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Name: Truls Meyer Age:
59
Date Completed:
1/5/2004.
Best Ground visited (& why).
Truls At The McAlpine Stadium: |
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Poorest Ground Visited:
Withdean Stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Peterborough United, 26/4/2000.
It's a pity they have to play in a place like this. It's adequate for athletics
and a few hundred spectators, but not for football and 6000+.
Best experience on your travels:
I've enjoyed myself on many occasions during all these years, so to pick one
special moment is not easy. Of course, being present at Old Trafford on
15/2/2003 when Arsenal knocked the home team out of the FA Cup is among the
best. See also the English part of 'Best Match Witnessed'.
Worst experience on your
travels:
Wanting to visit Filbert Street in its final season, I bought a ticket for the
match against Arsenal on New Years Day 2002, but the match was called off
because of a frozen pitch. I got a second chance though, before flying back to
Norway, because Leicester City were meeting Mansfield Town the following
Saturday in the FA Cup 3rd round. I got a train on the day from Birmingham,
where I was staying, but when I got to Filbert Street I was told that the match
was all ticket (I had checked Leicester City's web-site a few days earlier
without finding any mention of this), and I had not bought a match ticket in
advance. That was a setback, but I had a match in reserve, Notts County were
playing at home the same day, so I phoned the club, but alas, the match was
called off because of the frost. A bit worried, I phoned Shrewsbury Town as a
last resort, and they were having a pitch inspection later on, so I got the
first train back to Birmingham hoping for the best. A second phone call from the
train an hour later confirmed that the match was called off, so I was a bit
gloomy when returning to Birmingham, but I got some sort of consolation later on
watching Arsenal beating Watford on the telly in a near deserted pub. Some
Saturday!
Funniest experience on your
travels:
Southampton 0-0 Middlesbrough, 17/8/2002, sitting behind a fat bloke who got a
text message on his mobile phone whenever a goal was
scored in the Premiership. Each time he wriggled like mad to get the phone out
of a tight trouser pocket, and wriggling like mad again replacing the phone in
the pocket. 18 goals were scored that day!
Most Goals Seen In One Match:
11, Barnet 4-7 Crewe Alexandra, 17/8/1991, Barnet's Football League debut. Barry
Fry got his defence straightened up after that though.
Best Match
Witnessed:
Best English match: Arsenal
2-0 Chelsea, FA Cup final in Cardiff 4/5/2002, a very enjoyable match in a
magnificent stadium, and my only cup final win in Britain or Norway, until Brann
beat Lyn Oslo this autumn. My all-time favourite:
Brann 4-1 Lillestrom, Norwegian Cup semi-final 2nd leg 20/9/1995, Brann being
1-3 down after the 1st leg, and Lillestrom scoring after 17 minutes. Incredibly,
Brann came back in the pouring rain in the second half, and scored 4 goals
during a 20 minutes spell.
Best Goal Seen:
Wayne Rooney, Everton, 2-1 in the 90th minute against Arsenal, 19/10/2002. Very
disappointing for the Arsenal supporters, but a famous goal, and without moving
my eyes I could follow the ball all the way from his boot and above Seaman into
the net.
Best
Player Watched:
Tony Adams, Arsenal, whom I've watched on several occasions, but the FA Cup
final in 2002 was something special, being one of his last matches.
Stupidest Chant
Heard:
"Where's your famous Roker Roar?", Newcastle United 1-1 Arsenal, FA Cup 6th
round 9/3/2002, when Arsenal were one up, and the travelling supporters
pretended they didn't know where they were. (There was a mighty roar though when
Newcastle equalised.)
Any
tips for those attempting to visit the 92?
It's useful to check the clubs' web-sites well in advance to avoid nasty
surprises, and I have avoided several cancellations by checking the weather
forecasts when I had a choice of matches, but even the best plans can fail (see
'Worst experience on your travels').
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