Saturday 15 June 2002

WC 2002 - Japan - part iv (v Brazil) 15.6 to 27.6

Saturday 15/06/02
Home

England v Denmark (2nd Round) 3-0
Watched in King & Queen in Brighton. Heaving 6/700 people. Covered in beer for each goal. Party time, everyone piles out into Old Stein on the final whistle. Police close it off as crowds gather! I head back to travel agent to get tickets, then a few of us met up at the Duke of Wellington, our local before Brighton home games. Held flights at 9am, booked them 3pm! Decide to stick to Japan time so in bed at 7am and up about 5am each day

Sunday 16/06/02
Home

Monday 17/06/02
Home
Accountancy Exam. 1pm Right 1 down 3 to go, must remember to take book tomorrow so can do something during the exam other than thinking about return trip, and regret lack of revision!



Tuesday 18/06/02
Home


Up at 3am to phone England fans in Tokyo to get a Brazil ticket
Exam – Mmm slight worse than yesterdays



Wednesday 19/06/02

In the Air!

Exam – finished in about an hour, shame it wasn’t because I had completed the paper but because I had run out of waffle, unusual for me!
Taxi waiting outside exam hall in Crawley. Flight 7.45 JAL to Tokyo. More Films (Monster Inc). Sat next to ??????? who was an apprentice at Coventry before moving on to Northampton then drifting out of football. We manage to drink half the red wine on board the aircraft!

Thursday 20/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

…..15.15 Tokyo
Liz met me at the airport. Bed! Then evening meal in cracking restaurant. Communication problems! Much mirth. End up with gorgeous food, almost self-cooked steak in a hot dish!

Friday 21/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda


England v Brazil (1/4 Final) 1-2 in Shizuoka
Early train to get to Kagagawa Castle to pick up ticket from england fans tent – they are 30 minutes late causing mild panic among those of us waiting for tickets. Tickets in the Brazil end of the stadium!
Bus to ground in middle of nowhere!



Yes as I said in the middle on nowhere. Once again a fantastic stadium but built away from the city. I think this is one of the grounds that was to be pulled down after the World Cup. What a waste, can they move it lock stock and barrel to Brighton as we still need a new ground!!







........................Lizs seat is very close to John Barnes and they have a chin wag.........

..........................John Motson shows how it is all done.....................





Darren, Colin and Piers relax before kick off



Looks like Rio is in the team!!!!!








After the game bump into Mickey Hanlon, a fellow supporter from Sussex, both disappointed but talk about Slovakia in October, oh and test match at the Oval. Cricket, I had completely forgotten it was the cricket season! Bump into Middlesborough Mick, other Cov Lads outside Lawsons in Kagagawa. Sit on the pavement outside waiting to meet up with the others. Console myself with an egg sandwich, a packet of chipsticks and a bottle of CC Lemon drink!

Saturday 22/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

Ginza - Italian lunch – evening meal in cracking restaurant. Communication problems! Much mirth. End up with gorgeous food, almost self cooked steak in a hot dish!

Sunday 23/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

Asakusa for souvenir shopping, Imperial Palace. Piers & Cols last night so out in Rappongi.

Monday 24/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

Electrical area of Kanda - bought Digital camera that does video clips



We visit the national television broadcasting studios - and do the tour!!



As you can see 2 born newsreaders..........







I think its me on the right with my new mate, not quite sure what it is but hey it looks friendly (ish!!)






Tuesday 25/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

Watched Germany v Korea in bar in Kanda drinking cocktails - Chi Chisetc – back to the restaurant with no name that cooks great steak.




..............yet another interesting building, was it a bar, a shop, a house? No idea!!..............

Wednesday 26/06/02
Tokyo-Kanda

to Airport with Liz & Daz - confirmed my change of flight! Watched Brazil v Turkey at the church in Ueon with a mad Geordie and a few other English lads. Mainly Japanese in the bar, either drinking nothing or asleep!

Thursday 27/06/02
Home

The end of the trip draws near. Up at 7am, train to the airport, check in early and get an emergency exit seat so extra leg room (turned out not to be due to emergency door sticking out!). An old women has request a change of seats so I oblige and get another bulk head seat sat next to a Korean lad on a whisltle stop tour of long. He speaks superb english learnt from TV and listening to music. We wile away the hours talking, watching films, playing games (draughts for 2 players kept us going for a couple of hours) on the personal TV’s. We exchange e-mail addresses and depart on great terms.


Yet another 6,250 miles Films (Ali and Snow Dogs)

So a brief summary
Distance travelled (approximate)
London to Tokyo 6,250 miles
Tokyo to Aomori
Amori to Sapporo
Sapporo to Osaka
Osaka to Tokyo
Tokyo to London 6,250
London to Tokyo 6,250
Tokyo to London 6,250
Grand Total 27,000

Money
Ahhhhhhhhhhabout£4,500ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Mark R
Brighton & Hove Albion on Tour
Roll on Slovakia on the 12th October

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