Shouting at Scholes - Midweek matchgoing

[Gangster Octopus]

Fucking super YES!

[Gangster Octopus]

Yowzsh!

[Third rate Leszno]

Bayern Munich 1-3 Liverpool

I love watching football in Germany. Good beers, friendly people, transport that works and proper atmosphere in the stadium.

Really surprised by how positive Liverpool were, after being scarred by the shitness of the away performances in the group stage. After half time Bayern began to get on top though, and if Lewandowski had connected with the cross that skidded across the six yard box then it might've been a different outcome. As it was Van Dijk soon headed us back in front and it never felt in doubt after that. In the euphoria I forgot to take my plastic beakers back to the food window and lost €4,00 deposit. Didn't take the shine off the evening though.

[Sash]

FCB 1 LFC 3

Also very much enjoyed this one. Love Munich to bits. That little bit more now. And if you look at fan experience, what a contrast to, say, Roma away.

Surprisingly, it turned out that putting 11 past Gladbach and Wolfsburg wasn't particularly good preparation for facing Liverpool, especially when Bayern also had to play Rafinha instead of Kimmich. Regardless of the current state of this Bayern side, turning up in Munich and turning them over in this manner just felt really significant. Don't want to be mean about Henderson but that midfield had a better feel about it after Fabinho replaced him early doors.

PS The only slight inconvenience was the ticket collection outside the ground (250 picked out of 3,800) from a portacabin in the middle of an abandoned building site about a 10-min walk from the away end. And my mate's ticket being picked up and signed for by a complete random.

[ursus arctos]

Roma away is likely one of the worst away fan experiences in Western Europe, particularly for supporters of an English club traveling as in a group.

Which does not in any way detract from the fact that Munich is a cracking place to visit.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Roma away is likely one of the worst away fan experiences in Western Europe, particularly for supporters of an English club traveling as in a group.

Roma rather than Lazio? I went to Lazio V Chelsea in 1999 and didn't have any problem at all. Walked all the way from my hotel to the SO with a mate without any aggro.

[ursus arctos]

1999 was a while ago, but yes, Roma is worse than Lazio, and pairs are much less likely to encounter issues than larger groups.

[Capybara]

Yes, those from Boro who wet to Roma in 2006 had a particularly bad time, including being attacked by Roma supporters the night before the game where the police mysteriously disappeared for the duration of the attack, then being held in the ground for hours after the game. I think Tottenham supporters had a similar experience a couple of years later.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Went to Carlisle v Notts County the other night, played on atrocious conditions and almost worth it for this:

https://twitter.com/NicoHillkenberg/status/1105579752189054976?s=09

[Third rate Leszno]

PS The only slight inconvenience was the ticket collection outside the ground (250 picked out of 3,800) from a portacabin in the middle of an abandoned building site about a 10-min walk from the away end. And my mate's ticket being picked up and signed for by a complete random.

They were doing some ticket collections at our hotel by the Hbf too - or did you not get that option? Hope your mate got in ok, the club ought to have spares in reserve for administrative fuck ups like that.

[Sash]

They were doing some ticket collections at our hotel by the Hbf too - or did you not get that option? Hope your mate got in ok, the club ought to have spares in reserve for administrative fuck ups like that.

Yes, that collection point was actually very convenient as we were just the other side of Hbf; however, it closed (and moved to the portacabin outside the Aliianz Arena) before we arrived. Yes, they had a wad of back-up tickets. As they were in a different block, they actually gave us a pair (taking mine), so that my mate didn't have to stand on her own.

[Sash]

Roma away is likely one of the worst away fan experiences in Western Europe, particularly for supporters of an English club traveling as in a group.

You can add Napoli to that too. Bleurgh.

It's not just the fact that it's a bit dodgy in Rome. It also totally ruins the build-up to the match and the aftermath. In Rome we had to wander over to Villa Borghese for the buses at around 5pm (amid an alcohol ban) for an 8:45 pm k/o. After the match we only sat down for a beer off Piazza del Popolo at 1:30 am. (rolls eyes)

There was a moment's hesitation after the final whistle at the Allianz Arena as everyone kinda stood around after the celebrations, thinking that we were being held back, before realising that the exits were open and we were free to go.

The local police were pretty chill. They had no issues, apart from grabbing those who were bunking in. But even then their reaction was probably best described as mild bemusement along the lines of "Why are they being so silly? We'll just catch them and fine them".

[Third rate Leszno]

Another thing about the relaxed atmosphere in Munich - having been to the Allianz before, we knew that once past the turnstiles you could go in any door and walk round the inside concourse til you reach your stairway/block. It was pretty windy outside so that's what we did, and despite both of us having LFC branded stuff on, no one gave us more than a curious glance as we wandered through the home fans sections, used their bogs, looked out over the pitch etc. Not sure that would be the case at a lot of other venues.

[Southport Zeb]

I went to Liverpool Feds v Chorley in Womens National League One North (fourth tier). Feds have recently moved to the newly opened football hub at Jericho Lane in the south of the city; its basically the same set up as the hub I visited at Jeffrey's Humble in January - 3 artificial pitches with changing rooms and a gym attached. Midtable Feds started strongly and were ahead after ten minutes and were on top for much of the first half. However Chorley scored twice in two minutes just before the break. The second half saw the visitors perhaps shade the balance of play, but there was no further goals, giving Chorley the win and moving them a little further clear of the relegation zone.