FootyWanderer84

It was the middle of April when I last added to this blog, and it’s been an insanely busy time since then, so putting some of it down in writing is long overdue.

I had a target of 100 games for this year, and as I write this approaching the end of July, I’ve already blown past that target. The end of the season brought a trip to Cologne for the DFB Pokal Frauen final, where I had a business class ticket, a fabulous experience in a wonderful venue, located in a beautiful city. Disappointed in the result on the day as Wolfsburg defeated Bayern, but I left with good memories and sunburn!

Disappointment followed in the leagues with Rangers, though celebrating a first ever Scottish Cup win for the women was a highlight.

A trip to Berlin was next, and only 1 game on this trip as I spent plenty time exploring the city.

Next up though was a trip of a lifetime, that cost a bit more than I should have spent! After all my trips to Germany during the season, the pull of the Euros was too much, as I enjoyed some sensational weather, and high drama in Stuttgart, Leipzig and Berlin, where watching a game in the Olympiastadion was certainly a bucket list ground ticked off!

The next trip, and the most recent trip abroad was one that I had booked months before. Looking to countries who played through the summer for an opportunity for a short break across 2 countries, I’d chosen to go to Helsinki and then Trondheim. HJK Helsinki vs Haka and Rosenborg vs Lillestrom were the games, hopefully some more could be squeezed in.

Friday morning started off with some issues, as I had no longer been seated in Wetherspoons at Edinburgh Airport, about to order a breakfast as usual, when the fire  alarm was activated and we were evacuated to a different area. Added to this, the chaos caused by the worldwide issues with the Microsoft security update left a dash to the gate eventually, with the flight eventually departing late. Thankful that it was a morning flight, as the delays got longer as the day went on, so I escaped the worst of it.

Once arrived in Helsinki, buses left regularly from the airport and took me close to my hotel (one the security officer at passport control had never heard of!) The Citybox is a new hotel in Helsinki, in an area undergoing lots of development, close to the lake. A lovely place to see.

Checking Futbology, the games I wanted to go to were 2km from the hotel, so walking distance, ideal. Friday night saw Kiffen host Mypa, a team I remember playing Motherwell in European competition many years ago. Arriving there I found this was the ground next to HJK’s Bolt Arena, part of a large complex that included several pitches, the Arena, an indoor arena and the Olympic Stadium.

I had time to go to the reception of the Bolt Arena and get a ticket sorted for the next night, which I was told would also allow me in to the early kick off, as HJK Naiset faced Kupps Naiset. (I can’t begin to speak the language, but im making the fairly safe assumption that ‘Naiset = women’) 2pm and 5pm kick offs made this double header possible, and the articial pitch certainly aids this too.

First though was the Friday night game, played a division below. This ground had 1 stand with bleachers, which extended along 1 side, covering both the grass pitch this game was on, and the articial pitch next to it.

A good game as I saw some cracking goals in a 2-2 draw, taking shade from the rain in the first half under trees at the back of the stand, before sitting in the 2nd half as the bleachers dried out. A chilled walk back to the hotel ended a good first day of the trip.

Day 2 and I had a walk around the city, before heading over to the ground for the 2 games. Grabbing a bite to eat on the way, and a quick look around the small club shop, I made my way into the ground as the rain started, preceeding the promised thunderstorms.

The quality was lacking in the first game, but it was competitive which kept it entertaining, with the home side prevailing in the end. I stayed in my seat and stayed dry for the big game ahead, and was then surprised to watch the teams be announced on the screen, as they announced the striker starting up front for HJK was from my town! That he was rhe one who won the penalty for the opening goal then added the 2nd from a corner in the 2nd half added to the twist. 2 wins for the home side and 0 goals conceded by either the men or women.

A walk back to the hotel, by now the rain had gone and it was a lovely walk back. Later on I would meet a Dutch groundhopper at the hotel who had also been to the game, and was heading on to Tallinn the next morning, as I was making an early start to head for Trondheim.

More gate changes at the airport along with my boarding pass not scanning properly at the gate was irritating, but got boarded on the small plane and took off shortly after planned time. Not often I’m on the smaller propellor planes, so something different.

Flying into Trondheim is spectacular, looping around to line up with the runway which extends out to the water, certainly not an experience for the more nervous of flyers to enjoy but this was an exciting experience that went smoothly. The bus into the city from the airport carried on the views of this unbelievable setting, a location that surely belongs in films. This didn’t change as I got off at my hotel on the riverside, I began to wonder about my calculations on the exchange of the Norwegian Krone that I’d paid for this hotel!! Rare that I choose a Radisson, but this was one of the best priced options, and what an option it was!

Too early to check in, I dropped my bag and jacket as the skies were clear blue and the sun was beating down. This weather was glorious and really matched the setting! I walked to the ground, only a slightly longer walk than I had from hotel to ground in Helsinki. Ticket office wasn’t open yet, nor was the club shop, so online to get a ticket and struggle to translate it properly. I ended up with a VIP ticket for behind the goals, in a sushi lounge. Was going to be a great seat but I would go hungry!

Back to the hotel, had time to check in and lie down for a bit, before getting ready and walking back to the ground. Picking up a couple of things in the club shop, I made my way inside the ground. An impressive ground, the view was indeed great from the seat. Ultras from both sides packed their areas early and promised a good atmosphere, though it was clear the ground wouldn’t be full.

He game kicked off, and immediately I saw the difference in quality from Helsinki. But this is where it got interesting, as after about 90 seconds, tennis balls and fishcakes rained down on the goal in front of the Rosenborg ultras, and the referee immediately took the players off.

I had looked at the tables, and saw Rosenborg in the bottom half before the game, so wondered if this was a protest at the club. Eventually the players came back out, and play resumed. Shortly after though the fish cakes, tennis balls and lit flares rained onto the park from the Lillestrom ultras, perhaps this wasn’t an issue with the performance of the club.

Again the players were lead off while the park was cleared, though there was no clearing of the scorch marks left by the flares. Both sets of ultras chanted back and forth, nothing that I could understand, but it was clear it was in tandem and not in conflict. One could assume that the stadium announcements were that’s 1 more interruption and the game would be abandoned. I used this second interruption to find out on Google that this is part of ongoing protests against VAR in the league, and isn’t something new in this game.

Despite the warnings, the players didn’t get to play much more football at the 3rd attempt as both sets of fans threw more cakes and balls onto the park, and the referee signalled it was over. The players remained on the park, seeming to wait for confirmation of what was going to happen. In the time they spent waiting, they cleared the park of the balls, not by throwing them simply to the side, but back into the crowd, so they could be used again!

Soon after the announcement came over the tannoy, and fans started streaming out of the ground. I stayed a little longer and watched as both sets of players went to their ultras and applauded them. Definitely a story I’ll try to follow!

A lack of football seen here, but a 7th country this year, and I couldn’t even be too made about this, Trondheim is well worth the visit even without the football, and the weather was the icing on the cake.

At least it was on the Sunday, Monday was time to go home and while it was still warm, the clouds were dark and it was raining! More gate changes at the airport, and a window seat to enjoy taking off from this picturesque little airport.

Delays to the connecting flight from Oslo made the day longer, and it was 10pm by the time I had made it home. Luckily I had the day off to look forward to, or it would have been if I didn’t have to start at half 5!

A tiring day in work, I was pushing it too far by leaving after work to go to Aberdeen with my Uncle, driving up to see Airdrie give Aberdeen a big challenge in the League Cup, before the long and incredibly tiring drive home, getting back at 1am.

Because I’m taking these trips too far, after this late return, I’m back up at half 4 and on a bus to Birmingham at 6am! A very long day trip for the nights friendly at St Andrews, before returning home after the game to go straight to work!

It has been a brilliant week, and utterly exhausting, with more to come as I’ll end the week in Berlin!

After that it’s time to slow down and recover, both physically and with the bank balance!

This year has been filled with great memories in football, and even though I will slow down in the 2nd half of the year, the memories won’t be ending. The season starts properly soon and I’ll get back to enjoying football amongst friends again, and I can’t wait!

Football is more than a TV programme, it’s there to be experienced.