Sunday 27th May 2012 ko 18.00

Division 6F Stockholm

HÖGDALENS AIS 0

STUVSTA IF 0

Att 35 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Coffee 10 sek

From Handen it was back to Stockholm Central on the train then on to the T-bana (underground) green line out south-west to Hagsätra. We actually passed Hammarby’s Söderstadion and the home club’s actual district, on the way to the end of the line.

Hagsätra IP is a pleasant enough location set amongst the trees in suburban Stockholm. The train we’d arrived on rumbled away beyond the far side, and a cafe in the changing room block lost out on some business by closing up early. There’s  an uncovered terrace on the near side, and an ice rink (also uncovered) beyond one goal, but no cover save for a tiny overhang on the changing room block. Not an issue on a warm evening with a barely a cloud in the sky.

What we were was tired, with well over 3,000km covered over less than a fortnight. We had a chat with the referee Mr Gojko, who had also been at our previous game (Haninge/Brandbergen) as assessor. He was surprised we’d got to the ground by public transport faster than he did by car!

Frankly Mr Gojko had nothing to referee. Two poor sides who were a poor example of the level of football it nominally represented. Its worth commenting that the “F” after the “6” isn’t anything to do what the level of the football, although I may have used a word or to beginning with “F” to describe this! Where there’s several divisions covering the same area, the most northerly is given “A” and so on south.

Stuvsta had the personel to win this, one I’d watched Ferhant Ayranci’s brother Ahcene play for Hammarby earlier in the tour, and his team were the more fluent, until they had a shooting chance that is! Ayranci saw his free kick hit the post after 25 minutes, while the hosts sole chance on the half saw Johan Carlgren’s header turned round the post acrobatically by Robert Axén in the Stuvsta goal.

The second half was even worse, sad to say. Far too much passing in fear of making a mistake, resulting in broken play, on a 3G surface perfect for good players to show their skills, assuming of course they had any! It took until 70 minutes for a decent move, Ayranci passing to to Viktor Ljungkvist who in turn found Jonas Schützler who saw his shot creep agonizingly wide of the back post.

The hosts had one chance in the half, and we had to wait until the 80th minute for it. Abel Abraham fired in a shot from 18 yards but Axén got down well to turn the ball round the near post.

So a deeply disappointing end to our tour of Sweden, and I’d like to thank the incomparable Kim Hedwall for organising it all and doing all the driving. Thanks to him for all his expertise in finding all the fixtures and grounds. Is there anyone out there who knows more about Swedish football?

You know the best thing though? I’m back on the 8th June as Kim and I are organising the Swedish hop!