A v Italy (Turin) 31.3.2015

After the relatively straight forward 4-0 win over Lithuania in the Euro 2016 qualifier it was on to Turin for a tough friendly v Italy. As we will be heading to a mates wedding in the Ukraine at the end of the month we opted for the Sport Options day trip from Gatwick. Annoyingly due to restrictive landing slots back after the game the trip was moved to Luton. So on the Monday evening we headed up to a nearby hotel ready for the 6am check in early Tuesday morning.

Rooney tweets a picture of the travelling support - we are slap bang in the middle of it :-)

We left Luton just after 7.30am and the flight was around 1 1/2 hours, add on the time difference and we landed soon after10.30am.  There were stunning views of Alps as we approached Turin.

The Alps

Enter Air - nope me neither!

We flew with an airline called Enter Air, turned out they were a charter company based in Poland - no complaints from me as got us there and back on time and a very friendly crew.

The airport was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by the stunning snow capped Alps.

So we were soon onto the waiting coaches to take us from Torino airport into the city.  We drove past the ground after about 15 minutes and another 30 minutes later we were dropped on the outskirts of the main squares/streets on the banks of the river Po.

The coaches took us on a picturesque tour into the city and it was great to see a blue sky and we were ready to find some food and drink!  We headed to a very nice square and were soon tucking into some fresh pasta.

Fresh Pasta at lunch, rather large pizzas later in the day, well what else could we eat whilst we were Italy. 

So after the mammoth pizza eating it was time to consider heading to the ground.  Free shuttle buses had been laid on by the Italian authorities.  It was a bit chaotic but we squeezed onto one of the buses and arrived at the ground about 8.15.  It took ages to get in as had to show ID to match names on tickets, then a security search, then the turnstyles, so it was time for the National Anthems pretty shortly after.

Handily the buses dropped us right outside the away end.  The ground looked really really small from the outside!

I remember going into the Stadio D'Alpi back in 1990, at that time we said the ground looked small, but when you enter the stadium is mainly below the entrance level.  The new ground on the same site looks a little similar from the outside but is much smaller and compact (only holds 41k).  The rake of the stands was very VERY steep so that all seats are as close as possible to the pitch.

Some of the 2,099 official travelling fans

So the game finished 1-1, probably a fair result.  Townsend equalised with a superb 25 yard strike.  

We were held in the ground for about 45 minutes, but shortly after we were back on the coaches and then at the airport.  A very quick pass through security and we took off some time after midnight. It was a longer flight home as had headwinds on 220km!  

Overall a very short trip, but great fun.  Roll on Dublin in June.

Mark R

.

2015 Brighton half and full Marathon for the Martlets Hospice

Hello all

I will be running the Brighton Half (22nd Feb) and Brighton Full (12th April) Marathon for the Martlets Hospice.

Any spare pennies would be greatly appreciated.  To donate please go HERE

Cheers

Mark R

Brighton home and away 2014-15

 0-0 away at Boro for Brighton Nil - thank **** this season is over

Stag do and match ball sponsors - it was a cracking weekend and our mate and groom completed the 92.  Given the chance he will tell you all about it :-)

Dnipro v Brugge in Kiev (Europa Cup 1/4 final)

Wigan had not won at home since August - so inevitably they beat us 2-1! Highlight we scored from open play !  No honestly we did!

New ground same result - Lost 1-0 at the New York Stadium v Rotherham

Italy v England 1-1 in the New Juventus Stadium

H v Lithuania - a nice comfortable win

An away win and an away goal, a thumping header wins it for us,  O'Grady crosses and the Blackburn Centre Back finishes it off superbly!  Woooooooo HooOoooOOOoooo

Rugby at the Amex!  England U21s beat France U21s and win the U21s Six Nations Championship

Brighton Nil turn up yet again, luckily Millwall only managed nil as well.

Reading taking it easy as they had the FA Cup Quater Final coming up, so we make it easy for them as they stroll to a 2-1 win.  a really really really poor display by Brighton.

Bolton had not won for ages, so a good time to play Brighton Nil.  Bolton scored one so that was that.

Some 0-0 draws are classics, some are not!  This deserved to be 0-0, it could barely be called a game of football

Not being rude but Blackpool are rubbish!  Oyston is doing a spooky impression of Archer.  Yet we cant score and we let them take the 3 points with the only moment of quality football on a dreadful pitch.  On this showing we could be joining them in relegation!

The West stand at the Amex as seen from the away end (Brentford)

The last of 3 consecutive London trips and amazingly a third win on the trot, this time JUST 1-0!

The 3rd Round of the cup, Brentford are all over us but we score 88th and 90th+3 to win 2-0

Me and some mates on the terraces at Brentford

First game at Fulham for 18 years and we win 2-0.  

A v Wolves 1-1 and down to 10 men with 30 mins left!

3 down in 19 mins - Eeeek - we lost 4 times last season v Derby!  Boo!

3-3 draw at Norwich in front of a decent away following

A v Bournemouth, sighhhhh lost 3-2 this time incl an OG and a stupid penalty!

A v Spurs 29.10.2014 and yes we lost but only 2-0

Estonia v England, a poor 1-0 win 12th October

Rooney penalty v San Marino 5-0 9th October

Watford away 1-1 4th October

Oakland Raiders v Miami Dolphins 28th September

Forest away 1-1 27th September

Brightons first ever trip to Burton in the League Cup - a nice easy 3-0 win for the Albion 24th September

A v Ipswich Lost 0-2 16th September

A v Brentford Lost 2-3 13th September

Sussex v Lancashire 10th September

Switzerland v England 8th September

England v Norway 3rd September

A v Swindon League Cup 4-2 win AET 26th August

A v Leeds Leeds Leeds and a 2-0 win 19th August

A v Birmingham 16th August - Lost 0-1

It all starts again H v Sheffield Wednesday

The New Ticket office and revamped club shop

H v Southampton 1-3  (Lua Lua )

The first run out in the new orange away kit.  We will see them wear this in the league?  Not sure why when you have a blue home kit and a red away one.

 A v Crawley 1-1 2,874 (Lua Lua 72 mins)

 A squad depleted by injury scrapped a 1-1 draw with Crawley.  New signings Hughes, O'Grady and Toko out injured, Dunk also out - so we ended up naming just 6 subs..  During the game Solly March pulled up after 20 mins, Greer/Calderon both sustained head injuries, at one time we were down to 9 men on the pitch!

A v Lewes Saturday 5th July 5-0 2,300 (Calderon, Lua Lua, CMS & Fenlon x2)

A nice easy 5-0 win for the Albion in front of a sold out crowd of 2,300 We did not realise at the time but it would be last time we would see Ulloa play for the club before his £8m move to Premiership Leicester City.