Newcastle United 2 ZTS Dubnica 0

UEFA Inter-Toto Cup 3rd Round Second Leg (agg. 5-1)
St James Park
att. 25,135

It was around about this time last year that I took myself on a pilgrimage to Blyth Spartans for their 3-0 friendly win over Carlisle. One year subsequent and I'm back in the North-East once more, arranging a stag weekend for my man Mr Tricker two weeks in advance of his famous nups.

The reason for making Newcastle the location? Well, despite meeting when we were 2 in Havant, he spent about 4 years in his mid-teens living in Morpeth, Northumberland, and this shindig provided ample excuse to visit the city just down the road.

Making the most of my sole area of expertise, I was requested by the head of the herd to organise a trip to a non-league pre-season friendly as part of the weekend. Sadly, Morpeth Town weren't in action and so Dunston Fed v Workington was looking the best bet until it became clear that the Toon themselves would be playing at home in the Tonto mug. With native Geordies in our party, including one half-responsible for Toon blog 'Black & White & Read All Over', this was clearly the only way forward, particularly at the nice price of £12 a seat. You'll note below the bridegroom-to-be and Ben looking fairly happy with their saving.

With all the other focuses of the day, you'll have to excuse the laissez-faire nature of this write-up but, as it goes, this hobo has left a light foot-print here before, popping in as a guest of Leon's dad (who was working for one of Newcastle's major sponsors at the time) to have a look at the ground. No game, and only about 5 minutes, but a path trodden nonetheless. That was 1994 though and SJP looks a lot different now.

There's not many football grounds, particularly major ones, that lie slap bang in the centre of town, but the new SJP's gigantic new stands tower over the city like the 21st century fortress it is. However, as the visit of Slovak side ZTS Dubnica failed to capture the imagination of about half the usual crowd, it was far from fortress-like inside its walls. However, a brief conga was made possible at the peaks of the two top-heavy sides thanks to the wide spread of bodies in the gods.

You can hardly blame the lack of numbers, indeed 25,000 was pretty high considering the game was virtually a dead-rubber thanks to the Toon's 3-1 first-leg lead. Besides, the phone-lines were never going to be jammed for a side who finished 4th placed in a country many probably still believe to be merged with the neighbouring Czechs. Furthermore, Dubnica also appear to be a club with an identity crisis, having got through several variations on their monicker since 1948, with Sokol Vorošilov, DŠO Spartak and Kerametal amongst the 8. Probably safe to say that the fall and rise of Communism played its part in their multiple personality.

As expected, Dubnica didn't particularly offer much in terms of an attacking threat but were fairly tidy at the back when necessary. That said, Newcastle approached the game much like one might a poolside sunlounger. Physical exertion was certainly not the order of the day, and you can't really blame the Newcastle team for saving their legs with the prospect of the first leg of the following round occuring merely 4 days on.

However they certainly didn't have the look of a side that will set light to the Premiership this year and displays like this will not end the disquiet among Newcastle fans toward Graeme Souness' managerial abilities.

There were certainly things to enjoy in the game though, not least the fact that the Alan-Shearer-Annual-Farewell-Tour™ was able to wheel away arm-oustretched twice more in pursuit of Jackie Milburn's Newcastle goal-scoring record. The first goal can be seen in the picture immediately above, while the celebrations for the second feature in the middle shot.

That Michael Chopra apparently can't remember anything of the ten minutes he played between being sparked out by the keeper, and his substitution, is also faintly amusing considering he still looked more alert and interested in those moments than Celestine Babayaro did at any time during the game.

That though, is more a point for a Newcastle fan to make and so, to make up for the lack of insight here, Ben's Black n' White musings can be found here, with just the right mix of partiality and exasperation.

Road to the UEFA Cup
Fl2: Olympique de Marseille 5 Deportivo La Coruña 1 (att. 50,000) [UEFA]
Fl1: Deportivo La Coruña 2 Olympique de Marseille 0 [UEFA]
SFl2: Newcastle United 1 Deportivo La Coruña 2 (att. 35,200) [UEFA]
SFl1: Deportivo La Coruña 2 Newcastle United 1 (att. 16,000) [UEFA]
3Rl2: Newcastle United 2 ZTS Dubnica 0 [UEFA]
3Rl1: ZTS Dubnica 1 Newcastle United 3 (att. 6,200) [UEFA]
2Rl2: ZTS Dubnica 0 BB Ankaraspor 1 [UEFA]
2Rl1: BB Ankaraspor 0 ZTS Dubnica 4 [UEFA]
1Rl2: ZTS Dubnica 2 Vasas SC 0 [UEFA]
1Rl1: Vasas SC 0 ZTS Dubnica 0 [UEFA]

Rhyl 2 FK Atlantas Klaipeda 1

UEFA Cup First Qualifying Round 1st leg
Belle Vue Stadium
att. 1570

Middle of July, no jacket required and competitive football on offer. This hobo approves, kickstarting the 2005/06 tread in North Wales on a seaside promenade chiming with the customary tunes of the tacky amusement 'palace'. These front up a town that seems uncared for or about since the bottom fell out of the buckets, spades and Super8 British seaside holiday market.

That said, it does seem a relaxed place on the surface, a feel thats typical to Wales, although mainly in the villages and valleys. Being a seaside town, I am sure there are sparks, but that they are put out quickly.

Rhyl should have everything going for it, sat between the gorgeous rolling hills and a sea view that is far enough west to not be limited by the Wirral at close quarter.

The beach, by 6:30 is as you might expect: a smattering of families walking small, excitable dogs; a number of gulls gathering, Hitchcock-like, eyeing my when-in-Rome styrofoam chip tray with a degree of expectancy; and the one guy, always just one, sweeping the sand and pebbles with a metal detector. His red shorts and orange t-shirt, faded to peach, betray recent retirement, if the passtime doesn't by itself.

Yet today is humid, rather than hot, clouds forming a guarding throng preventing the sun from assisting Rhyl's water-side strip from fulfilling it's raison d'être.

What Rhyl have got is one of the better, more established sides in the League Of Wales, with a 140 year history, all but 35 of those spent at their current home, Belle Vue. After several years moving around a variety of North Wales leagues, they spent several decades after the second world war in the Cheshire League, in addition to 9 years as part of the Northern Premier League strand of the English pyramid. In 1992 they moved into the Cymru Alliance, before gaining promotion after two seasons to the League of Wales. While they didn't pull up trees at first, the last two seasons have brought great success, with the Welsh Premier league title won in 2003/04 along with the Welsh Cup, Premier Challenge Cup and the North Wales Challenge Cup.

Rhyl also have one of the better grounds in the LoW, and certainly one of the few to have a UEFA ground grading, allowing them to host this home leg of a tie with Lithuania's FK Atlantas Klaipeda without knocking on Wrexham's door.

This place in the first qualifying round of Europe's second most prestigious cup competition is their reward for finishing 2nd to Total Network Solutions in the Welsh Premier last year. While Belle Vue might seem a ramshackle venue for such a prestigious contest (scaffolding providing the extra steps of 'terracing' at the far end), it is essential that UEFA opens its arms to all its member nations in this thorough and unregionalised way. While making trips to Lithuania and Latvia (as they did in last year's Champions League qualifiers, losing to Skonto Riga 7-1 on aggregate), might be expensive to sides such as Rhyl, averaging 350 at home league games, they are such a boost to profile and morale. Certainly, the eager anticipation of a Baltic beano on the Rhyl message boards would appear to prove this.

It is perhaps unfortunate though to draw sides from Northern Europe who play through the summer, such as those from the Baltic nations, as they will have 3 or 4 months of competitive football in their legs, whereas the Rhyl team have only encountered friendly fire from Rossendale United and Heswall since coming back from their holidays. Though this can work as advantage, as well as disadvantage.

It has been mooted in some quarters that the Welsh leagues should play through the summer so as to avoid the competition from English football, the Celtic League of rugby union, traditionally seen as the Welsh national sport. When kicking toward the scaffold end in the first half, the Rhyl hardcore amass an impressive throng, singing 'Sunny Rhyl, sunny Rhyl' suggesting that they quite like the idea. Indeed, despite the fact that the vast majority here are the tie-curious mobilised by the UEFA exotique, the spirits are a shirt-sleeved mellow high. Although I imagine the regulars' jaunty chant won't come off quite so well when Cardiff Grange Harlequins visit next February.

Their mood heightens even further in the 12th minute when Rhyl take the lead. "Are you watching TNS?" is added to the repertoire. Quarter of an hour later, after a particularly rough challenge from an Atlantas brute, sees Turkish official Cem Papila darting along to thrust old yeller into a face for the first time. "You're just a small town in Russia" is the soundtrack.

The Klaipedas travelling support, about 7 in total, cannot compete despite being afforded the front of the directors' box and coming armed with a dramatically invasive air horn. Well, I'm just assuming there that they weren't actually the Atlantas board. Supporters trusts are all the rage, after all. Far more likely though that they've merely rushed the big wig pen to be be met with harumphs and frowning from the Rhyl hierarchy. Lets hope the hand of friendship was involved though.

Either way, these fellas, all decked out in bright yellow, make for quite a contrast with their new team coach (their previous one was very recently sacked after a disasterous run of domestic defeats) strolling about in front of them, looking quite the dapper Dan in his suave fawn suit. Rhyl's gaffer's red t-shirt and black shorts combo are clearly a vivid admission of sartorial defeat.

This is the only quarter given though as he sends out his side in the second half pumped and ready to try and increase their advantage, especially considering the upcoming second leg. The Rhyl side do go for it straight away, dominating most of the second half play before finally doubling their lead in the 74th minute, Lee Hunt scoring his second thanks to a light lob over the oncoming keeper having outpaced two defenders.

The goal comes during a ten minute spell of sustained pressure where the keeper palms out for a corner and both post and bar are hit. Just a minute after the second goal, the pace and direction of the game force a rash challenge just out wide of the area. Not quite the last man, but it's a second-bookable so Gnedojus is tunnelled.

Rhyl try to take advantage of the extra man by pushing increasingly forward but this is their undoing as Atlantas break away, Zvingilas scoring what could be a vital away goal in the 77th minute. The uncharted waters of Klaipeda's docklands could well yet prove to be rough seas.

It is perhaps just as well then that Rhyl are often known as the Pirates due to the origins of their team playing in the 1870's as 'Rhyl Skull & Crossbones'. Even today, a Jolly Roger flies from one end of their longest stand. At the opposite end, a 'FIFA Fair Play' standards flaps gently.

So battle on the high Baltic seas in a fortnight then, but we can rest assured that the pillage and plunder will be prefaced by down-the-line handshakes and the exchange of pennants.

Road to Eindhoven
F: Middlesbrough 0 Seville 4 (att. 36,500) [UEFA]
SF2: Middlesbrough 4 Steaua Bucharest 2 (att. 34,622) [UEFA]
SF1: Steaua Bucharest 1 Middlesbrough 0 (att. 41,000) [UEFA]
QF2: Middlesbrough 4 Basel 1893 1 (att. 24,521) [UEFA]
QF1: Basel 1893 2 Middlesbrough 0 (att. 23,639) [UEFA]
Rndof16l2: Racing Club de Strasbourg 2 Basel 1893 2 (att. 8,511) [UEFA]
Rndof16l1: Basel 1893 2 Racing Club de Strasbourg 0 (att. 14,243) [UEFA]
Rndof32l2: Monaco 1 Basel 1893 1 (att. 11,955) [UEFA]
Rndof32l1: Basel 1893 1 Monaco 0 (att. 14,143) [UEFA]
Monaco, Hamburg and Slavia qualify from Group A
GrpA4: CSKA Sofia 1 Viking 0 (att. 10,000) [UEFA]
GrpA3: Viking 2 Slavia Praha 2 (att. 7.941) [UEFA]
GrpA2: Hamburger SV 2 Viking 0 (att. 37,500) [UEFA]
GrpA1: Viking 1 Monaco 0 (att. 9,684) [UEFA]
1Rl2: Austria Wien 2 Viking 1 (att. 5,800) [UEFA]
1Rl1: Viking 1 Austria Wien (att. 5,000) [UEFA]
2QRl2: Viking 2 Rhyl 1 (att. 3857) [UEFA]
2QRl1: Rhyl 0 Viking 1 (att. 1540) [UEFA]
1QRl2: Atlantas Klaipeda 3 Rhyl 2 (att. 1800) [UEFA]
1QRl1: Rhyl 2 Atlantas Klaipeda 1 [UEFA]

Euro Tread Retrospective #2Rapid Wien 2 FC Karnten 1

24th May 2003
Österreich Bundesliga
att. 4800

So as not to bore you again endlessly with a protracted slideshow of my holiday of two years ago, I will keep this more brief than the last.

This may have something to do with the fact that I remember little about it as well though, and surely to christ the depths of the Czech divisions are a darn sight more intriguing than the Austrian top flight. Still, Rapid Vienna was my choice, I can't remember the rationale for that. Think I'd have settled for any of the Viennese sides as the holiday coincided with the penultimate round of matches in the league, and it just so happened that Rapid were at home.

Our trip was to also take in brief stops in Graz, Bratislava and Budapest, but Vienna was our weekend base. On the Saturday, I popped down to the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium, named after a former player, to pick up an advance ticket. Not, as it turned out, that I needed to. When asked where I wanted to sit, I chose the West Tribüne, not knowing which was which.

It all looked very handsome arriving back for the game, the club had laid on some sideshow entertainments across the road to celebrate the end of their home campaign, with a huge beer-tent, food stalls and kids play areas set up and doing good business. Despite this, the stadium's 18,000 seats were only quarter-filled. Mind you Rapid don't dominate Austrian football like they once did. Be interesting to see how many used to watch between the 50s and the 80s.

Of those turned out, about a third could be described as the clubs vocal hardcore and they were deliberately positioned together. In the West Tribüne.

Anyone know any football songs in Deutsch? "Sie sind mein Sonnenschein..."?

Once through the Luton-in-the-80's style gates, using the barcoded plastic ticket (I believe Man City use a similar thing at their new pad) and the tough looking security geezers, I attempted to blend in by availing myself of the local brew from a bar set up at the back of our stand. The presence of my camera may have raised suspicions though.

Not that their sartortial answer to a Pearly King, who appeared to have glued half a loudhailer to his stovepipe, seemed to notice my attempts to capture both his eccentric garb and, more importantly, his Botham-esque mullet and tache combo.

Despite the tickertape and giant flag welcome, the Rapid hardcore did require geeing up, and the two guys seemingly elevated in the background to the left of the above picture were in charge of leading the chants using microphones and speakers feeding their message back toward the West tribune alone. One up from piping canned crowd noises through the PA they may be but I bet Dick n' Dom In Da Bundesliga regularly dine and shag out on their tribal chiefdom.

Besides they do much better than the 50 or so Karnten fans who appear entirely bored by the whole afternoon's entertainment, despite their goal.

The game wasn't without incident but the best was to come as we approached the final whistle and Rapid were making all the running. The ball was played out to the flanks, and the linesman raised his flag, only to drop it again after a time. The Rapid striker proceeded for a few seconds before winning a penalty. It was buried, and it was the winner. The Karnten fans appeared to raise their heads briefly from atop their hands, to let out a resigned collective sigh, or so it appeared from the other end. Their ennui was to last for just 3 further minutes though.

Being their last home action, there is mutual applause between Rapid players and fans, then everyone filed out fairly quietly, perhaps feeling they've just encouraged a mugging.

Euro Tread Retrospective #1FK Slavoj Český Krumlov 1 ZD Olesnik 0

11th May 2002
att. 200 (approx.)

To get myself in the mood for my first experiences of the European cup competitions which should occur in the next few weeks, I've been reflecting on my only 2 experiences of watching football out in Europe itself and as pre-digicam pictures occur of both I thought I'd share them.

The plan on my Czech Republic trip 3 years ago had been to watch Sparta Prague play at home but the timing of our trip to the south of the country, and a late shift in the league fixtures, put paid to that. Although, once I'd bought a ticket for a 'black light theatre' performance the following Monday afternoon, I then discovered the Czech Cup Final was being played at the national Strahov stadium in Prague. The following Monday afternoon. Couldn't really dip out on my mate, so I resigned myself to no fitba on the trip.

However, while we were knocking about the picturesque town of Český Krumlov, a solitary forlorn looking poster, the kind of generic 'space vs space' thing where the teams get written in crudely with marker pen afterward, was spotted hanging on a town notice board amongst the propaganda for an upcoming local election. Needless to say the location of the ground was instantly rekkied for ease of approach the following day, when the fixture was to occur.

Once there it wasn't exactly obvious of how to get in the ground in the proper manner, but there were plenty of places where we could have easily snuck in for nowt. Not wanting to incur any wrath, we eventually found a bridge-like structure next to what seemed to be the changing rooms (possibly a clubhouse) and the pitch. A gentleman, possibly approaching retirement, stood on the other side of the bridge next to a table adorned with a plastic punnet filled with change, and some elementary programmes (1 sheet of A4 folded to A5). By throwing a decent wedge at him, and counting our change, we worked out that the entrance fee was 60Kc (roughly 20p at that time if I recall correctly), but did not realise that the programmes were free. As such I went back later to ask for one in the English tradition of pointing, raising my eyebrows and smiling awkwardly. What matter that I couldn't understand a word of said programme.

Possibly the best aspect of the game (considering these were my pre-teetotal days) was that a small beer hut was available towards one corner of the ground, with picnic tables and such (as seen in the picture below) where not insubstantial glasses of strong Czech lager were on sale for the equivalent of 30p.

Come the final whistle, it's fair to say we were steamin'. This brought its own problems though during the course of the game as it wasn't entirely clear where the gents were. They may well have been in the building over the bridge, but being strange foreigners (I don't expect they get many) not over experienced in the lingo save for 'dva pivo prosim' (which we'd given ourselves plenty of chance to practice during the course of the game), we didn't want to risk wandering into forbidden territory. As such we delivered to the club several examples of another fine English tradition in the shape of our long arcs of urine splashing regularly against the back of the stand. The freshness of the stains nearby suggested though that we weren't the first.

Being well juiced was probably for the best as it did seem like typical end of season fare, although in a country where football corruption and attempts at match-fixing are rife, this game certainly came across as pretty clean. That said, when the home side scored, there was barely a whimper from the stand. I think I was more excited, but the local elixir can possibly be blamed for that.

I'm not exactly sure of where this clash figured in the Czech football system, which appears to be less of a pyramid and more of a straight line with a load of regional leagues at the bottom (which don't necessarilly feed up), of which this is one. From the standard of play and numbers in the approximate crowd though you could probably equate it to levels 8 or 9 in the UK, between the county leagues and the bottom rungs of the Southern, Northern and Isthmian.

Certainly though it was enjoyable for the fact that it was a bit of a find and an unexpected one, that it was lower league, and that the ground, whilst certainly spartan with its facilities, was placed in a kind of small valley, little houses dotted around the face of the hill climbing up opposite the stand. At least the folks in them would have been safe from the floods that swept through Europe including Prague and Český Krumlov just three months after out visit. The picture below shows the affect to the football ground, but I'm happy to report that the club seem to still be in action there, they certainly were last season according to my investigations, but whether the stand survived, I don't know.

Apologies for the 'what I did on my holidays' nature of this write-up, but it were a long time ago, so I've forgotten the minutae, and this is just an excuse to publish the photos really. This sojourn was manna from heaven for an old footy soak like meself, but spare a thought for my travelling companion. I doubt many Englishmen can claim that their first EVER experience of live football was in, roughly, the 8th rung of the Czech semi-pro ladder.

He can.