University has taken its toll on my football watching. By that, I mean, I no longer watch any live football now that I attend university. It's a vicious cycle of getting an education to hopefully propel me into success throughout my working life, or enjoy freezing my nuts off in a Sussex field for the 0-0 draws on any particular Wednesday night. It's a genuine decision that I have to make, and the arguments on both sides are quite appealing.
Thankfully, my love for the beautiful game hasn't dwindled in the time that I've been deprived of my football fix, nor has my love for travelling. With that in mind, and with six weeks of uni life under my belt, I was back on a plane, this time heading for central Europe. Slovakia and Poland to be precise.
Thankfully, my love for the beautiful game hasn't dwindled in the time that I've been deprived of my football fix, nor has my love for travelling. With that in mind, and with six weeks of uni life under my belt, I was back on a plane, this time heading for central Europe. Slovakia and Poland to be precise.
Looking back across my map of visited countries, one common trend strikes me. Over the last 18 months or so, I've totally neglected central Europe. I've been to the four corners of the continet. Portugal in the west, Norway in the north, the Baltic states to the East and of course Greece to the south. Central Europe, however, remains largely unexplored. It was only right that I start putting this anomaly to rights. To Bratislava it was, for the time being at least. |
We arrived in the Slovak capital Friday lunchtime, following another of our overnight stays at Stansted airport for a criminally early flight, and quickly began exploring the city to see what it had to offer. As it so turns out, not a great deal. We passed the home ground of Slovan Bratislava on the bus journey from the airport into the city centre, but that's about as exciting as it got as we trundled through the streets of our new home for the weekend.
The old town, as with most of Europe, is fantastically pretty, and the castle is well worth a visit if you can bear the climb up the hill. With free entry to walk the grounds, it provides some fantastic views of the Danube river and across into the rest of the city. It's worth noting that the camera on my smart phone does absolutely no justice to anything I've photographed, so forgive me, you'll just have to take my word.
The old town, as with most of Europe, is fantastically pretty, and the castle is well worth a visit if you can bear the climb up the hill. With free entry to walk the grounds, it provides some fantastic views of the Danube river and across into the rest of the city. It's worth noting that the camera on my smart phone does absolutely no justice to anything I've photographed, so forgive me, you'll just have to take my word.
Following a tour of the local watering holes, and something of a night out, Saturday would bring about the main event of the weekend. Football. I can't tell you how excited I'd been in the run up to the game. England had played, and won, at this ground some weeks earlier. Spartak Trnava vs Podbrezová was happening, and silliness would be achieved.
We made the 40 minute journey north to Trnava, now home to Matt Harrison of LostBoyos fame, and went about the same process as the day before. Explore, discover, and then find the pub. We found Matt in one of the local bars, he was to be joining us for the game at his new local team, and joined him for a few drinks in some of his favourite bars across his new hometown. Sadly, the large lettering spelling out Trnava had disappeared the week previous, and so the tourist side of me left disappointed that I wouldn't have a silly photo. I did, however, enjoy a fantastic pizza in Čajka, a bar Matt had taken particular liking to, and so the touristy side of the day wasn't a total waste.
We made the 40 minute journey north to Trnava, now home to Matt Harrison of LostBoyos fame, and went about the same process as the day before. Explore, discover, and then find the pub. We found Matt in one of the local bars, he was to be joining us for the game at his new local team, and joined him for a few drinks in some of his favourite bars across his new hometown. Sadly, the large lettering spelling out Trnava had disappeared the week previous, and so the tourist side of me left disappointed that I wouldn't have a silly photo. I did, however, enjoy a fantastic pizza in Čajka, a bar Matt had taken particular liking to, and so the touristy side of the day wasn't a total waste.
Tickets for the day's entertainment cost just seven Euros, purchased in German as the ticket lady didn't understand much English, and we were soon through the turnstiles at the City Arena, and up on the concourse behind the goal ready for the 90 minutes to unfold ahead of us. Beer was purchased first of course, because who doesn't enjoy watching European football without a drink to accompany them? |
The game was interesting in that the away side, Podbrezová, are from a small village somewhere to the east of the country, and the plucky village team are pulling out all the stops and look like a good bet to qualify for European competition this season. Having only been promoted to the top tier at the end of the 2013/14 campaign, for the first time in their history I might add, that's a fantastic achievement!
They showed that they were good value for their success on the pitch, running out comfortable 2-0 winners with second half goals from Endy Bernadina and Miroslav Viazanko respectively. Spartak were reduced to very little, despite their relatively lofty position in the league standings, and the points never looked in doubt.
They showed that they were good value for their success on the pitch, running out comfortable 2-0 winners with second half goals from Endy Bernadina and Miroslav Viazanko respectively. Spartak were reduced to very little, despite their relatively lofty position in the league standings, and the points never looked in doubt.
The ground plays host to the national side, and was a good few thousand fans fuller when England visited some weeks earlier for the first of each nation's games in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. The game I witnessed took place in front of just under 3,500, but Trnava's home ultras continued to make noise to my right, which ignited something of an atmosphere into the afternoon.
On the concourse food and drink is readily available, with affordable pricing, so it's worth viewing the game from this vantage point if you prefer to stand at a game. Cheap tickets, cheap beer and a relatively decent standard of football is always worth a tick in my book. Matt certainly enjoyed himself.
On the concourse food and drink is readily available, with affordable pricing, so it's worth viewing the game from this vantage point if you prefer to stand at a game. Cheap tickets, cheap beer and a relatively decent standard of football is always worth a tick in my book. Matt certainly enjoyed himself.
After the game, there was time for a couple more drinks in Trnava, before waving our goodbyes and heading back south to the capital, before travelling onto Katowice in southern Poland the following day, but without football, that's a tale that'll be retold elsewhere.
I thouroughly enjoyed my exploits into the more central relms of this continent, and I look forward to my next visit. There's so much football and so much of the world to see after all, it'd be rude not to explore a little further.
Cheers!
Sheridan
I thouroughly enjoyed my exploits into the more central relms of this continent, and I look forward to my next visit. There's so much football and so much of the world to see after all, it'd be rude not to explore a little further.
Cheers!
Sheridan