(Ground number 298)
Date of First Visit: 7th March 2013
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia
Anzi Makhachkala 0
Newcastle United 0
Europa League round of 16 1st leg
(Brief trip report---more to follow much later!)
The lang trip to Rushaa started off on the Wednesday mornin' @ '3:30 bells' when the taxi pulled up and we were whisked off to Toon Airport for the '6 bells' flight to Brussels.
From there we boarded wor next flight not lang after landin' and arrived in Moscow some 12 hours after leavin' Tyneside.
Customs waz suprizingleee easy to get through, (which we didn't expect) and we were soon on wor way to wor hotel which waz an hours train ride away plus havin' to negotiate THREE Metro lines to get there!<(it waznt easy!)<(it waz aall in Rushan!)
It waz in the middle of newhere next to a buildin' site and after a quick wash n brush up it waz doon to the bar for a quick pint before heedin' off to Red Square!
Unbelieviblee it waz ower NINE QUID a pint and so I opted to stay 't-total' until we reached Red Square!<(a'd anly brung £100 spendin' money, thinkin' that that would be enough!)
One taxi ride later and we were there, but it wasnt cheap there eetha, with beer between four and six quid a pint!
Next day it waz match day and we decided to gan to the groond orly to suss the place oot before heedin' across Moscow to visit Locomotiv Moscow's groond in the suborbs!
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| "IF YIV EVER WONDERED WHY LOCOMOTIV MOSCOW ARE SO CAALLED***THEN NOW YI NAA!" |
Temperatures were reportedly minus ten in the bitin' wind and so (az yi de!) several liquids were consumed before heedin' back to Red Square for the afternoon session.
From there it waz onward to the match which kicked off at '9 bells' local time (5 in England)
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| TOON FANS TAKE OWER THE LONDON GRILL NEXT TO MOSCOW'S RED SQUARE! |
70 odd faithful who had managed to get visas in time were in the away section behind the goal, plus a fortha 30 or so Rushans who were there to support us, givin us a total followin' of ower 100!
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| SOME OF THE 73 TOON FANS---LOOKIN TOWARDS THE ANZI FANS IN THE MAIN STAND |
Anzi fans were in the main stand and there looked to be 4 or 5,000 of them who had made the thoosand mile jorney from Dagestan az the match kicked off, with the rest of the 78,000 seater stadium totally empty!
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| "IZ THERE ANYBODY THERE!?" (Apart from the 'Secret Police'!) |
And az predicted by us, an understrength Toon X1 side started the game. (see team line up below)
The forst half waz az borin' az it gets and the anly action of note waz when Rob Elliot in The Toon goal tipped a shot ower the bar near the end of the half!
The plastic pitch didnt help of course and the 2nd half wasnt much better although Ben Arfa makin' hiz retorn after injury shud have done better when he tried to chip their keeper in front of the 73 Toon fans!
Obertan aalso had a rare shot that he blazed ower the bar but that waz aboot it and we look forward to the 2nd leg next Thorsday @ St James'
Toon team: Elliot, Simpson, Yanga, Perch, Haidara, Cabaye (Tiote 84), Anita (Steve Taylor 75), Ben Arfa (Shola Ameobi 64), Marveaux, Obertan, Sissoko
Attendance: 5,000 (73 Toon fans plus 30 Rushan Geordies az mentioned!)
It waz then back to Red Square for somemore liquid refrehments before heedin' back to the hotel in the orly hours!
By the next day the 'bit' had run oot and we had to get some more to satisfy wor 'thirst requirements'! and it waz then the 'torturous' jorney back yem via the Moscow Metro/train/2 flights and then WOR Metro from Toon Airport and finally a bus from 'the Central' and I arrived at mee front door @ '10:30 pm bells last neet totally 'cream crackered'!--"ZZZZZzzzzz!!!!!"
More fotoz from Rushaa!
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^"IZ THIS BLACKPOOOL IN DISGUISE!?"^   |
