"It's Just Like Watching Brazil"

The Anthems Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm

I am just back from a great trip to Stockholm to watch the National Team, the only British team to have some success this week!
Justin and Kate Turner treated me to a day trip to Stockholm to watch Northern Ireland play Sweden. We joined our fellow Northern Ireland supporters (The Green and White Army) at the Stadium. The atmosphere was amazing and it is not hard to see why Uefa selected them as the Best Fans in Europe, they are totally nuts, they just sing and sing and sing. We arrived nearly two hours before the game, the fans were singing and we stayed on long after the game, they were still singing and as we walked to the coach we could still hear them singing their hearts out in the Stadium. The songs are actually funny, the crowd are out for a good night and are really enjoying themselves. Lots of typical Ulster humour; slightly black and self deprecating! After baiting the Swedish fans all night with their songs, they then started to sing "we love you Sweden" as the Swedish fans left; they in turn left clapping and waving at the Northern Irish fans.
The atmosphere was so infectious and uplifting that they should bottle it and sell it!


The Game.

The game itself was very good, Northern Ireland played really well right from the start. The same cannot be said of Sweden, although they scored the first goal. The Northern Irish Players kept on sweeping forward and eventually in the second half, Kyle Lafferty scored a beautiful goal. At this point I got showered in beer as everyone's arms shot up in the air, but who cares we were deservedly level.
Although we came close to a win, we had to settle for a draw. There was no doubt Northern Ireland were the better team, not only did they beat Sweden in Belfast they now humiliated Sweden by getting a draw in Stockholm!. The Swedish press were boasting that the Northern Ireland team were 'Lambs to the Slaughter' (Kate brought some blow up sheep!) and they were expecting to book their place in the finals as a result of this game. However yet again 'Our wee country' set back the plans of another of the mightier teams, by taking 4 points in total from them!


The Green and White Army

Earlier in the day I did some sightseeing in Stockholm, a really beautiful city. I really must return.



The Flag of Northern Ireland