Rot-Weiss Essen 2-1 Borussia Dortmund II, Friday 26th July 2019

Rot-Weiss Essen 2-1 Borussia Dortmund II, Regionalliga West, att. 14,497 (Stadion Essen)

Welcome to ...

So, here we are.  After a partner-induced year off, I’m back on the interrailling bandwagon, fitting in as many games as possible while some of Europe’s brightspots (and Essen).  And for once, I’m organised, a £49 single on the Eurostar to Amsterdam booked months ago.  Whatever the ecological arguments of train v plane, the ease of St. Pancras versus the hassle (both getting there, and once there) of Gatwick/Heathrow is undeniable.

The old floodlight lurks over Stadion Essen.

Unfortunately, I shan’t be staying in the Dam for long – just enough for supplies and a train to Germany.  Tonite it’s Rot-Weiss Essen, whose stadium I’d vowed to re-visit having previously only made it at half-time and let in for free by a kindly turnstile operator.  I owed them.  

I dropped my bag at my digs in Dortmund (ironic, considering tonite’s opponents are Borussia Dortmund II), then jumped on a direct train to Essen-Bergeborbeck, a 5 minute walk from the imaginatively entitled Stadion Essen.  It’s a new build, roughly on the footprint of the old stadium (one of whose floodlight pylons remained, stalking its new neighbour like a giraffe).  But it’s all a bit too sleek for me, 4 one-tier stands of matching height.  The ‘Main’ stand has its collection of executive boxes and about the only thins of note is their failure to stretch the full length of the pitch, thereby cutting the view of some seats in the wings.  Careless.

Looking towards the Main Stand.

The rest could be Regensburg, or Zwickau, or any other lower division German newbie: One end a home terrace, the opposite away end a mix of terrace and seats (leaning heavily towards the latter, even though the former is more easily filled by the visitors).  At Essen, there’s a decent space between the away terracing and seating, presumably to ensure those standing won’t affect any sightlines form the seats (something not considered with the exec boxes).  Meantime, either side is all seated, with one stand having some executive box facilities.  Normally, the vast majority of fans would be behind the goal, on the terrace.  But tonite is slightly different, a local derby with Dortmund’s second team has brought the fans out.  

A pre-match banner over the seats.

I considered going in the away end, mainly as I remembered how busy the home end was last time.  As it was, it made no difference.  Dortmund must have brought 1500+, a tremendous effort for a reserve side, but understandable in the scheme of things, local opposition and the start of the Bundesliga 2 or 3 weeks away.  Footie fans need their fix!

Borussia even have a banner for their RESERVE side!

So, with 15 mins to kick-off, I ended up in the home end (as it was the closest to the railway station).  I decided against an immediate beer: the queue was busy and besides, I’d had a couple on the train.  I wanted a VIEW, which didn’t look promising when I entered the terrace.  The steps, officiously kept clear at many a German venue, had fans milling on them and it looked busy, but I fought my way up a few rows and lent against the side of a crush barrier.  Perfect.

Rot-Weiss Essen line up.

The game wasn’t a classic.  Dortmund had 2 goals disallowed (I had no idea the 1^st one was; a goalmouth scramble, a ricochet, a rebound off a post) but RW’s scoreboard resolutely stuck to nil-nil.  It was warm though, and after 35 minutes we had ourselves a drinks break.  This was my cue to grab a schnitzel and a couple of beers (why have one when you can have two?)  Start as I mean to go on.  I AM on holiday.  Upon my return to the terrace, the scoreboard announced 0-1.  I’d missed a goal.  Typical.

Sustenance, Essen-style.

Chatting to a local, I asked where Rot-Weiss would come this season.  Based on the size of their crowds, they’re a big fish in a moderately sized regionalliga west pool.  ‘Somewhere between there and there’ he said, pointing at between 5^th and 8^th in the table.  Nice to hear a bit of modesty-cum-realism, as their crowds befit a side who should win this league.  Essen, is, after all, a city of half a million people.  On the flipside, Dortmund, Schalke…even Bochum and Duisburg…are on their doorstep.  ‘Who will be the challengers (for the title)?’  ‘Aachen, Wupertaker and Sportfreunde Lotte’, my sportfreunde said.  Time will tell.

The cheerleaders get the locals going.

As the terrace emptied slightly at half-time, I fought my way to the back for the 2^nd half.  I’m not a fan of watching a game through a net and being perched higher up can help negate this effect (though not totally).  It did look as if Rot-Weiss’s tactics remained the same: pass the ball backwards, backwards, square before kicking it forward and losing it.  The one player who stood out was Borussia’s #7, who played out wide, always looked comfortable in possession, never lost it…and was the spit of Marco Reus.  Was it Marco Reus?  Maybe playing a comeback game.  (No.)

The game drifted into nothingness.  Dortmund had a tricky (black) forward willing to run at the defence, but he wasn’t ably supported by the big (white) target man whose sluggishness matched his build.  Indeed, it was left to RW to form the only chance, the cross coming in…and the free header clearing the bar from 6 yards out.  Poor.

Tats out for the lads!

However, with 10 minutes left, the home side had a free kick 25 yards out, to the left of goal.  A shooting chance for sure, but any keeper worth his salt shouldn’t be conceding from there.  He wasn’t (worth his salt).  One-all.  No-one expected that.  Then, in the 6^th minute of injury time, a ball over the top of Dortmund’s defence.  The centre halves and centre forward chase it down.  The defenders attempt to close down the forward’s run, there’s a coming together and the forward goes down.  ‘Penalty’ cry the home end.  The ref gives it.  Mein Gott.  Never in a million years.  I can’t believe the ref has bought it.  No one cares.  Pen despatched the full-time whistle is blown.  Arguments break out on the pitch, while the home fans are joyous.  This was unexpected half an hour before, where even the famed German atmosphere was ebbing, with the home side looking unlikely to bag.  An excellent start to my latest marathon.

Full-time!

Course, it wouldn’t be a match if I didn’t mess up somewhere…#startasyoumeantogoon…I jumped on a train going the wrong way and ended up going to Dortmund via Oberhausen.  Word to the wise: next time, take one of them (free) footie buses to Essen Hauptbahnhof.

The Damage:
€11 ent
€4 beer (’Staunde’ 500ml x2)
€4 schnitzel
free: match programme/newspaper (picked up off terrace)
= €23

The Tunes:
Family of Aliens (Teleman)
Microshift (Hookworms)
Amazing Grace (Spiritualized)
Claustrophobia (Scuba) 
Pentamerous Metamorphosis (Chapterhouse/Global Communication)
Late Night Tales (Jon Hopkins)

Stayed at: (cost)
A&O Dortmund Hauptbahnhof, £19

Stadion Essen panorama

Leave your bottles here

The away end

There's even drums in the seats...

Here's a 1st: cheerleaders for reserve games.

Those crazy boys of Essen

Sunset in Essen.

Alemannia Aachen 1-1 Borussia Moenchengladbach II, Friday 28th July 2017

Alemannia Aachen 1-1 Borussia Moenchengladbach II (Regionalliga West, att. 9,100)

Welcome to ...

Having contemplated Valencienne in Ligue 2 on a Friday night, I decided upon Aachen in Regionalliga West.  It made for an easier following day’s travel.  That said, I was quite looking forward to it after a few days of the Womens Euro Championship.

Many moons ago, I saw a game just over the Dutch border from Aachen, at Roda JC, and I remember the adverts encouraging Dutch fans to come and have some of their own Bundesliga action  at Alemannia in Bundesliga 2.  At the time, clever marketing I thought.  7 or so years later and Alemannia are two divisions down, in the regional leagues, where they have been for quite some time now.  Like Coventry City, building a new stadium wasn’t ‘ambition’, it was folly.  Aachen nearly went bust.

Tickets easily procured.

In a contrite tale of where ambition lands you, they left their 21,000 capacity Tivoli stadium for one of them brand spanking new stadiums which might just be the wrong side of too big. Think the Ricoh Arena, but with yellow seats.  It's a smart stadium, three sides of single tiered seating, with the away corner for standing, and 4^th side a large home terrace, as it should be in England.  So what you have in a crowd of 9,100 is 2/3 of them behind the goal paying the minimum.  The rest of the stadium was sparse to say the least, though well done to Moenchengladbach, who brought 5-800 to see their under 23s.  The stadium was about half an hour’s walk from the railway station.

The teams come out...in front of the visitors' corner.

Hauntingly, the New Tivoli sits next to the old one.  Great for continuing your aeons old match day rituals, not so good in trying to forget every other week why you're playing professional sides under 23 teams in a regional league.  I went for a walk around the old stadium or as much as I could.  Who knew Aachen is some Colossus in the world of horse prancing, sorry show jumping?  The outer walls of Old Tivoli are decorated with past showjumping ‘heroics’.  Who can forget David Broome in the 1961 world championship? Anyway, it was good to see the old stadium survive, even if I could deduce no plaque to remind me of Alemannia’s history there.

Silver Knight winning it for Great Britain.

I bought a ticket in the home end, helpfully divided into sections 1-4.  I was nominally in 3 but eventually snuck into 4, closer to the corner flag, where I wouldn't have the netting impeding my view of the pitch and the ultras’ flags impeding my view of the near goal.  (May I say, I'm not discouraging them.)  Also, it prevented me being jostled and gave me plenty of space to rest my beer.

This is the life...

The game ended in a draw, lit up by two spectacular goals.  Borussia went ahead when a pass out wide allowed the winger to control it then hit it on the outside of his right foot it.  It curled beautifully into what was his far corner.  I was right behind it.

Aachen equalised direct from a free kick and while he took it well, up and over the wall, it seemed a nice height for the keeper.  He was nowhere near it.  The goal certainly raised the atmosphere, but despite 20 minutes left, Alemannia couldn't find a winner.  Are they destined for another season of purgatory?

Full time.

The Damage:

€12 ent

€3 wurst 

€3 beer (x2)

= €21

The Tunes:

Thirst For Romance (Cherry Ghost)

Slowdive (Slowdive)

React Test 1 (Various)

Abbey Road (The Beatles)

Pentamerous Metamorphosis (Global Communication)

New Tivoli panorama

The old Tivoli, tantalisingly near.

Bizarre away entrance...outside stadium, you tunnel UNDER to get in.

The old Tivoli.

Corner of old Tivoli.

Impressive facade.

The home end.

Is that wall (and missing seating) an afterthought?

Come on Alemannia!

The home end welcomes its heroes.

Match action in front of sparse stands.

The near touchline.

Busier on this side.

The Exec side.

Aachen panorama.  Everyone's in this end.  Honest.

Rot-Weiss Oberhausen 0-2 Alemannia Aachen, Tuesday 9th August 2016

Rot-Weiss Oberhausen 0-2 Alemannia Aachen, att. 2,922 (regionalliga west)

Welcome to ...

I think I’ve made a new friend.  At my age.  Having mused for some considerable time over why Rot-Weiss only have 3 floodlight pylons, I decided to ask some random.  ‘Excuse me, do you speak English?’ I asked.  ‘Errrr…yes’ (cos they’re never quite confident enough to say ‘OF COURSE I DO!’, even when they’re fluent.  He didn’t know.  He was Dutch, on his own and liked visiting different grounds to watch football.  And as it transpired, business brought him to Oberhausen on business.  Great minds think alike…

Stadium plan.

Oberhausen.  Rot-Weiss Oberhausen.  Another team I’d wanted to visit for a while.  Yet the reason I wanted to go is probably one of the reasons they are where they are in the regionalliga west.  The stadium has barely changed in 40 years.  There is an athletics track (née speedway track; I’ve seen the photos) and single tier stands on either touchline, with open terraces curved around the ends.  Proper old school.  In opposition, and opposite, are Alemannia Aachen, who find themselves in the same league because of overspending, primarily on a spanking new 32,000 stadium.  So they have one thing in common, both being declared bankrupt, or as near to, in recent times.  

On the right track...

Previously mainstays of Bundesliga 2, this is some comedown for the pair.  RW in particular are in a pickle.  So close to Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, nevermind the 6 minute train journey to Bundesliga 2 Duisburg, they’re a ruhrgebiet side left behind, chasing the good old days of the 1950s when their stadium was full (Wolverhampton Wanderers, without the new stadium?)

Outside the walls.

 Another dream I’ve never had, which happened today, was to ‘high five’ someone dressed in a dog costume.  Pre-match, the RW mascot ‘Underdog’ (!!) came toward me.  I couldn’t leave him (her?) hanging.  I feel there is nothing more for me to achieve on this earth.

Underdog.  That really happened, right?

 Earlier, it was a bit of a walk to the stadium.  Problies going to Duisburg is quicker.  But you WILL be rewarded.  It might be 2 miles or more, and it might take the best part of 45 minutes if you do direct, but you will (should!) encounter Schloss Oberhausen.  Not quite the castles of Bavaria, or England, but nonetheless, it had an exhibition of Marlene Dietrich and the Nazis.  ‘When I’m good I’m good, but when I’m bad I’m better.’  (Marlene Dietrich, not the Nazis.)  Even more thrilling, next door there’s a park, with various animals…goats, sheep, rabbits, deer…wolves (!)…lynx (!!) and all for free.

You lookin' at me?

 From the animal park, across the canal from the stadium, came the noise of the Aachen fans arriving, closely followed by several police fans.  So I was in the right vicinity.  I crossed a footbridge (not recorded on the map given to me at Tourist Info) which was cleverly designed based on a ‘slinky’.  It rocks – literally.

 At the stadium, I realise I must be the only person who doesn’t know ‘Rot-Weiss’ play in red and white.  I was familiar with their badge (a green four leaf clover) and always presumed they played in green.  Sometimes, my brain just does not compute.

The Slinky bridge.

After a little look in the club shop (a portacabin behind the main stand) I grabbed a beer.  The wurst queue was too long.  I’d return with an appetite.  Then it was up the steps to the terrace.  My ticket said Block I, but in reality, you could stand anywhere.  Many were congregated under the roof extension of the main stand.  I presumed these would be their ultras, so I followed the curve and stood opposite – next to their actual ultras.  Generously, the club had ripped out some seats in this stand to allow the ultras to be under the roof.  I can imagine this being preferable to being stuck in the open in an Oberhausen winter.  There were probably about 200 of them, though they largely gave up in the second half, even before RW were losing.

Definitely not the ultras.

 The Aachen fans were given half the terrace behind the other goal and I’d say there were 1500, or about half the crowd.  One good thing about sliding down the leagues in Germany is that it’s not very long before every game is virtually a derby.  Aachen’s fans made noise most of the game and beat their hosts 7-2 on flags.  I think that’s where the game was won, not the two throughballs and identical finishes which Aachen scored late on. 

Looking towards the Aachen fans.

As the full time whistle went, I heard the first demands for the coach to be sacked (RW have lost 3 out of 3 without scoring).  We are not even halfway through August.  More importantly though, why do RW only have 3 floodlights?  (Oh, and I’ve been invited by my new Dutch buddy to come and see Go Ahead Eagles next week.  I’m there.)

The Damage:€8.50

€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)

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

Knee Deep In The North Sea (Portico Quartet)

Late Night Tales (Nils Frahm)

Behind the goal panorama.

Aachen fans enter the stadium.

Back of the terrace, towards the Main Stand.

Back of the terrace, towards the curve.

From the curve to the Main Stand.

One of the three.

Looking toward the ultras.

On the back straight.

The Main Stand.

From a distance...match action.

The ultras.

Behind the goal.

One day these seats will be used.

A stand of two halves.

Sunset over Stadion Niederrhein.