Geordie Al's Groundhopper Scrapbook: Preussen Münster 1-1 MSV Duisburg, Wednesday 10th August 2016

Thursday, 11 August 2016

Preussen Münster 1-1 MSV Duisburg, Wednesday 10th August 2016

Preussen Münster 1-1 MSV Duisburg, att. 9,544 (3.liga)

Welcome to ....

Munster has an awful lot of beggars in the streets, as well as a busker on every street corner. Wonder why? Are the people of Munster renowned for their generosity?

Certainly, they weren’t generous in positioning the stadium. It’s miles away from the city centre, but walkable if you’ve plenty of time and are an idiot. The walk was simple enough…just head down Konigstrasse from the centre, cross the roundabout and carry on down Hammerstrasse until you reach the stadium on your right. The fact you even cross over a motorway tells you something about the length of the walk.

The cyclists had the right idea.

At least you arrive at the right end, next to the ticket booths. Unusually, each sold tickets just for one area. I figured I’d go for a standing ticket by the touchline (Block K), an inadvertently clever decision as that part had a roof and it intermittently chucked it down. Blocks L and K, instead of being one continuous stand, are split in two by a camera gantry. So nobody gets the prize position of standing on the halfway line. Looking at the metallic structure of both stands, this is relatively new. And cheap, propped as the roof is with enough beams to block one’s view of the goal (see later).

The Duisburg fans

The main stand, opposite, is a plain one-tier cantilever, the ‘tribune’, which was sold out today. No seating tickets for latecomers! Both ends were curved terraces, around a dirt track. Was/is it a motorcycle venue too? MSV filled half of one end, while Preussen had the other. Stramgely, Preussen had not one, but two ultras’ groups, The smaller ‘Deviants’ or ‘Disaffected Youth’ (great names) dominated one pen, while the main group opened proceedings covered in a huge banner. Good job nothing happened in the first 5 minutes.

Preussen ultras unfurl their banner.

This being close to a derby, MSV brought around 2,000, but the crowd of 9,544 was still a couple of thousand down on Preussen’s first match of the season. After opening with two consecutive 0-1 defeats, has hope expired already? The team certainly look low on confidence. Lots of pretty passing (enough for one fan to bemoan ‘tiki-taka’) followed by…nothing. They don’t look remotely likely to score. MSV, on the other hand, strode forward with purpose, went close several times and finally took the lead 20 mins in with a front post flick on from a corner. I think it went straight in, but given there was a post between me and the goal, who knows?

The teams line up.

Half-time, and the sun was out again. I eventually escaped the bottleneck of the stand and headed for the curve, via a sausage and beer stall. It was true, I was further away from the action, but at least I didn’t have a post in my face.

I’d be tempted to say even less happened in the second half…I can’t remember much in the way of keeper action..when a looping high ball entered the MSV box, the defender slipped and the ball hit him smack on the hand. Completely accidental, completely avoidable - this cross came from miles out. Penalty, lashed home and you could see the relief, FINALLY a goal…as the players ran toward the curve, screaming and fistpumping. MSV had thrown it away and now couldn’t get their momentum back to retake the lead.

Preussen equalise.

I didn’t walk back. There was no need – a fleet of buses awaited us. It was 8:50pm and I still made a 21:10 train to Dortmund. You don’t get that in England.

The Damage:

€8.50 ent
€3 beer x3

€3 wurst

€2 badge

= €22.50

The Tunes:

The Digging Remedy (Plaid)
Lady’s Bridge (Richard Hawley)
Truelove’s Gutter (Richard Hawley)

Knee Deep In The North Sea (Portico Quartet)

Late Night Tales (Nils Frahm)

Live At The Social Vol. 1 (Chemical Brothers / Various)