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| Welcome to ... |
Sion’s stadium is easy to get to, signposted from the railway station. It’s also a pleasant walk, crossing the river before ambling along the ‘Promenade du Canal’ (does what it says on the tin) which leads straight to the stadium, 20 minutes totes. And all the while you can admire the Alps which overlook this small city in the south west of Switzerland, not far from both the French and Italian borders.
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| Match action in front of them big hills. |
It’s a very traditional stadium too, 4 separate stands, 3 of which follow the same design, with wooden beams and joists to the fore, a delicious Alpine twist. Then there’s the roofs, containing lots of little arches and a terraced home end, perfect for atmosphere, holding c.5,000. A trip to the Stade de Tourbillon is far more enjoyable than Berne, or even Basel (though the latter has its idiosyncracies). FC Zurich were the opposition tonight and I thought they brought a decent turnout (350) for a midweeker. Even more impressive was their orchestrated unfurling of their banner and subsequent pyrotechnics.
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| Zurich's pyrotechnic crew |
I was on the home terrace, directly opposite the away fans. I’d arrived at the stadium on one corner and the ticket office I came across only sold tickets for Block B – the terrace. Perfect. So I paid my money and went in (I’d not had much time to spare). The first thing I noticed was the smell of dope (same in Berne…the chilled neutrality of the Swiss?). In fact, the imbibing of Mary Jane was more open than I’ve seen at any stadium, with at least 2 groups skinning up at the back. Rascals.
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| A Swiss 'casual'. |
Another quirky aspect to my visit was the beer ordering. With glasses of 250ml, naturally you need more than one. So, for those getting a round in, the refreshment stand had piles of SHOEBOXES to put them in. Where did they get them all from? Anyway, always good to see some recycling. It’s also the first football ground I’ve seen where you can buy a bottle of wine. So, beer comes in 250ml portions, yet you can buy a 700ml bottle of plonk!
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| Full time on the terrace. |
I presume the match was on TV. There was the presenter and the lights by the side of the pitch. Sion (‘See-on’; I’ve been pronouncing it as ‘Shun’ all these years – I think they played Aberdeen once, back in the day) looked the part. In a fast flowing first half they took the lead when the centre forward broke clear to finish. But while the Sion ultras (who stood directly behind the goal, replete with usual banners and a cheerleader – a man with loudhailer) were still celebrating, Zurich hit back, a right wing cross met with a left peg at the back post.
There was still time in the first half for the pick of the herd, Carlitos curling a beauty of a free kick into the top corner, off the underneath of the bar. If Swiss headline writers don’t bill this ‘Carlitos Way’ I am sorely disappointed.
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| The kids get the best view. |
In the second period, Sion refused to leave their own half. Given their attacking potency in the 1st, this surprised me. Or had Zurich upped their game THAT much? Of course, sod’s law dictated that it was Sion who grabbed a 3rd, 10 mins from time. A Zurich shot was charged down on the edge of the box and Sion broke up field. A neat bit of skill from the outside left bamboozled his man and gave the winger time to pull the ball back. His teammate made a hash of the attempted shot but the ball went across goal to be stabbed in at close range. Sion had made the game safe!
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| Alpine charm...the home end roof supports. |
Afterwards, I walked around the stadium. Fans were encouraged to stay on with beer tents galore. One could wander in and out of the stands without any stewards chasing you out. Sion is a very pleasant evening out indeed. (Note: the city centre is the opposite side of the railway from the stadium and you’re not missing much by not going there.)
The Damage:
CHF 25 ent
CHF 4 beer (x2)
CHF 6 hotdog
= CHF 35 (£23)
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| 1st view of the stadium. |
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| One side stand. |
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| The Main Stand side. |
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| Never forget where you are. |
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| Ultras' flags top left. |
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| Mr TV readying himself. |
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| The floodlights. |
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| Someone's made an effort. |
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| Away banner, start of 2nd half. |
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