Old Games Revisited - A Special One

I thought it an idea to include in this blog, from time to time, some details of European matches that I had previously been to. Here is the first.
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, better known as José Mourinho, has previously described himself as 'the special one' due to his outstanding record as a manager for numerous world renowned football clubs but, at the time of writing, one can see that there is nothing 'special' about being sacked as manager of a team that is lying 16th in the English top flight.
Although José is more famous as a manager he did play the game professionally and one of the clubs he played for was Lisbon's Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses. Myself and my father paid a visit to Lisbon in late 2013 to watch two Portuguese Primeira Liga matches.
The story started on the Friday before the Sunday matches. Myself and my father dropped our bags at the hotel and made our way to Sporting Lisbon's ground to obtain tickets for our second game and then we headed to Belem via the Metro and local train on a reconnaissance mission for our first game. We took photos of both stadiums knowing we would have to leave our large cameras behind on match day.
Belenenses' ground, the Estádio do Restelo, afforded spectacular views over the Tagus River, 25th April Bridge, The National Sanctuary of Christ the King and Jerónimos Monastery. An elderly club official spotted us taking snaps and guided us inside the ground itself to take further photographs. 
On the match day itself we retraced our steps and had a look at the local flea market before heading up the hill to the ground. Getting there very early we were informed, at the ticket office we thought we could get our tickets from, that we could only get tickets there if we were members. We were told to get our tickets from the office at the top of the hill marked 'for away fans'. Thankfully we weren't placed with the away fans. I picked out a nice scarf from the table outside the ground and paid the old scarf seller's wife the 5 euro note required. Match and scarf together came to 18 Euros.  Belenenses matched Gil Vicente, the visitors, throughout, even after they were down to 10 men following Fredy's red carded for dangerous play (he left an opponent rolling on the floor holding his face). Matt Jones, the home team's 'keeper from Stoke on Trent, had a good game and made a world class save at one point.
A final result of 0:0 seemed a fair result between these teams of a tier 3 English standard.
After the match we strolled down the hill with the other 3,244 fans, got the train and then the Metro and headed toward the Estadio Jose Alvalade for our second game of the day, Sporting Lisbon vs. Pacos de Ferreira.

  

Manc' Rant

"Wouldn't it be great if Salford City beat Hartlepool and we get to play them in the FA Cup?" a fellow Ram asked me in rhetorical fashion. My response was not full of expletives but I am sure that you would have forgiven me if it were. My reaction was quite negative and I'll try to explain why. We'll start at the beginning.
Manchester is a fantastic city of culture and importance. My favourite musical acts hail from that great city, those being namely The Smiths, Joy Division and New Order. As such you will understand that I am not anti-Manchester. Neither am I anti-Manchester United per-se. It is great that football fans from Manchester and the immediate area have a fantastic club to support.
"As you are from Bristol and you are a football fan, are you Rovers or City?" I asked a colleague. "Neither, Manchester United" he replied. And here is the crux of the issue.
Some football 'fans' are supporting teams (usually by buying merchandise, rather than actually going to games) that contribute nothing to their place of abode or birth. Local clubs, whether they be small or large, are active in the local community, developing the football skills of youngsters and undertaking charitable works etc. So why would one give money to a club that does nothing for the place you call home?
I understand that one likes to watch good football, but to call oneself a 'fan' of a particular team that you have no connection with, just because they are successful, is beyond me. I am not a psychologist but people do seem to like being associated with success. This is playground mentality, "my dad is bigger than your dad" kids say in school. Some outgrow this, some never say this and some continue to have this mentality by being 'fans' of successful teams that they have no connection with.
Every year dozens, if not hundreds, of small local community based football clubs disappear because of lack of funds. The 'glory-hunter fans' don't care. As long as they have the new £80 shirt of 'their team' that's all that matters, as they can stroll around demonstrating to others that they are associated 'personally' with success. I would prefer to spend the £80 going to several non-league games, buying a pie and a programme, knowing that that money is going to a club that is working in the local community with kids and youth teams and the like. In any case, in many ways non-league matches are more enjoyable an experience than big Premier League games. Many people have written about this and so I will leave that there.
In this way football 'brands' have developed while the grassroots suffer. It is the issue of the Manchester United 'brand' which is troublesome in this case.
When the Glazer's took over Manchester United some of the team's followers protested and went to the extreme length of setting up a new football club, FC United of Manchester. In this way they were showing loyalty to the Manchester United 'brand' but not it's roots. It's roots lie in a team called Newton Heath. Newton Heath was one of two clubs founded at the locomotive-building works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the other team being Horwich Railway Mechanics Institute FC. Horwich RMI became Leigh RMI. Newton Heath became Manchester United. One can clearly see that Leigh RMI is (was) the true sister club of Manchester United.
Leigh RMI was struggling financially at the time of the Glazer's takeover of Manchester United but instead of the Manchester United 'fans' supporting their sister club they allowed it to struggle on and decline into the obscurity of the South Lancashire Counties Football League Premier Division as Leigh Genesis. Well, at least as they have two clubs with Manchester and United in their names to cheer for.
Another Manchester United 'brand' spin-off is the celebrity football club known as Salford City. A Singaporean businessman and investor and five former Manchester United players own the Northern Premier League club with the ambition of making it a Tier 2 team. Pumping in money and attracting the home grown players from other local teams is a way to do this.
One sees that they don't want to make it a Premier League team as that would mean they would actually have to compete in the league against the real Manchester United.
Because of the celebrity status of the owners of the club the BBC thought it fitting to do a TV documentary about it.
So, it won't be great if Salford City beat Hartlepool and we get to play them in the FA Cup.
1) I don't want my home town team associated with a Manchester United 'brand' spin-off;
2) I would hope that we get to play a good old fashioned real team; and
3) Derby County and Hartlepool(s) United share a common bond, the genius management duo of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Round 3 (08/12/2015 19:45)

Tonight was my 'road to the cup final' game. In round 1 I saw Belper Utd. beat Gamesley and in round 2 I saw Heanor win away at Belper. This evening I witnessed Tier 9 Heanor Town entertain Tier 8 New Mills at the Town Ground. I did have a second 'road to the cup final' team that I was following, Whaley Bridge, but unfortunately their game has been arranged for 12th December and I will be watching Derby County play Brighton on that day.
Heanor and New Mills are very much having contrasting seasons. Heanor would be top of the Midland Football League Premier Division if it wasn't for the presence in their league of the phoenix club of Hereford United whereas New Mills are already pretty much consigned to relegation from the Northern Premier League Division One North with their league record of played 18, lost 18.
At the ground I met up with a fellow Ram and we enjoyed a Guinness in the club bar before kick-off; a pleasant facility showing Sky Sports and containing a number of folk playing cards and darts, some of which weren’t bothered with watching the Derbyshire Cup game at all.
As kick-off approached I mentioned to my companion that I had to introduce myself to a New Mills official as he had brought down a club scarf for me. In 2014 I toured Derbyshire watching all the teams that play in the top eight tiers of English football. As part of this little challenge I bought a club scarf as a momento, the only team’s scarf missing at that time being New Mills’ as they had sold out when I had visited them.
The New Mills staff were a friendly group and they told us of how the club had struggled with finances, team managers and losing players to teams who would pay more. It was sad to hear this as New Mills is such a lovely little club, but this explained their current league position.
Heanor, The Lions, seem to be taking this competition seriously. They put out a strong team whereas the Millers gave some new players a chance to impress. The result was as expected. The skill and physicality of The Lions, which had previously impressed me the two times I had seen them, also impressed my companion, a novice non-league football fan.
The Lions roared and were three goals to the good by half-time. The goals came from Cooper, who rounded the keeper and blasted the ball into the top corner, Bettney, whose deflected free kick from 19 yards left the keeper stranded and from Debrouwer, with a close range effort provided by a deep ball from the right and a calm header back across goal from Cooper.
New Mills introduced some more established players in the second-half and made a better fist of it. Midway through the second-half however the newly introduced keeper fumbled his control and attempted clearance and presented an easy chance to Cooper who tapped the ball into the empty net in showboat style.
Myself and my companion willed The Millers to get a consolation but the closest they came was from a mazy run and a good shot which struck the post.
So, with Heanor’s 4:0 win, I am following The Lions into the quarter-finals.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Round 3 (07/12/2015 19:45)

Tonight saw the first game played in the third round of the Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup with Ilkeston FC of the Northern Premier League Premier Division (Tier 7) entertaining Long Eaton United of the Midland Football League Premier Division (Tier 9).  

Cup games provide a chance for smaller teams to punch above their weight and upset teams in higher divisions and myself and my father pondered this as we drove to Ilkeston listening, on the radio, to the draw for the third round of the FA Cup. We were disappointed to learn that our beloved Rams would have to travel either Salford City or Hartlepool United, with the chance of us being subject to a giant-killing. Our disappointment was short-lived however as we were hearted to see a reasonable crowd in attendance at the New Manor Ground.  

As the players took to the field the first thing that caught our eye was the awful kits that the two teams were wearing. Ilkeston are known as the Robins and I was disappointed that their traditional red top had now become one incorporating blue stripes. And as the presence of blue stripes clashed with Long Eaton's home kit the visitors were forced to wear their kit of salmon pink and black.

Long Eaton had the breeze on their backs in the first half and made an excellent start to the game. Within 10 minutes they were a goal ahead through a penalty, struck low to the keepers left, after the keeper had brought down an onrushing striker.  Long Eaton could have doubled their lead 10  minutes later but Ilkeston were saved by the crossbar following a header from a corner. 

Ilkeston looked more dangerous as the first half progressed. The Robins could have gone into the break all square had they capitalised on a free close range header or if their left back could have calmly finished after a mazy run with the ball from the left wing. A half-time lead for Long Eaton was a fair reflection on the first 45 minutes however.

The youthful looking Robins, with the breeze on their backs, threatened early in the second-half. Within the first 15 minutes they had two good chances with close range headers and the ball was cleared off the line from a thundering goal-bound free-kick.

As Ilkeston pushed forward in search of an equaliser a ball up-field from the Long Eaton defence to a striker was calmly controlled in the left channel and from 20 yards out a rasping shot to the keeper's right found first the inside of the post and then the back of the net. 2.0.

With 10 minutes to go Ilkeston were awarded a penalty following the bringing down of a striker. As the keeper went left the ball was put to his right and a tense last few minutes awaited the visitors. It was a case of too little too late for Ilkeston however as they couldn't create any more significant late chances.

A 2.1 away win for the smaller team was a fair score-line and the reasonable number of fans who had made the short trip from Long Eaton left happily with a giant-killing evening under their belts.

 

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Round 2 (28/11/2015 13:15)

I was fortunate that this particular game had been postponed twice, due to the inclement weather of northwest Derbyshire, as the game should have been played while I was on holiday.  The re-arrangement allowed me to see another team that I saw win in round one, Hilton Harriers, and as such this was to be another 'road to the cup final' game.
Hilton, and their hosts Whaley Bridge Athletic, are tier 11 teams playing, respectively, in the Staffordshire and Cheshire leagues.
An 80 minute drive with my father saw us arrive at a very wet and blustery Horwich Park shortly after the Hilton players. The players had just left the bus and we witnessed the bus driver expertly negotiating the tight side streets of Whaley Bridge in an attempt find a suitable parking spot for the full sized coach.
Like many football grounds in the north of the county, Horwich Park lies in some stunning countryside. The facilities themselves at the ground were modern and fortunately the function room / changing rooms had a pavilion style roof which meant that we had cover from the rain from where we could watch the game.
Athletic had the weather on their backs in the first half and with that made a better start to the game. Within 15 minutes they were two up. The first came from a foul and a penalty and the second came from a right wing shot that snuck under the keeper at the near post. Athletic struck the woodwork twice before Harriers managed to create a chance, the striker firing high and wide from a good position.
As the first half was coming to an end a bobbling ball in a crowded box struck an Athletic player's arm and a penalty was awarded. The penalty was calmly converted, high and wide of the keeper's left hand. A 2:1 lead for Athletic was probably a fair reflection of the first half.
After the break Athletic were soon 3:1 up. The Harriers left back was dispossessed and the Athletic right-winger got to the byline and placed a measured cross onto a colleague's head who neatly finished from 7 yards out.
After the fourth goal had been scored the game was fairly even and both teams had a couple of half chances to score but the game saw no more goals and Athletic were through to the third round and a plum tie away at Alfreton Town.
On a personal note I was hoping that Hilton would have made it through. I have a friend who plays for the veterans team and it is fantastic that such a new club is contributing so much to the local community. The Harriers' chairman explained to us today how the club has, as the Hilton expands, ambitions to progress up the footballing pyramid. I soon hope to see Harriers playing in the East Midlands Counties Football League Premier Division (tier 10). But, with six Derbyshire Senior Cup games seen so far, my 'road to the cup final' teams are now Whaley Bridge Athletic and Heanor Town.

Battered Fish-Heads

A stroll from my friend's house in Hannover, on Saturday 21st November, got us to the hauptbahnhof in plenty of time for the 12:46 train to Wolfsburg. 

As we waited on platform 12, along with a number of other travellers, we noticed that some Werder Bremen fans were being held, by the police, on platform 13 and we thought it very considerate that Deutsche-Bahn  were going to lay on two trains to Wolfsburg, 1 for fans and 1 for regular travellers. At the last minute the information on our platform sign changed which resulted in a mass exodus to platform 13. 

We boarded our platform 13 train and as we waited to leave the unlucky number 13 struck. A problem with the carriage doors, initially blamed  by DB on the Werder football fans, caused a delay. For an hour we sat waiting and as we did we found out that the following 13:46 train had been cancelled. If our train didn't now leave we would miss the game. As the minutes ticked to 13:48 we realised that we had to make a drastic change if plan - a quick walk back to my mate's flat to take the car. 

"What would English football fans do if they were left stranded on their way to a match?" asked my friend. "Smash up the train!" I replied. 

A 150km/h blast along the autobahn got us to the VW Arena with 5 minutes to spare.

Myself and my friend sat apart in the first half as the match was deemed a sell-out, unsurprising as Wolfsburg were flying high in the Bundesliga and also doing well in the Champions League. Werder, on the other hand, had continued their decade long decline. 

The first half went to form and Wolfsburg went into the break 2:0 up thanks to all the pressure they put the Werder defence under. An own goal and a header from a set piece brought the goals. 

At half time my friend, a Bremener himself, told me that the man next to him soon realised that he was a Bremen fan, due to his lack a excitement after Wolfsburg's goals.

Although the match was well attended a few empty seats remained, like the one next to me, and my friend and myself sat together in the second half, thankfully, for my mate, a little further away from the Wolfsburg fans with their chanting of "Werder are stinking because of the water from the River Weser they are drinking!". 

After the break, as Werder pushed forward to get back into the game, their defensive frailties were further exposed by clinical breaks from Wolfsburg. Four second half goals from Wolfsburg, Andre Schurrle involved in most of the goal threats, gave the Werder fans the depressing scoreline of 6:0 to take home with them. Maybe the Werder fans who may had been left stranded in Hannover now considered themselves lucky. 

Teams from the Hanseatic northern German towns are called 'fish-heads' by fans of other teams. On this occasion the fish-heads were battered. 

 

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Round 2 (11/11/2015 19:45)

In the first round of the cup I saw Belper United cruise past Gamesley and Borrowash Victoria narrowly beat South Normanton Athletic. As I am doing the 'road to the cup final' thing I  had a tough choice with regard to which second round game I should watch, as, unfortunately, United and Vic's had scheduled their respective games for the same evening.
The game that I chose to watch looked like the pick of the second round draw; that being Belper of the Central Midlands League - Division South (Tier 11) at home against Heanor of the Midland Football League Premier Division (Tier 9).  I had seen Town and United already this season and I was mightily impressed with both, unsurprisingly as both teams are flying high in their respective leagues.
Arriving at Christchurch Meadow, now branded the Marston's Stadium, I was surprised to see a reasonably full car park. Heanor had brought a good number of fans with them, and the gate was a significant improvement on the handful that witnessed United's first round game.
After the respectful Remembrance Day's minute's silence the game immediately sprung to life. With 2 minutes on the clock a bad foul on the edge of United's box, and a pushing over of a Belper player in the resultant melee, resulted in a player from each side entering the referee's notebook.
Heanor had the better of the first half and finally found the net via the head of their striker, Clark, after Belper failed to clear the ball from their area. Heanor's lead lasted only 5 minutes however, as a ball swung in from the edge of Heanor's box found the right back, Robley, lurking at the far post. As it looked like the underdogs were going to go into the break all square Heanor's Cooper burst through the middle and, unchallenged, unleashed a 20 yard shot passed the keeper's right hand.
2:1 to Heanor seemed fair at half time as, as league standings would suggest,  they looked a group of stronger and more accomplished players.
It wasn't long into the second half before Heanor extended their lead. A cross from the left found Debrouwer unmarked and from 7 yards out a calm header made it 3:1. United never gave up and a far post header by Stockley made it 3:2.
The game was niggley from the start and when Heanor's Naylor went down under a firm challenge he petulantly kicked out in a manner reminiscent of Beckham-Simeone. "10, 10, 10, 10, 10... we aren't having this!" called out the referee, as he trotted over and produced a yellow card.
More petulance from Heanor soon followed. A foul was awarded to Heanor in the left back position as a United player was harrying the defender too aggressively. Following the awarding of the free kick, and as soon as the offending United player had turned his back, the defender, Clarke, lobbed the ball at the back of the United player's head. A straight red.
10 man Heanor ran down time by the corner flag and the referee called an end to proceedings. According to quite a few watches no stoppage time at all seemed to have been played. "That's just the 45 minutes" shouted the Belper bench at the final whistle.
I now await the third round draw to find out where I will be watching Heanor Town play next.