In life these odd coincidences happen that affect where you are and what you do at a certain time. I ended up watching ladies football in Belarus! It was all through Shaun Schofield and the fact that we met in Gillingham in Kent to watch the football match between Northern Ireland and England. We made plans to head to an away game and the next one was in Belarus, so that's where we went! I say 'we', but Shaun had to pull out due to work commitments. I was on a round the world trip and timed it so that I was in Moscow the day before and then flew to Minsk in Belarus before boarding a train to Bobruisk. I was the only Northern Ireland fan at the match!
I watched the team train and enjoyed the team talk by manager Alfie Wylie. I was also presented with a signed shirt by team captain Stacey Hall. A valued possession. I then soaked in the pre-match atmosphere in the tiny, but clean Sparta Stadium (home of Belshina Belarus) and sat myself down as the only Northern Ireland fan at the match. If any moment in my life convinced me of my desire, passion and love of being on this planet, then that all hit me forever in urban Bobruisk. Don't Stop Living would from then on be my phrase. A phrase which I coined in August 2001 while in Toronto, Canada.
In the hotel in Bobruisk I met an Irish Australian guy called Owen and him and his mate Albert joined me in the Northern Irish end for the match. I sang my heart of for 90 minutes to inspire the Northern Ireland ladies team against Belarus, but we went 1-0 down in the first half and never recovered. The final score was 5-0 but I sang loud and proud for the entire match. Belarus had won and I had enjoyed the match. The locals didn't seem to appreciate my singing too much as the police had to escort me from them towards the end! It was all a bit of fun.
After the match and the sad 5-0 defeat the local fans bombarded me for presents as they assumed I was a rich westerner. I wasn't - I was a backpacker but I spared them a key ring before catching the bus back to Minsk, the country's capital city. On arrival in Minsk and after checking into the hotel, it was time for a pint of beer and I found a bar called Drozhzy United, some odd Irish themed pub near a square. Nice to relax with a beer after a manic day out!
So after all that my journey to Belarus came to an end - what an experience and I was heading to Warsaw in Poland next!
Match statistics:
Belarus 5:0 Northern Ireland
(Kazeeva, Tatarynova 2, Davydovich, Kuzniatsova)
Beers Tried - Grinitska, Dnyaprouskaye.
Bars I was in - Drozhzy United Irish Bar and Hotel Minsk Bar.
I watched the team train and enjoyed the team talk by manager Alfie Wylie. I was also presented with a signed shirt by team captain Stacey Hall. A valued possession. I then soaked in the pre-match atmosphere in the tiny, but clean Sparta Stadium (home of Belshina Belarus) and sat myself down as the only Northern Ireland fan at the match. If any moment in my life convinced me of my desire, passion and love of being on this planet, then that all hit me forever in urban Bobruisk. Don't Stop Living would from then on be my phrase. A phrase which I coined in August 2001 while in Toronto, Canada.
In the hotel in Bobruisk I met an Irish Australian guy called Owen and him and his mate Albert joined me in the Northern Irish end for the match. I sang my heart of for 90 minutes to inspire the Northern Ireland ladies team against Belarus, but we went 1-0 down in the first half and never recovered. The final score was 5-0 but I sang loud and proud for the entire match. Belarus had won and I had enjoyed the match. The locals didn't seem to appreciate my singing too much as the police had to escort me from them towards the end! It was all a bit of fun.
After the match and the sad 5-0 defeat the local fans bombarded me for presents as they assumed I was a rich westerner. I wasn't - I was a backpacker but I spared them a key ring before catching the bus back to Minsk, the country's capital city. On arrival in Minsk and after checking into the hotel, it was time for a pint of beer and I found a bar called Drozhzy United, some odd Irish themed pub near a square. Nice to relax with a beer after a manic day out!
So after all that my journey to Belarus came to an end - what an experience and I was heading to Warsaw in Poland next!
Match statistics:
Belarus 5:0 Northern Ireland
(Kazeeva, Tatarynova 2, Davydovich, Kuzniatsova)
Beers Tried - Grinitska, Dnyaprouskaye.
Bars I was in - Drozhzy United Irish Bar and Hotel Minsk Bar.
About the Author:
For more Football facts from Anthony and Jonny, head to the marvellous site on football elevens for some fascinating facts.. Free reprint available from: Belarus 5-0 Northern Ireland Ladies.
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