FUNderland - An Easter I Will Never Forget!
May 6th 2010 23:24
Time: 02:35pm Date: 06/05/2010 Location: My Bedroom, Kautokeino
During the two weeks in between studying in Helsinki, Finland and Kautokeino, Norway; I was lucky enough to have two weeks off from all the partying that I had been doing! Therefore, for my Easter Holidays I decided to visit the Motherland, also known as England (this was actually my 20th birthday present from my parents). First stop: Sunderland - to pop my EPL cherry
! I just could not wait...
So why Sunderland of all places? When I told the English people on exchange in Helsinki I was going to Sunderland, they just looked at me weird. Well, apart from having a free ticket to watch an English football match there, I was put up for free accommodation, thanks to now extremely good friends of mine: Sean and Trish Murphy. They are actually the parents of Danny who has been in Australia for more than a year and who I have become quite good mates with. I was a bit hesitant at first because I had only met Danny’s' parents on one brief occasion back when they came out to Australia last Christmas. However, nothing beats free accommodation when your traveling Europe with a student bank account. It became more than a free bed to sleep in when I arrived anyway...it turned into a freaking good time! Now I would like to share it with you...
From Helsinki, I arrived into Heathrow Airport on the morning of Good Friday. This airport is HUGE! That's all I'll say. You have to see it to believe it. I even had to take a ten-minute bus ride to get from one terminal to another. Anyway, I changed flights to venture onwards to Newcastle, about 40 minutes northwest of Sunderland. When I arrived into Newcastle, Sean and Trish were there to pick me up. They told me that they had actually forgotten what I had looked like and Sean admitted that before I came out, he had already asked a young guy if he was I! True story. I was worried that I would forget them as well but luckily for me, Trish stands out like a sore thumb with her extreme tan! You can't miss her!
Once we left the airport and passed 'The Angel of the North' (pretty much a giant statue of an angel separating the borders of both Newcastle and Sunderland), they attempted to take me to 'Newcastle Quay' but Sean lost his way and we ended up driving homeward instead. Like typical Sunderland supporters; they said, "No one wants to go out there anyway!" Instead we ended up at the local pub/restaurant. This was a sign of things to come. Myth: All they do in the northeast of England is drink. Fact - this I was about to find out!
The Murphy's house was typically English - a two-story-apartment-looking house squished together with the same looking house attached next door. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how green everything was. It was if I had forgotten what the colour green actually was. I mean, I hadn't seen any green in Helsinki because everything was covered in white snow (since it was like the coldest, whitest Winter they have had in 30 odd years) and in Melbourne; nothing is green anymore...it's all dull draught colours. Every patch of grass I saw, I just wanted get out my stumps, bat and ball and play a game of cricket on it. It was truly amazing!
That night, the Murphy’s and Trish’s sister and husband took me out to dinner. We went to this amazing Thai restaurant overlooking the River Wear; the bridge that crossed the river, which I swear was a carbon copy of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; and the Stadium of Light (Sunderland Football Clubs home ground). If I wasn't excited already, well I don't know what I was when I saw this. "That's where we'll be tomorrow," Sean said to me as I reached across the table to grab another garlic prawn.
Saturday was the day. Sunderland vs. Tottenham. Free ticket thanks to Trish’s' sister. Sunderland scarf thanks to both Sean and Trish. They were so cute! When I awoke in the morning, they presented me with a 'Sunderland Fan Survival Kit'. Although I follow Manchester United, I allowed myself to switch just for the day. Man U ended up losing to Chelsea that day so I was happy with my decision.
Football is life in the United Kingdom. As we ate blood sausage for breakfast, Sean had the football show on. **Now, as Australians, you have to remember that whenever I mention the word 'football' in this blog; it means 'Soccer'! We left at around midday and picked up Sean's mate and his wife who would be coming to the game with us. We then went to one of Sunderland’s' approximately 60 pubs across a very small area. With a pint of Fosters in my hand, this is where we decided to watch the Manchester United vs. Chelsea game. What a great game that was...not! Man U went down 2-1. Well today, it did not matter, as I was a Sunderland supporter!
At about half two (the English way of saying half past two), we left to walk to the stadium. In amongst a sea of red and white, the excitement was ever so strong. There was a buzzing atmosphere around the 'Stadium of Light' (appropriately named this since it was built directly over the top of one of Sunderland’s' four main collieries) with high expectations as the season was coming to an end and they were still a possibility of demotion. However, Tottenham had proven to be a forced to be reckoned with in season 2009/10 and were currently placed in the top four, along with the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Sunderland had only lost twice at home to date in the current season but a true Sunderland supporter could tell you, "that anything could happen"!
Kick-off was at 3pm and we had front row seats behind the goals on the second level. I could not have asked for better seats in the whole stadium and with a crowd of 42,000 around me; I felt incredibly blessed. The atmosphere was electric. I'm sorry, but it just cannot be compared to an Aussie Rules game. It is a constant aurora of magnifying sound. And what a remarkable sight that was about to follow...
After just 34 seconds, Sunderland striker Darren Bent (who used to play for Tottenham) headed the ball into the back of the net. He then struck once more for the 'Black Cats' with a 29th-minute penalty. We soon came to realise that Bent could have had four goals from the game when he missed an additional two spot-kicks either side of the break. Oh by the way, if you think the general atmosphere and noise from the crowd is amazing, just wait until the home team scores: unbelievable!
Half time was no surprise. When the ref blew his whistle, we went as a group to the bar, on a high from the energy coming from the scoreboard that read 2-0. More Fosters; more excitement. In the bar there were about 50 television screens with all the live scores from around the grounds. Every conversation I heard was about the football and what other results meant for Sunderland. A very nice gentleman next to me either heard that I was Australian or saw that I was Australian (after all, I was wearing my Adelaide Crows guernsey and my big Australian 'bogan' hat) and gave me his program. Bonus!! Actually, speaking of my Aussie 'bogan' hat, I tried to wear it inside the stadium so I would get on TV but unfortunately, as soon as I put it on, the poor guy behind me couldn’t see…
As mentioned previously, the second half started with a second Darren Bent missed penalty. Sean was so nervous because he knew that the ‘Black Cats’ always seem to let a lead slip away. Additionally, a disallowed Sunderland goal had the home fans outraged. And when Peter Crouch headed the ball into the net with his first touch for Tottenham in the 72nd minute, tensions began to build. However, they were quickly put to rest when Bolo Zendon blasted home a superb volley in the dying minutes of the game, assuring Sunderland a spot in next seasons English Premier League.
We were stoked! I was amazed. A 3-1 victory from a game that had everything you wanted, minus a send-off
! Great goals, disallowed goals, good tackling, scored penalties, saved penalties, plenty of shots and a bloody good game! Sean believes it was one of the best games he had seen all season and luckily for me, I was there to witness every minute of it!
Immediately after the game, we went back to (yep, you guessed it) the bar to begin our celebrations. The atmosphere was great and everyone was on a high, which led to many opportunities to capture the moment through pictures. The group then headed into town to meet more people, drink more beer and watch more football! I loved how the pub was just full of mad football fans that had either watched the game at the stadium or somewhere else and were celebrating in unison. You did learn however, that it was not only the young people who celebrated into the night…it was the olds too. They even took me bar hopping/pub crawling; whatever you want to call it! I did think catching a cab home at 9:30pm was a bit weak though, for my liking anyway, but I guess after all; I was out on the town with more or less 50 year olds =/
Easter Sunday was my last day in Sunderland as I was leaving for London tomorrow morning so Trish and Sean decided to take me sightseeing. We went and visited Sunderland’s’ coastline and then headed to a nearby town known as Durham. There we walked the streets for a while and visited a beautiful Oriental restaurant. The Murphy’s sure knew the places to eat. Durham reminded me of Scotland, even though I have never been there before. With old castles, and long, winding rivers, it just gave me the impression of what Scotland would be like…if you get my drift.
We returned home and like the previous night, went back into town to do it all again. I found it amazing the way the Murphy’s’ ‘dressed up’ to go out ‘clubbing’ – I loved it! We met some of their friends from the night before and met them in the first bar at around 8pm. We ended up at about five pubs/clubs that night. It was really interesting that in every place you would get female bartenders coming up to you (the young people of course) and trying to sell you shots. After a couple of drinks: I began to find out the reasons why Trish’s’ friend didn’t want to come to Australia – the apparently ‘life-threatening’ wildlife; I found myself in a photo wearing devils’ horns and a red feather boa joined by a group of older ladies enjoying a hens night; and telling a DJ to give a big shout out to ‘Joel Smith all the way from Australia’ – and he actually did! The next thing I know I had girls come out of nowhere to ask me, “Are you really from Australia”
That night, we arrived home at a bit more respectable time by my standards - around midnight. Sean opted to get out the guitar and play a few quiet tunes to show off his ‘skills’! I was actually quite impressed, considering how much he had to drink…and we were still on the Baileys! They let me ring my Mum very expensively that night for some reason when I speak to her all the time for free on Skype. After a few ‘goodbye’ photos with my new Sunderland scarf, my Aussie 'bogan' hat, Sean’s Irish 'bogan' hat and Trish’s Aussie Outback hat; we all hit the sack as I had a plane to catch in the morning. I had a date with the Queen…
P.S. You can view all my photos from 'Fun'derland by clicking on the link at the top of the page!
Superb Sunderland - Me with the items that pretty much summed me up for the whole weekend inside the 'Stadium of Light': Aussie 'bogan' hat, Sunderland scarf, Pint of Fosters and well...my Crows guernsey!
During the two weeks in between studying in Helsinki, Finland and Kautokeino, Norway; I was lucky enough to have two weeks off from all the partying that I had been doing! Therefore, for my Easter Holidays I decided to visit the Motherland, also known as England (this was actually my 20th birthday present from my parents). First stop: Sunderland - to pop my EPL cherry
! I just could not wait...So why Sunderland of all places? When I told the English people on exchange in Helsinki I was going to Sunderland, they just looked at me weird. Well, apart from having a free ticket to watch an English football match there, I was put up for free accommodation, thanks to now extremely good friends of mine: Sean and Trish Murphy. They are actually the parents of Danny who has been in Australia for more than a year and who I have become quite good mates with. I was a bit hesitant at first because I had only met Danny’s' parents on one brief occasion back when they came out to Australia last Christmas. However, nothing beats free accommodation when your traveling Europe with a student bank account. It became more than a free bed to sleep in when I arrived anyway...it turned into a freaking good time! Now I would like to share it with you...
*********************
From Helsinki, I arrived into Heathrow Airport on the morning of Good Friday. This airport is HUGE! That's all I'll say. You have to see it to believe it. I even had to take a ten-minute bus ride to get from one terminal to another. Anyway, I changed flights to venture onwards to Newcastle, about 40 minutes northwest of Sunderland. When I arrived into Newcastle, Sean and Trish were there to pick me up. They told me that they had actually forgotten what I had looked like and Sean admitted that before I came out, he had already asked a young guy if he was I! True story. I was worried that I would forget them as well but luckily for me, Trish stands out like a sore thumb with her extreme tan! You can't miss her!
Once we left the airport and passed 'The Angel of the North' (pretty much a giant statue of an angel separating the borders of both Newcastle and Sunderland), they attempted to take me to 'Newcastle Quay' but Sean lost his way and we ended up driving homeward instead. Like typical Sunderland supporters; they said, "No one wants to go out there anyway!" Instead we ended up at the local pub/restaurant. This was a sign of things to come. Myth: All they do in the northeast of England is drink. Fact - this I was about to find out!
The Murphy's house was typically English - a two-story-apartment-looking house squished together with the same looking house attached next door. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how green everything was. It was if I had forgotten what the colour green actually was. I mean, I hadn't seen any green in Helsinki because everything was covered in white snow (since it was like the coldest, whitest Winter they have had in 30 odd years) and in Melbourne; nothing is green anymore...it's all dull draught colours. Every patch of grass I saw, I just wanted get out my stumps, bat and ball and play a game of cricket on it. It was truly amazing!
That night, the Murphy’s and Trish’s sister and husband took me out to dinner. We went to this amazing Thai restaurant overlooking the River Wear; the bridge that crossed the river, which I swear was a carbon copy of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; and the Stadium of Light (Sunderland Football Clubs home ground). If I wasn't excited already, well I don't know what I was when I saw this. "That's where we'll be tomorrow," Sean said to me as I reached across the table to grab another garlic prawn.
Saturday was the day. Sunderland vs. Tottenham. Free ticket thanks to Trish’s' sister. Sunderland scarf thanks to both Sean and Trish. They were so cute! When I awoke in the morning, they presented me with a 'Sunderland Fan Survival Kit'. Although I follow Manchester United, I allowed myself to switch just for the day. Man U ended up losing to Chelsea that day so I was happy with my decision.
Football is life in the United Kingdom. As we ate blood sausage for breakfast, Sean had the football show on. **Now, as Australians, you have to remember that whenever I mention the word 'football' in this blog; it means 'Soccer'! We left at around midday and picked up Sean's mate and his wife who would be coming to the game with us. We then went to one of Sunderland’s' approximately 60 pubs across a very small area. With a pint of Fosters in my hand, this is where we decided to watch the Manchester United vs. Chelsea game. What a great game that was...not! Man U went down 2-1. Well today, it did not matter, as I was a Sunderland supporter!
At about half two (the English way of saying half past two), we left to walk to the stadium. In amongst a sea of red and white, the excitement was ever so strong. There was a buzzing atmosphere around the 'Stadium of Light' (appropriately named this since it was built directly over the top of one of Sunderland’s' four main collieries) with high expectations as the season was coming to an end and they were still a possibility of demotion. However, Tottenham had proven to be a forced to be reckoned with in season 2009/10 and were currently placed in the top four, along with the likes of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Sunderland had only lost twice at home to date in the current season but a true Sunderland supporter could tell you, "that anything could happen"!
Kick-off was at 3pm and we had front row seats behind the goals on the second level. I could not have asked for better seats in the whole stadium and with a crowd of 42,000 around me; I felt incredibly blessed. The atmosphere was electric. I'm sorry, but it just cannot be compared to an Aussie Rules game. It is a constant aurora of magnifying sound. And what a remarkable sight that was about to follow...
After just 34 seconds, Sunderland striker Darren Bent (who used to play for Tottenham) headed the ball into the back of the net. He then struck once more for the 'Black Cats' with a 29th-minute penalty. We soon came to realise that Bent could have had four goals from the game when he missed an additional two spot-kicks either side of the break. Oh by the way, if you think the general atmosphere and noise from the crowd is amazing, just wait until the home team scores: unbelievable!
Half time was no surprise. When the ref blew his whistle, we went as a group to the bar, on a high from the energy coming from the scoreboard that read 2-0. More Fosters; more excitement. In the bar there were about 50 television screens with all the live scores from around the grounds. Every conversation I heard was about the football and what other results meant for Sunderland. A very nice gentleman next to me either heard that I was Australian or saw that I was Australian (after all, I was wearing my Adelaide Crows guernsey and my big Australian 'bogan' hat) and gave me his program. Bonus!! Actually, speaking of my Aussie 'bogan' hat, I tried to wear it inside the stadium so I would get on TV but unfortunately, as soon as I put it on, the poor guy behind me couldn’t see…
As mentioned previously, the second half started with a second Darren Bent missed penalty. Sean was so nervous because he knew that the ‘Black Cats’ always seem to let a lead slip away. Additionally, a disallowed Sunderland goal had the home fans outraged. And when Peter Crouch headed the ball into the net with his first touch for Tottenham in the 72nd minute, tensions began to build. However, they were quickly put to rest when Bolo Zendon blasted home a superb volley in the dying minutes of the game, assuring Sunderland a spot in next seasons English Premier League.
We were stoked! I was amazed. A 3-1 victory from a game that had everything you wanted, minus a send-off
! Great goals, disallowed goals, good tackling, scored penalties, saved penalties, plenty of shots and a bloody good game! Sean believes it was one of the best games he had seen all season and luckily for me, I was there to witness every minute of it!Immediately after the game, we went back to (yep, you guessed it) the bar to begin our celebrations. The atmosphere was great and everyone was on a high, which led to many opportunities to capture the moment through pictures. The group then headed into town to meet more people, drink more beer and watch more football! I loved how the pub was just full of mad football fans that had either watched the game at the stadium or somewhere else and were celebrating in unison. You did learn however, that it was not only the young people who celebrated into the night…it was the olds too. They even took me bar hopping/pub crawling; whatever you want to call it! I did think catching a cab home at 9:30pm was a bit weak though, for my liking anyway, but I guess after all; I was out on the town with more or less 50 year olds =/
*********************
Easter Sunday was my last day in Sunderland as I was leaving for London tomorrow morning so Trish and Sean decided to take me sightseeing. We went and visited Sunderland’s’ coastline and then headed to a nearby town known as Durham. There we walked the streets for a while and visited a beautiful Oriental restaurant. The Murphy’s sure knew the places to eat. Durham reminded me of Scotland, even though I have never been there before. With old castles, and long, winding rivers, it just gave me the impression of what Scotland would be like…if you get my drift.
We returned home and like the previous night, went back into town to do it all again. I found it amazing the way the Murphy’s’ ‘dressed up’ to go out ‘clubbing’ – I loved it! We met some of their friends from the night before and met them in the first bar at around 8pm. We ended up at about five pubs/clubs that night. It was really interesting that in every place you would get female bartenders coming up to you (the young people of course) and trying to sell you shots. After a couple of drinks: I began to find out the reasons why Trish’s’ friend didn’t want to come to Australia – the apparently ‘life-threatening’ wildlife; I found myself in a photo wearing devils’ horns and a red feather boa joined by a group of older ladies enjoying a hens night; and telling a DJ to give a big shout out to ‘Joel Smith all the way from Australia’ – and he actually did! The next thing I know I had girls come out of nowhere to ask me, “Are you really from Australia”
That night, we arrived home at a bit more respectable time by my standards - around midnight. Sean opted to get out the guitar and play a few quiet tunes to show off his ‘skills’! I was actually quite impressed, considering how much he had to drink…and we were still on the Baileys! They let me ring my Mum very expensively that night for some reason when I speak to her all the time for free on Skype. After a few ‘goodbye’ photos with my new Sunderland scarf, my Aussie 'bogan' hat, Sean’s Irish 'bogan' hat and Trish’s Aussie Outback hat; we all hit the sack as I had a plane to catch in the morning. I had a date with the Queen…
P.S. You can view all my photos from 'Fun'derland by clicking on the link at the top of the page!
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