Non League Day/Weekend Matchgoing Oct 11-13

[CY_Boaby]

A-League has finally started this weekend, so tomorrow I'm off to see Perth Glory V Brisbane Roar. Glory's mean defence from last season have all departed for bigger & better offers, so the defence could be leaky. But surely not as bad as the Roar, who had the worse defence off all the teams last season conceding on average almost 3 goals a game.

But 'God' himself (and former Glory striker), Robbie Fowler is in charge of the Roar now, so they could easily concede an average of 6 goals a game this season. It shouldn't be a dull game, but Glory don't usually win on the opening day, so could be a high scoring draw.

Glory 1 - 1 Roar. Well I got part of my prediction correct, but with neither side creating much it turned out to be a low-scoring affair. Glory started well and could have been ahead in the opening minutes, so it was no shock when sometime-Socceroo Chris Ikonomidis scored after been put through by Diego Castro. With Brisbane offering little at the other end, it looked like a nailed on 3 points at half time for the Glory.

Second half and Robbie Fowler's team were a different beast, controlling possession, creating the odd chance whilst Glory rarely troubled their keeper. With VAR having been anonymous all game, it decided it wanted in on the action and in the 4th and final minute of stoppage time, Glory failed to clear, the cross was swung in and headed back across goal for the unmarked Roy O'Donovan to dive in to head the equaliser. Up went the flag but after a good 2 minutes of VAR fannying around, the decision was overturned and the goal given. Cue lots of groans within the crowd of 9,829.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

The day starts at Jeunesse Schieren v Attert Bissen

[ursus arctos]

How is your Luxemburgisch?

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

To be honest, I'm still not sure what language they speak here. I guess its whatever language doesn't have a phrase "pay your fucking taxes".

anyway, onto Marisca Mersch v Norden. Stade Schintgespesch still has the most ornate clubhouse in football, but on the other touchline, is oddly hemmed in by municipal buildings.

I can't be arsed to go to the late game st Young Boys in Diekirch as it's been moved from the athletics track to a 3g tennis court.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

In terms of today's trains, SNCB still kicking out their most knackered units on the international service from Maastricht



However, all as forgotten at Guillemins.



CFL now seem to make a compulsory photo stop on the viaduct into Luxembourg.

[ursus arctos]

My, those EMUs were old when I lived in Belgium in the 80s

The Luxembourgeois can be quite insistent when it comes to paying taxes owed to them. It is taxes owed to other countries that are pleased to help one avoid (for a fee, of course).

[George C.]

BB & F, is that middle photo Liege?

However, all as forgotten at Guillemins.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Made it to Leipzig vs Herner eishockey. Took a very good photo but it's too big for the board and I can't work out how to reduce it. Anyway Herner were 7-3 up with a few minutes to go when I left. Decent standard for what I assume is a regionalised 3rd tier. Proper old school venue, like the Ally Pally before they did it up a bit.

[Patrick Thistle]

Wales 1 v 1 Croatia

Croatia copying the Ireland tactic of crippling opponents and relying on the ref to bottle it. 12 minutes of injury time in total with stretchers and whatnot. Neither side were consistently good; both had spells of good play. Wales struggle to break down well organised sides and were a bit cavalier at the back. Faster opponents could have won possession in their box a couple of times.

[George C.]

Wales 1 v 1 Croatia

Croatia copying the Ireland tactic of crippling opponents and relying on the ref to bottle it. 12 minutes of injury time in total with stretchers and whatnot. Neither side were consistently good; both had spells of good play. Wales struggle to break down well organised sides and were a bit cavalier at the back. Faster opponents could have won possession in their box a couple of times.

Wasn't that Ireland 'tactic' related to a bad foul by Gareth Bale and a leg breaker on Seamus Coleman by some other donkey in the preceding match though?

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Wasn't that Ireland 'tactic' related to a bad foul by Gareth Bale and a leg breaker on Seamus Coleman by some other donkey in the preceding match though?

Ireland started it but they couldn't finish it in that game, iirc?

[seand]

Yeh, I think Wales may have conceded some of the moral high ground in Dublin

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Fortuna Sittard Res v Den Bosch Res.



The players wave to a makeshift TV gantry and European football's least colourful stand.

[Bored Of Education]

Bath City 1 Maidstone United 1.

City once more make a 1-1 home draw look like a point won but scoring right at the end after being 1-0 down. As usual, we didn't play well in front of a good crowd - 1300 for NLD and Student day.

[imp]

It's the 14th. but this game was still part of the weekend fixtures: FSV Frankfurt 0 FC 08 Homburg 3

Televised live game, the usual home gate of around 1000 was... the usual home gate of around 1000. FSV rode their luck and could easily have been a couple down before going behind to a farcical own goal - belted clearance hits defender in the back, ball rolls slowly into the corner past helpless keeper. A second soon followed - catastrophic first half. The some half-time adjustment, ten minutes of Frankfurt dominance, and... Homburg hit them on the break to go 3-0 up. Homburg hit the bar, Frankfurt finally managed a decent shot and hit the post, then the game died a long, slow death, but I stayed until the end because... I've no fucking idea why I stayed until the end. Good bratwurst, though.

[ingoldale]

Grange Albion P-P Ely Rangers (waterlogged pitch)

Wales 1-1 Croatia with Patrick Thistle. An interesting game but Croatia could definitely have had one or two more bookings. I thought Wales were the better team in the second half without really creating anything. 17 for Croatia is a great player.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

Luxembourg U21 v Sweden U21.

Being played at whatever Red Boys Differdange are called this week.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

This morning I travelled from Metz, which is Europe's gloomiest station.



Today I found out why as my hotel overlooked the station, and discovered it has a car park on top.



I went to Strasbourg which has a much nicer station.



Then a move to Basel on some Corail stock still with its glorious 1970s interior.



This includes the greatest innovation in the history of the railway, the folding bottle ring, which stops your drink from dancing around the table.



I then went to Luzern and had a spin out on one of the weird HGe 4/4 II loco hauled things that go to Engelberg.



This dropped me at Messi, and I headed for the rebuilt stadium Allmend as the reserves were meant to be playing.



The stadium was shifted a bit when it wax rebuilt, but they have kept one of the stands, looking directly into the back of its replacement.



The reason for this is that the stand is now a parkour course, got to be one of the weirdest re-used of an old stand.



I thought the game would be in the impressive second team stadium, but instead it was across the road, ingront of some mountains.



I then got a train to Rotkreuz to watch them play Medrisio in the level 2 interegio. I thought this would be at the main stadium by the station, but it was hosting a training session for 8 year olds.



Instead, a new 3g enclosure has been built for the football club. Except it has nothing but two steps of concrete, which were occupied by a gaggle of teenagers smoking exceedingly low grade weed.



So I headed to Zurich to watch the re 4/4s bringing in the overnight sleepers. Here is the Zagreb.

[ursus arctos]

That car park didn't use to be there. Perhaps they thought the locals wouldn't mind given Metz' tendency towards gloom.

I cannot express my love for the Corail in words and you are dead right about the bottle rings.

[Big Boobs and FIRE!]

0640 OBB Railjet off Zurich for the 8 hour flog across the Alps to Wien.



plenty of time for a Styrian organic cheese platter and shite lager.



To the Rudolf-Tonn Stadion, with an impressive roof and curvy floodlights.



Mauerwerk v Wiener Neustadt in the Regionalliga.



A crowd of 150, but four pitch side photographers.

[Patrick Thistle]

That seems a very wide athletics track

[Bored Of Education]

Not as wide as Chelmsford's hop, skip and jump sandpit plus running track that means that the pitch is in a different county from the main stand.