’t think in any way did the home disgrace themselves as they did create a number of good opportunities but on the same token I didn’t think that Arbroath played anything like they could do. I have seen them play much better a fact that was echoed by Paul Sheerin in his post match interview.

  So, for the cup, it’s now onto next year but I hope at least the team can now concentrate on winning promotion up to the 1st Division. Maybe then I will see the old ground full again.

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Cove Rangers v Turriff United (3:0) Scottish Highland League 07.01.12

Prior to today only once in Scotland have i managed 2 games in the one day. Allan Park with its unique floodlight, was game 2 of the day after having belted it across the city to make the 3pm kick off. I timed it perfectly as i arrived a couple of minutes before the whistle. This gave me enough time to get the 'usuals' (programme, pie, bovril and a good vantage point).

Yet again it was another cold day but the action kept my mind from wandering to the temperature. Cove were one up early on and Turriff missed a penalty and this was all in the first 15 minutes. Cove increased there lead with 2 goals late on which put a shine on the result following lots of Turriff second half pressure where they could have easily equalised at 1-1. 

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Dyce Juniors v Hermes (0:3) North Juniors Superleague 07.01.12

This was to be my first game of the day, due to the early kick off i managed to fit in this game in before scooting across Aberdeen to catch the Cove game which started at 3pm.

Hermes are top of the Superleague and this was to be a big game with Dyce hoping to go level on points if a victory was secured. Hermes had other ideas and dominated proceedings and fully deserved of their victory come full time. They were more in the mood than Dyce with sleek passing and a real hunger to win.