Phil had a spare ticket for the Euro 2012 quarter-final in Kiev. With a few weeks to go before the tournament started I hedged my bets that England would finish second in their group (behind France) and play in that particular match.
Luckily for me that's exactly what happened, and so I found myself on a plane heading out to eastern Europe to watch the biggest game for England since the 2010 World Cup defeat to Germany.
Phil, Mark Baker and I were staying in a converted apartment block at the end of one of the metro lines.
It was a part of town which saw little tourism. A suburban, anonymous district with stark Soviet-era estates and derelict parks.
We spent a lot of time over the weekend in the massive fanpark which took over the main avenue running through the centre of the city. The usual spread of nationalities were present, with the Swedes out in huge numbers.
We had a good drink on the day of the match with Mat and Paul, plus Kev Ford and others, in a quiet park nearby. Nothing like being in a city ahead of a massive international match for your country.
Sadly the game was a forgettable one, as England once again flattered to deceive and lost on penalties to a side who had clearly prepared better. I added it to my collection of 'I was there' penalty nightmares, alongside Lisbon 2004 and Gelsenkirchen 2006. Things never change.
Here are some pics from the trip:
Luckily for me that's exactly what happened, and so I found myself on a plane heading out to eastern Europe to watch the biggest game for England since the 2010 World Cup defeat to Germany.
Phil, Mark Baker and I were staying in a converted apartment block at the end of one of the metro lines.
It was a part of town which saw little tourism. A suburban, anonymous district with stark Soviet-era estates and derelict parks.
We spent a lot of time over the weekend in the massive fanpark which took over the main avenue running through the centre of the city. The usual spread of nationalities were present, with the Swedes out in huge numbers.
We had a good drink on the day of the match with Mat and Paul, plus Kev Ford and others, in a quiet park nearby. Nothing like being in a city ahead of a massive international match for your country.
Sadly the game was a forgettable one, as England once again flattered to deceive and lost on penalties to a side who had clearly prepared better. I added it to my collection of 'I was there' penalty nightmares, alongside Lisbon 2004 and Gelsenkirchen 2006. Things never change.
Here are some pics from the trip:
