Monthly Archives: June 2013

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

30 Sunday Jun 2013

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Saturday 29th June 2013 ko 13.00

Pre-Season Friendly

FAVERSHAM TOWN 2 (Wilson 11 Rowland 74)

GILLINGHAM 4 (Millbank 15 Dack 25 Birchall 65 76)

Att c500

Entry £8

No Programme, old copy free (some others were charged £1)

Badge £3

It was less than 3 weeks since I finished off last season in Sweden on a joyous Swedish hop, but in that time I can honestly say I lost my edge. I know it seems daft, all I do is show up at a game, watch it and take a few pictures! But even during the planning of this one I felt I wasn’t on top form. I’d agreed to meet the undoubted star of the Swedish adventure Martin Bamforth, at the old Andover FC ground to do the Sealand game at Thamesmead, but we changed plans just as soon as we worked out you can get from Faversham to Whitstable in 15 minutes flat, making an unlikely double possible.

That feeling of unease was still there when we reached Salters Lane, I didn’t slide into my normal habits of knowing instinctively where to obtain the line-ups, über-hopper Peter Miles helped me out what that one. I even had to think about my camera angles!

Eventually everything fell into place and I began to appreciate my surroundings and the entertainment on offer. It just shows how easy it is to lose that state of unconscious competence!

There was a lot to enjoy too, the Kentish town is the cradle of the UK’s explosives industry. The first gunpowder factory was established in the 16th century, probably with investment from Faversham Abbey. At that time the monasteries were deriving good profits from their estates and were keen to invest in promising technology.

The town was the perfect location as it had a stream which could be dammed at intervals to provide power for watermills. On its outskirts were low-lying areas ideal for the culture of alder and willow to provide charcoal, one of the three key gunpowder ingredients. The stream fed into a tidal Creek where sulphur, another key ingredient, could be imported, and the finished product could be  loaded for dispatch to Thames-side magazines. The port allowed the finished product to be shipped to mainland Europe for use with minimum effort.

The explosives industry lasted until 1934 when owner ICI realised that war with Germany was likely, and that Faversham was in a vulnerable location to bombing so moved production to Ayrshire.

These days the town is a quiet market town, and the football ground hides itself amongst the trees midway down Salters Lane. Its a good example of the classic Isthmian League-style ground (the club lost in the Division 1 South playoffs) with the asbestos roofed main stand typical of many in London and its hinterlands. The burger bar was swamped with custom as the visitors, freshly promoted to League 1 brought a bumper crowd. They’d split their squad, with half going to Ashford United at 3, giving their more intrepid supporters a tougher job than Martin and I at the final whistle if they wanted to make kick off.

The hosts made an error in not doing a programme. Even if only half the crowd had bought one at say, £2 there’s £500 the club could have made, and it gave the impression that the club was better run on the pitch than off it.

Even though Gillingham had the luxury of changing the entire team at half time, no bad thing in the heat, Faversham gave the visitors a thorough test, and Wayne Wilson’s 11th minute free-kick was worthy of any stage. The Gills however, always had experience where it mattered, and it was no coincidence that 3 out of the 4 goals were scored by Bradley Dack, and Adam Birchall, both regular first teamers.

But of course these fixtures aren’t about the result, more about fitness, and assessing what works best. It was a decent spectacle, Faversham’s endeavours ensured that, but the last 5 minutes were memorable for arguably the best version of a phenomenon you only ever see when a reasonable number of groundhoppers attend a game.

I call it groundhopper’s itch, when with about 5 minutes left the hoppers slowly make their way to the exit, and hover by the gate. When the final whistle blows, off they scuttle, even if there isn’t another game to go to! On this occasion there was, and yes, I was there too, hovering by the exit with Martin already outside, in the car revved up and ready for the next adventure. That was a neat metaphor for the day, the season to come, and the hobby in general. Its good to be back!

 

The Nature of Things

13 Thursday Jun 2013

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With it being the close season, I thought I’d tell you a short story which I promise actually happened.

During my time living in Henley-on-Thames I got to know two middle-aged ladies. They’d married early in life, and now their children had left home, and their husbands had retired to life either on the end of a fishing rod or on the golf course.  They now had the time and the money to pursue their own interests and hobbies, and did so with relish! At times it was like watching teenagers, which of a fashion it was, after all, they were doing nothing more than what young people of today take completely for granted. They’d been denied this when they were young, and were simply making up for lost time.

On one occasion they decided to book a weekend hotel and show package in London, and took the train from Henley to Reading then on to Paddington. The trouble was that afterwards there wasn’t a suitable train home, so I got roped in to give them a lift from Marble Arch back home. On that short journey I learned a little of the human psyche.

I pulled up on Park Lane, and fortunately they were already waiting for me. After dumping their bags in the boot they clambered into my car, and I asked how the weekend went. Their responses surprised me.

“Well, the hotel wasn’t the best….”

“The breakfast was meagre…”

“The room was pokey.”

“The wine was expensive…”

“The seats (at the show) were quite a way back…”

And so it carried on all the way back to Henley, and the village just outside where one of the ladies lived. I dropped off there first as the second address was on my way home. I pulled up to the house and it was there I learned my lesson on human nature and how some people communicate.

The two ladies said goodbye, and as she got out, the first said, “Thanks for organising things …… I had a MARVELLOUS time!”

You see, some people only communicate by whingeing. The trick is to be able to pick when the whinge really is a whinge. I’ll never forget those two.

Joyous

10 Monday Jun 2013

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Sunday 2nd June 2013 ko 17.00

Division 3 Östra Svealand

BELE BARKARBY 3 (Tollerup 47 Samosky 50 Heneidy 66)

TÄBY IS 1 (Higgs 90)

Att 82

Entry, 3 monthly magazines, information sheet, badge and pennant included in hop

Plenty of sunburn and that horrible feeling of “Is this really the last game?” was in evidence, as Thomas drove the coach into Veddestavallen in Järfälla, to the north-east of central Stockholm. The Swedish hop visited another club in the area, Järfälla IF, on the second hop in 2008, and visited Täby’s ground Tibblevallen on the very first hop but watched IFK Täby, a lower level side.

The area can trace its history to the Stone Age and has some ruins from that time. After conversion to Christianity in the 11th century, Järfälla continued to be of importance in the Middle Ages as several important roads went through it, on a route from Uppsala to Stockholm used by pilgrims.

Its coat of arms, rather reminiscent of Preston North End’s badge, which depicts a golden lamb carrying an archbishop’s cross, can be traced from 1568, but was created in 1955. They may symbolize that Järfälla is situated on the road from the capital Stockholm to the seat of the archbishop in the nearby city of Uppsala.

The district of Barkarby lies within Järfälla, and is best known as being where the equestrian events were staged during the 1912 Olympics. The Bele football team was formed in 1929, but no one seems to know what the Bele actually means or even if it’s an acronym! They merged with Barkarby SK in 2001, and the club features Ice hockey and Innebandy, a version of ice hockey played indoors with a ball on wooden flooring.

For a small club, who have never played higher than the Swedish third tier, the club has a history of producing good players. Coach Putte Ramberg represented Sweden 27 times at football and once at Bandy (imagine 11-a-side ice hockey on a rink the size of a football pitch). Current Malmö FF head coach Rickard Norling started at Bele, as did Johan Mjällby whose career has included stints at AIK, Levante and Celtic. It made me remember a feature of Swedish football you don’t see in the UK.

Every player has a “Moderklub” or “Mother Club,” where he or she first started playing football. Many programmes, or football magazines will carry this information alongside statistics such as height, weight and position. For the Mother Club, there’s a practical benefit, as every time the player moves the Mother Club is paid a small fee, thereby rewarding their investment in the player, and encouraging investment in youth. I’ll leave you to work out whether the Premier League would allow such a system in England!

That investment in youth was there for all to see as we arrived. On a smallish gravel pitch a huge children’s tournament was just finishing off its group phase, and the finals took place as the first XI kicked off. It meant the queue for food and drink was a little longer than expected, but it did demonstrate the club’s clear aims of investment in youth, and later on investment in Veddestavallen.

At the moment, the ground consists of a rather bumpy grass pitch with the inevitable set of bleachers, an artificial pitch, and the gravel pitch. What sets the place apart from the vast majority of Swedish football grounds is that it isn’t under local authority control, a fact that the club are rather proud of. They see the future is being in Division 2 with all that entails, and there was none of the reticence we encountered at Hille, the day before. It was all rather refreshing, and it put what at first looked like a dull ground on the outskirts of town right into context. I for one will keep an eye on their progress! Mind you, I think many of the British contingent will remember the place for the multiplicity of cranes in the background, including one sporting a rather unseasonal Christmas tree!

Maybe it was my own tiredness, or perhaps the heat, but the first half wasn’t easy to watch. Neither side seemed capable of imposing themselves on the game, and it really was one of those game where you could have turned up at half time, and have missed nothing! Thankfully the second half was a vast improvement as Bele finally took control of matters and rattled in three goals to cement their position comfortably in mid-table with the visitors in real relegation trouble second-from-bottom.

From there it was a simple drop-off for the others back at Arlanda. On the way we dealt with all the little things at the end of a hop. One of those was the traditional collection for the driver, people never cease to amaze me with their generosity, but Thomas is a much valued part of the team, ever-present for the 7 years of this hop. He dropped us off back in Solna; Kim and I dumped our bags back at his flat then walked into Solna Centrum to grab a sandwich. We flopped down on a bench near the fountain there, ate and reviewed the madness of the last 3 days. As ever, we’ve learned, and we’ve got some great ideas for next year. We’ll have to work hard, this was a joyous hop, perhaps the best yet, due in no small part to all those who attended. We’ll announce the 2014 hop next March; don’t you dare miss it!

 

Big in Åkersberga

09 Sunday Jun 2013

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Sunday 2nd June 2013 ko 14.00

Division 3 Östra Svealand

IFK ÖSTERÅKER 0

BKV NORRTÅLJE 2 (Kiianlinna 55 Thorliefsson 63)

Att 145

Entry, Programme, Coffee, and Goody Bag – Included in hop

The Swedish Groundhop has plenty of history with the municipality of Åkersberga. The area of Stockholm county has seen us visit Rydbo, Roslagskulla, Vaxholm and perhaps most famously two visits to Åkersberga BK. Its a pleasant place on the Stockholm archipelago, and features several golf courses, and facilities for boating, equestrianism, fishing and other outbound activities. The area is linked to metropolitan Stockholm by the narrow-gauge, 891 mm (2 ft 11 1⁄10 in) Roslagsbanan railway. The 40 mile, 38 station system is the last narrow gauge railway in Sweden still in use for commercial traffic. Now I know my SL card is valid on it, I think I may have to give it a ride!

We’d watched Österåker as the away side at Sundbyberg on the 2009 hop when it rained virtually on every minute of the weekend! As we pulled into Åkersberga Idrottsplats I pondered the vagaries of the weather. Its was sweltering, and there was little or no shelter from the sun. Not wonderful and I was already sunburnt despite the cover at Skytteholms. Perhaps its an Åkersberga thing, both games at the Margretelunds BP home of Åkersberga BK were warm and sunny and its where on the second visit, I ended up as linesmen after the away team objected to the choice of club linesman. I remember remarking that I was beyond being corrupted as I didn’t speak the language! I suspect that incident would have been completely forgotton, but a football magazine called “Offside” were in tow for that hop, and the 13 page article included yours truly in action.

We were given a talk by a club official before the game, and there was more to the club than just the 3G pitch with the ubiquitous wooden bleachers. They used to play on the rather prettier grass pitch behind the clubhouse but were forced to move around 100m when it was discovered that the pitch was a metre or two too narrow and too short. It gave head organiser Kim Hedwall a bonus tick, which was just reward for bringing us to a game with a real edge to it.

Norrtäljie were top of the table and looked good for a promotion tilt. Österåker were third, and with what they believe is a team capable of promotion too. They have an interesting player in Armin Iranpak, whose father Safar Iranpak was a striker who played for Persepolis and the Iran national football team, before settling in Stockholm later on in life. He died in 2009.

It soon became clear that despite an obvious rivalry, the visitors were just that little bit sharper than the hosts. They’d brought a following too, including two elderly ultras brandishing a flag, and it added to a convivial atmosphere just after Sunday lunch. My problem was that it was a little too warm to watch, let alone play, and after so much football by half time I was beginning to flag a little. Salvation, however was at hand.

During the interval I bought a can of drink and an ice cream and sat myself down on the base of a floodlight when I became aware of a commotion at the bleachers. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but everyone seemed to be pointing in my direction. The root of it all was Elisabeth and Per Soderström from Åkersberga BK. They’d spotted from a Facebook post that I was local to them so decided to jump in the car and pay me a visit! The trouble is that they couldn’t spot me, so ended up trying to find the English who would point them in the right direction! Still they found me, and a week after the event I’m still touched, thank you so much, both of you!

It didn’t end there either, during the second half a player’s mother came up to me, and asked whether I was the bloke who once was linesman at an Åkersberga game? I turned out her son had played in that game and was highly amused when I commented that I’d send a player off for wearing pink boots. I don’t remember the comment, but it does seem true to form!

The game went the way of the form book, the visitors eventually finding two ways through the home defence. The second goal killed off home resistance, and one of our party was slightly chastised for helping our with the scoreboard when it hadn’t been immediately updated.

I felt for Österåker, even though the result was a fair one, as they were fine hosts. Mind you as the Soderströms proved, when you’re in Åkersberga, you are assured of a wonderful welcome. Another UK coach party now knows that now.

In Any Shooting Gallery

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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Sunday 2nd June 2013 ko 11.00

Division 3 Södra Svealand

ATHLETIC FC 0 Sheaib sent off (dangerous play) 69

TYRESÖ 4 (Sevgili 12 38 Ashtari 52 Lithen 90) Nicho sent off (2nd booking) 60

at Plan A, Skytteholms, Solna

Att 67

Entry & Pennant, Included in hop

The Northern Stockholm suburb of Solna and I go back some way, in fact 7 years to be exact. The very first Swedish hop took in Råsunda IS playing at Skytteholms, or to translate, The Shooting Grounds, and the result was a highly entertaining 2-2 draw versus Gamla Uppsala, curiously where we’d travelled from on a warm Sunday morning.

Times change, and soon enough Skytteholms’ more famous neighbour the Råsunda stadium will be no more. The site of the 1958 World Cup final, and AIK’s home since 1937 is being demolished from the north to the south. Peter Miles and I took a few minutes to walk around the perimeter of the grand old lady of Stockholm, and we both felt sick to the stomach at what we saw. The new Friends Arena, is both necessary and a fine stadium, have a look here, http://wp.me/p1PehW-1hC but it felt like the cost was too high. The flats and offices to be built here will help pay for the new national stadium, but it’s a real shame some way couldn’t be found for the Råsunda to be retained, the 36,608 capacity was perfect for AIK.

Since the hop’s visit in 2007, Skytteholms has seen a few changes. These were mainly due to anchor tenant Vasalunds IF being promoted for their one season stint, 2009, in the second tier Superettan. Its now no longer possible to enter the ground from the other 3 pitches, the stand now sports seats bolted on to the former benches, and there’s a café area replacing the little hot dog booth in the side of the stand. The capacity remains at 3,000.

The ground was the first in Sweden to sport a 3G pitch, and with undersoil heating too! That’s now 4G, and looked to be a superb surface to pass on. Athletic turned out to be an interesting bunch. Formed as a Turkish immigrant side in 2007 they’ve risen through the leagues rapidly and have replaced Råsunda IS as secondary tenant of the ground. Råsunda more-or-less folded two years ago, but the name was bought for their league position. The new Råsunda IS finished rock bottom of Division 3 last season, without a single point, and are now bottom of Division 4 Mellersta (Mid) Stockholm with 3 points. Another chunk of sadness for a Sunday morning.

It was a pleasure on a sweltering morning to shelter at the back of the stand and watch, and remember multiple visits in the past. Life has changed a lot since 2007!

Tyresö were no less interesting than the surroundings. We’d visited them on the 2010 hop and were surprised on arrival at Tyresövallen to be part of 50 or so arriving when 1,500 were leaving. Tyresö are far more famous for their top flight ladies team than their male equivalent, the only similar set-up I can think of in England is Bristol Academy. On this occasion the only thing that they’ll be remembered for is the brilliance of their forward Roy. Or as he was recorded on the teamsheet, “Roy Person uppgifter Skyddade.”

I’m sure many of us recorded “Skyddade” when he danced through the home defence to notch his first, then were gently informed by Kim Hedwall that personuppgifter skyddade actually means Personal Data Protected; he was playing as a triallist! Clearly his identity isn’t that much of a secret, the Tyresö website has his name as Roy Sevgili, but his two goals put the game quickly beyond Athletic.

There was a dismissal on both sides, one deserved, Athletic’s Ali Sheaib was guilty of a dreadful challenge, but Tyresö’s Nicho looked to be the victim of mistaken identity for his second booking. It didn’t seem to make much difference, Tyresö were 3 up and scored again in stoppage time, just as our party were gradually heading to the exit in the corner. The great thing about a hop is there’s always another game around the corner!

The Longest Kilometre

07 Friday Jun 2013

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Saturday 1st June 2013 ko 18.00

Division 2 Norrland

STRÖMSBERGS IF 2 (Parling 34p Hägg 56)

SKELLEFTEÅ 0

Att 235

Entry, Programme, Pennant Included in Hop

Baseball Cap – Supplied by club sponsor

In many respects this article is a cautionary tale about travelling. We’d moved south from Hille, back across into Uppland, but to the kind of location you can’t place unless you look it up on the internet when you’ve got home! On the way, on the E4 we passed the gigantic Dragon Gate, a white elephant of a development originally mooted as a Chinese cultural centre and hotel. The money ran out amidst rumours of planning permission not being gained and now is merely a museum and huge restaurant. I wonder if they ask you to make a reservation first?

I’ve looked up Strömsberg on a map, and it really is Continue reading →

The Dilemna

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Saturday 1st June 2013 ko 14.00

Division 3 Södra Norrland

HILLE IF 1 (Barku 45)

SÖDERHAMNS FF  0

Att 231

Entry & Programme included in hop (50sek)

Badge 20sek

10 sek is roughly £1

From Storvik it was a 35 minute drive east and slightly north to Gävle, and the suburb of Hille, which again seemed to have an air of the country about the place. The coach party’s punctuality and Thomas’ driving expertise meant that there was time for a talk about the club from both manager and chairman. It proved to be extremely informative, with the club on the cusp of a major decision.

The city of Gävle is the traditional capital of Norrland.  The name derives from the word gavel, meaning river banks in Old Swedish and referring to the Gavleån (Gävle River). The oldest settlement was called Gavle-ägarna, which means “Gavel-owners”. This name was shortened to Gavle, then Gefle, and finally Gävle.

In more recent times the city has become famous for a burning goat! Continue reading →

The Rabbit

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Saturday 1st June 2013 ko 11.00

Division 6 Norra Gästrikland

STORVIKS AIF 4 (Sane 7 20 62 Lingvall 31og)

LINGBO IF 1 (Lindqvist 12)

Att 41

Entry & Programme included in hop

During the previous evening’s entertainment Kim Hedwall seemed rather distracted and was on the phone for most of the second half. On the way back to Uppsala, he let the coach party know what had happened.

The scheduled morning fixture was due to be at Gävle GIK FK in the same division but their chairman had phoned to report that the game was off, the opposition being unable to raise a team. He suggested contacting Storviks AIF, so Kim phoned them offering to Continue reading →

The Start of Something Big

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Friday 31st May 2013 ko 19.00

Division 5 Norra Uppland

MÅNKARBO 4 (Lund 54 L Svensson 69 W Svensson 77 Jansson 87)

KARLHOLMS GOIF 0

Att 176

Entry, Programme, Badge, Beer, Sandwich,- Included in hop cost

The day started quietly, Kim and I met the coach and the third member of the team, driver Thomas, in Solna. From there we picked up another hopper, John who’d been to the Djurgårdens game the previous evening. We headed north to Arlanda airport to pick up from two flights, Gatwick and Manchester. On the way we received word that the London flight had been delayed due to the pilot having food poisoning. It didn’t matter too much, the drive north to Uppsala was only around an hour, and we still had enough time to allow everyone time to relax in their rooms for 90 minutes before setting out north once again.

It wasn’t far, around a 40 minute drive along the E4, no bad thing for hoppers who’d spent a fair time sat in a departure lounge for 2 hours more than they’d expected. It turned out that Månkarbo was exactly what everyone needed. It’s a village of 600 or so inhabitants, set in the most gorgeous forest. Nearby is the village of Vendel, where in the 19th century an excavation of the local churchyard revealed artefacts from a 7th century Viking ship burial, and a further dig in 1917 produced the grave of a powerful ruler, probably Ohthere. The character of the same name in the epic Beowulf is based around him.

Tallparken is so clearly the village’s hub. The hall behind one goal is large enough for the club to use as a gymnasium, a bar, and a music venue. For this evening Continue reading →

The Deer Park

03 Monday Jun 2013

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Thursday 30th May 2013 ko 19.30

Division 4 Mellersta Stockholm

VÄRTANS IK 3 (Morales 13 Sjöde 77 Isimeme 84)

BAGARMOSSEN/KÄRTORPS BK 1 (Sheriff 34)

Att 46

Entry FREE

No Programme

Recent events looked like making my attendance at the 7th Annual Swedish Groundhop impossible, but I was able to catch my plane to Arlanda, then the Pendeltåg, or suburban train in to Stockholm central.

I’d wanted to be in Sweden a day earlier than the rest of the other hoppers, as with there being a collection from two flights the next day, an extra pair of eyes and hands are useful. These groundhops are organised by Joachim “Kim” Hedwall, and specialise in the games of football that are a little off the beaten track, in short the games that I, and many others watch during the rest of the season in the UK! I act as his deputy, dealing with the UK end of things and offering help and advice when Kim requires it.

It gave me the chance of a bonus game too. If you take the Red T-Bana line to Ropsten you get to visit Continue reading →