Non Rangers Games Abroad You've Attended?

DeeGer10

DeeGer10

Well-Known Member
Can anyone share their experience of games they've been to abroad? Working on a wee project and keen to hear about some games people have been to.

Anywhere from La Liga to Los Angeles Brazil to Bosnia.

Would be interested to hear just a general review, atmosphere, the build up, ticket cost, ease of getting tickets, the pre game drinks the city itself etc. Just anything linked to the whole experience.
 
JerseyLoyalist said:
Went to an Indian league game in Goa.The local side against a side from Mumbai.
Put it this way,it was different.
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What made it different obviously I understand it would be but how would you review it? How was the game atmosphere etc if you don't mind sharing.
 
Ghana - went to see Accra Hearts who are mysteriously nicknamed Phobia v some other mob.
Working over there and met a Danish bloke at hotel and we thought it would be a good idea, got absolutely steaming, bought a hat.
 
Been to a Spanish Super Cup (Barca v Betis), a few lower tier Spanish games (CF Vilanova) and MLS (Chicago Fire)
 
Went to Sevilla vs Granada in January 2020. Apparently it was a local derby but the atmosphere was pretty non existant and was only about 3/4 full. Lots of families and kids. Just different from what we are used to. Everyone was eating these little seeds aswell. No pies. It was bizarre. Was on my 3rd beer before i realised they were non alcoholic. Can't buy drink there either apparently.

All that made it sound bad but i was still an amazing experience :))
 
I went to a Wisla Krakow game while over there for a few days. Me and the girlfriend headed to the stadium a good couple of hours early for a few beers etc only to turn up and be advised that due to the opponent the sale of alcohol wasn’t allowed, sickener!! The tickets were pennies, we bought a scarf each inside the ground for a wee souvenir and they cost more than our tickets for the game(great seats). The match was halted for a while as both sets of fans were throwing fireworks/flares at each other. I felt the standard of football was p*sh.
 
Fenerbahce Karabukaspor
Villarreal Liverpool
Bordeaux Liverpool
Real Madrid Liverpool
Augsburg Liverpool
Dortmund Liverpool
Sevilla Liverpool
Sweden Ireland
Romania Switzerland
 
I went to watch KAA Gent vs Lokeren when I was in Belgium a few years ago. I was absolutely hanging out my arse and nearly didn't go. I was stopped by security and told that I couldn't take my bag in with me, but all the contents of the bag were fair game. Cue me putting on a shirt and hat and cramming fags, sunglasses, phone charger, adapter and a bunch of other stuff wherever I could find a pocket and throwing the bag in the bin before I could get in.

The game itself was alright; I think Gent won 3-0. The pitch was on a sort of raised platform, so there was a channel between the stands and the pitch that looked to be fairly deep. You couldn't pay for pints in cash so I'd had to get a payment card beforehand that had €10 on it, but pints were €2.60 so I could only get 3. They only had Maes as well, which is piss water.
 
Was at Inter v Hellas 2 years ago in the San Siri and met some daft Irish c**t who heard my accent and tried to get wide. Maybe hadn’t helped when I used certain words to describe Liam Henderson as he came on as a sub for Hellas...

Most random - ended up at Rapid Bucharest v Poli Timisoara in the 2nd tier of Romania when I was teaching out there. Potentially the worst game of football I have ever saw live and I was at Stirling Albion when we lost 1-0.

Also been to a good few CD Tenerife games and other non-league matches on the island with my old man when we’ve been on holiday there over the last 10 years.
 
Wazza said:
If there are any specifically you want to know from on here I will help. This is my pennant collection from every Club I’ve watched a match at outside of Britain.





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What was the best game you've been to?

If you had to recommend somewhere most of us won't have considered, is there anywhere that sticks out?
 
Porto vs Leverkusen in the Europa League last year. Day after we beat Braga away.

Big group of Rangers congregated in the stand behind the goal and provided a better atmosphere than the two sets of fans.
 
Whilst on a vacation (like the Americanism!), on a family holiday circa 2015, we went to Orlando City v. New York FC. Me and my two sons were decked out with the colours of the Famous, and by chance there was a family from Dundee who were United fans and had on their colours. It was so family oriented, the continuity announcer even let the crowd know that there were 69 supporters from New York who had travelled down for the game!! Jings that’s over 1,000 miles!!
It was a very different experience, a lot warmer for a start!!
Was trying to start a sing song but these damn Yankees!!!!
 
Been to Barcelona games and whilst watching a game at Camp Nou was an experience not that much different from games here. Espanyol have a nive stadium but half empry for games. Having said that their fans were a bit more vocal. Girona have a strange sort of semi permenant stadium and again fans were vocal but experience was again similar to here.
Been to a Hertha game and the walk up to the stadium with food and beer stalls lining the way was good and the stadium is of course steeped in history. The atmosphere was poor.
Union Berlin for me has been best game abroad. Food and beer stalls outside ground. Fantastic atmosphere. Getting a beer on the terrace from a wee guy selling beer out of a back pack during the game was fantastic.
Hope to go back when things improve
 
Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders.

A decent rivalry.

Props to the fan in the gimp mask next to me


Saw Chicago Fire Vs Toronto

Only other I can think of was my last holiday with the parents and going to see Real Mallorca Vs Betis around 97/98 where Eto was playing for Mallorca.
 
PSG 0 - 0 Brescia, August 2001 Intertoto cup

remarkably finished 0-0 with these players on show:
PSG: Letizi, Heinze, Pochettino, El Karkouri, Potillon, Dehu, Mendy, Domi, Arteta, Okocha, Anelka. Subs: Alonzo, Distin, Cristobal, Aloisio, Edouard Cisse, Aliou Cisse.

Brescia: Castellazzi, Petruzzi, Calori, Bonera, Diana, Antonio Filippini, Giunti, Emanuele Filippini, Kozminski, Baggio, Toni. Subs: Srnicek, Esposito, Yllana, Tare, Mero, Correa, Guana.
 
Used to try and go to a game if one was on when I was visiting a place. Trying to remember every game I went to but from the top of my head:

Real Madrid vs Villareal
Porto vs Athletic Bilbao in CL
Roma vs Feyenoord in Europa League
Fiorentia vs Spurs in Europa League
Werder Bremen vs Hoffenheim
Hertha Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen
Hannover 96 vs Schalke
Hamburg vs Bayern Munich
Also went to Croatia vs Spain at Euro 2016 in Bordeaux.
 
Went to see Besiktas v /Kayserispor in 2020. Playing bottom of the League but the Besiktas fans made it great fun.

Took my son who had only seen Rangers since 2012, to see Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich. 0-0 draw but we were right beside the Bayern fans and they made it a great atmosphere. Even though it was 0-0 my son said it was the best game he had ever seen. By the way this was the season before Gerrard arrived.

Lastly Mexico v Paraguay at the 1986 World Cup. 114,000 in the Azteca. Swapped my Scotland top for this green Mexican top with the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Hopes of a glimpse of her breasts were a big motivation (I was only 19), but alas she had a tee shirt underneath.. what the hell was I going to do with a green top.
 
Ive seen Hamrun Spartans v Benfica in the first round of the European Cup when we were on holiday in Malta. Sven Goran Eriksson was the manager of Benfica and a certain Jonas Thern was playing for them

Was just a lad so cant remember if you were allowed to drink in the stadium or not but the tourists outnumbered the fans by some way

Also went to a stag do in Munich a few years back and seen 1860 Munich play Karlsruhe in the Allianz. The game itself was shite (a 1-1 draw) but being able to get a beer to watch the game was excellent. For a crowd around the 20,000 mark they made a good atmosphere, especially as thats the stadium less than a third full. Ticket price was reasonable, about 15 euros from memory

On the train back into the town centre afterwards with the 1860 fans and they had some sing song on the train too.

We basically went to that one to tick the stadium off the bucket list
 
Real Madrid 3 - Roma 0 - Champions League September 2018
Weather - hot! Definitely short sleeve shirt weather.
Transport to and from the ground by metro, comfortable, affordable, quick, easy to negotiate and no crushing a la Glasgow’s clockwork orange.
Ticket (expensive) purchased online and access to stadium via e-ticket on smartphone. Once through turnstile, escalator to upper tier where seat located. Stadium food acceptable, kiosks on the concourse, quick queue, great view on halfway line, high up but closer to the action than the back row at Hampden!
Locals amenable, if somewhat subdued compared to a Rangers euro night, however, the Madrid Ultras behind the goal, all wearing white shirts, kept up their chants before and throughout the game. Nobody engaged me in conversation or even looked twice at me, could be it’s normal for tourists to be in amongst them on Euro nights. Giant screens available for anything you missed.
Like in UK, there were souvenir sellers outside the stadium selling scarves, hats and even genuine branded named and numbered players shirts from previous season at reasonable prices, got Isco shirt for my boy. Usual heavy police presence, but no heavy handedness that we often encounter as away fans in Spain.
All in all, a good night, Roma got tonked unfortunately, but some cracking goals and a fantastic drag back turn in the box that should’ve been a goal.
Also been to Hamburg, but that experience has probably been covered multiple times on this forum.
 
DeeGer10 said:
What was the best game you've been to?

If you had to recommend somewhere most of us won't have considered, is there anywhere that sticks out?
Click to expand...

Stand out I always go back to was being in the away end at Independiente v Newell's Old Boys - it was played at Racing Club Stadium as their own was being done up. I turned up with no ticket and was really struggling until a Copper let me in the away end. It was brilliant, they never shut up all match, were 3-0 down at half time but just kept at it. This was in 2008, I actually went back in 2009 to Argentina watching Oasis and went to Rosario with the aim being to go to their derby at Central but I couldn't get in, only game I have ever been in the world where wasn't offered a ticket or anything. Was a ring of steel around the Stadium and could hear gunshots. I will go back - I have 5/6 left I really want to do and a game there is probably top.

San Lorenzo v River Plate was superb as well, went in away end at that - Copa Lib match. Went Boca v River as well but that was an organised tour and a little touristy, was superb though.

In Germany Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden another level in my opinion, amazing support and fanscene. Dynamo Berlin also I like. 1860 Munich as well now they are back home.

In Spain, Atletico at Calderon was great. Marbella is worth going to if ever in the area - can drink there unlike La Liga etc... Sevilla is special, sun shining there is brilliant. Abacete was different as well - proper Spain, as Urtera (where Reyes was from).

Italy - Genoa Derby was good, Stadium so old and like a labyrinth. Went to Virtus Entella earlier that day by Train, lovely journey and a good, old Stadium.

Enjoyed Den Bosch in Holland, good fanscene.

Kasimpasa in Istanbul, 10 mins odd walk from Taksim Square was different, hell of a location.

Really enjoyed Belgrade and the Derby there, spent 6 days there as the match was moved 3 days late on. So many different fan groups from that end of Europe arriving etc... opened my eyes a lot.

Can't really say one to be honest!
 
Been to many Hajduk Split v Dinamo Zagreb games over the years. Always a bit of fun! On the drive down to Split from where I lived every service station had police vehicles (riot polis) stationed. You were stopped on the highway before getting to Split to see if you were Dinamo or Hajduk fans and directed to one or other part of the city (Dinamo fans were kept outside Split).

A few years back the Torcida and BBB arranged a wee stop off at service stations halfway between Split and Zagreb on either side of motorway. All hell broke loose as they crossed the road to have a go!
 
Went to AC Milan vs Hellas Verona, January 19th 2014 with @TW1988 for his stag do. One of the coldest, least entertaining matches I've ever been to. Finished 1-0 with an 82nd minute Balotelli Penalty. Turgid affair. Decent atmosphere from the Hellas Verona fans though, San Siro was empty though.
 
ADO Den Haag vs Ajax a few years ago
1-1
no away fans apart - the away section cage filled with kids from local schools on freebies
Ajax open scoring, some kids jump up and get roundly abused

pre-match racism in the Den Haag end was disgusting
 
Bobby Russell's Perm said:
Whilst on a vacation (like the Americanism!), on a family holiday circa 2015, we went to Orlando City v. New York FC. Me and my two sons were decked out with the colours of the Famous, and by chance there was a family from Dundee who were United fans and had on their colours. It was so family oriented, the continuity announcer even let the crowd know that there were 69 supporters from New York who had travelled down for the game!! Jings that’s over 1,000 miles!!
It was a very different experience, a lot warmer for a start!!
Was trying to start a sing song but these damn Yankees!!!!
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Went to Giants game in New York, guy shouts in response to an interception by Giants QB, “Jesus Eli, what the hell man!”. Cue numerous tuts and stares followed by “Hey pal, it’s Sunday, watch your mouth.”
I look at wife in amazement, thinking of an Old Firm game on a Sunday and imagine their reaction to that.
 
Hertha Berlin vs Augsburg. The Olympiastadion is an incredible venue, huge amount of history. First time I’d been at a ground where beer was available everywhere in and around the ground.

SV Wehen Wiesbaden vs 1860 Munich. Great wee ground, amazed at the display the 1860 ultras put on.
 
On holiday with my mate late 70s in Mallorca , went to a tournament in Palma , Mallorca fc , Barcelona, Santos (Brazil) and Watford , Mo Johnston and George Woods playing for Watford .
 
Discodale said:
Hertha Berlin vs Augsburg. The Olympiastadion is an incredible venue, huge amount of history. First time I’d been at a ground where beer was available everywhere in and around the ground.

SV Wehen Wiesbaden vs 1860 Munich. Great wee ground, amazed at the display the 1860 ultras put on.
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A lot of Germans don't like Wiesbaden Stadium but I quite liked it, been a few times now. 1860 have a great support - very good at displays.
 
Wazza said:
If there are any specifically you want to know from on here I will help. This is my pennant collection from every Club I’ve watched a match at outside of Britain.





Click to expand...
You are the Phineas Fogg of football fans sir! Amazing collection.
 
US sports days are in a different level customer service wise to over here.
I have been to :
NFL
Jacksonville Jaguars v Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins v Denver Broncos
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars v Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys v Philadelphia Eagles
Denver Broncos v LA Chargers
Houston Texans v Denver Broncos

Also several NBA games in Orlando and Dallas and a Dallas Stars NHL game.

can fill you in with anything you need to know.
 
Forgot to add also went to Zadar v Dinamo game (my local town at the time). They allowed 2 busloads of BBB fans caged in behind the goal. They got pelters from the locals (who all really supported Hajduk).

Sadly Zadar ground is 'infamous' for possibly being the only ground I know where a player died after colliding with the concrete wall around the pitch during the game. The wall was less than a metre from the pitch.
 
The Kings cup final Riyadh 1982, (Saudi Arabias national cup), Al Hilal beat Al Littihad 3-1 at the King Fahad stadium, we were there as a guest of M.O.D.A. (Saudis ministry of defence and Aviation), my two mates and me stood like sore thumbs in the directors box as the only people in t-shirts and jeans in a sea of 70,000 men (strictly no women) all dressed in white thobe and gutra (robes and headgear), you can accuse the Saudis of many things but lack of passion for football isn't one of them, they're nuts about the game, I was a member of one of the many ex-pat Rangers supporters clubs based in Saudi and the Gulf states, our particular club with over 120 members was Tabuk Nomads RSC.
 
Yoniboy said:
The Kings cup final Riyadh 1982, (Saudi Arabias national cup), Al Hilal beat Al Littihad 3-1 at the King Fahad stadium, we were there as a guest of M.O.D.A. (Saudis ministry of defence and Aviation), my two mates and me stood like sore thumbs in the directors box as the only people in t-shirts and jeans in a sea of 70,000 men (strictly no women) all dressed in white thobe and gutra (robes and headgear), you can accuse the Saudis of many things but lack of passion for football isn't one of them, they're nuts about the game, I was a member of one of the many ex-pat Rangers supporters clubs based in Saudi and the Gulf states, our particular club with over 120 members was Tabuk Nomads RSC.
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Been there for a couple of games in the late 80s. We worked at SANG hospital (National Guard) along the road. They also let women into that game and we were all in the VIP part.

Edit: hang on that stadium didnt open until 1987?
 
I’ve been to FC Köln a few times over the years, it’s a brilliant setup with lots of places to eat and drink right in front of the stadium. Tickets were reasonably priced, and what was very good is that everything was so integrated. Your match ticket also covers any public transport on match day, and of course there are good connections from the city centre to the ground. The atmosphere was good and the city is great for a night out. This is all pretty much the norm for the Bundesliga of course, but I would highly recommend.
 
Brisbane Roar (Queensland Roar) back in 2009 at the Suncorp Stadium. Pretty sure Charlie Miller was in the squad and came on as a sub.
 
Wazza said:
Stand out I always go back to was being in the away end at Independiente v Newell's Old Boys - it was played at Racing Club Stadium as their own was being done up. I turned up with no ticket and was really struggling until a Copper let me in the away end. It was brilliant, they never shut up all match, were 3-0 down at half time but just kept at it. This was in 2008, I actually went back in 2009 to Argentina watching Oasis and went to Rosario with the aim being to go to their derby at Central but I couldn't get in, only game I have ever been in the world where wasn't offered a ticket or anything. Was a ring of steel around the Stadium and could hear gunshots. I will go back - I have 5/6 left I really want to do and a game there is probably top.

San Lorenzo v River Plate was superb as well, went in away end at that - Copa Lib match. Went Boca v River as well but that was an organised tour and a little touristy, was superb though.

In Germany Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden another level in my opinion, amazing support and fanscene. Dynamo Berlin also I like. 1860 Munich as well now they are back home.

In Spain, Atletico at Calderon was great. Marbella is worth going to if ever in the area - can drink there unlike La Liga etc... Sevilla is special, sun shining there is brilliant. Abacete was different as well - proper Spain, as Urtera (where Reyes was from).

Italy - Genoa Derby was good, Stadium so old and like a labyrinth. Went to Virtus Entella earlier that day by Train, lovely journey and a good, old Stadium.

Enjoyed Den Bosch in Holland, good fanscene.

Kasimpasa in Istanbul, 10 mins odd walk from Taksim Square was different, hell of a location.

Really enjoyed Belgrade and the Derby there, spent 6 days there as the match was moved 3 days late on. So many different fan groups from that end of Europe arriving etc... opened my eyes a lot.

Can't really say one to be honest!
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Can I ask what year you won the lottery? :))

That is a very impressive list.
 
Spain:

Barcelona v Villareal (Nou Camp)
Mallorca v Leverkusen (Mallorca)
Mallorca v Espanyol (Mallorca)

Enjoyed all of those games but particularly enjoyed Mallorca games. They were doing well at the time.

Italy:

Juventus v somebody in serie A: was the new stadium and was a strange atmosphere - very empty at the both side stands, but packed behind both goals.

Been to multiple English Premiership games too but not sure if you are interested in them and also went to the World Cup Final in Berlin 2006, but again, wasn't a club game so not sure if interested.
 
I went to a CONCACAF Champions League game between Atlante and Joe Public when I was in Cancun. A wee mexican bartender me and my mates got friendly with took us to the game.

The game itself was pretty poor but at least I can say I seen the locals pishing over the top of the stand as folks were walking in to the ground below, and seen a grown Mexican down a bottle of some spirit they were selling in the stands before pishing himself were he was stood.

World Cup match between Argentina and Ivory Coast in Hamburg 2006 was and amazing atmosphere.

The Scotland game when we beat France in Paris was something else! As was the game when Italy beat us 2-0 in Bari. No drink in Bari! :))
 
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Corrado_Soprano said:
US sports days are in a different level customer service wise to over here.
I have been to :
NFL
Jacksonville Jaguars v Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins v Denver Broncos
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars v Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys v Philadelphia Eagles
Denver Broncos v LA Chargers
Houston Texans v Denver Broncos

Also several NBA games in Orlando and Dallas and a Dallas Stars NHL game.

can fill you in with anything you need to know.
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I'm really just trying to find out firstly some of the more obscure places people have decided to part with their cash because of their love for football/sport.

Also just some of what makes going to a game enjoyable even if the standard isn't the best. Leaving it open to just letting people tell me about it is valuable.

I think games in Argentina or the Belgrade Derby amongst numerous others are good for the atmosphere and sell themselves.

But what else does it when the atmosphere isn't great, is it the location, the city, the people the clubs museum, the food,the beer etc?
 
I have been to various MLS games, Chivas v Pumas in Guadalajara, Mexico. In Argentina, I've been to:
Racing v Independiente (Estadio Peron)
Quimes v Arsenal
River v Independiente(Monumental) (independiente fans let fires in the stands)
Argentina v Peru (Monumental)
River v Boca (Monumental)- Police made the River fans (I was in their section) wait for at least 1 hour after the game was over before you could leave. Outside the stadium, fans were separated by fencing that was abut 100 metres in length - no mans land inbetween. Police everywhere! Atmosphere was amazing.
 
Went to see Buriram United five years ago when I was in Thailand. Brand new stadium beside the Moto GP track all paid for by the owner of Chang beer I think. Treated like a family day out over there with at least half the crowd female. Less than £3 to get in as well. Football was a pretty poor standard but Buriram always have smart tops and they cost about £12 each at the time.
 
bobally said:
Been there for a couple of games in the late 80s. We worked at SANG hospital (National Guard) along the road. They also let women into that game and we were all in the VIP part.
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It seemed to be depending in what region you were located on their tolerance towards women, I worked in two areas that differed dramatically in their treatment of women ,in Al Wedj western single women would face physical abuse if they left their compound unaccompanied yet in Tabuk were I worked for two years it was the norm for the over 1,000 singles nurses from both military hospitals belonging to King Abdul Aziz military cantonment to go down the sohq (marketplace) without male chapperones, though the mattowah ,religious police were tricky no matter were you were.
 
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