St. Pauli 0-0 Arminia Bielefeld, Saturday 25th July 2015

St. Pauli 0-0 Arminia Bielefeld (Bundesliga 2, att. 29,546)

Welcome back!

I set off for this game with more trepidation than usual. Last season I fell asleep as my train came in to Hamburg and I ended up 1 and a half hours the other side of the city, not getting to the Millerntor till half-time. see: http://geordiealsgroundhopperscrapbook.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/St.%20Pauli

My train today was due in at 12:30 and I had to pick up my ticket at the office by 1:30 pm but my train was late by 15 minutes or so and the locker situation in Hamburg Hbf took time. Then how to get there. Walk? Could do - .once I know which street is which. Too hard to figure, let's jump on the u-bahn. Went back on myself to Berliner Tor to catch a U3 to St Pauli. U3 not in action. Replacement bus service! Try not to panic...

Interesting that they didn't fill the corner in...

Thankfully, there were a few St Pauli fans to follow. I settled in my seat...daydreaming...then noticed at the rathaus, as the bus doubled back on itself, all the St Pauli fans had already got off. So I jumped off at the next stop and walked. By now I knew the way.

I reached the fanladen at 2pm. Luckily, they'd not sold my ticket yet (they do if you don't arrive in time). For a second game in a row, the standing areas had sold out. Fans mulled around with 'stehplatz suche' scribbled across scraps of paper but there were still a few seats left. In fact, I was a bit surprised to hear the attendance was so high.

The crowd

Now, every time I come to see St. Pauli, something amazes me. This time it was all four sides of the stadium unveiling giant banners. Of course, I'd not have seen this were I not stood on a small corner of the Nord Kurve not covered in flag. Wouldn't happen in England. I saw 30 odd volunteers in the west stand wrapping it up and trotting off to put it in storage while the game had already kicked off.

The match finished 0-0, my 3rd opening day St Pauli goalless fest in 5 or 6 years. However, unlike the other two this wasn't a little stroll in the park under 90 degree heat, this was cool enough for proper football and against newly promoted Arminia Bielefeld, St Pauli probably fancied themselves. For much of the first half they looked one pass or flick away from a chance but it never came. The second half saw Arminia being the more dangerous on the break and, indeed, with them on the attack late on, it was the home fans whistling for the final whistle.

It absolutely bucketed it down pre-match

Later, I caught an overnight train to Karlsruhe, which was not without incident as the train was massively oversubscribed (good job I had a reservation) and full of people in a temper, enough for police to be called to one disagreement. Another late train, though spare a thought for the Arminia fans on the 'football special' (these things still exist in Germany). It was due to set off 2 hours late, hence dozens of wide-eyed Bielefeld fans staggering around Hamburg railway station.

The Damage:
€12.50 ent
€3.50 ? beer (x3)
€4.50 plastic beer glasses
€3 wurst
€20 t-shirt
= €51.50
The Tunes:
La Revancha Del Tango - Gotan Project
Ma At Mama - Ursula Rucker
Psyence Fiction - Unkle
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
Lady's Bridge - Richard Hawley

Skinheads were 'ere.

Giving the kids the office shreddings to chuck in the air

...like this!

Match action (yes, I'd changed sides)

I spot a bus...a St. Pauli bus!

Back of Gegengerade after the match

and another...loading the Arminia coach.