An article from yesterday's International Herald Tribune
This article pretty much sums up what we've just experienced in Germany... We didn't make it to Berlin, but every city had a fan fest and each once we visited was full of people from all over the world here to party and soak in the fun.
Vantage Point: The mysterious pattern of fans and friends at the Gate
Rob Hughes International Herald Tribune
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006-->Published: June 21, 2006
Germany is rising again, and not just in the stadium. It was harder to book a place at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of Berlin, than it was to buy a ticket for the Olympiastadion just nine kilometers away on Tuesday evening.
Indeed, out on the street and on the boulevard they are calling "Fan Mile," we were 500,000 people without tickets for the ball, but nevertheless a part of the phenomenon of mass support that Jürgen Klinsmann, the national coach, praised as part of the team effort.
Well, we were certainly shedding our share of sweat in the cause.
Under the sweltering sun, some of us got nowhere near the Gate - for that you had to arrive well before lunch. No matter, once the Berlin authorities realized what a fever was spreading, they arranged for large screens right down that so-called Mile, and even in the brightest light we knew enough to recognize the goal scorers.
Never, it seems, in the history of soccer has a game played by so few been cheered by so many. We watched it in the park, in the alleyways and at the very gate that has been synonymous with war and peace, and with division here on the east side of Germany.
But were the multitudes here to party or to live the day? Were they soccer fans or people following a trend and coming out of their homes and their places of work and their schools to share in something for once free of charge?
The first goal told us. As the ball was cut back to Miroslav Klose, there was a collective holding of breath. As he struck it, there was almost silence, and then the explosion of noise, the waving of tens of thousands of black, red and yellow flags, the shrieking of women's voices, and the child near me who simply jumped up and down on the spot shouting, "Tor! Tor! Tor!" Goal, goal, goal.
Who scored that, I asked five schoolgirls. Klose, they said.
What country is he from?
Deutschland.
You sure? I heard he was born in Poland.
One of the five knew that. But anyway, modern Germany is like modern anywhere else when it comes to taking the talents from wherever and adopting the winners. The girls had a parasol acclaiming another German, who also was to score a goal, and he too, Lukas Podolski, came from across that Polish border.
Maybe that is why the Germans are winning, and the Poles are going home.
But as I wandered around the throng, among more nationalities than one could count, there was an element of tolerance, an absence of threat. It was exactly what the organizers had said they wanted: soccer as the means to friendship.
If truth be told, this is normal for World Cups. The technology that has allowed for big screens to be visible even on so bright a day is fresh, but way back in 1978 in Buenos Aires, onward to Mexico City in 1986 and to every stop the World Cup circus has visited in its four-year cycle, there has been far more evidence of supporters reveling in a melting pot rather than skirmishing in the hooligan fashion that dominates the headlines.
Last week, when Germany met Poland, there had been, according to the police, fewer than 100 arrests, mostly for minor offenses, out of a crowd put at 500,000. How you count that crowd, especially when you are in the thick of it, heaven knows.
But as I write this, the sound of Berliners driving the streets, tooting horns, yelling the names of the Mannschaft, the team, are part of the more modern outpouring of nationhood.
Or is it nationalism?
There was a certain eeriness to standing among so many thousands in the park as the anthem "Deutschland, über alles" was relayed from inside the stadium where Hitler staged his 1936 Olympic Games.
This feeling passed, but it was inevitable, given that one's own mother had fled Berlin, her family never to be united again. And as part of life's mysterious pattern, she had been born in Gdansk, which then was a free state closer to Poland than Germany.
These things matter when we have a game, promoted by FIFA, soccer's governing body, identifying itself as a unifying force with United Nations approval. So long as we can keep the hooligans down, so long as the police have as calm a time as they appeared to be having on the Fan Mile, so much better for the game.
Soccer moves with, sometimes ahead, of the times, and there were youths in this mass of humankind who were listening to their hand-held computers, their mobile phones, filling in the details of those movements that were sometimes a blur to us.
Along the Mile, I met the Straube family from Cologne. They had booked their day when Podolski still belonged to FC Cologne, but no matter, they were here, they said, for "the fest."
These English words creep in. The Fan Mile. The fest. And the CNN factor of asking 18 times a day for viewers to send in their photographs and video of the wackiest celebrations they get up to. It is again a modern cult, fan or subscriber involvement.
If we think it is not exactly the roots of soccer support that families come out onto the streets this way - not German families - maybe we should think back to 1954. Franz Beckenbauer, simply known as "the Kaiser" of German football, says he was 9 years old the day the team of Fritz Walter achieved the Miracle of Bern, beating the Magical Magyars of Hungary in the final.
When the team returned home, Franz was on the streets to greet it. His mother had sewn the number 10, Walter's number, on his shirt. And this child, who had listened to the game on radio, formed the dream that took him to captain West Germany to win the World Cup in 1974, to coach the West German champion again in 1990, and to be president of the World Cup organization in 2006.
Sport is different from much of life in that respect. As I left the partying in the park, a boy, probably about 9, was trying the salsa, the somersault that is Klose's signature celebration whenever he scores a goal.
Innocence at the Brandenburg Gate.
Amsterdam... Round 2
After a mad scramble to find a hotel (we cancelled Hotel Hortus and reccomend you don't stay in it unless its your last resort). We found hotel 83. In the heart of the red light district... ok so far (for an amsterdam hotel).
last day and 2 nights to party then home...
Trinidad 0 - 2 Paraguay
After 3 great days in Nurnberg, we travelled south to Munich to watch the Brazil Australia game at the fan fest.
Munich is a wonderful city. Had a few litres of beer at the Hopbrahaus, then went tot he fan fest ( couldn´t get tickets for less than €500 per in the cheap seats). Got there 2 hrs before kick off and the fan fest was at capacity. Couldnät get in. So went back to Hopbrahaus (sp?) and watched it there. Great scene, great city. 24 hrs wasn´t near enough.
Then came to Mannheim for the Trini Paraguay game. Mannheim is pretty boring (its a US military base), but snuck into the trini team hotel and got pics and autographs with dwight yorke, shaka and the boys. Yesterday went to the fan fest in Kaiserslatern then the game. Kaiserslatern is a sleepy city of about 100,000 feels a lot like ballyclare though. They really pulled out the stops though, great spirit fully backing the TNT.
Tough game, TNT didn´t play as well as they did previously. Good party as alway.
Sorry for the sloppy posting we got in at 5 am. Brain not functioning properly and german keyboards (while better than czech are difficult). The pace is beginning to wear us down a bit. 1 day of Travel, followed by 24 -48 hrs of partying and then a rest day is getting tough on the old dogs...
Side notes:
I would love a slurpee today, must be the winnipegger in me
We all would kill for some water "without gas." Carbonated water sucks.
Me and warren were commenting how much we´d like to hear the news in English...
If we hear Oh-oh-eeee-oh trinidad tobago once more from one of our german hosts, we may not make it home safe and sound...
Septic (Celtic) Fans...
Assuming the usual position...
England 2 - 0 TNT
Well then... Met up with Kenny, Robbie and Martin & Luke again.
The sweden game was pretty awesome, the england game was that much better. Seats were great, lower level, 17th row in the corner by the england keepers right.
Basically other than 3 or 4 sections of trini's the place was full of English. They were in full throat to start and hearing "God save the Queen" made shivers go up and down my spine.
After that I really didn´t hear much of them, Iäm not sure whether it was because I was so close to the Trini drums (3 seats over in my row) and we had some great chants going, or because the genuinely got quiet as the game wore on.
Other imprssions...
how david beckham won man of the match is beyond anyone who was remotely close to the building. Yeah he set up the Peter Crouch goal, but that was because Arron Lennon came on and torched the TNT Left back about four times in a row. TNT sent two guys to defend agains him and that gave beckham the space to create the goal. Otherwise he looked mediocre at best.
Michael Owen looked lost, I predict this will be his last tournament with England. Joe Cole looked good, Arron Lennon even better. Peter Crouch isn't much to see, a bit of a hot-dog and his goal was a foul. Dwight Yorke was brilliant again. Steven Gerrard's goal was a beautie...
Oh and the TNT goal was not offside.
Nurnberg is a pretty nice town. The Stadium is on the old colleseum grounds (site of the 1933 rallies and then the Nurnberg trials after the war). The colleseum now holds the documentation building that chronicles the horrors of the 3rd reich (will check the out today). As well as the stadium, the Fan Fest is there too.Its pretty awesome to think that this site is now being used as a gathering point for people all over the world.
After the game went to the fan fest and danced to some soca, calypso. Had a couple of beers.
Our german hosts have been excellent thus far. Kenny and Robbie have said they've really taken to TNT. They´ve really put on a great party and have gone out of their way to be friendly and welcoming. Even the english are impressed.
Our hosts in Essen (for the Dortmund game against sweden) were fantastic. Anne Weisberg and her family went out of their way to help us and make us feel welcome, they even drove us to the game (it was a 20 min train ride). The house we rented was excellent and we agree that if you are ever in the Westfallen area you contact Anne and rent from her. Thank you Anne, Hanna and Andreas!!!!
Big Bad Vader, Anne, Hanna, Andreas & K-Man
Last day in Prague
Its our last day in Prague, and this city is the most beautiful city I have visited, ever. Its even nicer than Paris... Its nice to see part of Europe that has been untouched by the war, or communism's "gray box" architecture.
The people here are very friendly, even when they think you're a yankee. Though you can pick them out a mile away, the americans are generally the over-weight ones who look like a fish out of water....
The whole town has been caught up with world cup fever. In the Old town square, they've put up a giant tv screen and have a vendors selling beer (which is very, very good) and food in among the sidewalk cafes. The square is packed with natives (who are very friendly) and other tourists. In all a great atmosphere to watch a football game at, especially the Czech/US or the Brazil game yesterday.
Its really too bad north americans can't get into this, it totally out classes any of the "big" sports back home. It makes the Red Mile, or Whyte Ave, or whatever look pretty puny.
Young ones please avert your eyes...
Blasting down the autobhan at 180 km/h we see this...
Paris snaps will provide comments later
Day: -1 Paris
The Paris Opera House just down the street from my hotel.
Day -1: Knoxy in Paris
Before meeting the boys in Amsterdam, I, Knoxy spent a day travelling around Paris. Beatiful city. Will have to go back and spend some more time there. Didn't have a lot of time, as I got in around 10:00 am and left the next day at 5:30 am.
The French, for the most part, were pretty cool about me mangling their language. Its been a while since I had any fluentcy and after grade 10 french I think I threw my textbook and notes into the Red River...
the next few posts will contain some of my snaps from Paris...
We have arrived
All except Robbie (who's coming tomorrow) have made it safe and sound in Amsterdam. Kenstar and Martin got here yesterday, Knoxy spent yesterday aux Paris and K-man, Rolf and Warren have just awoken from a afternoon nap. We're about to head out and catch the end of the Costa Rica\Germany game (3-2 Germany as I write this).
Computer here is too slow to post pics.
