Germany - Part 1
For many football travellers theres one country that seem's to tick all the boxes when it comes to football tourism, and in late November last year we both got to sample the wonders and delights of what the German Bundesliga has to offer. Flying out from London Luton at silly o'clock we landed in Dortmund full of excitement as to what lay ahead, two games, three days and a Wiehnachtsmarkt (Christmas market to you and I) or two in store.
After a journey on the S-bahn from Holzwickede station passing through the very impressive Signal Iduna Park, home to Borussia Dortmund, we arrived at Dortmund Hauptbahnhof and headed for the famous 'Westenhellweg' the main shopping area of Dortmund which was like stepping into Santa's grotto with all the classic wooden huts selling delicious Bratwurst and confectionery plus arts,crafts and other christmassy items, in addition to the rather handy pop-up pubs appearing on every corner specialising in mulled wine and some rather agreeable beer.
So, onto the main purpose of our trip. The first port of call was to be the Niederrheinstadion, home to Bundesliga 2 side Rot-weiss Oberhausen who would face local rivals Arminia Bielefeld in the friday night fixture kicking off at 6pm local time. The trip itself into Oberhausen went without a hitch but worryingly we'd come without tickets and my plan to pick some up from the towns club shop was soon scuppered by the news that the store was closed. Handily enough we had our lander ticket which allows all access to any transport system in the region for around 15 euro each for two people but up to 5 may travel for the entire day. Hopping onto a bus bound for the stadium from the main train station amongst 100 drunken germans we were on our way.
On approach to the stadium it gives the impression of Accrington Stanley's Fraser Eagle stadium meets the curved ends of Stamford Bridge pre-development with a huge scoreboard at one end and equally huge floodlights.As the stadium is a multi-purpose ground there is an athletics track around the outside and large fences at the front of the stands. It felt almost like being teleported back into the 1980's in this country before all-seater stadia took over. Tickets ranged from 10 euro's in the side standing to 20 euro's for the covered standing and seating which we opted for given it was raining cats and dogs, one of which would provide us with entertainment from the touchline as the mascot of Rot-weiss Oberhausen is a dog who I suspect had been joining the locals at the bar pre-match given his antics on a scooter and energetic rattling of the fences in an attempt to whip up an atmosphere.
Thankfully the atmosphere improved not just due to the furry mascot but Oberhausen taking the lead in emphatic style early on, an exchange of passes on the edge of the 18 yard box lead to Oliver Petersch sending the home fans wild with a stunning near post finish. Arminia didn't quite know what had hit them and soon after it was 2-0 as Felix Luz, reminiscent of 90's Middlesbrough striker Mikkel Beck (remember him?) was left with the freedom of Oberhausen to nod home an angled cross from the right to double the lead for the home side.
Arminia simply had no attacking threat whatsoever and it wasn't hard to see why they are propping up the Bundesliga 2, only some inspired saves from the Bielefeld 'keeper stopped what was fast becoming the alamo for the away side. Arminia looked like coming away with just the two goal deficit before lively Oberhausen forward Moses Lamidi finally took one of his umpteen chances in the dying minutes to round off the nights action. First game of the tour, three goals, great company and atmosphere from the home (and away) support and a superb introduction to German football, stay tuned for part two......
The City.....Oberhausen is situated around 50 minutes from Dortmund in the direction of Duisburg and can be reached by the rather efficient S-bahn system or R/RE-Bahn and is a main change point for links to Cologne, Dusseldorf and Monchengladbach. The city itself is home to one of the largest shopping malls in Germany which is conveniently located a stones throw from the stadion Niederrhein. Purchase a Lander ticket once in Germany for superb access to all transport systems within the region of Nordrhein-Westphalia. Tickets are avaliable from the red DB machines at train stations and there is an option of English translation on the machines so you will know exactly what to purchase. Lander tickets in the region cost 35 euro and are valid for 24 hours for up to 5 people to travel, please note you must sign your name on the ticket once purchased, simply the last name of someone in your group will do. Also, remember to stamp the ticket at the yellow machines on the station platform otherwise you may be liable for a fine.
What to do/eat/drink....Germany is famous of course for sausages and beer primarily. A must-try is the currywurst, chopped bratwurst in curry sauce served with a bread roll and/or chips. Also the wiener-schnitzel is a popular local dish consisting of breaded veal. Germans however are pretty similar to the UK in terms of availability of restaurants and places such as chinese and italian are widely avaliableNordrhien-Westphalia check out Cologne (or Koln as its known in Germany) for breathtaking views of the river and cathederal plus the shopping around Neumarkt. Go around November/December to catch the quite brilliant christmas markets to which Dortmund has one of the largest around. Every town seems to have its own remarkable beer, the popular being Kolsch in Cologne for the region. Do however if in Monchengladbach give Jever Pilsner a go. Immensely refreshing.
How to get to the stadium....Fan transport in Germany is simply second to none and from any station within close proximity of the ground there is a method of transportation to the stadium usually free of charge. For Oberhausen exit Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof and head straight to the bus stands where a bus marked 'Niederrhein Stadion' will take you directly to the stadium. For Monchengladbach exit the S-bahn at Rheydt station and head out of the right hand exit to where the buses are parked up waiting to take you to Borussia Park. For Borussia Dortmund take S-bahn line from Dortmund Hauptbahnhof to Signal Iduna Park station which funnily enough drops you literally at the turnstiles.
How to get a ticket...Tickets for the smaller sides such as Bochum and Oberhausen are easier to come by, simply buy from the booths at the stand you wish to watch the game from or from the main ticket office. Borussia Monchengladbach are one of the most well supported teams in the country and pre-booking your seat is highly recommended despite the team currently languishing at the foot of the Bundesliga. Tickets can be purchased by the online facility on the clubs website. This method can also be used to secure seats for Borussia Dortmund via the official BVB website. Tickets for Oberhausen range from 8 euro's standing in the curva's to 20-50 euro in the side seating. Tickets for Monchengladbach range from 13 euro standing in the Nordkurve to 20 in the upper seating and 20-30 in the side seating.
No comments:
Post a Comment