Best Matchday Experience Europe

brianblaze

Hi All

Myself and two of my mates are all getting married (not to each other) within three months of each other, so we're thinking of taking a weekend away to go watch a random team in Europe.

My question: What's the best European game experience you've had. (Non UK/ Ireland) I mean best fans, atmosphere, area, grounds etc... I was thinking Molde, but drink is too expensive.

Amirani

Dortmund in terms of the match experience, it's not a fantastic city though.

Munich is good. I've been to the Allianz but haven't been to a game.

Some other contenders to consider: Sparta Prague, Saint Pauli, Valencia.

brianblaze

I was thinking St Pauli too, but they have that Nazi reputation. Despite the best efforts of their board.

Amirani

brianblaze wrote: »

I was thinking St Pauli too, but they have that Nazi reputation. Despite the best efforts of their board.

They're on the opposite end of the political spectrum to the Nazis, good bunch of lads. Hamburg is a pretty cool city too.

Lovely Bloke

I was at Hertha Berlin with a group a few year ago, brilliant day.

homerjay2005

go to the ireland games in Austria or germany...i did 5 last year and they are simply amazing.

apart from that, a local domestic game in Poland is the say to go!

brianblaze

Kaiserslautern v St Pauli in April next year in Hamburg... Sorted.

Cheers guys!

Neil3030

brianblaze wrote: »

I was thinking St Pauli too, but they have that Nazi reputation. Despite the best efforts of their board.

Really?

I would have thought St Pauli were about as far as you could possibly get from Nazism?

.jacksparrow.

Mourinho talks some tripe, talk about going on about Rooney whilst saying we can't talk anymore about him, he is gettin on my nerves already.

Oat23

Neil3030 wrote: »

Really?

I would have thought St Pauli were about as far as you could possibly get from Nazism?

and the fact that they rave so much about how anti-everything they are he got confused and thought they were pro. When you think of nazi and football, Pauli are one of the teams that spring to mind.

Lawrence1895

I'm too late, but anyway...

Borussia Dortmund should be top of the list, the Westfalenstadion is magnificent, the Suedtribuene with 28000 the biggest standing area in Europe, and about the city itself? There is the Westfalenpark and the beer, which made Dortmund famous :cool:

Nemanja91

Lars1916 wrote: »

I'm too late, but anyway...

Borussia Dortmund should be top of the list, the Westfalenstadion is magnificent, the Suedtrinuene with 28000 the biggest standing area in Europe, and about the city itself? There is the Westfalenpark and the beer, which made Dortmund famous :cool:

How easy (or hard) is it to get tickets for a Dortmund game?

dan1895

Went to Hamburg myself for my stag and got in HSV against Dortmund. Cracking game and two very friendly sets of fans that mingled well and drank with us into the wee hours of the following morning.

Lawrence1895

Nemanja91 wrote: »

How easy (or hard) is it to get tickets for a Dortmund game?

Depends on the match, I would say. the big ones against Bay*** or Sch**** are sold out in no time. But there is plenty of other matches, you just have to ring the ticket hotline first thing in the morning and you'll be grand. And no worries, they all speak English in Borussia Dortmund's HQ.

brianblaze

Our one rule was no top tier games, unless it was in a Scandinavian league, so no Dortmund.

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

Ulysses Gaze

You could try Spain - Deportivo La Coruna have been relegated to the Segunda so would be a good bet. A Coruna is a nice city and the fans are pretty vocal.

If you didn't have the Top Flight rule I'd say the Seville Derby at the Sanchez Pizjuan or Benito Villamarin.

Absolutely amazing athmosphere.

Lawrence1895

brianblaze wrote: »

Our one rule was no top tier games, unless it was in a Scandinavian league, so no Dortmund.

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

You could go for one of the matches in the 3.Liga (third division) in Germany, some good teams in there...well...apart from Red Bull Leipzig, one of those plastic teams with no history or tradition.

Ulysses Gaze

Lars1916 wrote: »

You could go for one of the matches in the 3.Liga (third division) in Germany, some good teams in there...well...apart from Red Bull Leipzig, one of those plastic teams with no history or tradition.

Is that a reincarnation of Lokomotiv Leipzig?

A Dub in Glasgo

brianblaze wrote: »

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

Was one of them to seek advice on boards.ie?

Lawrence1895

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

Is that a reincarnation of Lokomotiv Leipzig?

Ah no, they are still active. They just play their big games in the Red Bull Arena, instead of the Bruno Plache Stadion, as directed by the Police. Security reasons, so they say.

RB Leipzig was just founded in 2009, taking over the licence from a club called SV Markranstaedt.

brianblaze

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Was one of them to seek advice on boards.ie?

Less of a rule, more of a fact finding mission...

major bill

Ive never been fortunate enough to see a live match on the continent but anyone thats been to Dortmund for a game has always said good things about it aswell as Hamburg

carlop

Slightly against the home game rule but a Rayo Vallecano match could be fun if you get tickets in with the Bukaneros. Madrid is a great city for a weekend and Vallecas is a fairly unique matchday experience, especially if you like a whiff of weed at your football.

dfx-

brianblaze wrote: »

Our one rule was no top tier games, unless it was in a Scandinavian league, so no Dortmund.

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

1860 Munich in Allianz Arena. 2. Bundesliga. About 25,000 regular attendance. You can buy a ticket the night before...in the bottom tier too.

Decent atmosphere on the u-bahn to the ground and atmosphere/flags/songs/banners etc in the opposite end to the munich games (north end - left of the camera side). Only thing is, they can go three or four weeks without a home game.

Fr Tod Umptious

brianblaze wrote: »

Our one rule was no top tier games, unless it was in a Scandinavian league, so no Dortmund.

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

Went to Dusseldorf in 2 Bundasliga a few years ago, first game of the season v Papendom or something like that.

Absolutely terrible, 40k stadium with about 15k in it, was above the main section of home fans who were lively but that was all.

Xavi6

brianblaze wrote: »

Our one rule was no top tier games, unless it was in a Scandinavian league, so no Dortmund.

These were very complicated rules concocted in the pub last night.

In that case, Copenhagen should be a consideration. Cracking stadium and fans, and the city itself is class.

CSF

You should have been going for Dortmund but if you're following those rules then Stromsgodset (from Drammen beside Oslo) should be next on the list!!!

Amirani

Xavi6 wrote: »

In that case, Copenhagen should be a consideration. Cracking stadium and fans, and the city itself is class.

I love the city, but it's very expensive to go out in. The acceptance of public drinking does balance it out though somewhat.

Matt_Trakker

Oat23 wrote: »

and the fact that they rave so much about how anti-everything they are he got confused and thought they were pro. When you think of nazi and football, Pauli are one of the teams that spring to mind.

They really shouldn't then. They are very far from being pro-Nazi. Very, very far.

2nd tier leagues:
Poland (but you'll need club approved ID cards - i.e, you'll need to go to the clubs a day before a match to get them printed, kind of like a photo ID), Italy, :pac:, Portugal, Holland (Amsterdam for a stag might be dangerous!), Belgium, Sweden.

adaminho

brianblaze wrote: »

Kaiserslautern v St Pauli in April next year in Hamburg... Sorted.

Cheers guys!

Make sure you get yourself down to the Fish market on a Sunday morning, you haven't done Hamburg properly until you spend Saturday night on the Rieperbahn followed by a stroll around the fish market on a Sunday morning. Basically as soon as all the clubs shut the bars in the market open so its like the ultimate walk of shame with pubs open at 5 in the morning.

jester77

brianblaze wrote: »

I was thinking St Pauli too, but they have that Nazi reputation. Despite the best efforts of their board.

ehh They couldn't be more anti-nazi if they tried.

The atmosphere for the St. Pauli games is amazing, especially if you get in near the Ultras. Very hard to near impossible to get tickets for some of their games, plus they have alcohol restrictions is place for certain games.

CSF

Lads, are St Pauli nazi or anti-nazi?

jester77

CSF wrote: »

Lads, are St Pauli nazi or anti-nazi?

That_Guy

Dalymount...

brianblaze

adaminho wrote: »

Fish market on a Sunday morning

Smell of fish with a hangover?!?!

jester77

brianblaze wrote: »

Smell of fish with a hangover?!?!

Nothing better than some smoked eel on a Sunday morning, plus they have proper beer here that doesn't give a hangover

I am pie

NiallSparky wrote: »

They're on the opposite end of the political spectrum to the Nazis, good bunch of lads. Hamburg is a pretty cool city too.

I hated Hamburg with a passion. Red light district is grim unless that's your thing, the rest of the bars were completely charmless. Ran into a bunch of nutty locals who were not impressed that I was from Belfast and not a Rangers fan. They had Rangers tattoos!!

Not impressed.

LiamoSail

I went to see babelsberg v st Pauli around this time last yr in a friendly. Amazing atmosphere, both sets of fans were unreal, no hassle whatsoever (the two groups of fans have a friendship thing, akin to Celtic & st Pauli)

The standard of football wasn't amazing, but the atmosphere, the craic, and the few days in Berlin more then made up for that

losthorizon

Ajax is good but bring a passport and a bill with a name and address on it. You need to become a member first before going to the game.

markc1184

I was at the Malmo vs Drogs game last week and even though there was under 6000 at the game the Malmo fans made a fantastic atmosphere. I'd like to see it with a full stadium. The city itself is nice although expensive, nice newish stadium and easily accessible from Copenhagen.