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Voll Blau

Groundhopping

By Voll Blau, in General Football and Sport

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Stuntman_Mike

Stuntman_Mike

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12 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

@Soup I'm not sure if you're still around, but I'm guessing you would be able to help me with this? @Stuntman_Mike I've seen on another thread you're off here soon too, have you booked tickets?

Yeah we booked ours for €30 each and we're in block 752 for the Villarreal game 3rd May. I have no idea where's best to sit, but thought stands on the sides are usually better for neutrals or tourists. Plus I don't mind being high up either, think it's a better view!

 

 

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Górnik Leicester

Górnik Leicester

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On 03/04/2023 at 23:25, Górnik Leicester said:

Hoping to fit five Polish games in three days, in a few weeks.

 

Friday: ŁKS Łódź - Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała

Saturday: LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój - Rekord Bielsko-Biała

Saturday: Ruch Chorzów - Wisła Kraków

Sunday: GKS Tychy - GKS Katowice

Sunday: Górnik Zabrze - Śląsk Wrocław

 

A couple of train journeys, and perhaps an Uber or two to get around.

First of the five games down last night, but already knackered from 2 nights of low sleep and hay-fever synptoms. Hoping to get a bit on the three-hour train ride this morning. 

 

ŁKS Łódź 2-1 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała

 

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Edited by Górnik Leicester
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Górnik Leicester

Górnik Leicester

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Made it to the second game after four hours on trains. LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój currently leading Rekord Bielsko-Biała 1-0 after 8 minutes. 

 

Now, LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój is the team of Łukasz Piszczek,who was born nearby. The village club is home to a Borussia Dortmund-sponsored academy, and the facilities are phenomenal for a fourth-tier club.

 

Piszczek himself is in the starting XI today.

 

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Górnik Leicester

Górnik Leicester

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Piszczek's LKS Goczałkowice-Zdrój ended up conceding in the 88th minute to lose 3-2.

 

Anyway, no idea how I managed to make it to the second game in time for kick off. Train from Goczałkowice-Zdrój to Katowice was delayed by 8 minutes - exactly the layover I had before my onward train to Gliwice. Missed it by ten seconds. Had to get a later, slower train, and then an electric scooter to the stadium, and then evade the hundreds of police to collect my media accreditation.

 

The stadium belongs to Piast Gliwice - the small Silesian side who were branded the "Polish Leicester" when they shocked everyone to win their first league title a few years ago (although Raków Częstochowa will likely take that mantle once they lift their title this year). Today - and for all of this season - it's being rented out to relatively-local rivals Ruch Chorzów, for their second-tier promotion-chasing battle against Wisła Kraków.

 

Now, interestingly, both sets of fans have a friendship, along with Widzew Łódź. So we get to see the interesting spectacle of both sets of fans chanting each others' names, and even a tifo highlighting the friendship.

 

The second half is just kicking off, but Ruch certainly are testing that friendship with their 1-0 lead which will put them up to second at Wisła's expense. 

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Górnik Leicester

Górnik Leicester

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Decided not to do the game at Naprzód Lipiny this morning. Banging headache and a bit of heatstroke. Plus was happy to get 8 hours sleep. I had been planning to go to sleep earlier last night but got talking to a guy from Hampshire, who was en-route from Kyiv to Georgia, in the centre of Katowice, and opted to have a beer in the Rynek (main square) with him instead. 

 

Rather than Lipiny, i chose to head to the Park Śląski - a massive inner city park (think Central Park doped up on communist steroids) - to take a look around the renovated Stadion Śląski. This was Poland's national stadium for decades, but fell into disrepair saw its renovation take much longer than expected, and was usurped by the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw.

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Whilst there, on the pitch of the nearby team (also called "Stadion Śląski"), there were a couple of kids' games going on. That'll count as my fourth game, right? 

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Don't know which teams were playing, but the number 13 in goal for the team in white made a handful of phenomenal saves. 

 

Now in Katowice, waiting to catch a train to the big game in Zabrze. 

Edited by Górnik Leicester
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Tuna

Tuna

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1 hour ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

Wrexham coming up means I'm back down to 91 of 92. 

 

Hopefully Notts County join them, but if not Boreham Wood or Woking would be fun! (said no one ever lol)

Impressive!

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Górnik Leicester

Górnik Leicester

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Final game is, as you might be able to tell by my username, at the home of my club, Górnik Zabrze (pronounced "Goor-nik Zab-shuh").

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Górnik are Poland's mining club (Górnik translates simply as "miner") - attached to the mining industry throughout the communist period, where each club was given a "sponsor" by the state. Sounds dull? Well, with coal the black blood of Poland's economy, it was a key industry, meaning that army club Legia Warsaw couldn't pinch their players by calling them into military service. This helped them win 14 league titles between 1957 and 1988. They were also the only team to beat Manchester United in their 1968 European Cup-winning campaign, and remain the only Polish club to ever reach the final of a European competition, losing the 1970 Cup Winner's Cup to Manchester City (Man City qualified by beating Leicester in the 1969 FA Cup final). 

 

After that? Well, to cut a long story short, the fall of communism coincided with the fall of Górnik (my book goes into much more detail). Since then they've yo-yoed and struggled financially.

 

Their stadium is still work in progress. Three stands have been built for a few years now, but the fourth has taken a while. They literally only started to demolish the old Nazi-German built main stand this week.

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They also have a World Cup winner. The one, the only, Lukas Podolski. Górnik is Poldi's club: the one he has supported all his life, having been born a couple of miles away. He joined the club in 2021,having promised to end his career in Zabrze.

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The game itself was an important relegation battle, which Górnik won 2-0 to distance themselves from trouble and leave Śląsk Wrocław ("Shlonsk Vrots-waff") deeply in the "gówno". The referee for the match was Szymon Marciniak - the man from Płock who refereed Messi and Mbappe in the World Cup final 4 months ago. Oh, and there was plenty of pyro. 

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Now it's back to Leicester. Flight leaves Katowice for Luton in 7 hours. Time for 2 hours kip before a bus ride to the airport!

Edited by Górnik Leicester
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Voll Blau

Voll Blau

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Found out last night I'm sorted for Preußen Münster's away end against Wuppertal next Friday. Game's being played in Oberhausen due to redevelopment of Wuppertal's ground.

 

Excited by the prospect of an open, curved terrace and an away end that should be bouncing due to Münster's promotion last week.

 

Also in an away end the following day, with Bochum at Gladbach. Not a new ground - or even a new away end - for me. Saw Mainz play there when Shinji played for them. Still, so much on the line for Bochum and a dozen Leicester are due to be in there with them. Can't wait.

 

Didn't manage to get Leverkusen v Köln derby tickets so may just plump for some non-league, beers and bratwurst with mates on the Sunday at TuS Hordel in Bochum. They're relegation-bound and playing Holzwickede, a name people may recognise if they've ever faced the pain of trying to get to Dortmund Airport by rail.

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Stuntman_Mike

Stuntman_Mike

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On 16/04/2023 at 14:00, FoxesDeb said:

Can anyone give me any advice on where we should sit in the Mestalla? We'll be in Valencia when they play later this month and there are plenty of tickets available, I'm just not sure where is best. Does it really matter where we choose?

Was it last nights game you went to? :)

 

Huge win for them.

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FoxesDeb

FoxesDeb

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1 hour ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

Was it last nights game you went to? :)

 

Huge win for them.

It was, and yes it was :) Really enjoyed it, and you can't beat a stoppage time winner for a bit of excitement!

 

We're back in Valencia for 3 weeks next month so we're hoping to get to both their Real Madrid and Espanyol games, I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy decent live games.

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Stuntman_Mike

Stuntman_Mike

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4 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

It was, and yes it was :) Really enjoyed it, and you can't beat a stoppage time winner for a bit of excitement!

 

We're back in Valencia for 3 weeks next month so we're hoping to get to both their Real Madrid and Espanyol games, I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy decent live games.

Glad you had a great time and got your live football fix! 

Hopefully our game is as exciting Wednesday :cool:

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Tuna

Tuna

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Not much of a groundhopper really but have been to a few new grounds this season

 

Dickens Road - Harrowby United

Sandy Lane - Worksop Town

Ashby Avenue - Lincoln United

Ingfield - Ossett United

Jakemans Stadium - Boston United

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CosbehFox

CosbehFox

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On 04/05/2023 at 10:21, Stuntman_Mike said:

Valencia 1-1 Villarreal

 

The game was a poor standard but it was a fantastic experience! 

 

Will definitely come back to the Nou Mestalla. Valencia is incredible.

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In a weird six degrees of separation, I think your missus must follow my missus on some social media. In random conversation, my fiancée mentioned the Mestalla looked steep 🤣 - I asked her how she knew that and she mentioned someone on her Facebook or insta went there 

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Voll Blau

Voll Blau

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On 28/04/2023 at 07:59, Voll Blau said:

Found out last night I'm sorted for Preußen Münster's away end against Wuppertal next Friday. Game's being played in Oberhausen due to redevelopment of Wuppertal's ground.

 

Excited by the prospect of an open, curved terrace and an away end that should be bouncing due to Münster's promotion last week.

 

Also in an away end the following day, with Bochum at Gladbach. Not a new ground - or even a new away end - for me. Saw Mainz play there when Shinji played for them. Still, so much on the line for Bochum and a dozen Leicester are due to be in there with them. Can't wait.

 

Didn't manage to get Leverkusen v Köln derby tickets so may just plump for some non-league, beers and bratwurst with mates on the Sunday at TuS Hordel in Bochum. They're relegation-bound and playing Holzwickede, a name people may recognise if they've ever faced the pain of trying to get to Dortmund Airport by rail.

Oberhausen was a real treat in the end. Münster fans I spoke to were very friendly, nice pyro show from Wuppertal and a 4-3 thriller to boot.

 

Ended up at Schwarz-Weiss Essen, rather than Hordel, on the Sunday. Former German Cup winners but now in the fifth-tier Oberliga. Beautiful ground approached through a forest from the S-Bahn station and a huge curved terrace. A very authentic lower league German football experience.

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SemperEadem

SemperEadem

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5 hours ago, LCFCJoe96 said:

Looking to do a few in Europe next season, appreciate any recommendations re: Germany & Netherlands in particular 

Biased but go to Bochum. Even better going there being a Leicester fan, will be treated so well. Tickets no danger if they drop but if they do stay up drop us a line. UFS have a few season tickets there.

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LCFCJoe96

LCFCJoe96

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2 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Biased but go to Bochum. Even better going there being a Leicester fan, will be treated so well. Tickets no danger if they drop but if they do stay up drop us a line. UFS have a few season tickets there.

Nice one thanks for that, will keep it in mind 👍

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grobyfox1990

grobyfox1990

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On 07/04/2023 at 11:35, grobyfox1990 said:

Anyone been to football in Greece? I am in Athens 10-12 May. Originally booked to come back to Leicester for Liverpool home, now that’s been moved to Monday night so I won’t go. Thinking of changing my flight and staying in Athens that weekend, Pana and AEK are at home. Is it too mental a scene for me to go alone? It’ll be last day of their season

Didn’t manage to get to a game but looked around the olympiakos stadium. It’s still pretty new but looks worn out and tired. Following the pattern of Athens which is a total dump. Unfortunately I got there a day late and missed their match v Pana

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Stuntman_Mike

Stuntman_Mike

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On 13/05/2023 at 08:52, CosbehFox said:

In a weird six degrees of separation, I think your missus must follow my missus on some social media. In random conversation, my fiancée mentioned the Mestalla looked steep 🤣 - I asked her how she knew that and she mentioned someone on her Facebook or insta went there 

I checked with her and it seems it's a complete coincidence! 

 

 

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