VfL Bückeburg 2 v RSV Göttingen 05 3

                                                                                   Bad, bad weekend for my teams. Leyton Orient lost at home, after taking the lead through George Porter, his first goal for the club, against Oldham Pathetic.

Georgie Porter with his 1st Orient goal

It is now only us and S*unthorpe who have not won in League One this season. Rumours are circulating that Steve Tilson or Aidy Boothroyd are being lined up as a replacement for Russell Slade. Even the name of Mark Robins has been banded about. 

Flag proudly displayed at The Emirates last season. Is time up?

              Romford had a tricky FA Cup tie, away to Southend Manor of the Essex Senior League. And prompty whimpered out 2-4. Cup run over for another year.

Captain, Paul Clayton, scorer of one of Boro's goal

One ray of light was the marvellous Romford Raiders, who went to Bristol and pulled off yet another victory, this time 7-2. Matt Turner with 2+1, turning in a MOM performance.

Super Matty Turner

 So to this afternoons game and I was feeling confident. We won 4-2 away to Eintracht Braunschweig II last week, obviously I wasn't there as was celebrating my first wedding anniversary on the Baltic coast. 

We were above Göttingen in the league, so a point at least was in the bag. Oh, how wrong could I be?

From start to finish, the Bückeburg team were abysmal. I wrote a couple of blogs ago about not having the time to dwell on the ball too long, and the accurary of passing. Today showed that I am in the Pep Guardiola school of managerial thinking. There was no idea. No passion. Second balls were not won, or even contested for the most part. Marking, particulary at the back was non-existant. The only player to come out of the game with any credit was Tim Engler in goal, as there was nothing he could do, being woefully exposed on each occasion. 

We went into the break at 0-0, Göttingen being reduced to 10 men after an elbow in our area. But we showed we had the spine of a jellyfish, with an inept display against a Göttingen team that were in truth, nothing special.

VfL Bückeburg v Göttingen. In other words: Spineless

I am not going to comment on the second half. RSV stormed into a 0-3 lead, and we got two late goals, one a scrambled effort from "Bubi" Bremer, the other a penalty from skipper Nico Werner, but it was too little too late, and if I am honest, the two goals were not deserved.

The Göttingen support was terrific. Their merry band of souls, complete with flags, banners and a fantastic array of songs, drunk and sung their team to victory. Although I thought I had ended up at a Cure concert, they were all dressed in black.

Göttingen fans?

 If I am at the Göttingen game, I shall probably stand with the Cider Boyz (the link escapes me what Göttingen has to do with cider, unless they have some tenous link with Yeovil Town or The Wurzels). Anyone with a "Hate Fascism" flag is alright in my book. The right way to support a club, what did Bückeburg have in return? The usual bloke who looks like he got lost on the way to Led Zepellin concert, blowing some sort of horn, and the man with the flag, which can't even be hung up straight! 

Göttingen fans

Good songs. Heard Hey Jude, some techno pap, and even at one stage the East German anthem, I am assuming with different lyrics. Good couple of songs in English too, although they need to work on the pronunctiation of "Team", in "We all follow a yellow football team".

 After the final whistle I wanted to do a "Sitton" and steam into the dressing room ranting how "I wanna be out there", etc...

So disapointing! 

It's a funny old game!

Frank Rjikaard - my hero

So said Jimmy Greaves. Only he didn't. It was Harry Enfield on Spitting Image that first coined the phrase, but has been attached to Jimmy ever since. 

There was a time when football existed before Sky. Before the Premier League. Before all seater stadia, cheerleaders, face painting and jesters hats. Some say these were simpler times. I am not sure if it was any better in "the old days". 

The racism and homophobia has all but disappeared. Facilities are better. You can now turn up 5 minutes before kick off, take your seat, and munch happily on your prawn sandwich. Watch the "pre-match" entertainment. When I first started attending football, this was the fights on the terracing, now it is scantily clad ladies with pom poms. 

A prawn sandwich

So is it better? I remember the away terrace at Reading's Elm Park ground. The toilet facility was basically a brick wall. No roof! No washing facitlites. Just a brick wall you weed against. So toilet wise, yes!

Following Leyton Orient up and down the country was a really thankless, stupid thing to do. We once went nearly 2 years without winning an away game. TWO YEARS. Think about that. Every week we would turn out, in the vain hope, "This is the one, this is it lads". It never was. But spirit in the face of adversity and all that, we were a rag tag bunch of old sweats, alhohlics, indie kids and general buffoons. It bonded us togther. So much so that on the coach to one away game, The Hood Squad was formed.

More to come when I can get some photos!

 

SV Eintracht Nordhorn 2 VfL Bückeburg 1

                                                                                                                                                                     Sunday, Bloody Sunday as Bono once crooned. This could have summed up today. I was in a foul mood due to Leyton Orient losing their 5th game on the trot. Worst start since 1943 and very much akin to German "comedian" Oliver Pocher, pointless. In fact, the only team in England to be so. Added to that Romford failing to hold on to a lead at home to Soham Town Rangers, scraping a 3-3 draw, and I was not in the best frame of mind. 


I knew nothing of Nordhorn, except it was near The Netherlands and used to have an RAF base many moons ago. In fact it is 162km away and has a population of 53,052. In the last election, the DKP (Deutsche Kommunist Partei) gained an extra seat. 
  With this in mind I set off, my usual route overland. Arrived at 12:30 and found a space in the car park. 


Had a walk round the ground. Best ground I have visited whilst following Bückeburg. So impressive! 

 

View from the top of the impressive stand

So I went into the clubhouse for a cup of coffee, served in a Nordhorn mug. Nice touch! I also purchased a pennant for my collection. However, I had to quoff the coffee down in double quick time, as I think it was mandatary for everyone sitting at the bar there to smoke. Despite the fact there has been a smoking ban for a few years now. No one seems to give a fuck!

Should've nicked this as suggested by someone

As I went to look at the away side, not end, side, complete with seated area, the players turned up. Embarassingly, I think a couple might actually read this dross, as one of them cheekily remarked about the ratings for the bratwurst. 

A view of the away side, with the stand in the background

 The teams entered the fray, in another downpour. Seems we have a permanant rain cloud following us on our travels. Goalkeeper Tim Engler has the most hideous kit. In fact, I may just resort to wearing sunglasses, so bright is it. Looks like a massive tangerine is keeping goal.

A tangerine

Tim Engler

 

    I read the report to this game in the local rag. Not sure the reporter was at the same game as me. I thought the tactics were spot on, and it was by far our best performance of the season. Fritsche was playing on the left of a five man midfield, with Bastian Könnemann on the right. This left Alexander Bremer on his own up front, but it seemed to work, as we had a lot of pocession in the middle of the park, but played a bit too deep at times. 

Nordhorn took the lead after 8 minutes though, which was harsh on us. Although we were breaking up their attacks, they were still getting through and Engler pushed a shot onto the post in the 28th minute. 

After 35 minutes, the best move of the match came from our side. A defence spliting through ball by Bremer found Bastian Könnemann on the right flank. He beat his man, squared to Buruk who back heeled it to Fritsche who was a yard offside. Shame, but encouraging. Went into the break 0-1 down but was confident for the second half. 

My view in the first half

 Second half got underway and in the 54th minute it was all square. The ball was played to Jonas Abram, and he cut in from the left, finished cooly from 11 metres. 1-1 and game on. 

Scorer of the equaliser, Jonas Abram

The Bückeburg goal was leading a charmed life, as yet another shot came crashing off of the right hand upright. On 62 minutes, Niko Werner recklessly challenged their forward in the area. Clear cut penalty and a yellow card for the skipper. Werner had one of those "wish the ground would swallow me up" kind of looks. 

The penalty was duly dispatched, to make it 2-1 to the home side. That's the way it finished. I really can't be too disapointed even though it was another loss. We matched them for long periods of the game, and if it wasn't for that penalty, would have got a point. Maybe not a deserved point, but we'll take anything at the moment. Next game is at home Sunday to BV Cloppenburg, who have some nasty fans. Alledgedly! 

The home fans

 Ratings

 Friendliness:       6/10

 Clubhouse:          0/10

 Seats:              Yes, two stands

 Behind goals:       Terracing, 5 steps

 Cover:              Yes, two stans

 Floodlights:        Yes

 Barrier:            Metal wall

 Beer:               No idea

 Bratwurst:          €1.60 - 2/10

 Entrance fee:       €6

 Programme:          Yes - 4/10

 Weather:            4/10 - Heavy showers

 Ground:            10/10

 Home fans:          6/10

 Player ratings

1. Tim Engler         7

2. Pascal Könnemann   7

3. Jonas Abram        9

4. Dennis Peter       8

5. Niko Werner        6

9. Alexander Bremer   7

10. Niklas Fritsche   7

11. Burak Buruk       7

14. Nils Rinne        7

18. Jan Steiniger     8

20. Bastian Könnemann 7 

Subs

12. Tim Buchwald for Buruk

15. Moritz Heine for Könnemann, B

    

 

                           

VfL Bückeburg 1 v VfL Osnabrück II 1

      

Saturday. We never play at home on a Saturday. This would mean my regime, sat in front of my computer, with various websites open, flicking from one to the other, trying to catch up on scores would be cancelled. Luckily I invested in an iPhone, so would have most of the info at hand, and with Hannover 96 playing the next day, I only had Orient and Romford to concentrate on. Oh, and the match I was at. 

In the end Orient got thumped 0-5 at Brentford, and Romford lost 0-1 at Harlow Town. Not too disapointed about the latter, we can put that right at home to Redbridge on Tuesday. But Orient? Bottom of the leage with the worst goal difference? Quite bizarre! Sort it out Slade.

To the game in hand. Osnabrück II are basically the reserve team of the 3rd division protagonists. Or the Under-21's as they like to see themselves. They are managed by American Joe Enochs, who himself represented Osnabrück 359 times. He even had one full cap for the USA, playing against Ecuador in a 0-0 draw.

The Osnabrück team had quite the most hideous kit. All purple with gold numbers on the back. At times it was like looking into a field of lavender. 

The Osnabrück team

   This was a well fought point. We did not play as well as our previous home game where a 3-1 lead was squandered to lose 3-4 to Goslar, however, there was a lot of guile and the point means we are finally up and running in the Oberliga.

One thing which I did notice, there are a couple of players, and I will not name them, that seem to still be thinking in Landesliga terms. What I mean is, no matter what league you play in, Hackney Marshes to Premier League, everyone knows, that in the league above things are different. You get that little bit less time on the ball, the speed increases, the defenders are shrewder, the technical ability is higher. With that in mind maybe we should start thinking so, and stop trying to dribble past that one extra player, or think that second before the pass is played, as was the case last year, will not be so easily granted to us at this level.

Osnabrück in the first half looked technically superior to us. The goal came on 22 minutes as once again, the right hand side was exposed and a ball into our box found Julian Wold to smash home the cross.

Bubi Bremer. Like Shearer but more subtle

  

We came out scrapping in the second half and it was a much improved performance. The two Könnemann brothers, Pascal and Bastian were stretching Osnabrück on the flanks, leaving space for the restored Niklas Fritsche and Alexander Bremer through the middle.

Once again though, the referee and his assistants were apalling. The linesman on our side was barely out of nappies. 

Another barmy linesman

     In the 83rd minute our deserved equaliser came. High ball into the penalty area, Bubi Bremer was fouled, but got up to get his toe on the ball, swivel round and poke it over the line from 5 metres. The ball trickled over the line but who cares? His 3rd goal of the season in as many games, gave us our first point. 

On Sunday we travel to Eintracht Nordhorn. They are a massive club with a 7500 capacity stadium. I think I will drive to this one as well. Looking forward to it.

Player Ratings
1. Tim Engler          7
2. Pascal Könnemann    7
3. Jonas Abram         8
4. Dennis Peter        6
5. Niko Werner         6
9. Alexander Bremer    7
10. Niklas Fritsche    7
11. Burak Buruk        5
12. Tim Buchwald       6
14. Nils Rinner        5
18. Jan Steingiger     5
Subs
15. Mortiz Heine for Niklas Fritsche
19. Jan-Eike Raschke for Pascal Könnemann
20. Bastian Könnemann  7 for Nils Rinne                  

SC Langenhagen 4 VfL Bückeburg 0

                                                                                          
                                                          
                                                                                            







Well what can I say? Where do I begin? I know, at the beginning. Works for me!

My other teams results were a bit hit and miss. Hannover won 2-1 in Nürnberg, so that's two out of two. Orient lost 0-1 at home to Tranmere and Romford were thumped 1-5 at Hythe, albeit a friendly.

Set off in pouring rain at a ridiculously early time of 11am. I knew the ground was only 45 minutes away, but I thought if I programmed "Emily" to go across country again, maybe, just maybe I could kill a couple of hours. No! I was there at 12:15, having covered the 62.5km from Bückeburg to Langenhagen with consumate ease.

I was feeling pretty confident, as SC Langenhagen had lost their opener last weekend 0-5, so a point would be in the bag. Or so I hoped. 

The Walter-Bettges-Stadion is named after the ex mayor of Langenhagen, who died in 1991. Langenhagen is a suburb of Hannover, population 52,583 and is where both Hannover Airport, and the horse racing track are situated. It is also twinned with Southwark, fact fans, although the resemblance escapes me.

On entering the ground, I was greeted with a psychedelic lion. They must have been dropping acid when they conceived that idea.

 

Why? I mean, why?

For the first time today, just before the kick off, it stopped raining. Within 5 minutes we were one down, as a cross from the left was turned in, with the help of the underside of the cross bar. 

I had no idea what formation we were supposed to be playing. Niklas Fritsche was on the bench, and Pascal Könnemann was playing in the centre of defence alongside Werner, with Dennis Peter seemingly on the right of a back 3. Perhaps I was wrong! I usually am.

After 27 minutes it was a second for Langenhagen. Bückeburg were losing possession in midfield, and it seemed that SCL were a lot stronger. We carved no real chances in the first half and went into the break at 0-2, not before Tim Engler in goal, tipped a shot onto the bar. The signs were ominous.

 

Terracing and main stand

On a side note, as depicted in the photo above, SC Langenhagen have terracing. This has, count them, 5 steps. SCL have played Oberliga for a number of years. So why do they not need crush barriers and the Jahnstadion does? Answers on a postcard to.....

The second half resumed in a downpour and in the 47th minute Bückeburg were denied not one, but two clear penalties. First a handball, which even Stevie Wonder would have spotted, then a push on "Bubi" Bremer which the assistant referee (so much easier to say linesman) failed to spot. His resemblence to Porky Pig was uncanny, and it was all about this jumped up porker. He warned manager Timo Nottebrock for daring to complain and question his judgement. 

The assistant referee

 VfL were playing some good stuff now. Taking the game to Langenhagen and creating a lot more. Buruk was the outstanding player, he was the centre of most things, and Schmalkoch, playing in a more defensive role was also excellent.


But 55 minutes and it was game over. With their 4th shot of the game, the airport lovers scored again, and again it was a cross from the right, clinically finished. I swore loudly when that one went in, as Porky and the ref were riling me with their biased decisions, and we were actually getting on top. 


There was no way back, and I took to trying to spot planes from the nearby airport, in between breaks in the clouds. Total spotted = 6

A plane.

As the game was winding down, another cross, another finish and it was 4. We have now conceded 8 goals in our last two games. If I have to be critical I would say that the right hand side of defence needs looking at. Abram wasn't his usual self today, won virtually no tackles and wasn't as prominent going forward. 

We are rock bottom of the league, but no reason to push the panic button just yet. I am sure there are at least two teams weaker than us, and with only one relegated, great chance to stay in the league.

Next Saturday we have VfL Osnabrück II at home. They are unbeaten and lie in 7th place. I detest reserve teams being in a league, and believe they should have their own reserve league.

Onwards and upwards, the mighty greens!

Ratings

Friendliness:     7
Clubhouse:        10
Seats:            Yes
Behind goals:     Hard standing
Cover:            Yes
Barrier:          Metal fence
Beer:             Gilde Ratskeller - not sampled
Bratwurst:        1.80€ - 5
Entrance fee:     6€
Programme:        No
Weather:          3 - Pissing down
Ground:           5
Home fans:        4

Player Ratings

1. Tim Engler            7
2. Pascal Könnemann      6
3. Jonas Abram           5
4. Dennis Peter          7
5. Niko Werner           6
9. Alexander Bremer      7
11. Burak Buruk          9
12. Tim Buchwald         6 
13. Bastian Schmalkoch   8
18. Jan Steiniger        6
20. Bastian Könnemann    6

Subs
15. Moritz Heine         5 for Buchwald after 66 minutes