Lech Poznan 1-0 Zaglebie Sosnowiec
INEA Stadium
15/03/16
Att: 12,885
As many may have noted, my domestic football intake this season has dramatically dwindled as I've looked to go to different places in order to watch football. There wasn't any particular reason I'd chosen this week, but I often get fed up and play around with dates on flight searches to find something convenient (Post-exam blow out in Bucharest anyone?), and luck would have it I could squeeze in this game in Poznan for £23 return. This would've been a no brainer anyway, but I worked out I could do it at the sacrifice of only 1 important seminar at uni and the team Lech were playing are often in the news for all the wrong reasons off the pitch so knew there'd be a good opportunity for some decent photos. I dwindled over the decision, but as I flipped a chicken for the 100th time I snapped and as soon as I got my break I'd booked the flight. Texting Phil of my misdemeanour he more or less confirmed that this was a good idea and he confirmed he would be in attendance via a 12 hour train from Holland (the hours on trains we've put in for you lot this season!)
So with little preparation we met up in Poznan main square at our hotel. Our hotel was a microbrewery and directly opposite was a pub with stupid cheap Vodka and stupid cheap beer. Summary of the night isn't needed, but even Joe Glidewell would've been impressed with the state I got into. Matchday saw us first at Warta Poznan's overgrown old ground, and then across the road to their rather smart new one. A huge contrast of both, and photos will be online soon. After a customary nap - I refuse to go a full day without a nap - it was time to get a taxi the 5km or so out to the INEA stadium ahead of this Polish Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg.
Around the ground was absolutely dead. Bar a small club shop and a sports bar, there isn't much to do so we settled for standing and watching the away fans be escorted in and then finding our seats. The ground is certainly one of the better new builds I've been to, with the stages it was built in meaning that it is unique on the eye. Certainly you'd know it was poznan if you saw photo's. It was also pleasing to see a large(ish) crowd, although it was half expected. Both sets of fans created a good spectacle off the pitch - well the away fans did when a) they actually came into the away end and b) they started singing in the 12th minute. As with previous Polish games it was interesting to note that there isn't much of a rhythm to what was happening off the pitch. Rather it was just constant, loud noise. In the second half there were two pyroshows. Firstly Sosnowiec (with friends from Legia Warsaw) with red and green flares, then Lech with these sparkler type things (photo'd) which I haven't seen used before. On the pitch, Lech should count themselves very, very lucky to be going into next month's second leg with a 1-0 lead.
After the game we waited for the crowd to die down in the aforementioned bar. A very, very smart bar with lots of TV's to watch the Champions League and at accustomed cheap Polish prices. After about 2.5 hours in here it was back to the Microbrewery/Hotel to see off the evening. I was looking at doing the return leg, but with trips to Serbia, Bosnia and Romania in the next 8 weeks I felt it'd be a stretch to a) get time off work and b) give suitable attention to my upcoming Uni exams. However, for those concerned, from next February a lot of Polish football is going to be added to the site if you like what you see.
Please keep checking back for Phil's updates on Yorkshire/Belgian/Dutch/German football. My next blog will be the Sarajevo derby and hopefully whoever finishes 4th in the Serbian Superliga v Zvezda at the end of the month. Until then!
So with little preparation we met up in Poznan main square at our hotel. Our hotel was a microbrewery and directly opposite was a pub with stupid cheap Vodka and stupid cheap beer. Summary of the night isn't needed, but even Joe Glidewell would've been impressed with the state I got into. Matchday saw us first at Warta Poznan's overgrown old ground, and then across the road to their rather smart new one. A huge contrast of both, and photos will be online soon. After a customary nap - I refuse to go a full day without a nap - it was time to get a taxi the 5km or so out to the INEA stadium ahead of this Polish Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg.
Around the ground was absolutely dead. Bar a small club shop and a sports bar, there isn't much to do so we settled for standing and watching the away fans be escorted in and then finding our seats. The ground is certainly one of the better new builds I've been to, with the stages it was built in meaning that it is unique on the eye. Certainly you'd know it was poznan if you saw photo's. It was also pleasing to see a large(ish) crowd, although it was half expected. Both sets of fans created a good spectacle off the pitch - well the away fans did when a) they actually came into the away end and b) they started singing in the 12th minute. As with previous Polish games it was interesting to note that there isn't much of a rhythm to what was happening off the pitch. Rather it was just constant, loud noise. In the second half there were two pyroshows. Firstly Sosnowiec (with friends from Legia Warsaw) with red and green flares, then Lech with these sparkler type things (photo'd) which I haven't seen used before. On the pitch, Lech should count themselves very, very lucky to be going into next month's second leg with a 1-0 lead.
After the game we waited for the crowd to die down in the aforementioned bar. A very, very smart bar with lots of TV's to watch the Champions League and at accustomed cheap Polish prices. After about 2.5 hours in here it was back to the Microbrewery/Hotel to see off the evening. I was looking at doing the return leg, but with trips to Serbia, Bosnia and Romania in the next 8 weeks I felt it'd be a stretch to a) get time off work and b) give suitable attention to my upcoming Uni exams. However, for those concerned, from next February a lot of Polish football is going to be added to the site if you like what you see.
Please keep checking back for Phil's updates on Yorkshire/Belgian/Dutch/German football. My next blog will be the Sarajevo derby and hopefully whoever finishes 4th in the Serbian Superliga v Zvezda at the end of the month. Until then!