Non Rangers Games Abroad You've Attended?

Only hajduk split v oleksandriya in the europa league. I've had good intentions when I've been in malmo and gdansk but the pub ended up as the chosen option
 
Gaziantep home game against can't remember who. Also a second division game in the highlands of Guatemala, team called Xela. On an aside ,Gaziantep lost at home today 5-4...some game.
 
Here's my list:

Hertha Berlin v Hannover
Rayo Vallecano v Levante
Atalanta v Bologna
Novara v Bari
Milan v Lazio
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao
Hutnik Krakow v Podlasie Biala Podlaska
Wisla Krakow v Lech Poznan
Netherlands v Iceland

I really enjoyed some of the 'lesser' games. For example although Milan was great and the San Siro and the curva is a great experience, the Atalanta game was absolutely the pick of the weekend and the best I've ever been to. Although we stood out like a sore thumb we were chatting to some lads and the atmosphere was just incredible. Also some Ultra gave me a smoke of his joint which was nice of him.

Same when in Madrid, I would recommend going to a Real Madrid game to anyone. But the Rayo Vallecano game we went to was 4-2, sun was beating down and a real local feel to the game.
 
For me it's travelling and seeing new things - the actual standard of Football means zero to me really now. I want to see different fan scenes, fan pubs, old Stadiums, different cultures. Try and see as much memorabilia as possible so research is a big part of that - finding out bars etc... where loads is on display. So many great Stadiums are going forever and I wanted to see them before they went, Football has changed so much since I started going week in week out 30 years ago (40 now)

I absolutely hate sitting at Football now, that is what going to various matches where you can stand and are lively has done to me.

100% mate. Stood freezing on a mound in a dilapidated stadium in a non-touristy district of Krakow watching a third division game - but it was a fantastic day. They had a barbecue on the go, the wee stall was just stocked full of cans of lager and it was just a really good feel to it.
 
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.

I had a ticket but got steaming with a group of lads from Ulster then drank with a random Scottish guy who lived in Austria. Fell asleep in the hotel and woke up missing the game.
 
100% mate. Stood freezing on a mound in a dilapidated stadium in a non-touristy district of Krakow watching a third division game - but it was a fantastic day. They had a barbecue on the go, the wee stall was just stocked full of cans of lager and it was just a really good feel to it.
Often by myself at these - better at the less popular gaffs as the locals are quite pleased you’ve chosen to go to their bar and Club. Amazing who you get talking to.
 
Been to Camp Nou ,Espanyol ,Bremen ,Dortmund and Malaga for games.
Fav was Hamburg v Leverkusen with my sons decked in Rangers gear..
We could not have been made more welcome.
Pre covid we booked tickets for Malaga last game of the season.
They were top of Laliga 2 at the time and thought it would be party time
By the time it was played they never even made the play offs.
So a bit of a damp squib ,but 30° on a Friday night helped.
 
2004 Champions League Final in Stade Aug Schalke, Monaco v Porto
2004 Ajax v Feyernoord, Amsterdam Arena
2004 Holland v France, De Kuip, Rotterdam
2004 Ajax v FC Twente Enschede, AA
2007 Ajax v Dinamo Zagreb, AA
2010 Houston Dynamos v Colorado Rapids, BBVA Stadium
2012 UCL Final in Allianz Arena, Bayern v Chelsea
2013 UCL Final Dortmund v Bayern
2014 UCL Final in Estadio de Luz, Lisbon, Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
2016 UCL Final in San Siro, Milan, Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
2017 UCL Final Juventus v Real Madrid
2018 UCL Final in Olympic Stadium Kiev, Liverpool v Real Madrid
2019 UCL Final in Metropolitano, Madrid, Spurs Liverpool

I’ve also been to 20-25 Scotland away games between 1996 and 2015. Stopped going in 2015.
 
Saw Sorrento play in a local derby at home a few years ago in the Italian 4th flight. The players all looked very lean and fit and not one of them could kick a ball. Gave a lie to the idea that all latins are silky skillful players.
 
Here's my list:

Hertha Berlin v Hannover
Rayo Vallecano v Levante
Atalanta v Bologna
Novara v Bari
Milan v Lazio
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao
Hutnik Krakow v Podlasie Biala Podlaska
Wisla Krakow v Lech Poznan
Netherlands v Iceland

I really enjoyed some of the 'lesser' games. For example although Milan was great and the San Siro and the curva is a great experience, the Atalanta game was absolutely the pick of the weekend and the best I've ever been to. Although we stood out like a sore thumb we were chatting to some lads and the atmosphere was just incredible. Also some Ultra gave me a smoke of his joint which was nice of him.

Same when in Madrid, I would recommend going to a Real Madrid game to anyone. But the Rayo Vallecano game we went to was 4-2, sun was beating down and a real local feel to the game.
I liked Vallecano, apart from the odd St Pauli flag! Reminded me of South America, match was a 12 on a Sunday in April. Came out the metro and loads of folk drinking and just making a noise in the streets. Seen Del Bosque collecting a ticket - ticket office was a room with a few folk selling them and taking cash in to tins, this was only in 2013 as well.
 
Often by myself at these - better at the less popular gaffs as the locals are quite pleased you’ve chosen to go to their bar and Club. Amazing who you get talking to.

I've only done one myself which was Malaga v Athletic Bilbao. Exactly as you say you get talking to people especially when you are yourself. It was roasting so really good just milling about outside the ground with a few beers.
 
Seen both Ujpest and MTK in Budapest and Slovan Bratislava vs Trnava.
Went to Slovan Bratislava v Ruzumberok in 2017. Was surprised by how low key it was , barely a 1000 or so in the ground, mainly drunk shifty looking types in black leather jackets. Mind you the beer was dirt cheap.
 
Atletico Madrid v Juventus Champions league group match finished 2-2 the Metropilitano was packed and the atmosphere was really good. Even civilised you can get a beer at the ground will never catch on.
 
Wolfsburg v RB Leipzig last year, dreary toon, hungover to f&@k (so bad I couldn’t even bring myself to have a beer at half time - a novletyand a nothing each draw. German fan culture needing some conductor Fanny to lead the singing, shite.
Plus I was in the home end and Wolfsburg wear green, all round shite day out.

Although copious amounts of quality German beer curers after the game did compensate a bit.
 
Been to a few, I lived in southern Africa for 9 years but the ones that stood out was the 1978 world cup, we went to the final between
Holland & Argentina as well as the opening ceremony & a lot of the games in Buenos Aires & obviously all the Scotland games
 
Toronto FC Vs Chivas USA back in 2011

Sub SPFL level stuff (back then anyway) and sadly Toronto had been infected by a mentally challenged element with a good few green and grey rags on show. "Speshul Relashunship" I guess.

It was memorable mainly for this miss from Maicon Santos (5m 02s on the vid). One of the worst I've seen!

 
1996 (I think) - Newcastle v Middlesborough - Newcastle still at their peak, Ginola, Asprilla, etc, with Juninho playing for Middlesborough. I don't have a lot to compare with, but best atmosphere I've experienced away from Ibrox

1997 (I think) - Newcastle v Arsenal - Newcastle clearly in decline, Arsenal were on the up and excellent. Bergkamp that day was probably the best footballer I've seen live.

2003 Espanyol v somebody else at a half-full (if that) Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. Savo Milosevic scored a last-minute penalty to either draw 2-2 or win the game 3-2 for Espanyol, can't remember which. Mental finish to the game. Horrible racism from the fans against a black player throughout the game though.

2004 Brentford v QPR - west London derby, think both sides were League 1 at the time. There was a lot of vitriol because QPR had recently signed Brentford's best player. He was winding up the Brentford fans and ended up being escorted off the pitch surrounded by police at the end.

2005 Beijing Guoan v Shanghai. Atmosphere at Chinese football is a bit flat, and this was before Chinese teams started spending money on signing better known players for a big payday. Lots of cynical fouls and poor standard of football. Games at the Workers' Stadium always had that feel of what I guess games in the old eastern bloc would have been like, from the stadium design to the police/military forming a line around the perimeter of the running track at the end of the game.

2007 or 2008 Beijing Guoan v Barcelona - friendly featuring a great Barcelona team, but operating at half pace. Game was a bit of a dud. Ronaldinho scored a free kick. Can't remember much else. Ridiculously, the game was played at a tiny stadium away from central Beijing because the Workers' Stadium was being done up for the 2008 Olympics.

2015 or 2016 China v Netherlands. Enjoyed it to see some of that Dutch team right at the end of their careers, but pretty dreadful game. The Chinese national team is an object of ridicule in China. This was summed up when one of their players played a Shane Duffy pass where he just blasted it to nobody, straight out of play, and the stadium erupted in laughter. The Workers' Stadium at that time had a few bars and clubs in the perimeter of the stadium, but only accessible from outside the stands. Left at half time and walked halfway around the stadium to go to one of the bars. Had a couple of pints and went back in through a different gate for the last half hour or so.
 
Been to a couple of league games in South Korea and one in India - hard to get worked up about them when there's no emotional attachment (as there is for a Rangers match for example).

However, one game that sticks in the memory was the North Korea vs Japan World Cup qualifier in 2011. Horrible atmosphere. It was a nothing match - Japan had qualified and North Korea were already out. But the Koreans' hatred of the Japanese was such that they treated it like their most important match ever.

The Japanese had allowed 150 fans to travel. They were obviously limited in what they could do beyond attending the game and when they walked into their section of Kim Il Sung stadium, the 50,000 North Koreans, who had been there for a couple of hours in advance, did not give them the warmest of welcomes. We couldn't hear the Japanese anthem for the booing and the Korean fans were hostile throughout.

North Korea won 1-0 and celebrated like they'd won the World Cup. The Japanese (who at that time we're managed by Alberto Zaccheroni) looked like they just wanted to get out of there. Although most things in North Korea are controlled, their fans had kicked off a bit during a WC qualifier against Iran a few years before, so I wouldn't have ruled out an incident or two if the Japanese had won the game. Probably wasn't the best away trip ever for the Japanese fans (and unlikely to have done anything to change their perceptions of North Koreans!), but a good one to tick off I guess.
 
Some random ones I remember:

Madrid v Leverkusen final at Hampden.

Orlando Pirates v Kaiser Chiefs at the old FNB which was fun (riot after the match)

Mamelodi Sundowns v Barcelona in Loftus for some friendly which Barcelona brought theirs full team.

Mazembe v someone in Kinshasa (Mazambe were the away team but I managed to get one of their shirts and can only remember them!)
 
Wolfsburg v RB Leipzig last year, dreary toon, hungover to f&@k (so bad I couldn’t even bring myself to have a beer at half time - a novletyand a nothing each draw. German fan culture needing some conductor Fanny to lead the singing, shite.
Plus I was in the home end and Wolfsburg wear green, all round shite day out.

Although copious amounts of quality German beer curers after the game did compensate a bit.
Quite a plastic fixture to be fair that one mate! The town makes Milton Keynes look historic as well.
 
While on holiday in Malta watched 2 games in there Premier League

Hiberrnians v Sliema Wanders

Floriana v Rabat Ajax

Both games played at the National Stadium got both games for the price of one. At one point there was 4 set of fans in the ground at one time.
At the match a local had the BBC World service on and kept us up to date on the Rangers game being played that day.
 
Lazio v Juve
Barca v Gimnastic
Arsenal v AIK Solna

Are the most recent Euro trips.

And several English PL and Championship games.

Passed up a few briefs too unfortunately through enforced circumstances. Covid has reinvigorated my appetite to get to a few other games abroad. Hopefully, God willing, I’ll make a few.
 
Italy

Milan v Brescia
Milan v Parma
Roma v Fiorentina
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
Empoli v Ascoli
Bari v Vicenza
Palermo v Parma

Spain

Getafe v Valencia
Malaga v Villarreal

Malta

Germany, Romania, Malta (tournament)

Israel

Maccabi Tel Aviv v Bnei Sakhnin

:)
 
Went to Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar in October 2015 while visiting New Zealand.
Wellington won 3-2 in this Australian A-League game, with former Gers' player Matt McKay starring for Brisbane.
The Westpac Stadium is a bowl shape similar to Hamdump in atmosphere. Only about 3000 fans at the evening game mainly made up of ex-pats it seemed, as rugby is the main NZ sport.
The match was quite entertaining from a neutral point of view. The catering was pretty good quality from what I remember though.
 
Been to quite a few. really impressed by real betis experience last year apart from the colour of their strips. Throughly enjoyed PSV's heaters on the roofs. San Siro just made me feel like an excited wee laddie. Toronto was weird because the standard was decent but the crowd didnt have a clue what was going on, getting massively excited by guys being up the pitch isolated in the corner but not appreciating some lovely stuff in midfield. Worst experience was my suncream getting confiscated in Albania, which for a baldy ginger scotsman in 40 degree heat is effectively grevious bodily harm. A few others in europe and loads down south as well.
 
Been to quite a few. really impressed by real betis experience last year apart from the colour of their strips. Throughly enjoyed PSV's heaters on the roofs. San Siro just made me feel like an excited wee laddie. Toronto was weird because the standard was decent but the crowd didnt have a clue what was going on, getting massively excited by guys being up the pitch isolated in the corner but not appreciating some lovely stuff in midfield. Worst experience was my suncream getting confiscated in Albania, which for a baldy ginger scotsman in 40 degree heat is effectively grevious bodily harm. A few others in europe and loads down south as well.
Fucking pissing myself at that mate :)) :))
 
Ael Limmasol V Progres in Larnaca we were booked up and decided to take in the game turned up to the ground about 2 hours before kick off with nothing round about it you wouldn't even know there was a game on then they started selling tickets about an hour before kick off and 2 stands filled up with Limassol fans there was 3 Progres fans at the game. 2 had travelled with the team and another herself we seen her outside the ground when we were waiting about. 12 euros the tickets were ultras behind the goals created a good atmosphere. Linesman gave a throw in the wrong way and folk were chucking coins at him. Was about 38 degrees.
 
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.
The way the home fans were cheering for both sides when they scored.
Also it was played in a cricket stadium,the playing area was at an angle to the stands.
 
I spent a summer coaching in California in 2005. Worked for LA Galaxy, Chivas USA and San Jose Earthquakes so went to a fair few of their games. Games and atmosphere were pretty flat - quite sanitised and family friendly. Galaxy stadium was good but the Earthquakes I think is the College stadium and was fairly basic. Just drove to and from the games as they do there so didn't really see any drinking going on.

Been to a few games in Germany - Hamburg and Unterhaching (Bundelsiga 3) were both excellent. Everything about Hamburg was great - 15 euro a ticket for the terracing, beers before, during and after the game, good food at the game, great atmosphere and stadium, good transport. Unterhaching was a great wee ground with a cracking beer garden, 20 mins from central Munich on the S-Bahn. Really friendly folk - a guy just gave us free tickets when we were standing in the queue - 11 of us. Borussia Monchengladbach was the only German game I've been to I didn't rate. Decent enough stadium but crap transport and the city itself was really dull with not many bars. The Hertha fans in the away end were good value though.

Went to see Atletico v Eibar at the Vicente Calderon in about 2014 I think - first game of the season after they'd won the league. Stadium had obviously seen better days at that point but still a good atmosphere. Tickets were fairly easy to come by a few days in advance but can't remember the cost. At half time everybody just brought out their own sandwiches and stuff - hardly anybody at the food stands. Thought that was a bit odd.
 
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.

If you cam be bothered going through my post history, I did a write up on a Hong Kong Premier league game I went to.

I've been to see Atheltico, Duisburg, Ajax and FC Seoul as well. Think that's it. If you fire me an at mention tonight or tomorrow I'll try and do a para on each of them. All from memory mind you.
 
i have been to a few , usually on jollies , however whilst on holiday in 2013 we went to see Orlando v Fluminense due to the the house owner s son being involved in Orlando s administration. He arranged tickets and we were allowed on the pitch after the game to meet the players. The only player of note was Deco . We were also told that orlando were seeking to involve Rangers in a tournament . We went to germany to see Bochum v Energie Cottbus met The Bochum RSC and were well looked after .Although it was a monday night game some of them stayed with us to the early hrs of tuesday and even left 150 euro behind the bars for drinks.
 
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Lazio 4 - 1 Cagliari in October 2016

Whilst we were at the game we were getting texts from family back home asking if we were ok as there were reports of earthquakes that were so strong they were being felt in in Rome. We were oblivious but the next morning were woke in the hotel by a mini earthquake, our bed was rolling back and forth across the floor. Turned on the tv and there was footage of nearby villages that were completely destroyed, very sad.

Back to the game, I found it very surprising how loud it sounded in the stadium considering how few people were there, say 20,000 out of a 80,000 stadium. Lazio were too strong for Cagliari and Immobile very good. Little did I know I'd be seeing one of the Cagliari defenders lining up for Rangers (ocassionally) the next season.

Tickets price varied wildly from under 20euro to over 100. I think we went for about 70-80 to get in the main stand from memory. Easy to get tickets, loads of ticket offices around the city, the one we went to had 2 old, like really old, women working in it. Getting in the stadium is a pain. Easily a 10-15 minute walk from the main road to the turnstiles due to the stadium being in the middle of the Olympic park. It was pissing down as well.

Plus they have an eagle that flies round the inside of the stadium before the games I didn't know about.
 
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San siro for AC Milan v Spal, wasn't the best game to be honest but always wanted to see AC and that stadium was magic
 
Chemonitz FC in Novorossiysk, Black Sea, Russia, the shipyard had Hospitality tickets but our Superintendent bought all the drink and food
 
I went to Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart. Ticket cost was €25 euros. I stayed in Dusseldorf. Having a match ticket got us free travel in the train to Monchengladbach. We get to Monchengladbach station and see a wee van with a man selling scarfs and badges. We see a Celtic badge and wave the finger at him to say that'll not do. He puts his hands up apologetically and goes into a box pulls oot this Rangers scarf. We were over the moon.

We ended up drinking in this fan pub next to train station for a bit and interacting with some Monchengladbach fans.

After a few beverages we go to head to the game and this german guy says to us that there are shuttle buses on the other side of the station to take fans to the stadium. As we walk to the shuttle buses we see five or six cars with boots open, full of beer, selling tins at €1 each. We gets a few tins and there's a line of 30 or so shuttle buses just filling up one by one and taking fans to the stadium for free.

Monchengladbach win 3-0. The stadium was nice inside, apart from the green lighting effect they have going on. Outside its a bit of a concrete jungle. Apparently it was built on an old british army base. They also have the Borrusia hotel next to the stadium which looked quite nice. One ultras section behind the goals contributed to most of the atmosphere like most clubs in Germany. They also have guys walking around the stadium with beer packs on their backs to fill your cup when you're empty at a cost of €3 or €4euros. At the very back of the stands they also have ropes and clamp fasteners all the way around for supporters to hang their banners up which i thot was quite a good idea.

There was a piper playing outside as fans exited the stadium, playing tunes such as Highland Cathedral, Scotland the Brave etc. Apparently everytime they win he plays outside. We got speakin to him. I'm positive it was the Orkney Islands he said he was originally from.

Back to the shuttle buses, onto the train back to Dusseldorf, free of charge again

I was also at Schalke v Dortmund at the Veltins Arena the same weekend.

Besides that I've also done Juventus v Torino, AC Milan v Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid v Villarreal, Real Madrid v Valencia, Bayern Munich v Ingolstadt.

One of the best atmospheric games I've been to (not abroad) was Millwall v Leeds at Elland Road. I was in the Millwall end. Millwall won 4-3. Great game of football. That was quite a tense affair. I found it quite similar to Rangers playing Aberdeen at Pittordrie.
 
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Been to a number of games in Spain. Eg at Real Madrid, Barca, Real Soc, Osasuna, and a number of Spanish lower league games too. Including Real Madrid B and C teams in relation to our new lowland league challenge.
 
Real Madrid v Malmo in the champions league. Picked tickets up outside the ground no bother, good game to be at as Madrid won 8-0 with Ronaldo getting a hat trick. Best stadium I have been in. It was December and the locals were all wrapped up and before the game kicked off heaters fitted around the roof came on. Atmosphere was not bad as we were seated just beside their ultras. lots of tourists at the game. Lots of small bars around the stadium and we were made most welcome. Done the stadium tour the following day and it was well worth the money. Madrid city centre is also a good night out.
 
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