We are going home

Kiev's Olympic Stadium: the scene of England's crime

It was a massacre in all but the score line and even the most ardent of England fans couldn't deny the better team won.

Nevertheless, as the penalty shoot out began it didn’t prevent a wave of optimism when Riccardo Montolivo missed his penalty for Italy, giving England the advantage that they soon squandered after tame efforts from Ashley Young and the normally reliable Ashley Cole.

The English section of the stadium was something akin to a morgue after the defeat. Many of which were younger fans, the older ones now almost getting used to such failures. The younger ones just staring into the abyss like so many of the more senior supporters have done in Turin, Wembley, Shizouka and Gelsenkirchen.

As for the game itself, oh how we missed Jack Wilshere. Our inability to keep the ball has been well documented and the silky passing of the young Arsenal midfielder would have been essential if we'd had any hopes of having a major impact on this tournament.

Even the evergreen Paul Scholes would have been a more welcome addition to the pitch than the underwhelming introduction of Jordan Henderson.

As majestic as Italy’s Andrea Pirlo was, this tweet from Michael Owen shortly after England’s exit summed up the absence of Scholes: ‘Pirlo was awesome but we have a player of a similar age and equally as good. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there. #Scholes.’

Some may have viewed him coming out of retirement as regressive step but do you think the Italians would readily discard Pirlo, or the Spanish Xavi, in such a hurry? I think not.

Anyway, back to the England fans, who behaved impeccably throughout Sunday night’s game, thoughts were already turning towards Brazil. The endless optimism of an England fan is both reprehensible and admirable in equal measure. 

We just hope we have more ball retainers than ball hoofers next time out. Joe Hart’s endless long balls towards Andy Carroll became a familiar theme during the heartbreaking defeat to Italy.

But where there are young midfield starlets like Wilshere and Manchester United’s Tom Cleverley there is hope. My goodness we need it. We are going home, we are going we going home (but we’ll be back). See you in Brazil in 2014, providing we qualify of course.

Footnotes from Ukraine

Tasty: when in Kiev...

Whilst Ukraine have been a welcoming host (I even received two bags of crisps on the street for free yesterday in Kiev, any country that bears gifts as nice as this gets my vote) there is one thing sorely lacking when compared to previous tournaments: the lack of variety of travelling support in each host city. 

In Tokyo, stood at central station, the place was buzzing with supporters from all over the world. From Ireland to Argentina, from Germany to Cameroon, it was a fantastic place to be as the hub of the World Cup with 16 nations based in Japan, many of which playing in the country’s capital at some stage during the tournament.

In Poland and Ukraine, though, this is not the case. The size of the two host nations, aligned with varying transport issues (there’s no bullet train here) there is not the same international feel. Sweden, for example, are based solely in Kiev, whilst Spain remain in Gdansk, for the time being at least.

I understand the logistics, I just miss the lack of an international feel when the cities are dominated by just one or two nation's fans.

A dog: this funny thing has no business being here, aside from the fact he is a cute dog, which is enough in itself

Anyway, moan over and I am returning to my crisps as my trip takes another dramatic twist (there have been more twists and turns than a twisty-turny thing so far). I have decided to become a culture vulture, taking in a monastery and some of the amazing views on offer near Kiev’s famous arc. 

Irish pub: at O'Brien's with fellow Norfolk boy (also in red) who goes simply by the name of Calvin

It is not long, however, before I revert to type to visit the Irish bar to watch football before drinking myself silly whilst singing to Oasis songs in a downstairs bar called Dockers which gets a seal of approval in terms of ambience, but a seal of disapproval on the ever increasing price of drinks throughout the evening.

Now for the long train journey to Donetsk from Kiev which will pass by much more quickly as it will be dominated by some much needed sleep.

 
Don't look back in anger: Oasis being sung at the Dockers bar in Kiev

Onwards and upwards

Well Friday night almost encapsulated everything about being an England fan, except if it had, the ending would have been far more miserable.

It could have been very different, however. As the storm clouds came over the Olympic Stadium in Kiev shortly before kick off, the fear was that we were going to suffer from the same deluge that had recently hit Donetsk, forcing the match between Ukraine and France to be abandoned, albeit for just one hour.

Roy Hodgson and the English support had more than the weather on their mind mid-way through the second half as Olof Mellberg scored a brace to put the Swedes into an improbable lead. But then Theo Walcott sprang from the bench to rescue the Three Lions and condemn Sweden to elimination as we now look optimistically towards playing Ukraine on Tuesday.

‘You're going home with the Irish’ was sang in the direction of the 20,000 Swedish supporters, outnumbering their English counterparts by almost three to one. This was not a feeling we are used to. Normally it is us who are the dominant force within the stadium. Even in Portugal in 2004, in their own stadium, we had more fans than our opponents. But here it was a sea of yellow and blue. That's the trouble: even the Ukrainians within the crowd seemed to be on the side of our opponents.

A fan's eye view: nervous times for the England faithful

It all used to be so different. Not since the cost of these trips became so extortionate that only the affluent Scandinavians can travel in their droves. And even they are restricted to a budgeted style camping arrangement.

Though there is the argument that the England team are so short in quality these days that I even brought my boots in the hope of a late call up, this could only partially explain the lack of numbers.

There is a feeling among the team’s support that we are more than happy to be here and a little resentful towards some sectors of the British media regarding the over-hyped violent nature of the host nations. This has not been in evidence whilst we have been here and long may it continue. ‘We’re not going home, we’re not going home, we’re not going, we’re not going, we’re not going home’… not til Tuesday at least.

Euro surprise

Yesterday was my first visit to the fan zone in Kiev and I wasn't disappointed. The camaraderie between the English and the Swedish supporters was excellent and I anticipate that relationship staying the same for tonight's game. It was certainly embellished by the Swedish band on show singing some Oasis classics. What ever happened to Abba?

What followed did come as a slight surprise as a middle aged woman came to me offering sex. When I declined she then said it was for money, perhaps expecting me to change my mind. I did not and I suggested she should head towards the Swedish contingent offering her services as they have more money than the English. She took heed of my advice and headed in their direction.

One disappointing footnote has to be aimed in the direction of the Official England Supporters bar where they are trying to exploit fans by charging relatively extortionate prices, three times that of just about anywhere else in the city, including the fan zone which it neighbours.