Brotherly Groundhop May 2008

Barely four days after returning from my 300th hop/club, it was time for the next trip. This time my brother T.M., the original hopper who gave me the taste for groundhopping, was my companion. We met around 11 at Schiphol airport, from where we set off for a two-day trip of roughly 1850 km!

Esbjerg fB – AGF (15-05-2008)

Protected by the traffic gods we drove the 775 km from Schiphol to Esbjerg roughly within 8 hours, including short stops, with no traffic jams and little problems around roadworks. Although Esbjer is a small town of ca. 70.000 people, in the Southwest of Denmark, it is the country’s fifth biggest city. Hence, it is not that surprising that it would house a serious football team, Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber, which has been Danish champions five times (mostly in the 1960s). After a short search in the outskirts of the town, we found our way to the stadium. However, before parking our car opposite to the ground, we made a short stop at the EfB Shop, which is a couple of minutes by foot from the stadium, to buy a pin (for T.M.) and a pennant (for Grondhopper).

Esbjerg fB plays at the Blue Water Arena, named after a main sponsor. Traditionally named simply Esbjerg Fodboldstadion, it was built in 1955 and expended in 1999 and 2004 (don’t you just love wikipedia). With a capacity of 13,282, it is the biggest Danish football stadium outside of Copenhagen. And it is currently being rebuilt yet again, making it both more modern and bigger (up to 18.000).

As a consequence of the rebuilding, the ticket offices are externalized, i.e. in small huts next to the stadium, together with food stands and another fan shop. We bought covered seating tickets at the Vestfrost stand at 130 DKK (ca. 17.50 euro).

We entered the stadium, where I sampled a local sausage (which, compared to German sausages, was mediocre). The stadium was quite full (at least where there was stand ;-). The game this evening was between the numbers 6 and 10 (out of 12) of the SAS Ligaen (First Division) and was attended by 6.112 people (according to the club), many of which with fan gear on. Some 150 away fans had driven the 168 km from Aarhus. They must have gotten overexcited from this trip, as before the game they started to burn various items in their corner, which created a huge black smoke screen.

As AGF were still playing to stay up, and Esbjerg were without any specific goal, it wasn’t surprising that the first part of the game was dominated by the visitors. That said, while AGF had the better of the play, Esbjerg did created the few half-chances that the poor game counted. However, in the 25th minute AGF had a good chance, which was initially stopped by the Esbjerg goalie, and then finished with a hard shot in the top of the goal: 0-1. This was well deserved, as the visitors had worked the hardest (both the players and the fans).

After the shock of the 0-1, the crowd turned even more silent, while the visitors had little problem controlling the game. It seemed that Esbjerg could not be bothered to put in an extra effort this evening. Half-time: 0-1.

The second half remains poor, if only because AGF takes less chances, but at least the hosts start to pressure somewhat. In the 60th minute they miss the goal from a mere 3 meters, a couple of minutes later they head the ball at the goalie, and in the 70th minute a long attack is pushed corner by the AGF goalie.

Still, because of consistent forechecking by the visitors, and a lame performance by the hosts, the game remains poor and the two AGF fans next to us don’t really have to worry too much about staying in the SAS Ligaen. The 90th minutes sees an almost-chance for Esbjerg fB, but that is it. AGF wins 0-1 and keeps its spot in the top flight of Danish football.

Football in Denmark is alive but not kicking that much. To be honest, we were a bit disappointed by the lack of atmosphere in the decently filled stadium. Still, the team seems well supported in town and the renovated stadium might not be sold-out often, I guess it will also not be very empty in the future.

Sportfreunde Siegen – SV Wacker Burghausen (16-05-2008)

Having spent the night just across the border in Germany, we had ‘only’ some 600 km to drive on Friday. Given that the game started at 19.30, and we left at 11, we had little to worry about. Again protected by the traffic gods, we arrived in Siegen over an hour before the game. The Leimbachstadion is just off the main street from the motorway to the town, somewhat similar to the Erzgebirgsstadion in Aue. We bought tickets for the uncovered standing section at 8 euro, set off for a quick snack at the Imbiss-am-Stadion (hmmmm, Currywurst), and took our place among the fans.

The game in the Regionalliga Süd (Third Division South) was about a ticket in the 3. Liga (Third Division); next season the top teams of the Regionalliga’s North and South are brought together in a new Third Bundesliga. SV Wacker Burghausen seems safe, but Sportfreunde Siegen (Sports Friends Siegen) had to win this game to stay in the race. Consequently, 5.767 had come out to support their team; even though the stadium holds 18.500, this still made for a decent crowd. A brave 100 had traveled the almost 600 km from Burghausen!

From the beginning it was clear that, at least for the home fans, there was much at stake. People around us got very worked up over even the clearest of off-sides. At the same time, they seemed very forgiving of the poor quality of play of most of the players; except the black striker Okpala, who seemed to have slipped even under the “SFS” fans’ expectations.

After some uneventful play on both sides, in which Burghausen had most of the play, the Sporfreunde Siegen scored practically out of nowhere. It seemed a lucky goal too, but this didn’t upset any of the fans. 1-0 meant that the dreams for a spot in the new Third League were still alive, and that was all that counted tonight. In fact, that was also all they got, at least in the first half, as the only other chances were for the visitors. That it was still 1-0 at half-time was mainly because of the Siegen goalie, who once stopped two close-by shots within 10 seconds.

The second half was particularly poor. Neither team created any good attacks, let alone clear-cut chances. The home team seemed destined at bringing the lucky 1-0 to the end of the game, while Burghausen seemed no longer willing to put in a serious effort. In fact, if both teams would have played on for another two hours they wouldn’t have scored.

That said, the home fans at various times seemed to have a heart attack; strange, given the lack of real chances and the fact that their goalie seemed their best player. In the end, the relief was electric when the referee finally blew the final whistle and the 1-0 was still on the scoreboard.

The Sportfreunde Siegen are a great destination for a groundhop. Not only do they have a funny name, their stadium has a remarkable location and the club seems deeply supported in the town. If they would pick up their game a bit, you will have a great time in the Leimbachstadion!

HIK-Kolding FC (19-05-2007)

What better way to spend my last weekend in Malmö than to groundhop with my buddy J.B., who is visiting me from Flanders. On Saturday we left our apartment at noon, arriving in Copenhagen an hour later. After a quick ‘lunch’, we continued our way by S-line B(+), direction Holte, getting off at station Jægersborg. From there, you could conveniently follow the signs saying “Stadion”.

Although the day had started grey and rainy, we enjoyed a sunny 10 minute walk to our final destination: Gentofte Stadion. This really old and miserable ground is home to several teams, but we were here to visit HIK or in full: Hellerup Idræts Klub. Even though the game was to start in just over 30 minutes, there was little going on in the stadium.

After touring the facilities, including the cantina (with a very tasty workforce), we returned to the professional entrance of the stadium, where we paid 60 DKK (ca. 8 euro) each to get access to the whole ground. Again, there were not tickets, but this time I was able to nag myself into the possession of a complimentary ticket for a “M. Loudrup” (as I realized after some initial excitement, this was not Michael Laudrup).

Roughly 30 minutes before the game there were some 25 people spread around the stadium, which officially holds 15,000, including 2,100 seats. We saw some people taking pictures everywhere, but rather than fellow-groundhoppers they turned out to be German tourists. The atmosphere in the stadium was so laid back that I could also have a stroll on the pitch.

After so much excitement it was time to sample the goods. No fan merchandise was anywhere in sight, even though some people wore shawls and caps, and food-wise there were only (heavy) sausages with the typical grilled Danish bread on sale. By now the “ultras” of the visitors had arrived, the KFC Fanatics, so I walked over to them for a quick picture.

At 15.00 the game started and the stadium had filled up… uhm, well, the audience had increased more than fivefold at least. When I counted all people individually around 15.15, there were 118 spectators, excluding the personnel. By half time I estimate that the numbers had swollen to 150, of whom some 15 away fans (a Danish newspaper would report a flattering 318 spectators).

HIK-Kolding FC was a game in the Viasat Sport Divisionion, or Denmark’s second highest division (also called 1. Division), just like Frem-HIK I saw two weeks earlier. HIK is at the bottom of the table, while Kolding is having a good season hovering around in the sub-top. Despite the fact that it had rained earlier that day, the pitch seemed slow (possibly the result of too high grass) and the pace of the game was even slower. Though both teams did play to win, their passing was accurate but slow, which often meant that defenders had enough time to cover their opponent. And when there were chances, either the number 11 of HIK or the number 30 of Kolding found a way to screw them up; incidentally, the number 30 was the only dark-skinned player on the pitch and seemed to play with a slightly different shirt than the rest of his team (an indication of Denmark’s increasing xenophobia? ;-). This all not withstanding, in the 28^th minute it was the home team that managed to score. 1-0 was also the half time score.

The second half continued in a similar fashion: slow pace, precise but slow passing, numbers 11 and 30 missing one-on-one chances. But in the 60^th minute HIF scored again and it seemed curtains for Kolding. Still, this seemed to have been the moment the visitors had waited for, as from than on they dominated the game and started to create some serious chances. In the 66^th minute the number 30 finally was able to shoot at goal, rather than dribble into a wall of defenders, and claimed that he had scored, but the referee judged the ball not to have crossed the line. Two minutes later the visitors did score, also according to the ref: 2-1. And in the 74^th minute they scored again, 2-2, to the dismay of the (few) people around us.

With chances on both sides, the game became increasingly exciting in the last 15 minutes. And, while many HIK ‘fans’ were already leaving the stadium, Kolding had two more huge chances to score the winner. In the 89^th minute a striker tried to play the ball with his back heel, but missed from 1 meter. And in the 91^st minute Kolding shot the ball on the cross bar. So, in the end, 2-2 was a lucky point for HIK, which remains a prime candidate for relegation.

J.B. and I agreed that HIK (incidentally, “hik” is the Dutch word for hiccup) was a true groundhop experience. Happily we walked back to the S-line station, where two HIK-fans approached us. These young boys boasted about their hooligan connections and one showed us a short video (on his cell phone) of the ‘fight’ between HIK-‘hooligans’ and the (infamous?) “Næstved Boys”, an eleven against eleven fight (HIK had brought more ‘hools’, but in German fashion they had selected only eleven to be fair to the eleven Næstved Boys that had turned up), which had taken place the week before. I was so happy I had decided not to go to that match instead, otherwise that might have been the last match De Grondhopper would ever have visited. (lol)

Frem-HIK (06-05-2007)

Copenhagen is not only home to a legion of Danish designers, it also houses a significant number of Denmark’s professional and semi-professional football clubs. Obviously, the most famous are FC Kopenhagen and Brondby IF (see 08-04-2007), but there are many more. It seems that every area of the city has its own team. Instead of visiting the big game of the SAS Superligaen (Premier League) between FC Kopenhagen and AaB on Saturday evening, which the latter won 1-2 incidentally, M.G. and I decided to visit a game in the 1. Division instead.

So, Sunday at noon we checked out at our design hotel, stored the luggage, and took the A+ metro line to the station Ny Ellebjerg to visit one of the oldest clubs of Denmark, Boldklubben Frem af 1886. The BK Frem has been a mainstay of Danish football until its bankruptcy in 1993, even winning the title six times and the cup twice. Since demotion they have been a solid 1.Division team, getting back into the SAS Superligaen only once (in 2004). They are based in the Valby district of Copenhagen, where they play in the cozy but basic Valby Idrætspark stadium, which holds 12.000 (including 4.400 seats). For some reason, there was an inflatable elephant on the top of the entrance.

We paid 80 DKK (ca. 11 euro) each to get in. As was the case at Brøndby, we didn’t get a ticket (again I had to roam the ground for a thrown away ticket). We had access to the whole stadium, including the one covered stand with seats, but decided to stand on the opposite side, as it was absolutely gorgeous weather (in fact, I got seriously sun burnt during the game). To my great delight, the fan shop was open and I was compelled to buy a shirt. I must admit that I am often (easily) seduced into buying football paraphernalia, but the Frem merchandise was really getting me hooked. Maybe it was the red-blue colors, maybe the fantastic logo, but M. had to hold me back otherwise I would have bought the whole store.

At 13.00 the two teams started their game in the most pleasant conditions: strong sun, a light breeze, leading to some 25 degrees Celsius in the sun. According to the official BK Frem website 1,525 people had found their way to the Valby Idrætspark, as far as I could see none from the opposing team (even though HIK is also from a suburb of Copenhagen). Most people around us were sporting Frem colors and enjoyed the beer and sun at least as much as the game. It was an odd mix of typical football fans and alternative types, with the odd young family with their stroller (mainly to smuggle in beer, it seemed) in between them.

The game was quite entertaining, although I must admit that I was mainly enjoying the sun and fantastically relaxed atmosphere. Around us were groups of people who all seemed to know each other and came to spend a nice sunny Sunday together at their team’s ground. Beer was flowing but people remained pleasant and well-behaved. While the game seemed secondary to most, ooohs and aaahs were expressed whenever a chance for Frem seemed to appear.

The level of the game wasn’t high, but the two teams were relatively equal in quality, which led to a nice game. Both teams had a lot of very young players, particularly the HIK attack, who were fit enough to keep running, despite the un-Danish temperatures. Despite the enthusiasm on the pitch, the half time score was 0-0, but none seemed to really mind.

The second half started much the same, with one difference: Frem scored 1-0 in the 47^th minute! This not only led to much happiness around the pitch, as did the still flowing beer, but also to an even more equal game, as Frem fell back a bit and HIK pushed for the equalizer. Not surprisingly, given the relative heat, the level of the game started to deteriorate during the 90 minutes, but it remained entertaining and pleasant to watch. Both goalies made two fantastic saves to keep their team in the lead/game, but in the end it remained 1-0.

All in all, this was a fantastic groundhop experience, which can be best summarized in the words of one of the slogans on a BK Frem t-shirt: Frem er kult (Frem is cult). Groundhoppers, you know where to go next time you are in Copenhagen!

Brøndby IF – Randers FC (08-04-2007)

When you are alone in a new foreign city, and you have a four day holiday, there is little else that you can do than make the best of it. Inspired by my successful groundhop to Trelleborg two days earlier, I decided to go to the other side of the water for the only Easter Sunday game to be played in either Denmark or Sweden: Brøndby IF-Randers FC. Now, traveling on a holiday is always tricky, but this day proved particularly trying. Arriving at Malmö Central Station around 14.45, well in time to take my 15.02 train to Copenhagen, which would bring me to Brøndby Stadium around 16.00, an hour before kick-off, all seemed well. However, my naivety was soon crushed by the announcement that there were works on the railway tracks and a bus would connect Malmö South Station to Copenhagen Airport, leading to significant delays. But as my heart was set on this trip, I decided to press ahead anyway. After train, bus and train again, I arrived half an hour late at Örestad St Station to find out that my connecting bus only goes once an hour on Sundays. The only way to get to the game in time was an expensive taxi ride. I got out off the taxi at approximately 1 km from the stadium, as we were no longer really moving because of the traffic to the game, and I walked the last part in the rain, joined by a growing group of yellow-blue fans.

Brøndby Stadium is a highly modern stadium in the town of Brøndby, a suburb to the west of Copenhagen; hence the nickname of the team, Drengene fra Vestegnen (The boys from the western outskirts). Acquired in 1998 and finished in 2000, it can hold a maximum of 29.000 people for domestic games and 26.000 for European games. It is a perfect stadium for a big team in a small league, reminding me of the Sparta Praha stadium. After checking out the professional fan shop, which unfortunately didn’t sell pennants, I went to the Nordea Tribunen (North Stand) entrance to pay and get in. I paid 110 DKK (ca. 15 euro) to the guy at the turnstile, who let me in but didn’t give out tickets. This was the second disappointment in a row, ticket-wise, but fortunately I found a ticket in the stadium later. I decided to sit at the second tier, Nordea Øvre, just above the hardcore fans of Brøndby Idrætsforening, as the club is fully known.

To be honest, I hadn’t been too keen to go to see Brøndby, as they are one of the few big teams in Denmark, and have a professional stadium, while like all true groundhoppers I prefer the more exotic. However, the atmosphere at the Nordea Tribunen compensated for the professional surroundings. In fact, the constant singing and clapping of the fans gave the feeling of a game in a big league, despite the fact that ‘only’ 10.516 people had shown up for this SAS Ligaen (Danish Premier League) game. Moreover, the opponent was a small team, Randers FC, who had brought at best 100 fans (Randers is some 325 km away from Brøndby). Still, the away team did sport the most famous player on the pitch: the number 99, Stig Tøfting, the former Danish international, who had spells at Hamburger SV, MSV Duisburg, and Bolton Wanderers abroad.

Despite the difference in standing between the two teams, Randers were definitely equal to the ‘big’ Brøndby for most of the first half. Tøfting played the role of experienced (former) star, playing in a free role and distributing smart short passes. However, the main reason for the equality was the rather lackluster performance of the home team, which seemed to have wanted to take Easter Sunday off and look for Easter eggs with their families. They kept the pace low and excelled in poor passing. In the end, the 1-0 in the 42^nd minute, courtesy of a smart soft but aimed shot in the far corner by striker Katongo, came as a surprise and wasn’t even completely deserved. This notwithstanding, the fans went crazy and even ignited some fireworks.

At half time I wondered around the North Stand in search for a ticket, deciding against a second sausage (even though I had enjoyed the first one, and particularly the grilled bread on the side), and settling for a Pepsi Max instead. I was surprised to see quite a high number of (young) women at the stands, mostly accompanying their boyfriends, but sometimes also in separate small groups. Also, the part of the North Stand that houses the hardcore fans had a quite mixed band of fans, including older people and some families.

In the second half the home team managed to score early, after having been awarded a (seemingly soft) penalty. Their main midfielder Martin Ericsson did his job and by and large finished the game: 2-0.

Indeed, after the 2-0 the game became less exciting, as the lack of high-class play was no longer compensated by the excitement of the tight score. I was surprised by the bad positioning of the players of both sides as well as the defensive nature of both teams. Even at 2-0 behind Randers FC held most of its players back, while Brøndby did little to push for the 3-0. The fact that it was scored, in the 93^rd minute, was more luck than determination: a pass was diverted, went up so high that the Randers goalie misread it and it fell behind him in the goal: 3-0.

I experienced the 3-0 among the hardcore fans at the lower tier of the Nordea Tribunen, impressed by their continuing enthusiasm for both the game and the team. Even the highly loyal and uncritical fans of PSV would have been somewhat disgruntled by such a performance of their team. Not so the yellow-blue army of the North Stand, which continued to sing and chant.

Almost frozen, as it had turned cold and miserable, I left Brøndby Stadium to find a bus to bring me to Copenhagen Central Station. Again naivety struck, when I entered a bus to a metro station thinking I would be back ‘home’ within two hours. It turned out that not only had they chosen Easter Sunday to work on the railway tracks between Copenhagen and Malmö, they were also working on the metro tracks between two of the stations I needed to take. So, my trip back involved a short metro trip, a bus ride, another short metro trip, a short train ride, a longer bus ride, and a short train ride again. This all notwithstanding, Brøndby IF was a pleasant surprise!