extreme groundhopping

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Tampere United

18-07-2001 Tampere United 2 Ipswich Town 4 (Friendly)

Summer in Finland is virtually three months of daylight so it was still relatively light by the time we’d returned to our hotel after the Tampere United-Town evening game. Half an hour later and the sky went pitch black, the heavens opened, and we witnessed the most incredible thunderstorm. The wind whipped up to into something called thunderstorm whirls (sort of tornado wanna-bees), causing a small crane on a nearby building site to thrash around like a spinning top. You could feel the increase in air pressure from the almost incessant thunderclaps while the lightning illuminated the area like a scene from a Hammer movie. Scary stuff.

Tampere, in southern Finland, is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" as it was once the center of Finnish industry. That’s where any likeness ends. Surrounded by acres and acres of elk inhabited forest, and with two large lakes to the east and west, this is not Lancashire. It was once the home of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin who moved here in 1905 and at a Bolshevik conference held in the city met Joseph Stalin for the very first time. Consequently Tampere, amongst other attractions, boasts a Lenin Museum. An entirely separate concern is the nearby Moomin Museum. Those with kids may well be familiar with exploits of these furry troll-like characters.

The city hosted Finland’s very first ice hockey match and is home to the national Ice Hockey Museum, but football is by far and away the most popular sport. It’s main club is premier league side Tampere United, who despite having only been in existence since 1998 have still managed to rack-up three league titles (their first coming in 2001, the year of our visit).

United play at the 17,000-seater Ratina Stadium. Primarily a football stadium, although it does have an athletics track, it has covered stands behind each goal, a main stand along one flank and a lower covered stand on the opposite touchline. To the south of the city centre it is located in a primarily residential area with large apartment blocks on either side. Arriving quite early for the game we entertained ourselves at a nearby restaurant, until the gates opened and we were the able to avail ourselves of the numerous beer and food tents (we thought coke + pussi at 20 marks was a bit of bargain) set-up in one corner of the stadium. All quite civilised.

The pictures continue here.

posted by chevblue at 4:39 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 13, 2009

Gorleston

11-07-2009 Gorleston 0 Ipswich Town Reserves 8 (Friendly)

A mile or so away from Great Yarmouth on the East Anglian coast, Gorleston-on-Sea is historically in the county of Suffolk, although for electoral and administrative convenience it became part of Norfolk in the late 19th century. In Edwardian times it was a major seaside resort, was at one time the centre of the herring fishing industry in the UK, and could boast three railway stations (although the last of these was closed in 1970), which is really quite some boast for a population of well under 6,000.

Hannah Spearritt of S Club 7 was born there, a fact I mention only because her uncle, Eddie Spearritt, played for Ipswich during the 1960’s, and the town’s beach is regularly awarded Blue Flag status for it’s a cleanliness. This I can certainly vouch for, arriving early and enjoying a walk along the beach before heading out to Emerald Park for the match.

Gorleston FC was founded in 1887 and were inaugural members of the Eastern Counties League (currently the Ridgeons League) in 1935. They have been champs on four occasions, most recently in the 1980-81 season, winners of the Norfolk Senior Cup fourteen times, and have reached the first round proper of the FA Cup twice. They were relegated from the Ridgeons Premier in 2005 and have remained in Division One since.

Emerald Park is a couple of miles to the south-west of the town centre and there is not a solitary road sign pointing you in it’s direction (follow signs for the crematorium if heading there youself). Nor is there anything at the entrance to the car park indicating the purpose of the bland looking metal clad structure that is actually the stand behind the eastern goal. Don’t be put off though. A friendly greeting awaits at the single turnstile in the back of this stand and a quite photogenic ground awaits once you’ve passed through it.

The ground has covered seating on three and a bit sides while the fourth side (on the southern touchline) contains a mixed bag of structures that are all very nicely maintain and painted in the clubs colours of green and white. These include the changing rooms, bar, tea bar, toilets and a handsome 10 seater stand with cushioned seating for, I guess, VIP’s and club officials. None of these facilities would have been stretched for today’s game which was attended by just 180 fan’s (including a smattering of Norwich City supporters who turned up, presumably, so that the Town supporters present could poke fun at them following their demotion to the nether regions of the Football League back in May) .

The game was, even more than expected, a hopelessly one sided affair with the visitors threatening to run up a cricket score in the first half hour. Six ahead at the break they could easily have hit double figures but for some wayward finishing in the closing stages of the second period. Not a classic match but as a day out a good one and a nice way to ease into the 2009-10 campaign.

The pictures continue here.

posted by chevblue at 12:45 PM 0 comments

Friday, July 10, 2009

Sheffield United

30-04-2004 Sheffield United 1 Ipswich Town 1
(Nationwide League Division One)
and 05-02-2005 Sheffield United 0 Ipswich Town 2
(Coca-Cola Championship)

Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens (home of Glamorgan CCC) this week became the first venue to host an Ashes Test as its first match since 1902 when England and Australia played at Bramall Lane, now the home of Sheffield United. England lost on that occasion by a hefty margin and never played there again although the ground continued to be used for county cricket up until the early seventies.

Sheffield United Football Club had been formed three years earlier (by tenants Sheffield Cricket Club) specifically to make better use of Bramall Lane during the winter months (a distinction they share with Chelsea and Plymouth Argyle who were also formed to make use of an existing sports ground).

However, they were by no means the first side to play football at the Lane. In 1862 Sheffield FC (the worlds oldest football club) played a game there, Sheffield Wednesday played a few home games there around 1867, and in 1878 the Lane played host to the world’s first ever floodlit football match.

United joined the newly formed Division Two of the Football League in 1892, were promoted to Division One a year later, and won their one and only League Championship crown in 1898. A year later, and now FA Cup Winners too, their success enabled them to buy the ground from its previous owner the Duke of Norfolk. Around this time a possible ground share with Wednesday failed to materialise (Wednesday moving in to Hillsborough in 1899).

As the stadium began to take shape, famed Scots architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to build the main John Street Stand on the west touchline - a separate development to the cricket pavilion behind the south goal - and a large banked Kop terrace was constructed at the north end of the ground. By the Thirties three sides of the ground were covered but the area beyond the eastern touchline remained grassed for use by the cricketing arm of the club.

Floodlights returned in 1955, this time permanently, a week before rivals Wednesday installed theirs, and by now it was quite clear that footballing arm wanted rid of the cricketers in order to develop the fourth side of the pitch and make viewing from the eastern touchline more practical for spectators.

From a cricket fan’s view point, apparently, Bramall Lane had little going for it: “There is not a tree to be seen, and, both sight and sound reflect encircling industry. The clatter of tramcars and the scream of a saw-mill and factory hooters make a back¬ground of noise to the cricket, and a brewery chimney periodically pours smoke and soot into the air”, wrote the joints authors of 'Homes of Sport' Norman Yardley and J. M. Kilburn in 1952.

With the Blades now enjoying a period of relative success in the Football League’s top-flight a new £750,000 cantilever stand was constructed along the open touchline (and over the wicket of the cricket pitch). It’s opening heralded a period of decline for United who, over the next six years, suffered three relegations and started the 1982-83 season in Division Four. Apt punishment perhaps for a football club that had put the knife into the cricket club that had first brought it into existence.

The Taylor report, a spell in the Premiership, and a number of other factors have all led to significant changes at Bramall Lane over the last thirty-years. The Leitch Stand is long gone, the Kop bank is now all-seater, corners have been in-filled, business centres opened and a hotel built. All of which can be read about in more detail at Wikipedia and the Internet Football Ground Guide.

The pictures continue here.

posted by chevblue at 8:32 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Brentford

04-03-2004 Pub Tour

Brentford’s Griffin Park ground, named after one time owners of the surrounding land the Griffin Brewery, is unique in English football (perhaps even in British football) with it’s boast of a pub at each of it’s four corners.

Approaching from the direction of Brentford railway station the first of the four is The Royal Oak (above).

Walk along the back of the Brook Road Stand (away fans) to the corner of Brook Road South and Braemar Road and you’ll find number two The Griffin (above).

The main entrance to Griffin Park is fifty yards or so to along Braemar Road. Follow this to the junction with Ealing Road and you’ll hit pub number three The Princess Royal (above)

Head north along Ealing Road, along the back of the home terrace and there’s the fourth and final hostelry The New Inn.

Here are pictures of all four interspersed with a few exterior shots of the football ground itself. Can’t claim to have been to all four but can vouch for The Griffin, a real London Boozer, which, if memory serves me correctly, serves a fine pint of Fuller’s London Pride.

posted by chevblue at 6:45 PM 0 comments

Looking for Eric

I’m sure I’ve seen others but the last Ken Loach film I can remember watching before Looking for Eric was Kes way back when it was first on release in UK cinemas. It was on as part of a double bill that included the Magnificent Seven which shows you how long ago that was. There is a memorable scene in Kes in which his gym teacher imagines he is Manchester United’s legendary Bobby Charlton.

In Looking for Eric, a Manchester United theme runs pretty much through the entire length of the film. The main character, a postman named Eric, holds imaginary conversations with Stretford End idol Eric Cantona. While this may atract some and put off others this is certainly not a a film about football. However, we are treated to footage of some pretty memorable goals by the Frecnhman, a debate between United supporters and those of FC United of Manchester and a highly amusing scene at the end of the film in which several coach loads of United supporters, all bedecked in Cantona masks, exact revenge on a local gangster who has been giving Eric (the postie) and his stepsons a bit of grief.

Cantona sends himself up very nicely through out with some amusing lines – although at times it’s difficult to know whether he’s speaking in English or French – including one scene where he puffs up his chest and announces “I am not a man, I am Cantona!” and then winks at the camera. All good stuff.

posted by chevblue at 4:31 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 06, 2009

Arundel FC

18-08-2004

Arundel Castle is clearly visible from the A27 as you approach the market town from the east. The town itself was built around the foot of the castle spreading west towards the River Arun from which it takes it’s name. Very close to the river, and with the castle looming large in background, is Mill Road home of Sussex County League Arundel FC.

Needless to say this is a very picturesque setting for a football ground and indeed that is exactly how it and the town are described in pretty much every write-up available on the net (Pyramid Passion for one).

Nicknamed the “Mullets” (after the fish of the same name for which the River Arun is famed and not a fascination with Teutonic hairstyles) the club, odd season apart, have spent most of last sixty years in Sussex County League’s top flight, taking the title in consecutive campaigns back in the late fifties, and once again in 1986-87 season.

Their most recent trophy, however, was the John O’Hara League in 2004, the year that I quite by chance discovered the ground and took the handful of pictures you see here. Perversely, an evening fixture was planned the day after my visit by which time I would be miles away.

posted by chevblue at 5:01 PM 0 comments

Friday, July 03, 2009

Odeum, Villa Park, Illinois, USA

11-11-1984 Chicago Vultures 7 Milwaukee Waves 4 (American Indoor Soccer Association)

Chicago Vultures

The Chicago Sting were the real deal in the windy city during the indoor games halcyon days in the early 1980’s drawing crowds of up to 18,000 to the old Chicago Stadium. But much much more on them in a later blog. The Sting folded in 1988, to be replaced by the Chicago Power (who ran from 1988 to 1996) while at the moment the Chicago Storm are city’s indoor side. In the mid 80’s there were also the Chicago Vultures, perhaps the most unremarkable of all the sides.

The Vultures existed for four seasons and played their American Indoor Soccer Association (AISL) home games at the Odeum in Villa Park, a suburb just a few miles to the west of Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. In their first season (84-85) they finished 5th in a 6 team league, and with the worst scoring and defensive record in the league, rather ironically started the following season as the Chicago Shoccers. A fifth place finish was a slight improvement, but they saved their best till last losing in the play-off semi-finals in two consecutive seasons (87-88 and 88-89) before going belly-up.

I witnessed their very first home game and for one reason or another never made it back to another game in the flesh, although I did watch at least one more of their games on one of the local Spanish Language TV stations. As that would perhaps suggest it was side aimed at appealing to Chicago’s large Hispanic community.

The league later became the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), adding the aforementioned Chicago Power to their number in 1988. The Power faired considerably better in the league than the Vultures/Shoccers winning the championship in 1990.

An excellent article on the indoor game in the US can be found here.

posted by chevblue at 8:25 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

26-04-09 Stadium Tour

It’s a shame in some ways that the FA Cup, League Cup and play-off finals have all returned to London as it’s unlikely now that I will get a chance to see a game of club football played at the Millennium Stadium. Ipswich having missed out on playing there on three occasions, defeated by Birmingham City in the semis of the Worthington Cup in 2001, and the Championship Play-Offs in 2004 and 2005 - losing twice to West Ham.

But the stadium offers regular tours on most days at £5/£6 admission which, while not being the next best thing, was certainly well worth the effort. Our very enthusiastic and highly informative guide was full of all sorts of interesting facts and anecdotes about games, concerts and other events that have been hosted since it was first opened in 1999 and of course the story of 74,500 capacity stadiums construction.

Arriving by train in the Welsh capital it’s impossible to miss the stadium, which sits slap bang in the city centre just a few minutes walk from Cardiff Central Station.

With the exception of the East Stand approach (this side of the stadium looks a bit tired in my opinion) all other views are quite something, particularly from the other side of the River Taff. From this viewpoint the stadium looks as though it is hanging out over the water, indeed entry into the west stand is from a pedestrian walkway that does just that.

Although the stadium is not quite on the scale of the new Wembley most of the seats on its three tiers are a lot closer to the action than it’s English counterpart. I can imagine that the atmosphere on match day is pretty special (especially with the roof closed).

The tour took us to all three levels and there seemed to be excellent views and plenty of legroom on each although, oddly, those in the royal box have slightly less than elsewhere due to the extra padding provided for the Queen et al.

Behind the goal at the north stand end there are just two tiers where it backs on to one of the stands of neighbouring Cardiff Rugby Club. Efforts to persuade the Club to move failed and the stadium had to be redesigned accordingly, indeed the steel work of the old ground can be seen poking through the wall of the stadium where the two meet.

Notable features of the place include: the aforementioned retractable roof (which can be closed in 20 minutes); two giant TV screens behind each goal; a modular turf system that means the entire pitch can be wheeled in and out by forklift; and the four distinctive 296 ft masts that provide support for the stadium roof.

Being right in the centre there is no shortage of bars and restaurants to keep everyone happy before a game. I read a stat somewhere that said there was sufficient capacity to feed and water over 60,000 fans before they headed into the stadium.

There is of course plenty of other good stuff to look at in Cardiff too. The National Museum is well worth a visit, as is Cardiff Castle and Bute Park all of which are just minutes away.

The pictures continue here.

posted by chevblue at 5:03 PM 0 comments

Friday, June 19, 2009

Panorama Mania 3!

Wembley Stadium

Ninian Park, Cardiff

Cardiff International Sports Stadium (Cardiff City's future home)

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Last ever game at Shea Stadium, New York

Zentralstadion, Leipzig

posted by chevblue at 8:34 PM 0 comments

Wembley Again!

28-03-2009 England 4 Slovakia 0 (Friendly)

Another trip to the New Wembley for me but a debut appearance for ExtremeGroundhopping Jnr at our remodelled national stadium.

Having been to the new Wembley four times now, and having sat in the upper tier on three of those occasions, it’s time for a bit of rethink on my take of the place...

Sitting behind the goal in the upper tier towards the back puts you a long long way from the action – particularly anything going on at the other end. What was also quite noticeable was that the terrific atmosphere created in the lower tier (In the highlights that I watched later ITV’s commentators remarked on how much racket there was) failed to carry into the upper tier were, certainly around our seats, all was pretty sedate for the 90 minutes.

Maybe having a central tier of VIP seats (aka Club Wembley) is at fault here on both counts. If the upper tier overlapped the central tier in its entirety then the upper tier seats would be closer to the action and would remove the dampening effect that the centre tier has on the sound moving up from the tier below it. Just a thought.

Details of previous visits here, here and here.

posted by chevblue at 7:23 PM 0 comments

Ninian Park’s Last Hoorah

25-04-2009 Cardiff City 0 Ipswich Town 3 (Championship)

New Town manager Roy Keane (who’d arrived amidst a maelstrom of media activity in Ipswich just a few days before this game) could not have asked for a more positive start to his reign from the Blue’s. The 3-0 win – which pretty much ended Cardiff’s hopes of play-off football – came courtesy of some unusually clinical finishing from the Ipswich frontline.

A penalty save by Richard Wright (after a quite daft foul by one-time Champions League winner Ivan Campo) ended a period of purposeful play by the home side but after that there was only ever going to be one winner. On the half-hour sub Jon Stead (who played under Keane at Sunderland) set up Pablo Counago, repeated the feat after the break for David Norris, before helping himself to the third.

As it transpired the Bluebirds play-off ambitions did end at Sheffield Wednesday a week later and so the game against Town had proved to be Ninian Park’s swansong. For Cardiff City fan’s this must have been a hugely disappointing way to celebrate the end of the line for their 99 year old home. Where was the side that had occupied a top six berth up until a few ago, or the side that had reached Wembley for last May’s FA Cup Final. They were woeful.

Most of the crowd (visiting fans excepted) stayed behind for a firework display and other festivities to mark the grounds passing which, after what had passed in the preceding 90 minutes must have had quite a surreal feel to it.

So goodbye to a ground (first visited by yours truly in 1978) that must hold some great memories for it’s regulars: Wins against Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon in European competition; promotions and relegations; and the Welsh national sides victory against Israel that clinched a place at the 1958 World Cup finals.

More recently the FA victory against then Premiership Leeds in 2002, and away from football, and assortment of boxing and rugby matches, the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1982 and by Bob Marley (and the Rastaman Vibration Tour) in 1976.

Next season Cardiff will play at the new Cardiff International Sports Stadium which is just a few hundred yards away from Ninian Park. The original site for the old stadium is actually where the new stadium has been built. So, a century on, its back to Plan A for the Bluebirds.

posted by chevblue at 6:43 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Colossuem, Rome

31-03-2008

The principal activities in Rome’s Colossuem - gladiatorial combat that pitched human against human, and human against animal - may not qualify as sports in the eyes of sum but the iconic landmark in the centre of the Italian capital more than qualifies, stadiumwise, for an appearance on the humble pages of Extreme Groundhopping.

Some estimates put the number of humans to have lost their lives within it’s confines at a staggering 500,000 while 1Million animals were also thought to have slaughtered in the name of entertainment. Barbarity aside the structure has many parallels with modern football stadia. Indeed present day stadia have basically the same form as this monument constructed by the Emperors Vespasian and Titus.

The amphitheatre was the largest ever built by the Roman Empire - it could seat 50,000 - and first opened for business in 80AD. The fact that the majority of the structure still stands today speaks volumes of the architects and engineers that were responsible for its construction.

Stands 165’ high it is elliptical in form measuring 600’ by 510’. The arena itself measured 260’ by 150’ with four levels or tiers towering above it. The best view was to be had from the lowest tier and this would have been occupied by members of the Imperial court and high officials. The second tier housed the aristocratic families of Rome, with the general populace – the plebeians - occupying the upper two levels. Special boxes were provided at the north end for the Emperor and at the south end for the Vestal Virgins.

In the upper levels specific areas would have been reserved for different social groups, for example: boys and their tutors, soldiers on furlough, visiting dignitaries, scribes, priests and so on and so forth. Gravediggers and, interestingly, actors were banned from the Colossuem altogether.

On the top storey there is thought to have been two hundred or more wooden masts that would have supported an awning that provided shade for the gathered throng.

Below the arena floor - which was constructed from wood and covered in sand - were changing rooms for the combatants, cages for the wild animals and storerooms, the walls of which are now clearly visible since the floors collapse. Hard to imagine what would have been going through the minds of those below ground with all that thumping and bumping going on above them.

Back on the terraces, and except for the front rows on the podium, spectators would have been packed in like sardines. Evidence from other Roman amphitheatres suggests an average of just 27” legroom, making the seating on a Ryan Air flight seem rather generous.

Aside from four large and arched entrances for the VIPS there were 76 entrances for the general public who would have had numbered tickets fashioned from pieces of pottery. Access to seats was via vomitorium or passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. This arrangement would have allowed spectators to quickly find there seat while also allowing for the speedy dispersal of the crowd at the end of the days entertainment, or in the event of an emergency.

There is some doubt that the wholesale martyring of Christians ever took place and the image of Christians being eaten by Lions is in all likelihood a myth. Another is that the “thumbs down” was the signal for a Gladiator to kill their foe whereas in fact it meant exactly the opposite. Thumbs up was used to signal "kill him" while thumbs down meant "spare him." What is not in doubt is the level of carnage that took place here.

But the Colosseum wasn't just used for executions and gladiator fights. Mock sea battles were held on it’s flooded arena floor, live sex shows were staged as were recreations of natural scenes. For the latter architects and craftsmen would construct a simulated forest with real trees and bushes, and animals would be introduced to populate the scene for the delight of the crowd.

The interior would have been lavishly decorated, particularly on the lower tiers, but there is little or no evidence of this today. The CGI in Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator is considered, for the most part, to be an historically accurate reconstruction of the Colosseum as it would have looked almost 2,000 years ago.

Pictures: Ms ExtremeGroundhopping

posted by chevblue at 5:18 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Playing Catch Up

Sorry for being such a slackard blogwise over the past few months. My time – when not attending footie games – has been diverted to some fairly major DIY projects so internet time has been kept at a minimum. I will however be catching up over the new week or so with details of my recent travels – and older travels too – so watch this space.

In the meantime here is a picture of the new Sir Bobby Robson Bridge in Ipswich, which straddles the River Gipping just a few hundred yards to the south of Portman Road. Not as majestic as the bridges that cross the Tyne in Sir Bobby’s home city of Newcastle admittedly.

posted by chevblue at 9:13 PM 0 comments