Sunday, 26 November 2017
More from the Marakana
Second visit in 2017 to the home of Red Star Belgrade, the Marakana - also known as the Rajco Mitic or the latest sponsor name, still to see a game here but hope to remedy that one day.
Vauxhall Road - full of character
Saturday 25 November 2017, Hemel Hempstead Town 1 Bognor Regis Town 1 - FA Trophy, 3rd Qualifying Round, Vauxhall Road
First of all the game - Home team on top in the first half, score early on but do not add to that even when well on top. Second half and it is the visitors time to get on top, they equalise and it is only because of a mixture of wasted chances and good goalkeeping that stops them from getting an away win.
But this is a ground you visit not just because of the football on show, it is a fantastic mixture of stands , sheds and even a hut for the local pigeon racing club! The ground is not that old and it had looked quite rundown in the past but a couple of new stands has given it a real football feel.
The clubhouse even had a naked Roman statue on the stage, everywhere you look there is something different to see, definite a 'must visit' for any serious groundhopper.
First of all the game - Home team on top in the first half, score early on but do not add to that even when well on top. Second half and it is the visitors time to get on top, they equalise and it is only because of a mixture of wasted chances and good goalkeeping that stops them from getting an away win.
But this is a ground you visit not just because of the football on show, it is a fantastic mixture of stands , sheds and even a hut for the local pigeon racing club! The ground is not that old and it had looked quite rundown in the past but a couple of new stands has given it a real football feel.
The clubhouse even had a naked Roman statue on the stage, everywhere you look there is something different to see, definite a 'must visit' for any serious groundhopper.
How much injury time?
Wednesday 22 November 2017, Ipswich Town 2 Sheffield Wednesday 2 - Championship, Portman Road
Should have won, but somehow the Ref found 5 minutes injury time!
Should have won, but somehow the Ref found 5 minutes injury time!
Players on a 'sit down'
Sunday 19 November 2017, Spartak Subotica 3 Borac Cacak 1 - Super Liga, Stadium Gradski
We arrived just in time for the game, coach was ushered into the club car park and we found ourselves guided to the VIP seats ( at no charge), dark, cold but the ground looked a great mixture of stands and we quickly took our seats to see the home team (who would go third if they won) take on the bottom placed team, what could go wrong?
We were warned by our Serb guides that the visitors were a better team than their current league position portrayed, they had been in dispute with their own club and talk of not being paid, that may help explain some of what happened next!
It was crazy and you had to be there to actually fully understand what happened - but thanks to what did happen and too some of our group- you can find out plenty about this game in newspapers, social media and on 'You tube'.
I will try and keep it in simple chronological form:
Visitors take an early lead and actually look the better team, just before the break the ref gives the home team a penalty - some of our group agree with the decision others think it was harsh - but no one expected the visitors response. Two red cards, ref surrounded, visitors manager on the pitch! It then looked like the visitors were going to walk off but thankfully they remained on the pitch, penalty taken - 1-1 and the half time whistle goes, could it get more exciting? - Yes!
Home team walk back onto the pitch for the second half, followed by the match officials but no visitors, we wait 5 minutes and they come out but only to sit down and face their own goal keeper! 5 more minutes and we do start the second half.
Borac Cacak defend well with nine men but every time their keeper gets the ball he launches (or attempts to) the ball out of the ground, as if he is hoping they will run out of balls and the game will be stopped! That did not work so next we had long injury breaks with two visitors leaving by stretcher. Many of us suspect a Warnock/Sheff Utd trick but it seems the rest of the team were not signed up to this tactic.
We then had the sight of the visitors manager collapsing on the touchline and he was then helped to the dressing rooms. Somehow the game lasted 90 minutes, no injury time added and the final whistle went.
But by then our tweets and 'you tube' clips have been picked up by Serbian media, we find that the 20 plus British hoppers and helped make this game the talk of the weekend in football circles all over Europe.
Interesting ground, welcomed like VIPs and then a match we will never forget, great way to finish a weekend of Serbian football - plus great company, bits of culture and local food.
We arrived just in time for the game, coach was ushered into the club car park and we found ourselves guided to the VIP seats ( at no charge), dark, cold but the ground looked a great mixture of stands and we quickly took our seats to see the home team (who would go third if they won) take on the bottom placed team, what could go wrong?
We were warned by our Serb guides that the visitors were a better team than their current league position portrayed, they had been in dispute with their own club and talk of not being paid, that may help explain some of what happened next!
It was crazy and you had to be there to actually fully understand what happened - but thanks to what did happen and too some of our group- you can find out plenty about this game in newspapers, social media and on 'You tube'.
I will try and keep it in simple chronological form:
Visitors take an early lead and actually look the better team, just before the break the ref gives the home team a penalty - some of our group agree with the decision others think it was harsh - but no one expected the visitors response. Two red cards, ref surrounded, visitors manager on the pitch! It then looked like the visitors were going to walk off but thankfully they remained on the pitch, penalty taken - 1-1 and the half time whistle goes, could it get more exciting? - Yes!
Home team walk back onto the pitch for the second half, followed by the match officials but no visitors, we wait 5 minutes and they come out but only to sit down and face their own goal keeper! 5 more minutes and we do start the second half.
Borac Cacak defend well with nine men but every time their keeper gets the ball he launches (or attempts to) the ball out of the ground, as if he is hoping they will run out of balls and the game will be stopped! That did not work so next we had long injury breaks with two visitors leaving by stretcher. Many of us suspect a Warnock/Sheff Utd trick but it seems the rest of the team were not signed up to this tactic.
We then had the sight of the visitors manager collapsing on the touchline and he was then helped to the dressing rooms. Somehow the game lasted 90 minutes, no injury time added and the final whistle went.
But by then our tweets and 'you tube' clips have been picked up by Serbian media, we find that the 20 plus British hoppers and helped make this game the talk of the weekend in football circles all over Europe.
Interesting ground, welcomed like VIPs and then a match we will never forget, great way to finish a weekend of Serbian football - plus great company, bits of culture and local food.
Off the main road
Sunday 18 November 2017, FK Edseg Mali Idos 4 FK Obilic Zmajevo 3 - MFL Backa Topola, Stadion Mali Idos
We diverted of the main highway between Novi Sad and Subotica, we were not sure what we would find, the game was late addition to the schedule, it would not leave us long to reach our final game - but we are all glad we took this slight diversion, cracking game, friendly locals and a superb if slightly ramshackle ground - all you want as a groundhopper.
Mali Idos is a Hungarian speaking village, they have no wish to become part of Hungary but would like their province of Vojvodina to have more powers of their own, some would like to see it become an independent country.
The fans cheered their team on in Hungarian, but used the Serb language when throwing insults at the match officials. I thought the visitors seemed the better team but had a dodgy keeper whilst the home team broke with speed and their young keeper had a great game.
Neither goalkeepers were helped with goalmouths that looked like someone had been digging for gold - but that only helped make the game more exciting.
We managed to get our usual history talk off the club president, and a joint group photo with the hoppers and home team, but the highlight for me was the main stand, similar in style to Holmesdale FC in South London but this one had the advantage with a rail embankment behind the stand, I am afraid I did not manage to grab a photo with stand, embankment and train in the same shot,
We diverted of the main highway between Novi Sad and Subotica, we were not sure what we would find, the game was late addition to the schedule, it would not leave us long to reach our final game - but we are all glad we took this slight diversion, cracking game, friendly locals and a superb if slightly ramshackle ground - all you want as a groundhopper.
Mali Idos is a Hungarian speaking village, they have no wish to become part of Hungary but would like their province of Vojvodina to have more powers of their own, some would like to see it become an independent country.
The fans cheered their team on in Hungarian, but used the Serb language when throwing insults at the match officials. I thought the visitors seemed the better team but had a dodgy keeper whilst the home team broke with speed and their young keeper had a great game.
Neither goalkeepers were helped with goalmouths that looked like someone had been digging for gold - but that only helped make the game more exciting.
We managed to get our usual history talk off the club president, and a joint group photo with the hoppers and home team, but the highlight for me was the main stand, similar in style to Holmesdale FC in South London but this one had the advantage with a rail embankment behind the stand, I am afraid I did not manage to grab a photo with stand, embankment and train in the same shot,
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