Sod all these friendlies - I want competitive action, though I am sad to report that just six days before Norwich take on Watford at Carrow Road, I have given up and this Saturday will be speeding over to Belgium to take in Anderlecht's first game of the Jupiler League season against Eupen.
Gordo and I caught Eupen back in March when they were in the second tier and their biggest fan was a large cuddly panda!
Right, where's me passport?
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Oh no Roger!
The king is dead, long live the king.
Roger Federer is out of Wimbledon and I'm gutted though not really surprised.
Something's not quite right with old Roge at the moment and his three sets to one loss to Tomas Berdych was not pretty viewing.
Here's hoping Nadal wins it now, after all he's technically defending his title anyway!
Roger Federer is out of Wimbledon and I'm gutted though not really surprised.
Something's not quite right with old Roge at the moment and his three sets to one loss to Tomas Berdych was not pretty viewing.
Here's hoping Nadal wins it now, after all he's technically defending his title anyway!
Friday, 4 June 2010
Diego's boys to lift the World Cup
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BETTING and the World Cup go hand in hand this summer with an unprecedented amount of pounds, dollars, euros, yen and rand being staked on the tournament across the globe.
So far £13.4 million has been staked on Betfair on the World Cup winner – but that’s just one market at one bookies in one country.
Magnify that amount by at least 1,000 and you’ve got an idea how much will be staked this summer – it runs into the billions, certainly more than the GDP of most countries in the world.
But the World Cup is not just about betting on who you think will win. There are hundreds of different markets for the casual punter to get a little more serious about – and then there are office sweepstakes, fantasy football teams and just having a bet with your mates or colleagues – all forms of gambling and all which offer decent prizes.
I reckon 49 per cent of people in this country are just interested in the football, 49 per cent are more interested in making money and the other two per cent are probably just hoping their random sweepstake pull comes up trumps.
My brother Andrew, a man who last went to a football match in 1987, called me the other week all excited about the fact he had drawn France in his office sweepstake.
He looked a little miffed when I told him they’ve got no chance of winning it. He looked close to tears when I told him they might not even get out of their group.
But whether you’re just hoping your sweepstake pick has a chance, you want a cheeky tenner on someone to do something or you want to lump on hundreds or thousands over the next four weeks, here’s some idea of what to do with your money.
I’ve scanned all the World Cup supplements that were written weeks ago, devoured the message boards, visited the gambling forums, analysed the odds, filled in results on several World Cup wallcharts and done all the hard work so you don’t have to.
This is how I see it unfolding.
To start with we’ve got 32 countries, who mathematically can all win the World Cup. Some – New Zealand (2500/1 to lift the trophy), North Korea and Algeria are there to just make up the numbers – while at the other end, Brazil and Spain are the two teams that everyone’s talking about.
There’s always going to be a shock – someone will fail to qualify from their group (like France in 2002) and someone will roll up in the semi-finals without a cordial invite (remember South Korea and Turkey made it there in 2002, Croatia in 1998 and both Bulgaria and Sweden in USA ‘94).
But as the tournament stars it either seems you fancy five times winners Brazil or perennial dark horses Spain who’ve never made it to the final.
Both have dipped in and out of being favourites in the last few weeks but, 24 hours before the tournament starts, Spain are generally a tad shorter than Brazil. Both are around 4/1 to lift the trophy.
Despite the fact that Spain will go into the tournament as favourites, Brazil are the sensible choice as potential winners. A flick through the archives of previous World Cups proves one thing: Brazil win World Cups.
They’ve won five out of the 18 World Cups so far, picking up the trophy all over the globe – in Sweden, Japan/South Korea, the USA and Chile and they’ve won half the tournaments staged outside Europe.
Brazil won the trophy in 1994, eight years later in 2002 and eight years later we’re here in 2010 with a Brazilian team who won’t care about playing at altitude having come through a qualifying campaign that included cloud-stroking visits to Bolivia and Ecuador.
This Brazil side is managed by 1994 winning captain Dunga and the team is solid and workmanlike, as far away from the individual talent, yet erratic teams of the 1980s that always seemed to leak poor goals.
Any team with the likes of Maicon, Lucio and Dani Alves is going to be tough to score against – throw in a creative midfield spearheaded by Kaka and the potent finishing of Robinho and Luis Fabiano and the fact the Brazilians have a pretty cushy path to the last eight.
Spain have a pretty straight-forward group too, taking on Switzerland, Chile and Honduras but, beware. They could canter to victory in this group but in the next round they’ll almost certainly run into the runners-up in Group H, almost certainly Portugal or the Ivory Coast, maybe even Brazil. Not the easiest game to negotiate at that stage of the competition.
The Spanish are full of talented players but they just don’t do World Cups. They are probably the best team on paper, but so were Holland in 1974 and 1978 and arguably England in 1990.
Spain won Euro 2008 without really being tested, but then lost their first competitive game after that tournament against the USA in the Confederations Cup.
I wouldn’t deter anyone from backing Spain but think the price is too short and there is better value around.
So what of England?
Fabio Capello’s men are available at 8/1 to win the tournament with William Hill, Bet365 and Paddy Power, a figure that has been kept short by our nation’s bookmakers. If you take into account that England failed to qualify for Euro2008 and only made the last eight in Germany four years ago, their recent tournament pedigree is limited to say the least.
Portugal, who knocked England out of their last two tournaments are 33/1 with Tote Sport (because they may face Spain in the second round) but it doesn’t seem right that England are, technically four times more likely to win the tournament than the Portuguese.
England’s price has, though, slid in recent weeks, firstly after the unconvincing wins over Mexico and Japan and then due to Rio Ferdinand’s injury.
Spain and England are a way ahead of the rest of Europe in the betting but, like the rest of the six fancied European teams, they have some major flaws. If, like me, you don’t think a European team will win in South Africa, avoid the 4/9 with Bet 365 that they do, and instead go for the 9/4 with Stan James that it’s a team from South America.
Pele famously said he thought and African nation would win the World Cup by the end of the 20th century – that didn’t happen and it won’t this time either. Africa’s best nation are Egypt and they’re not even here – so the 17/2 with Betfair that an African team doesn’t get out of the group stage is worth taking – I’ve been through the groups and I can’t see any of the six advancing – only Ivory Coast have a sniff, but the loss of Didier Drogba could all but end their chances of getting past Portugal and taking that second spot behind Brazil.
Holland (10/1), Germany (14/1), Italy (16/1) and France (22/1) are the other European sides traditionally fancied – one of them has appeared in every final since 1966 and it’s the Dutch who are the hot tip right now.
Despite Arjen Robben’s injury at the weekend, the price on Holland has come in from around 18/1 at the start of the year to a nice 11/1. Holland keep it tight at the back, are extremely talented in midfield. If only they had another quality striker to take the heat off of Robin van Persie, I would have probably tipped them to win it.
Robben will miss the Dutch opener against Denmark on Monday but should be fit for their remaining games and certainly an adventurous and stylish Holland offer more potential than France who are marshalled by crazy Raymond Domenech, Marcello Lippi’s ageing Italy and the Germans who have been hit by a series of injuries.
But I suggest you avoid the big European six, place your money on a winner to come from South America at 9/4 and if you want to have a decent bet on the eventual winner of the tournament, then do as I have done and get your money on the team that strikes me as obvious winners - Argentina
Yes, Argentina!
What could be worse for an English man than to tip Argentina to win the tournament? Why, because that means they’ll almost certainly be eliminating England, possibly at the semi-final stage.
So why Argentina? Well they have all the components of a World Cup winner to me. They struggled to qualify for this campaign, needing to win a play-off against Uruguay to reach South Africa (they were only a minute away from elimination, just like they were in qualifying for the 1986 World Cup), but now they’ve made it and have been drawn into a pretty easy group.
I don’t see Nigeria, South Korea and Greece proving too much for Diego Maradona’s men, and their path into the last four looks straight-forward too.
They do have the Maradona factor that could be a massive help or a massive hindrance – but under the tutelage of Carlos Bilardo who led the team to 1986 glory, he has good support.
They’ve got history on their side – Brazil waited 24 years for World Cup glory after Pele led them to the 1974 World Cup so 24 years on from Maradona’s inspirational Mexico tournament that’s a good omen.
The Albiceleste’s back four is experienced and tight, the midfield strong and gritty, and going forward there are few better teams: Messi, Tevez, Milito, Higain, Aguero and Aimar is a potent list of goalscorers and the beautifully named Angel di Maria could prove to be a star of this World Cup.
So what are the pitfalls in backing Argentina? Well, they did struggle to qualify and had terrible defeats (a 6-1 stinker in Bolivia sticks out) but it is the Maradona factor that is most cited by their many opposers.
Of course backing Argentina has a certain unpredictability about it given their coach, but they are able to get out of their group without too much trouble and should negotiate the next two rounds which would see them in the semi-finals. From then on of course it’s hard to call, but then gambling is all about some element of risk.
Argentina are sure to be the story of this World Cup and I am backing them all the way. The combination of Maradona and Messi could explode or implode, but they’ll play some lovely football, have absurd talent and will provide all the drama. Given those last three factors, having a winning punt on a team that promises that will be far more fulfilling then backing any other.
NICK’S PICKArgentina to win the World Cup,
Coral, 7/1
So far £13.4 million has been staked on Betfair on the World Cup winner – but that’s just one market at one bookies in one country.
Magnify that amount by at least 1,000 and you’ve got an idea how much will be staked this summer – it runs into the billions, certainly more than the GDP of most countries in the world.
But the World Cup is not just about betting on who you think will win. There are hundreds of different markets for the casual punter to get a little more serious about – and then there are office sweepstakes, fantasy football teams and just having a bet with your mates or colleagues – all forms of gambling and all which offer decent prizes.
I reckon 49 per cent of people in this country are just interested in the football, 49 per cent are more interested in making money and the other two per cent are probably just hoping their random sweepstake pull comes up trumps.
My brother Andrew, a man who last went to a football match in 1987, called me the other week all excited about the fact he had drawn France in his office sweepstake.
He looked a little miffed when I told him they’ve got no chance of winning it. He looked close to tears when I told him they might not even get out of their group.
But whether you’re just hoping your sweepstake pick has a chance, you want a cheeky tenner on someone to do something or you want to lump on hundreds or thousands over the next four weeks, here’s some idea of what to do with your money.
I’ve scanned all the World Cup supplements that were written weeks ago, devoured the message boards, visited the gambling forums, analysed the odds, filled in results on several World Cup wallcharts and done all the hard work so you don’t have to.
This is how I see it unfolding.
To start with we’ve got 32 countries, who mathematically can all win the World Cup. Some – New Zealand (2500/1 to lift the trophy), North Korea and Algeria are there to just make up the numbers – while at the other end, Brazil and Spain are the two teams that everyone’s talking about.
There’s always going to be a shock – someone will fail to qualify from their group (like France in 2002) and someone will roll up in the semi-finals without a cordial invite (remember South Korea and Turkey made it there in 2002, Croatia in 1998 and both Bulgaria and Sweden in USA ‘94).
But as the tournament stars it either seems you fancy five times winners Brazil or perennial dark horses Spain who’ve never made it to the final.
Both have dipped in and out of being favourites in the last few weeks but, 24 hours before the tournament starts, Spain are generally a tad shorter than Brazil. Both are around 4/1 to lift the trophy.
Despite the fact that Spain will go into the tournament as favourites, Brazil are the sensible choice as potential winners. A flick through the archives of previous World Cups proves one thing: Brazil win World Cups.
They’ve won five out of the 18 World Cups so far, picking up the trophy all over the globe – in Sweden, Japan/South Korea, the USA and Chile and they’ve won half the tournaments staged outside Europe.
Brazil won the trophy in 1994, eight years later in 2002 and eight years later we’re here in 2010 with a Brazilian team who won’t care about playing at altitude having come through a qualifying campaign that included cloud-stroking visits to Bolivia and Ecuador.
This Brazil side is managed by 1994 winning captain Dunga and the team is solid and workmanlike, as far away from the individual talent, yet erratic teams of the 1980s that always seemed to leak poor goals.
Any team with the likes of Maicon, Lucio and Dani Alves is going to be tough to score against – throw in a creative midfield spearheaded by Kaka and the potent finishing of Robinho and Luis Fabiano and the fact the Brazilians have a pretty cushy path to the last eight.
Spain have a pretty straight-forward group too, taking on Switzerland, Chile and Honduras but, beware. They could canter to victory in this group but in the next round they’ll almost certainly run into the runners-up in Group H, almost certainly Portugal or the Ivory Coast, maybe even Brazil. Not the easiest game to negotiate at that stage of the competition.
The Spanish are full of talented players but they just don’t do World Cups. They are probably the best team on paper, but so were Holland in 1974 and 1978 and arguably England in 1990.
Spain won Euro 2008 without really being tested, but then lost their first competitive game after that tournament against the USA in the Confederations Cup.
I wouldn’t deter anyone from backing Spain but think the price is too short and there is better value around.
So what of England?
Fabio Capello’s men are available at 8/1 to win the tournament with William Hill, Bet365 and Paddy Power, a figure that has been kept short by our nation’s bookmakers. If you take into account that England failed to qualify for Euro2008 and only made the last eight in Germany four years ago, their recent tournament pedigree is limited to say the least.
Portugal, who knocked England out of their last two tournaments are 33/1 with Tote Sport (because they may face Spain in the second round) but it doesn’t seem right that England are, technically four times more likely to win the tournament than the Portuguese.
England’s price has, though, slid in recent weeks, firstly after the unconvincing wins over Mexico and Japan and then due to Rio Ferdinand’s injury.
Spain and England are a way ahead of the rest of Europe in the betting but, like the rest of the six fancied European teams, they have some major flaws. If, like me, you don’t think a European team will win in South Africa, avoid the 4/9 with Bet 365 that they do, and instead go for the 9/4 with Stan James that it’s a team from South America.
Pele famously said he thought and African nation would win the World Cup by the end of the 20th century – that didn’t happen and it won’t this time either. Africa’s best nation are Egypt and they’re not even here – so the 17/2 with Betfair that an African team doesn’t get out of the group stage is worth taking – I’ve been through the groups and I can’t see any of the six advancing – only Ivory Coast have a sniff, but the loss of Didier Drogba could all but end their chances of getting past Portugal and taking that second spot behind Brazil.
Holland (10/1), Germany (14/1), Italy (16/1) and France (22/1) are the other European sides traditionally fancied – one of them has appeared in every final since 1966 and it’s the Dutch who are the hot tip right now.
Despite Arjen Robben’s injury at the weekend, the price on Holland has come in from around 18/1 at the start of the year to a nice 11/1. Holland keep it tight at the back, are extremely talented in midfield. If only they had another quality striker to take the heat off of Robin van Persie, I would have probably tipped them to win it.
Robben will miss the Dutch opener against Denmark on Monday but should be fit for their remaining games and certainly an adventurous and stylish Holland offer more potential than France who are marshalled by crazy Raymond Domenech, Marcello Lippi’s ageing Italy and the Germans who have been hit by a series of injuries.
But I suggest you avoid the big European six, place your money on a winner to come from South America at 9/4 and if you want to have a decent bet on the eventual winner of the tournament, then do as I have done and get your money on the team that strikes me as obvious winners - Argentina
Yes, Argentina!
What could be worse for an English man than to tip Argentina to win the tournament? Why, because that means they’ll almost certainly be eliminating England, possibly at the semi-final stage.
So why Argentina? Well they have all the components of a World Cup winner to me. They struggled to qualify for this campaign, needing to win a play-off against Uruguay to reach South Africa (they were only a minute away from elimination, just like they were in qualifying for the 1986 World Cup), but now they’ve made it and have been drawn into a pretty easy group.
I don’t see Nigeria, South Korea and Greece proving too much for Diego Maradona’s men, and their path into the last four looks straight-forward too.
They do have the Maradona factor that could be a massive help or a massive hindrance – but under the tutelage of Carlos Bilardo who led the team to 1986 glory, he has good support.
They’ve got history on their side – Brazil waited 24 years for World Cup glory after Pele led them to the 1974 World Cup so 24 years on from Maradona’s inspirational Mexico tournament that’s a good omen.
The Albiceleste’s back four is experienced and tight, the midfield strong and gritty, and going forward there are few better teams: Messi, Tevez, Milito, Higain, Aguero and Aimar is a potent list of goalscorers and the beautifully named Angel di Maria could prove to be a star of this World Cup.
So what are the pitfalls in backing Argentina? Well, they did struggle to qualify and had terrible defeats (a 6-1 stinker in Bolivia sticks out) but it is the Maradona factor that is most cited by their many opposers.
Of course backing Argentina has a certain unpredictability about it given their coach, but they are able to get out of their group without too much trouble and should negotiate the next two rounds which would see them in the semi-finals. From then on of course it’s hard to call, but then gambling is all about some element of risk.
Argentina are sure to be the story of this World Cup and I am backing them all the way. The combination of Maradona and Messi could explode or implode, but they’ll play some lovely football, have absurd talent and will provide all the drama. Given those last three factors, having a winning punt on a team that promises that will be far more fulfilling then backing any other.
NICK’S PICKArgentina to win the World Cup,
Coral, 7/1
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Holland and Belgium, March 2010
Way back in 2000 when I didn't have a mobile, thought mini-discs were the future and still had a camera with film in it, me and Gordo took our first European trip together.
Back on a wet December Sunday in late 2000 we saw Monza v Treviso with a few hundred others just outside Milan. We’d seen a second game within a few hours, the slightly more high profile clash between Inter and Juventus in the fantastic San Siro.
Since then, we’ve seen around 50 games between us on the continent, so fast forward to 2010 and we fancied doing another trip.
The initial plan was to do four games in four days in four countries. We aimed to take advantage of the cluster of clubs in western France, eastern Germany and Holland and Belgium.
We set off on a Thursday in mid-March on the Dover-Calais ferry and made a quick stop at the ground of Calais RUFC (Racing Union Football Club). It’s a neat stadium just a short drive from the ferry terminal that you can’t really miss with its four big floodlights and neat wooden exterior. We popped our heads inside
the stadium without any trouble and had a brief look around.
From Calais we headed east into Belgium. We had no accommodation booked so had a choice of going to Liege or Brussels for some Europa League action. Brussels was the first stop and the plan was to get tickets for Anderlecht’s Europa League clash with Hamburg.
That was easier said than done. We found the impressive Constant van der Stock stadium fairly easily after navigating the huge ring road around Brussels but getting a ticket was not really an option.
Because of trouble at a previous Europa League clash involving Anderlecht fans, this clash between a Belgian and German club was seen as a high priority game for possible trouble. All tickets were sold the day before the game, although frustratingly, a club official told us there were still 1,000 unsold.
“Try the black market” the club told us somewhat bizarrely. “You’ll get arrested if you try and buy a ticket” the black market told us.
Without wanting to risk a night in a Belgian police station we headed to the souvenir shop, a sprawling mass of all things purple and white. There are plenty of club publications but no programmes for the game were available, however in the many bars alongside the main stand you can pick up copies of recent programmes that are free.
Some research after the game, which we watched in a hotel and finished in a 4-3 home win (Hamburg went through on aggregate), suggested it would be much easier to get tickets for league games. A case of unfinished business for us.
On the Friday morning we left Brussels and headed towards Rotterdam. A quick phone call to Feyenoord suggested we could buy tickets with ease for their Saturday night clash with Vitesse Arnhem so we hurried along the 100 or so miles. Feyenoord’s impressive De Kuip stadium is on the south side of the city, which is great as you can’t really miss it if you’re arriving from Belgium.
We found the ticket booth easily and paid 23 Euros for a match ticket. We also found details of a stadium tour which we arranged for the following afternoon.
With Saturday night tickets secured we headed south, again we had options of watching FC Dordrecht or RBC Roosendal. Dordrecht is only 12 miles from Rotterdam, a charming commuter town on a large river.
We checked straight into a hotel and then made our way to the GN Bouw Stadion with around 1,500 others. It’s free parking and only 7 Euros to get in (the Euro is now the same rate as the pound). This is the Dutch Jupiler League, the second division. When you consider that the English second tier features the likes of Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, the football at this level is a monumental drop in standard and stature.
The ground is small and would put most League Two clubs to shame, but still the visiting Excelsior fans and the hardcore bunch of home fans in the end we sat in behind the goal made a good atmosphere. There were mainly young men in the noisy end, most were drinking during the whole game and the whiff of dope m
ade it slightly surreal.
We picked up a supporters programme, a 20-page colour effort which was freely available in the bar. Over half the pages are adverts, but it did feature info and stats on both teams and most importantly a league table which showed Excelsior in fourth place and FC Dordrecht in 12th. We also managed to get hold of a team sheet from the game plus a great 32 page magazine on the Jupiler League for the month of March which is full of pictures and information. I don’t speak Dutch, so this obviously has limited appeal, but still, it was free.
After a quick Saturday morning stroll around the pretty town of Dordrecht it was off to Rotterdam once again for a tour around the De Kuip. It’s 11 Euros for this, which is a fair price to pay as it also gets admission into the small but well designed museum. First off we went straight to the top of the stadium and the plush VIP seats which gave a spectacular view.
Our guide told us the stadium holds 52,500 fans, and the lush red VIP seats we perched on cost 5,500 Euros for a season – but there’s a waiting list of three years to get one. There are slightly cheaper seats available at 11 Euros right down the front which we later found give an appalling view!
We went into the director’s boxes, the press box and the small changing rooms, nothing that spectacular about them, but as a football fan it’s always nice just so be able to stroll around the bits you don’t normally get access to. The tunnel leading down to the pitch is really pretty, with murals all over the walls and rolls of honour for each of the competitions played here. It’s amazing to recall that Aston Villa won the European Cup here, Everton and Manchester United won the Cup Winners Cup here and of course Holland famously beat England 2-0 here in 1993 much to Graham Taylor’s dislike.
Back to Dordrecht for the afternoon and another stroll around the market for chips and mayonnaise, and then, as the rain started to pour I drove us back into Rotterdam. This time the roads around the De Kuip were packed and parking proved very tricky. We chanced our luck at the first big car park around the stadium and were told to proceed to a police area and buy a ticket from there. We followed the traffic and actually ended up at a retail park behind the stadium and were charged 12 Euros to park!
The rain was still falling heavily as we found a programme seller, he was impressed we were there and asked which team we support. We both told him it was Norwich. “Ah, Norwich County, yes I know them,” he said.
The programme ‘Stadion Sport Nieuws’ is a glossy 70 page edition for just 1.50 Euros. On the front it boasts to be the ‘Original Programme’ but is not that as it doesn’t include the Feyenoord logo on the front, or anywhere inside. It looks, feels and smells like a proper programme but isn’t connected to the club in the way that UK programmes are.
Inside it’s full of the usual articles, stats and features and a mighty impressive publication for the low cover price. We knew it was unofficial as inside we picked up the small free Feyenoord Wedstrijdmagazine, which is the official club freebie. It’s pocket-sized and was actually a double edition – for the league game against Vitesse Arnhem which we were about to watch, and the midweek cup game against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente.
We had great seats high up behind one of the goals, but if the smell of dope at Dordrecht was bad the night before, it was almost unbearable at Feyenoord. Grown men were smoking huge joints next to kids and as we were at the very top of an enclosed bowl of a stadium the smoke seemed to circle around us during the first half.
Feyenoord’s team featured former Premier League players Gio van Bronckhorst and Denny Landzaat with former international striker Roy Makaay up front. The game was poised at 1-0 to Feyenoord after about half an hour when the rain that had been falling steadily suddenly upped a gear and for ten minutes the players struggled on in torrential rain.
With the game becoming a farce, Vitesse equalised on the stroke of half-time. We trundled downstairs to move seats away from the dope smokers as the rain started to form small ponds on the pitch. It was no surprise when the game was called off at half-time!
I picked up another free paper, a 24 page supporters A3 edition called ‘De Legionenkrant’ and, after almost an hour trying to get out of the car park, we made our way back to Dordrecht for the final night and checked out early on the Sunday morning. We headed to Ostend on the Belgian coast to catch the last game, the Belgian second division clash between KV Oostende and visitors AS Eupen.
Again a big drop down in quality, but Oostende’s compact Albertpark stadium holds around 1,000 people most matchdays. We jumped at the chance to stand on the terraces and paid 11 Euros for the privilege. We didn’t know that we were in with the away fans but that was no problem. Again the fans behind the goal were all teenagers, drinking and smoking (cigarettes) during the game. The elder Eupen fans, about 30 of them, sat in the far corner of a nearby stand.
Eupen, from near the German border, are nicknamed the Pandas and they were really poor, the home side running out winners. The team produce a free official ‘Clubblad’ or newspaper titled ‘Voetbal aan zee’ or ‘Football on sea’. The ground is literally a minute away from the coast, tucked away next to an electrical megastore. The eight page paper is mainly text but features a picture on the front of two Oostende players in possible the most sponsored kit I have ever seen. They must have had eight sponsors on their shirts, which included logos on the back of both their shirts and shorts.
After the Oostende it was back to Calais and the ferry back to Dover. We’d aimed for four games in four days in four counties and had to settle for two and a half games in three days in two countries. But still, a great trip in Northern Europe.
Since then, we’ve seen around 50 games between us on the continent, so fast forward to 2010 and we fancied doing another trip.
The initial plan was to do four games in four days in four countries. We aimed to take advantage of the cluster of clubs in western France, eastern Germany and Holland and Belgium.
We set off on a Thursday in mid-March on the Dover-Calais ferry and made a quick stop at the ground of Calais RUFC (Racing Union Football Club). It’s a neat stadium just a short drive from the ferry terminal that you can’t really miss with its four big floodlights and neat wooden exterior. We popped our heads inside
the stadium without any trouble and had a brief look around.From Calais we headed east into Belgium. We had no accommodation booked so had a choice of going to Liege or Brussels for some Europa League action. Brussels was the first stop and the plan was to get tickets for Anderlecht’s Europa League clash with Hamburg.
That was easier said than done. We found the impressive Constant van der Stock stadium fairly easily after navigating the huge ring road around Brussels but getting a ticket was not really an option.
Because of trouble at a previous Europa League clash involving Anderlecht fans, this clash between a Belgian and German club was seen as a high priority game for possible trouble. All tickets were sold the day before the game, although frustratingly, a club official told us there were still 1,000 unsold.
“Try the black market” the club told us somewhat bizarrely. “You’ll get arrested if you try and buy a ticket” the black market told us.
Without wanting to risk a night in a Belgian police station we headed to the souvenir shop, a sprawling mass of all things purple and white. There are plenty of club publications but no programmes for the game were available, however in the many bars alongside the main stand you can pick up copies of recent programmes that are free.
Some research after the game, which we watched in a hotel and finished in a 4-3 home win (Hamburg went through on aggregate), suggested it would be much easier to get tickets for league games. A case of unfinished business for us.
On the Friday morning we left Brussels and headed towards Rotterdam. A quick phone call to Feyenoord suggested we could buy tickets with ease for their Saturday night clash with Vitesse Arnhem so we hurried along the 100 or so miles. Feyenoord’s impressive De Kuip stadium is on the south side of the city, which is great as you can’t really miss it if you’re arriving from Belgium.
We found the ticket booth easily and paid 23 Euros for a match ticket. We also found details of a stadium tour which we arranged for the following afternoon.
With Saturday night tickets secured we headed south, again we had options of watching FC Dordrecht or RBC Roosendal. Dordrecht is only 12 miles from Rotterdam, a charming commuter town on a large river.
We checked straight into a hotel and then made our way to the GN Bouw Stadion with around 1,500 others. It’s free parking and only 7 Euros to get in (the Euro is now the same rate as the pound). This is the Dutch Jupiler League, the second division. When you consider that the English second tier features the likes of Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, the football at this level is a monumental drop in standard and stature.
The ground is small and would put most League Two clubs to shame, but still the visiting Excelsior fans and the hardcore bunch of home fans in the end we sat in behind the goal made a good atmosphere. There were mainly young men in the noisy end, most were drinking during the whole game and the whiff of dope m
ade it slightly surreal.We picked up a supporters programme, a 20-page colour effort which was freely available in the bar. Over half the pages are adverts, but it did feature info and stats on both teams and most importantly a league table which showed Excelsior in fourth place and FC Dordrecht in 12th. We also managed to get hold of a team sheet from the game plus a great 32 page magazine on the Jupiler League for the month of March which is full of pictures and information. I don’t speak Dutch, so this obviously has limited appeal, but still, it was free.
After a quick Saturday morning stroll around the pretty town of Dordrecht it was off to Rotterdam once again for a tour around the De Kuip. It’s 11 Euros for this, which is a fair price to pay as it also gets admission into the small but well designed museum. First off we went straight to the top of the stadium and the plush VIP seats which gave a spectacular view.
Our guide told us the stadium holds 52,500 fans, and the lush red VIP seats we perched on cost 5,500 Euros for a season – but there’s a waiting list of three years to get one. There are slightly cheaper seats available at 11 Euros right down the front which we later found give an appalling view!
We went into the director’s boxes, the press box and the small changing rooms, nothing that spectacular about them, but as a football fan it’s always nice just so be able to stroll around the bits you don’t normally get access to. The tunnel leading down to the pitch is really pretty, with murals all over the walls and rolls of honour for each of the competitions played here. It’s amazing to recall that Aston Villa won the European Cup here, Everton and Manchester United won the Cup Winners Cup here and of course Holland famously beat England 2-0 here in 1993 much to Graham Taylor’s dislike.
Back to Dordrecht for the afternoon and another stroll around the market for chips and mayonnaise, and then, as the rain started to pour I drove us back into Rotterdam. This time the roads around the De Kuip were packed and parking proved very tricky. We chanced our luck at the first big car park around the stadium and were told to proceed to a police area and buy a ticket from there. We followed the traffic and actually ended up at a retail park behind the stadium and were charged 12 Euros to park!
The rain was still falling heavily as we found a programme seller, he was impressed we were there and asked which team we support. We both told him it was Norwich. “Ah, Norwich County, yes I know them,” he said.
The programme ‘Stadion Sport Nieuws’ is a glossy 70 page edition for just 1.50 Euros. On the front it boasts to be the ‘Original Programme’ but is not that as it doesn’t include the Feyenoord logo on the front, or anywhere inside. It looks, feels and smells like a proper programme but isn’t connected to the club in the way that UK programmes are.
Inside it’s full of the usual articles, stats and features and a mighty impressive publication for the low cover price. We knew it was unofficial as inside we picked up the small free Feyenoord Wedstrijdmagazine, which is the official club freebie. It’s pocket-sized and was actually a double edition – for the league game against Vitesse Arnhem which we were about to watch, and the midweek cup game against Steve McClaren’s FC Twente.
We had great seats high up behind one of the goals, but if the smell of dope at Dordrecht was bad the night before, it was almost unbearable at Feyenoord. Grown men were smoking huge joints next to kids and as we were at the very top of an enclosed bowl of a stadium the smoke seemed to circle around us during the first half.
Feyenoord’s team featured former Premier League players Gio van Bronckhorst and Denny Landzaat with former international striker Roy Makaay up front. The game was poised at 1-0 to Feyenoord after about half an hour when the rain that had been falling steadily suddenly upped a gear and for ten minutes the players struggled on in torrential rain.
With the game becoming a farce, Vitesse equalised on the stroke of half-time. We trundled downstairs to move seats away from the dope smokers as the rain started to form small ponds on the pitch. It was no surprise when the game was called off at half-time!
I picked up another free paper, a 24 page supporters A3 edition called ‘De Legionenkrant’ and, after almost an hour trying to get out of the car park, we made our way back to Dordrecht for the final night and checked out early on the Sunday morning. We headed to Ostend on the Belgian coast to catch the last game, the Belgian second division clash between KV Oostende and visitors AS Eupen.
Again a big drop down in quality, but Oostende’s compact Albertpark stadium holds around 1,000 people most matchdays. We jumped at the chance to stand on the terraces and paid 11 Euros for the privilege. We didn’t know that we were in with the away fans but that was no problem. Again the fans behind the goal were all teenagers, drinking and smoking (cigarettes) during the game. The elder Eupen fans, about 30 of them, sat in the far corner of a nearby stand.
Eupen, from near the German border, are nicknamed the Pandas and they were really poor, the home side running out winners. The team produce a free official ‘Clubblad’ or newspaper titled ‘Voetbal aan zee’ or ‘Football on sea’. The ground is literally a minute away from the coast, tucked away next to an electrical megastore. The eight page paper is mainly text but features a picture on the front of two Oostende players in possible the most sponsored kit I have ever seen. They must have had eight sponsors on their shirts, which included logos on the back of both their shirts and shorts.
After the Oostende it was back to Calais and the ferry back to Dover. We’d aimed for four games in four days in four counties and had to settle for two and a half games in three days in two countries. But still, a great trip in Northern Europe.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Carrow Road Memories: 25 years on from my big day as a ball boy
March 1985 – Norwich, Sunderland, Wembley and the Milk Cup.
They all go hand in hand but while many City fans will have fond memories of Asa Hartford, Gordon Chisholm, Clive Walker and Chris Woods, I’ve got another reason to recall that great month for the Canaries.
Of course I was celebrating in front of the telly on Sunday March 24, 1985, but eight days earlier I had my very own Norwich v Sunderland cup final – I was a Carrow Road ballboy for the dress rehearsal in the league.
Saturday March 16, 1985 was always going to be a special day for me – I woke up that morning to start celebrating my tenth birthday and, after a regular Saturday morning session of the athletics club at my school, Hingham Primary, we made our way to Norwich.
My school had been chosen some weeks earlier to provide ball boys for that game, long before Steve Bruce had secured City’s place at Wembley. It was a vital league match but the fact that the two clubs would meet in a cup final a week later made it all the more intriguing.
Twenty-five years on I have great memories of Carrow Road that season. I’d seen my first game four months earlier when City had demolished that season’s eventual Champions Everton 4-2. That game was just a few weeks after the old Main Stand had burnt down.
Health and safety rules weren’t then what they are now – after saying goodbye to my parents and brother who went to take up their seats in the front few rows of the South Stand, myself and my nine school buddies were taken under the burnt out stand and shown what to do.
A Subbuteo pitch was laid out on milk crates and we were each given a position to take up, marked by a Subbuteo man. Mine was in front of the South Stand – incredibly, right in front of my parents.
I was given an extraordinarily sweet cup of tea and told to drink it quickly while the four boys positioned nearest the corners were given a special task – to carry the corner flags in after the game.
We then ran out across the pitch minutes before the game wearing tracksuits and carrying dark green wooden stools to sit on.
Sunderland’s fans were in their element with “Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Wemberlee” ringing out at the start of the match.
Sat on my stool in front of the South Stand I had one thought: ‘So are we’.
The players had a bit of a warm up just before kick-off and as I gazed around the ground from this new pitch-side view I suddenly was aware that one of the balls was rolling towards me.
I got off my stool and passed it about ten feet to Barry Venison, then 21 with his long blond hair flapping around in the chilly March breeze.
I thought I would be in for a busy afternoon but the reality was that was my only touch. My brother had cottoned on to the fact that I was sitting a few rows in front of him
“Come on Richards” he kept shouting during the game.
The match itself was pretty uneventful. I remember some great skill from Mick Channon creating a goal for John Deehan. Indeed there was far more drama off the pitch.
After the final whistle all us ball boys wandered in to the centre circle ready to swap stories of our day. One of my school pals had been in front of the Sunderland fans who would have been in the corner of the Barclay and revelled in showing us all the change he had in his pocket from the coin-throwing Wearsiders. Other friends had scooped up some of the cinders from around the track with used camera film cases to make their own keepsakes.
One of my presents that birthday was a green autograph book with pink and yellow pages. It was empty that morning but by the time we left the ground it was crammed full of signatures.
The players emerged from the yellow temporary changing rooms where the club shop is now situated one by one and I took great pleasure in getting the likes of Greg Downs, Peter Mendham and Sunderland’s Howard Gayle to sign it.
Last to come out was Dave Watson.
“Can you sign this please” I asked, handing him my book.
Without breaking stride he took my book and pen, signed both and kept walking.
He was surrounded by quite a few fans as he made his way into Strikers, the bar that’s now located where Squires is.
“Can I have my book back” I asked as he had one foot inside the door.
He laughed and passed it back – I thought he was going to walk off with my new prized possession.
They all go hand in hand but while many City fans will have fond memories of Asa Hartford, Gordon Chisholm, Clive Walker and Chris Woods, I’ve got another reason to recall that great month for the Canaries.
Of course I was celebrating in front of the telly on Sunday March 24, 1985, but eight days earlier I had my very own Norwich v Sunderland cup final – I was a Carrow Road ballboy for the dress rehearsal in the league.
Saturday March 16, 1985 was always going to be a special day for me – I woke up that morning to start celebrating my tenth birthday and, after a regular Saturday morning session of the athletics club at my school, Hingham Primary, we made our way to Norwich.
My school had been chosen some weeks earlier to provide ball boys for that game, long before Steve Bruce had secured City’s place at Wembley. It was a vital league match but the fact that the two clubs would meet in a cup final a week later made it all the more intriguing.
Twenty-five years on I have great memories of Carrow Road that season. I’d seen my first game four months earlier when City had demolished that season’s eventual Champions Everton 4-2. That game was just a few weeks after the old Main Stand had burnt down.
Health and safety rules weren’t then what they are now – after saying goodbye to my parents and brother who went to take up their seats in the front few rows of the South Stand, myself and my nine school buddies were taken under the burnt out stand and shown what to do.
A Subbuteo pitch was laid out on milk crates and we were each given a position to take up, marked by a Subbuteo man. Mine was in front of the South Stand – incredibly, right in front of my parents.
I was given an extraordinarily sweet cup of tea and told to drink it quickly while the four boys positioned nearest the corners were given a special task – to carry the corner flags in after the game.
We then ran out across the pitch minutes before the game wearing tracksuits and carrying dark green wooden stools to sit on.
Sunderland’s fans were in their element with “Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Wemberlee” ringing out at the start of the match.
Sat on my stool in front of the South Stand I had one thought: ‘So are we’.
The players had a bit of a warm up just before kick-off and as I gazed around the ground from this new pitch-side view I suddenly was aware that one of the balls was rolling towards me.
I got off my stool and passed it about ten feet to Barry Venison, then 21 with his long blond hair flapping around in the chilly March breeze.
I thought I would be in for a busy afternoon but the reality was that was my only touch. My brother had cottoned on to the fact that I was sitting a few rows in front of him
“Come on Richards” he kept shouting during the game.
The match itself was pretty uneventful. I remember some great skill from Mick Channon creating a goal for John Deehan. Indeed there was far more drama off the pitch.
After the final whistle all us ball boys wandered in to the centre circle ready to swap stories of our day. One of my school pals had been in front of the Sunderland fans who would have been in the corner of the Barclay and revelled in showing us all the change he had in his pocket from the coin-throwing Wearsiders. Other friends had scooped up some of the cinders from around the track with used camera film cases to make their own keepsakes.
One of my presents that birthday was a green autograph book with pink and yellow pages. It was empty that morning but by the time we left the ground it was crammed full of signatures.
The players emerged from the yellow temporary changing rooms where the club shop is now situated one by one and I took great pleasure in getting the likes of Greg Downs, Peter Mendham and Sunderland’s Howard Gayle to sign it.
Last to come out was Dave Watson.
“Can you sign this please” I asked, handing him my book.
Without breaking stride he took my book and pen, signed both and kept walking.
He was surrounded by quite a few fans as he made his way into Strikers, the bar that’s now located where Squires is.
“Can I have my book back” I asked as he had one foot inside the door.
He laughed and passed it back – I thought he was going to walk off with my new prized possession.
*This entry was published in the book City 'Til I Die in September 2010
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Thanks for shaping our season, Colchester
‘WELCOME to League One, welcome to League One’
I can still here that opening day Colchester chant ringing in my ears getting on for six months since the Carrow Road disaster that opened up our season.
That day was a surreal, unforgettable, unlikey to be repeated performance. I sat no more than ten rows away from the Colchester fans and had to sit and take almost 90 minutes of laughter, abuse and mockery.
Unlike two of our fans who decided to lob their season tickets at Bryan Gunn midway during the first half I took stock, soaked it up and told myself it would get a whole lot better.
Fair play to Colchester’s fans – I don’t doubt they thought their season could start any better – but for us Canary fans it was a massive wake up call. I often go to games with my dad but this time, for the first time in years, I took my mum as well.
“At least we saw some goals,” was her not-that comforting verbal arm around my shoulder at the final whistle. She’s not been invited back to a game since.
It was though, a time for collective mourning. We were all genuinely shell-shocked – it felt like we’d witnessed a genuine disaster.
“I’ve travelled all the way from Basingstoke to watch that rubbish,” one fan told me on the way out. I told him City would sort it out. That night they slipped form 5/1 second favourites for the title to 12/1 shots on Betfair. I backed them, convinced we would still go up as champions.
Since that day of course it all changed and, like it or not Colchester fans, you helped shaped our season. Without that stunning loss Bryan Gunn would have lingered on in a job that was certainly not in his make-up. Norwich would have stumbled and stuttered through the opening months like we stuttered and stumbled through the last months last season.
That 7-1 defeat has ultimately done us far more good than harm. We needed to get rid of our nice softly, softly attitude. Just like I needed to stop going to games with my mum, my team needed to get tough too.
We needed to install a scrapper. That opening day match got us that man in Paul Lambert.
I wonder, walking out of Carrow Road that day, how many Colchester fans thought that the team they had just condemned to the bottom of the table with a minus six goal difference would turn up at their place in January in an automatic promotion place, with six more points and the proud tag of leading goalscorers in the whole country.
So this is the re-match and a chance for revenge in the minds of Colchester. But, can a re-match be a re-match when the cast of characters has changed so much?
Just like the Queen weren’t really Queen with Paul Rodgers up front, the circumstances of this match are so far removed from the sticky August heat.
Not only is the weather likely to be a little different, of course both clubs have new managers. Only five of Gunn’s starting line-up that day have been first-team regulars this season – Adam Drury, Gary Doherty, Chris Martin, Grant Holt and Wes Hoolahan.
Our midfield is completely different with the guts and grit of Darel Russell and Korey Smith now complementing the creativity of Simon Lappin.
Pint-sized wizard Hoolahan has been the real star this season –although Holt has bagged the goals and Martin’s far improved.
On day one we had Aussie keeper Michael Theoklitos between the sticks and we all know what a great debut he had. He’s not played since. Lambert’s sured up our defence with the outstanding Fraster Forster in goal.
We’ve only lost twice in the league since Lambert took over and, after taking five points from our first four home games, we haven’t dropped a point since. Lambert’s made Carrow Road a fortress and that form alone will take us up.
So it’s a much different Norwich side in terms of confidence and attitude that’ll take on Colchester – though sadly I won’t be going.
Getting a ticket for a Colchester away game was usually quite easy but I won’t be there – I didn’t even try and get involved with the ballot we were forced into for tickets.
This whole ticket saga is petty and pathetic, but fair play to Colchester’s Alan Cowling. He’s only doing what he feels is right for his club. It’s ironic that Norwich will help sell out a 10,000-seater stadium for the first time as we’ve been selling out our 25,000 stadium every fortnight. I don’t doubt we could have taken 5,000 fans to Colchester.
I’ve happily followed the Canaries all over the country this season and have been at the last two away games – we took over 1,000 to Yeovil and over 2,000 to Wycombe – a fact not lost on Paul Lambert.
At the end of the 1-0 win at Adams Park, Lambert came over to us City fans and applauded us after a narrow win at one of his former stomping grounds. I don’t think he’ll be doing the same on Saturday – applauding the fans on the pitch, that is.
He’ll be the panto villain alright but it’s just another game. It’s nice to have a sub-plot of course as, I’m sure every City fan will tell you, we’ve been winning games quite easily lately. Even if we lose on Saturday I don’t doubt for one minute that we’ll make sure we have a proper East Anglian derby again next season.
When we play Leeds at Carrow Road on March 27 I am convinced that game will decide the title. With respect, yes, respect to Colchester, that’s our biggest game between now and May.
I can still here that opening day Colchester chant ringing in my ears getting on for six months since the Carrow Road disaster that opened up our season.
That day was a surreal, unforgettable, unlikey to be repeated performance. I sat no more than ten rows away from the Colchester fans and had to sit and take almost 90 minutes of laughter, abuse and mockery.
Unlike two of our fans who decided to lob their season tickets at Bryan Gunn midway during the first half I took stock, soaked it up and told myself it would get a whole lot better.
Fair play to Colchester’s fans – I don’t doubt they thought their season could start any better – but for us Canary fans it was a massive wake up call. I often go to games with my dad but this time, for the first time in years, I took my mum as well.
“At least we saw some goals,” was her not-that comforting verbal arm around my shoulder at the final whistle. She’s not been invited back to a game since.
It was though, a time for collective mourning. We were all genuinely shell-shocked – it felt like we’d witnessed a genuine disaster.
“I’ve travelled all the way from Basingstoke to watch that rubbish,” one fan told me on the way out. I told him City would sort it out. That night they slipped form 5/1 second favourites for the title to 12/1 shots on Betfair. I backed them, convinced we would still go up as champions.
Since that day of course it all changed and, like it or not Colchester fans, you helped shaped our season. Without that stunning loss Bryan Gunn would have lingered on in a job that was certainly not in his make-up. Norwich would have stumbled and stuttered through the opening months like we stuttered and stumbled through the last months last season.
That 7-1 defeat has ultimately done us far more good than harm. We needed to get rid of our nice softly, softly attitude. Just like I needed to stop going to games with my mum, my team needed to get tough too.
We needed to install a scrapper. That opening day match got us that man in Paul Lambert.
I wonder, walking out of Carrow Road that day, how many Colchester fans thought that the team they had just condemned to the bottom of the table with a minus six goal difference would turn up at their place in January in an automatic promotion place, with six more points and the proud tag of leading goalscorers in the whole country.
So this is the re-match and a chance for revenge in the minds of Colchester. But, can a re-match be a re-match when the cast of characters has changed so much?
Just like the Queen weren’t really Queen with Paul Rodgers up front, the circumstances of this match are so far removed from the sticky August heat.
Not only is the weather likely to be a little different, of course both clubs have new managers. Only five of Gunn’s starting line-up that day have been first-team regulars this season – Adam Drury, Gary Doherty, Chris Martin, Grant Holt and Wes Hoolahan.
Our midfield is completely different with the guts and grit of Darel Russell and Korey Smith now complementing the creativity of Simon Lappin.
Pint-sized wizard Hoolahan has been the real star this season –although Holt has bagged the goals and Martin’s far improved.
On day one we had Aussie keeper Michael Theoklitos between the sticks and we all know what a great debut he had. He’s not played since. Lambert’s sured up our defence with the outstanding Fraster Forster in goal.
We’ve only lost twice in the league since Lambert took over and, after taking five points from our first four home games, we haven’t dropped a point since. Lambert’s made Carrow Road a fortress and that form alone will take us up.
So it’s a much different Norwich side in terms of confidence and attitude that’ll take on Colchester – though sadly I won’t be going.
Getting a ticket for a Colchester away game was usually quite easy but I won’t be there – I didn’t even try and get involved with the ballot we were forced into for tickets.
This whole ticket saga is petty and pathetic, but fair play to Colchester’s Alan Cowling. He’s only doing what he feels is right for his club. It’s ironic that Norwich will help sell out a 10,000-seater stadium for the first time as we’ve been selling out our 25,000 stadium every fortnight. I don’t doubt we could have taken 5,000 fans to Colchester.
I’ve happily followed the Canaries all over the country this season and have been at the last two away games – we took over 1,000 to Yeovil and over 2,000 to Wycombe – a fact not lost on Paul Lambert.
At the end of the 1-0 win at Adams Park, Lambert came over to us City fans and applauded us after a narrow win at one of his former stomping grounds. I don’t think he’ll be doing the same on Saturday – applauding the fans on the pitch, that is.
He’ll be the panto villain alright but it’s just another game. It’s nice to have a sub-plot of course as, I’m sure every City fan will tell you, we’ve been winning games quite easily lately. Even if we lose on Saturday I don’t doubt for one minute that we’ll make sure we have a proper East Anglian derby again next season.
When we play Leeds at Carrow Road on March 27 I am convinced that game will decide the title. With respect, yes, respect to Colchester, that’s our biggest game between now and May.
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