England & Brighton Home & Away: A v Norway 26.5.2012

Friday 25th May
With Euro 2012 almost upon us I decided on just a short trip to Norway and no holiday taken from work. So at 5pm on Friday I left work and drove up to Three Bridges before catching the train to Gatwick Airport. Met up with my mate Garry and we had soon checked in for the Norwegian flight DY1319 to Bergen. The flight left at 20.30 so we headed into the Weatherspoons and met up with a few mates heading out on an 20.00 flight direct to Oslo

We landed at Bergen at 23.30 and headed into the duty free to get some supplies. Once through passport control there was a 24 hour 7 eleven shop so we stocked up on some food and headed for the comfy seats as had a few hours to kill until our 6.30 am flight on to Oslo.

We found 4 comfy chairs so settled down for some cold beer, hot pizza and eventually a couple of hours kip.

Saturday 26th May

So it was the 6.30am DY 601 flight from Bergen to Oslo. all on time and as an internal flight we were through and out the airport in time to get the 8.48 train from the airport to Oslo central station. The flight into Bergen had been spectacular as the sun was just going down (at just before midnight) and the island network and coastline had been stunning. This morning we had all the snow capped mountains to fly over, once again it was amazing sights to see.

We were booked into the Park Inn hotel near the station which handily was also the englandfans ticket collection and sign in point. We headed towards the hotel to get our bearings and stopped off for a breakfast. At 59 Kroner a bonus for bacon, egg, bread, carrot (weird), an orange slice and jam to go with the bacon! It was washed down nicely with coffee and orange juice. We bumped into Dex and a few other lads and by now it was time to wander to the hotel to collect our tickets and sign in.

We took a wander round central Oslo with the aim of heading to the Brighton pub (had to be done). We soon found it and settled down for the first proper beer of the day. We soon discovered pitchers were better value so switched to them at 174 Kroner for about 4 pints so a bargain Norwegian cost only!

It was soon time to once again head back to the hotel to meet Kev and Fiona and also to check into our room. That was soon sorted so it was back to the Brighton bar and the place was heaving. The pub was full of pictures of Brighton and Hove, weird being a long way from home but surrounded by pictures of Brighton beach!

Soon bumped into a few familiar faces, Scott and some other Wolves lads and Les another Brighton fan from Hastings. The place was buzzing and the music superb and it turned into a real party pub and the beer was flowing! So several pitchers later we decided we had been in one bar way too long.

We decided to move to another bar near the ground so caught the metro and then headed into a new bar. It was packed so we soon moved on to a slightly quiter bar so we could get some seats. Bumped into the Charlton lads and before you knew it it was 8.30pm so just 15 minutes to kick off so time to head in. The bottles of cider in the last bar were very welcome on such a hot day and I have to say by now I was buzzing! The crowd was just over 21,000 (capacity 25,000) so the £65 ticket prices had backfired. Around 2,000 England fans had made the trip and to be honest most were totally hammered and the game was pretty dull. Young put us 1-0 up after 9 mins and the game drifted on! We left after 75 mins and headed back into town (to avoid the queues but it appeared hundred were doing the same thing!)

We were soon back into central Oslo and our first rip off bar! £19 for 2 pints, we soon moved on, celebrated as England leap frogged Norway into second from bottom of the Eurovision Song Contest and basically did a little bar crawl. We had one back in the Brighton bar but it was Gay disco night (how predictable for a bar called the Brighton bar) so only had the one as I am sure the lad with the tight cut off jeans was giving Nelson the eye!!!

At about 2.30am I was beaten and went back, my mate Nelson somehow left the same time as me but took several hours to get back to his hotel as got totally lost and ended up having to get a taxi to find it! Nels had been asked to leave the last bar/club, we have no idea why and he had just got a round in, I was able to drink mine and after words with the lady bouncer who escorted us out, he was refunded the money for the drinks. Normally you wouldnt bother but at around £9 a drink it was a bit different! Also the music in the place was ****!

I tried to crep back into the room so as not to wake Gaz who had come back a little earlier, but as I blundered round the room he was soon awake - Oops!

Sunday 27th
What the hell is that noise, it was the damn alarm clock, it was 6.30am! Arghhhh I felt rough rough rough, all self inflicted and I expect no sympathy. It was a quick dash to grab some rolls from the buffett breakfast that opened at 7am and a dash to the station to get the train back to the airport and then the flight DY1304 09.15 directly back to Gatwick. I was still felling hammered as we got the train back to the airport. Once on the flight I soon crashed out and we were back at Gatwick. I stopped at the cafe at Three Bridges station for a Bacon sarnie for my breakfast and spent the afternoon lazing round the garden doing nothing!

So a short one this time, but another cracking away trip with England.

Not long until Thursday 8th June when the Ukraine adventure starts, we are driving over in a mates motorhome! Gulp!!

Mark R

Pictures from the match (won 1-0 A Young 9 mins)