OH Leuven 0-2 RSC Anderlecht, Sunday August 2nd 2015

OH Leuven 0-2 RSC Anderlecht (att. 8,364)

Welcome to ......

After a chilled weekend in Antwerp, it was back to the footie grind.  Leuven, an old university town, is worth a visit all of itself, all cobbles, cathedral and charming bars.  Nevermind that it’s also the home of Stella (the lager), it’s also the home of OH Leuven, whose stadium is a 2km walk south of the city centre and railway station.  The ‘H’ in their name stands for the suburb it’s in: ‘Heverlee’.
The match was against big boy local(ish) rivals Anderlecht and I doubted I’d be able to get a ticket, the stadium holding less than 10,000.  However, I e-mailed the club anyway.  I got the answer back a week later; apologies for the late reply, a ticket awaits you at the box office.  This contrasted most favourably with the response of AZ Alkmaar to a similar request: No, you can’t have a ticket.  You need to be a member.  Oh, and the process takes 2 weeks, so don’t even think about it.

I spy...a team bus!

OH’s ground is surrounded by forest and sports facilities.  But don’t get sucked too far into the forest. However close the stadium is, there’s a small river to cross.  And once back on the main street, there’s still blocks of flats to navigate before hitting the stadium again. Being a Big Game, the streets were busy.  I couldn’t see anything purporting to be a club shop or ticket office but remembered something about it being in the car park.  Once I identified the car park (clue: cars) I worried I’d not be let through the manned gate, but no probs.  Then a sign – ticket office this way.

The 1st of 3 checkpoints

While queing I was accosted by a gentleman offering his mate’s ticket.  (His mate was on holiday.)  I said I already had a ticket booked.  It’d be rude, considering OHL’s effort in responding to my request.  However, the guy in front was turned away, looking dejected; sold out.  So I put him onto my guy, who looked not unlike ‘Eisenberg’ in Breaking Bad.  It was a shades and age thing.  I guess that would make me the ‘fixer’.

Come On You Whites!

Got my ticket, €20.  Now to find section J and what I presumed to be the seat number (‘2208’).  Odd seat number, I thought.  No wonder – it was a terrace, running the length of the pitch.  Strangely though, no barriers.  Maybe OHL don’t need ‘em.  I chose the far end, which would be nearest the away fans as it was.  The home ultras (ie, those with the banner) were behind the opposite goal, to my left.     
Anderlecht had nearly half of the single-tiered all-seater stand, while opposite me stood a modern two-tiered affair complete with exec boxes.  Small, but perfectly formed.  The upper tier must have an amazing view.  The home end was also an all-seat affair.  One peculiar aspect of my stand though was the semblance of an athletics track in front of it.  Had OHL re-built the stadium on top of the rest of the track?  (Yes.)

I don't fancy Usain Bolt's chances...

Impressively, the home fans had erected a massive banner behind the goal to greet their heroes and there was a decent atmosphere throughout. Pleasant, rather than raucous.  None of your ‘cheerleaders’ here, but a drum amongst the hardcore, as well as kids banging the corrugated tin of the J Stand.  The singing tho mainly came from the terrace folk, as well as Anderlecht (once they were winning – they’d been quiet till then).

The J-Standers

The game was very open, though possibly decided on 20 odd minutes when an OHL forward broke free and was taken out.  Surely this was a sending off – although 40 yards from goal there was no-one between him and the keeper.  Perhaps the ref had less faith in this bloke; a goalscoring opportunity had NOT been denied and a yellow would suffice.  Is it me or do big teams always get the decisions?

OHL went on to waste a couple of opportunities whilst Anderlecht’s game plan consisted of banging as many crosses in as possible.  Leuven’s keeper (who seemed to be THE most popular player too) pulled off a couple of good saves, including an excellent one-on-one block.  However, as OHL visibly tired, RSCA took control and went ahead with a powerful header from a right wing cross. Finally, the tactic had paid off.  And victory was settled when another forward sidestepped a challenge and tucked it away from 12 yards.  Easy.

The teams line up.

There was one other oddity for this Englishman; the sight in OHL’s midfield of ex-teenage prodigy ‘Jonathan Bostock’ (as he was intro’d).  He looked every inch the tall, bronzed well-built midfield powerhouse.  He proceeded to jog everywhere the ball wasn’t and looked anonymous, save for a free kick he curled narrowly wide and a crunching tackle on Steven Defour.  (The latter being the recipient of one of my all-time favourite banners.)  Going back to young (old?) Bostock, it made me think; how much does one get paid to chug around the Belgian league for a lifetime?  A waste of a mediocre talent.

Front of the J Stand.  Note the roof supports concreted into the track.

As for the culinary delights of ‘Den Dreef’, I’d eaten earlier.  However, I could murder a beer.  Shame then that as I neared the front of the queue I had the dreaded sight of tokens only.  Although the tokens were sold by a lady on the next till, I was having none of that and stuck to the bottle of coke I’d smuggled in.  3 checkpoints to pass, yet no hint of a search, only constant ticket checking.

After the match, there was still time to be locked in for 5 minutes.  To let Anderlecht out?  Still, made it back to town for a live band and drinks in the main square and a chance to reminisce on how two mates and I saw England lose here during Euro 2000.  Sat outside a bar, the only English around...2 nil up and still lost.  The locals (‘Anyone but England’) had a field day.  Ahhh, those were the days…watching Belgian TV later and trying to figure out if England had been kicked out of the tournament for fans rampaging through Charleroi.The Damage: €20 ent

It's an entrance...but it's not my entrance.

Anderlecht at far side.

Half time at Den Dreef.

Full time and the TV interviews.

Sunset over Den Dreef.

The home end.

I didn't mean to get his head.  Anyway, the main stand.

Them's chunky roof supports.