oftenscore6
Chelsea Transfer Target
May 15, 2012, 11:04 PM
Posts: 3320
Location: Huddersfield
Team(s): FCUM, MUFC, Altrincham, Hammarby, Hawthorn (AFL),Huddersfield Rams (UK AFL)
Post #6 of 7
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I was in Berlin staying near Spittelmarkt 2 nights and Wedding the other 2 nights (accommodation a tad busy due to the German cup final), good and under €50/night. U-bahns also run all night Friday and Saturday, and some trams and S-bahns too. Fantastic city and I'll be back for more.
Football wise, my trip included:
Thursday 10th May
Olympic Stadium
Bundesliga 1/2 Playoff
Hertha Berlin 1-2 Fortuna Dusseldorf
Admission: €17
Attendance: approx 68000
A bonus tick here and what a bonus tick it was! Standing ticket in the away end, secured no problem, from matchday ticket office (plenty of offers for elsewhere in the ground). Stood right next to the Olympic torch route. Otherwise, there's an athletics track (in blue) and has it's own u-bahn/s-bahn station.
Neither side committed much forward, especially before the goals. A tiny bit more open after. Result probably about right and a great arena. Atmosphere was good, but not as lively as some German games I've been to.
Saturday 12th May
Hans Zoschke Stadion
Berlinliga (level 6)
SV Lichtenberg 47 0-0 Berliner SC
Admission: €6
Attendance: approx 200
I really liked this one, a really unusual ground with terracing built into built-up grass banks which surround the pitch with the exception of the clubhouse entrance. 15 steps of terrace around most of it, 10 steps for the seating area (approx 1000 seats). No cover, other than the overhanging trees at the top of the grass banks. There were two catering outlets - the clubhouse itself and a barbecue (wurst of course) and drinks stand just in front of it. The weizen (€2.50) went fast, with about 30 Bayern Munich fans in attendance (the German Cup final was 7 hours later) and enjoying the nice clubhouse facilities. I didn't see any Dortmund fans there, but credit to the Bayern fans for turning up - not sure there were very non-league savvy though, as one of them asked me if this was the 5th or 6th level, but to be fair Bayern are a bit higher themselves though!
The match pitted 2nd in the table SV47 against mid-table opponents, with the homesters needing a win to ensure they would still be in the title race next week but it was the visitors who started brightest. Gradually they took control and it looked only a matter of time before they'd score, but the visiting keeper, who in the 1st half looked like he normally played outfield, had a blinder in the 2nd. As the match wore on, SV47 became increasingly nervy and chances were snatched at when they had more time. A late penalty was perhaps harshly awarded but tamely hit at the keeper and several more chances were wasted, though the away team also hit the bar. The home side's frustration was evident at the end.
Not a lot in the way of atmosphere with no real singing, just a home fan with a horn.
We followed the match with a visit to the interesting Stasi Museum just over the road.
A walk in the park to get here - literally - passing the Lichtenberg Rathaus en route from Frankfurter Allee S-bahn. Magdalenstrasse U-bahn is even closer.
Sunday 13th May
Poststadion
Regionalliga Nord, ko 1400
Berliner AK 07 1-1 Hannover II
Admission: €8 (standing)
Attendance: approx 250
Tbh I was a bit disappointed with this one. The AK stands for Athletik Klub and this is certainly an athletics stadium, with a 4-lane track around the ground and 8 lanes in front of the Main Stand, which was the only part open for home fans - behind one goal has no spectator accommodation and the home section on the Main Stand side behind the other goal was closed. Most of the Main Stand was also closed with the open parts being 6 very shallow terrace steps (2 below pitch level) at the front of the stand, then 3 rows of seats open in the raised seating area, with a walkway behind, which you could stand in. A 'VIP section' blocked movement from one end to the other. Ten rows of seats attached to a steel terrace behind the existing seats are due to open soon. It was not possible to get a good view of the stand in its entirety from anywhere in the home end. The Hannover fans were mostly in the open terrace on the opposite half behind the goal. There was also an open away fans seating section, very sparsely occupied - most Hannover fans who wanted to sit came in the home end. I was surprised with the numbers following a reserve team, though I heard people refer to them as an U23 side, and they formed almost half the crowd - they also sang occasionally with some chants clearly specific to the reserve side. At least 30 police were also in attendance, way over the top and an ambulance was on standby.
Food/drink facilities were poor in comparison to most German grounds with just a single public outlet from a stall at the end of the stand (no weizen). There appeared to be no catering facilities at all today for fans in the away end. The home fans never sang at all. Coffee appeared to be the drink of favour with the locals (seems to be a heavy Turkish influence here). Possibly that was necessary due to the snoozefest of a game served up also. Two early goals, some theatrics, a late red card and some awful misses. Hannover were the better side I thought though.
It's easy to find the complex, 10 or so minutes walk from the Hauptbahnhof. A number of games were taking place on other pitches (mostly artificial) at the same time.
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Last new football ground (438) Beck Lane Bay Athletic 2-1 Ovenden West Riding (13/5)
With FC United: 83 - and looking forward to one in Moston in 2014-5 (touchwood)!
On the agenda:
Osters v AIK (19/5)
Hammarby v Landskrona (20/5)
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