Stadion Woudestein (Excelsior v Roda JC)

Whilst visiting the Netherlands I saw my first game at Stadion Woudestein last Saturday. I went as an away fan as my team Roda JC were playing Excelsior, currently two points ahead of 'big brother' Feyenoord and with Sparta plying their trade in the Jupiler League they currently are the highest ranked team in Rotterdam. Still, they are the least popular of the three professional sides in Holland's second largest city. Woudestein has a capacity of only 3,500, making it by far the smallest stadium in the Dutch top flight. Despite its small capacity the ground was not sold out last Saturday with only 3,214 in attendance despite the club's promising start to the season, including a 3-2 defeat of Feyenoord. Predicted by many as 'certs' for relegation they are currently lying twelfth in the 18-team Eredivisie.

Excelsior do not have a fan base that justifies their place in the Eredivisie. Founded in 1902 they are one of the older professional sides in the Netherlands. Although Excelsior and Feyenoord had cooperated for many years their partnership became official in 1996 when Excelsior became a feeder club for Feyenoord. Feyenoord stalled young and talented players at the Woudestein club to give them valuable playing minutes in the Dutch second tier. Although the agreement between the two Rotterdam clubs was controversial amongst many supporters the club were promoted to the Eredivisie in 2002. They were relegated again the following season but were promoted once more in 2006. This time their stay in the top league lasted two seasons and Feyenoord ended the partnership in 2008. However only five months later the two Rotterdam clubs agreed on an even more extensive partnership and Excelsior were promoted to the top tier once more last season.

This was my first Roda JC league game in almost four years I am ashamed to admit but I had been looking forward to this one for a while. Roda have started this season extremely well; they have not been playing glorious football on a weekly basis but they have kept on grinding out results, just like last Saturday. The team from Kerkrade were the dominant side in the first half but Wouter Gudde opened the score for Excelsior after some shambolic Roda defending. Pa-Modou Kah equalised early in the second half and a draw looked like a fair result. However Anouar Adouir sealed another win for Roda in the 88th minute to the delight of the travelling fans.

I made the journey to Woudestein on a supporters bus, which is my preferred method of travel to away games in the Netherlands because it is cheap (€30 for non-members including match ticket) and relatively comfortable and the atmosphere is always top-notch. The bus left from the Roda ground in Kerkrade at around 5pm. After journey of just over three hours we arrived at Stadion Woudestein. As mentioned above, the stadium is very small but I was pleasantly surprised to see terracing in the away end. The journey back to Kerkrade went slightly quicker and I arrived back at my parents’ house on Sunday morning just after 2am.

The not so impressive entrance to the away stand.

Nice tea hut...

I was pleasantly surprised to see these terraces in the away end.

The Zuidtribune or South Stand.

The I.J.B. Albers Tribune.

The main stand is called the Henk Zon Tribune.

Celebrations after Kah's equaliser.

Roda kept on searching for the winning goal which finally came in the 88th minute.


'Get off that fence you naughty boy!'

Roda players celebrating...

...after another victory!

Saturday 2nd October 2010
Eredivisie
Excelsior 1 Roda JC 2
Excelsior: Gudde 38.
Roda JC: Kah 69. Hadouir 88.
Att: 3,214

Trendwork Arena (Fortuna Sittard v Cambuur Leeuwarden)

Last Friday I witnessed Fortuna Sittard's first win of the season in the Jupiler League, the second tier in Dutch professional football. The opponents were Cambuur Leeuwarden, who will still be considered one of the favourites for promotion to the Eredivisie but whose form has been somewhat indifferent so far.

I was in the Netherlands for a few days, mainly to visit Excelsior v Roda JC in Rotterdam on Saturday night, and I had decided to pay my first visit to Fortuna's ground for about 10 years on the Friday night before. Sittard is only about 15 minutes on the train from Heerlen, where I was staying at my parents', and the Trendwork Arena, as it is now called for sponsorship reasons, is a 20-minute walk from the train station. The ground was opened in 1999 and has a capacity of 12,500. Despite Fortuna's woes there were still about 3,000 supporters in attendance. These were all home fans as the visiting team had not brought any supporters with them.

The last time I had paid a visit to what was then called the Wagner & Partners Stadion I was there as a Roda supporter visiting our biggest rivals (together with MVV of nearby Maastricht). This was on Wednesday 31st January 2001, only six days before I left for Scotland. Fortuna were an established Eredivisie side and won 1-0 on the night.

In 1968 Fortuna '54 of Geleen and Sittardia merged as 'Fortuna Sittardia Combinatie', which later became 'Fortuna Sittard'. In 1984 Fortuna reached the final of the Dutch Cup against Feyenoord, which the Rotterdam side won 1-0. As Feyenoord won the league as well in 1984 Fortuna were allowed to compete in the Cup Winners' Cup and reached the quarter finals in which eventual winners Everton proved too strong (5-0 over two legs). In the late nineties Fortuna had a well-respected team with young and talented players like Mark van Bommel, Kevin Hofland, Fernando Ricksen and Wilfried Bouma. The manager was current Holland manager Bert van Marwijk and the men from Sittard reached the Dutch Cup final for the second time in 1999, in which they were unsuccessful once more as Ajax won 2-0. In 2002 Fortuna were relegated to the First Division where they have been struggling ever since. It is actually a miracle that the club still exist. The proposed merger with Roda JC in 2009, which was extremely unpopular with both sets of supporters, only fell through when it was in the final stages. Any celebrations from Fortuna fans were short-lived as the KNVB, the Dutch FA, decided not give the club a licence for the 2009/10 season because of alleged financial mismanagement. However Fortuna argued against this decision in court and the judge ruled that the KNVB had made serious procedural mistakes when they decided not to grant Fortuna a licence and therefore they were allowed to continue playing professional football in 2009/10.

Of course this was not the end of Fortuna's problems. They were struggling in the league again last year and even though they had already finished bottom of the league for three successive seasons there is now the possibility of relegation from the Jupiler League, for the first time in decades, to the Topklasse, a newly-formed league comparable to the English Conference, which is meant to work as a bridge between the amateur and professional leagues. Fortuna had only managed one draw before last Friday, and had started the season on minus-two points because the KNVB were again not happy with the club's financial management.

Seen in this light the celebrations after the final whistle on Friday were totally understandable. Fortuna looked quite a confident side for a team that had not won this season yet and defender Rick Geenen scored after only ten minutes. Danny Guijt scored the equaliser in the second half but it was Geenen's second goal of the night that handed Fortuna the full three points.

Approaching the Trendwork Arena.


Turnstiles leading to Section E.

The club shop did not look very inviting. I had not planned to buy a Fortuna scarf anyway...

Both teams entering the pitch.

The 'N Side' Stand.

The 'Z Side' housed some school children. The away section on the right was not in use tonight, as apparently not one single Cambuur supporter could be bothered making the long journey south.

I took my seat in Section C, I do not think the actual stand has a name.

The Hoofdtribune or Main Stand.

Vak C.

Under the stand at half-time.

Friday 1st October 2010
Jupiler League
Fortuna Sittard 2 Cambuur Leeuwarden 1
Fortuna: Geenen 10, 69.
Cambuur: Guijt 54.
Att: 2,946

Dens Park (Dundee v Raith Rovers)

Last Saturday my wife and I took a Citylink bus to Dundee. Gail does not usually accompany me on my groundhopping trips but she had decided she wanted to come along with me to see some shops in the City of Discovery. My main purpose of this trip was my first game at Dens Park, home of Dundee FC. Dens Park has a capacity of about 12,000 and despite the modern stands behind both goals still has a traditional feel to it, more so than Tannadice. The Bobby Cox and Bob Shankly stands were built ten years ago to comply with the 10,000 seated capacity required by the SPL at the time. Both stands hold 3,000. The Main (North) Stand is unusaul in that it is chevron-shaped, the middle bit is further from the pitch than both ends of the stand. The South Stand is an old terrace converted to seating.

Dundee is of course famous for having two professional football clubs, Dundee and Dundee United, with stadiums only 150 yards apart from each other. I had visited Tannadice Park, home of United, two seasons ago but I only managed to take a few pictures of Dens Park at the time and still had to return for a Dundee home game. Dundee United have been the stronger team for a while now, regularly competing for third place in the SPL and 'best of the rest' is as good as it gets nowadays if you are neither Rangers nor Celtic. A few decades ago the Dark Blues were the more illustrious side however, having won the Scottish league in 1962 and reaching the semi-final of the European Cup the following season, having beaten 1. FC Köln, Sporting Portugal and Anderlecht before losing to AC Milan.

The last of the major domestic trophies to be won by the Dee was the 1973 Scottish League Cup, even though they were losing finalists in the 1980 League Cup Final, which was staged at Dens (the biggest of the Dundee grounds at the time) and won 3-0 by Dundee United. The Dens Park side were relegated from the top flight in 2005 after a few years of financial turmoil and have been desperate to return to the SPL ever since. Despite a higher budget than the other First Division clubs they have been unsuccessful so far and their start to the new season has not been promising either.

The previous weekend I had seen Dundee lose comprehensively to Dunfermline at East End Park and last Saturday they were playing host to league leaders Raith Rovers. The game ended goalless despite a first-half penalty, which was awarded to the men from Kirkcaldy after Milan Misun had fouled Gregory Tade in the box. John Baird's spot-kick was saved by former Celtic goalie Rab Douglas. After the interval Dundee looked the stronger side but they could not find the net. The result meant Dunfermline are now top of the First Division, seven points above Dundee.

Approaching Dens Park.

The Main (North) Stand. Tannadice can be seen in the background.


Taken from Google Maps: only about 150 yards between both grounds. You can also see the odd shape of the Main Stand at Dens Park.

The South Stand.

The Bob Shankly Stand housed the Raith Rovers fans.

The Main (North) Stand.

Rab Douglas saved John Bairds's penalty.

Dundee were not able to find the net either.

Tannadice floodlights in the background.

The Bobby Cox Stand after the game.

The Dundee club shop.

Saturday 18th September 2010
Scottish Football League First Division
Dundee 0 Raith Rovers 0
Att: 4,532

East End Park (Dunfermline Athletic v Dundee)

Today I went to Fife to see Dunfermline take on Dundee at East End Park. I had planned to take the 1:10pm X26 Stagecoach bus from Glasgow Buchanan bus station to Dunfermline bus station but the bus never showed up so I took the X24, which was also late and it left Glasgow at 1:40pm. I knew I was going to struggle to make kick-off now and the bus arrived in Dunfermline at 2:45pm. Had I not been looking for a programme seller outside East End Park I would have been inside the stadium by 3pm however as it happens I was two minutes late and unfortunately still without a programme!

This was my first game at East End Park. I had taken some pictures outside the ground last season (when the Pars were also playing Dundee) but I had to come back in my quest to visit a home game at all 42 Scottish league grounds. Dunfermline were relegated to the First Division in 2007 and with its 12,500 capacity East End Park was fully compliant with the old SPL requirements. The ground has a modern look to it with fairly new 3,000-capacity one-tier stands behind the goals but the 1960s Main Stand gives it a bit of character as well. A drawback of the two-tier Main Stand is the large pillar in the centre of the stand which can obstruct your view quite a bit.

The Pars moved to within a point of First Division leaders Raith Rovers today with a convincing victory over Dundee. The home side were awarded a penalty when Nicholas Riley fouled Joe Cardle. Willie Gibson converted and the Fifers were 1-0 up. Steven Bell then made it 2-0 only minutes before the half-time whistle. After the interval Dundee pulled one back when Gary Harkins headed home but Pat Clarke made sure the three points stayed in the Kingdom when he scored 3-1.

For the pictures I took around East End Park last season see this post.

Approaching East End Park.

The Norrie McCathie Stand.


The North Stand.

The Main Stand.

The Dundee fans were housed in the East Stand.

Willie Gibson's penalty meant Dunfermline were 1-0 up. Note the large pillar, which restricts the view of almost everyone seated in the Main Stand.

Saturday 11th September 2010
Scottish Football League First Division
Dunfermline Athletic 3 Dundee 1
Dunfermline: Gibson 20 pen, Bell 42, Clarke 78.
Dundee: Harkins 51.
Att: 4,037

Estadio La Rosaleda (Málaga CF v Valencia CF)

I have just returned from a two-week holiday in Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol during which I was lucky enough to see Málaga CF play their first league game of the season at La Rosaleda. Although my wife and I had booked our holidays in January of this year I was not sure if Málaga were actually playing a home game during the 14 days we were in Spain (or even still playing in La Liga for that matter), also because I knew that the first weekend of September, as always, was reserved for international matches. La Liga were probably the last of the major leagues in Europe to release the fixture schedule for 2010/2011 and I was happy to find out that the first Málaga game of the season was a home match, against Valencia of all clubs. I was in Valencia last summer but unfortunately I was unable to see any games (a friendly against Arsenal taking place days after we had returned to Scotland) and I had only been able to take pictures of the beautiful Mestalla from outside the stadium.

Tickets for the Valencia game went on sale a few days before the game (when I was still in Scotland) and I had already heard that the cheaper tickets behind the goals (at €35) were usually the first to be gone. I had been in touch via email with Reggie who organises a coach from Inchy's Sports Pub in Benalmádena to all Málaga home games. He advised me to get my tickets as soon as possible because a near sell-out was expected and as soon as my wife and I had unpacked our suitcases on Friday 27th August we took the train to Málaga to purchase our briefs. After a 30-minute journey we arrived at María Zambrano train station. It was only a short walk to the Málaga CF shop in the Larios shopping mall but my heart sank when the lady in the shop shook her head when I asked if any tickets were left for the Valencia game. Fortunately it turned out she only meant that she did not speak English and plenty of tickets were left so we bought the cheapest ones still available at €40 each.

The next day we went to Inchy's bar in Benalmádena at around 5pm. It was packed with tourists, watching various football and rugby league games, and many ex-pats in Málaga CF replica shirts. I spoke to one of the guys having a pint outside the bar who told me the atmosphere at the Rosaleda was always brilliant, like being at a game 'back home 20 years ago.' I asked him if he knew Reggie but he did not although his pal knew he was the guy who made the new English-language fanzine (Los Blanquiazules, a good read by the way). After we got off the coach in Málaga I finally met Reggie and his wife (edit: no she is not...) Val, who turned out to be from Glasgow, and they showed us the bar where the Guiri Army meet up on matchdays, the Bodego Hermanos Madrid near the stadium. There were a lot of ex-pats and Spanish Málaga fans drinking on the street outside the bar, a tremendous pre-match atmosphere without a hint of trouble and no police presence. I have to say a much more enjoyable and authentic atmosphere than outside Camp Nou.

After a few beers my wife and I walked to the stadium and had some trouble finding our seats. The only steward in our section was not a very helpful chap but a Spanish supporter pointed us in the right direction. The match was virtually sold out and there was a lot of expectation in the air tonight despite the fact that the Boquerones only narrowly avoided relegation last season. The reason for this optimism is the recent takeover of the club by Qatari businessman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani. He has pledged to invest millions in the club over the next few years and he has already brought in a good number of new players for this season. The takeover also meant the club's sponsorshop deal with bookmakers William Hill was cancelled because gambling does not sit well with muslims (as it happens a bookmaker as shirt sponsor would not even be legal in the Netherlands).

However despite all the buzz, Valencia had a reasonably easy night at La Rosaleda. Málaga's new boys have potential but the team probably need a bit more time to gel. The home team were lucky to be level at half time (1-1) but after the interval Los Che made sure they would take all three points back to the Mestalla with two stunning Joaquín goals. The stadium was impressive and I went back last Monday for a tour of the ground which comes with a visit to the Málaga CF museum, pictures will follow soon! Despite the defeat the mood on the coach back to Benalmádena was still upbeat. I had a great time at La Rosaleda, definitely recommended if you are on holiday on the Costa del Sol!

For pictures of the stadium tour at La Rosaleda see this post.

A few pre-match drinks outside the Bodego Hermanos Madrid...


...where many ex-pat and Spanish supporters meet up before the game...


...with loads to drink but no trouble and no police.

Approaching La Rosaleda.


Spaniards love their nuts...


The Preferencia stand.


The Gol end.


The Fondo end.


The Tribuna, which is the main stand.


Málaga are about to take a free kick.


A rare picture of myself which my wife took at half time.


The more vocal element of the Málaga supporters can be found in one of the corners. You can also see the 'Guiri Army' flag.


The Preferencia after the final whistle.


The Gol stand after the game.


The Fondo end.


The Tribuna.

Saturday 28th August 2010
La Liga
Málaga CF 1 Valencia CF 3
Málaga: Sebastián Fernández 45.
Valencia: Aritz Aduriz 9, Joaquín 70, 74.
Att: 26,000