3pm 26 October 2013
Georgia, Umaglesi Liga
Sioni Bolnisi 0 Metalurgi Rustavi 1 (att 300)
Another tick on my long-term quest to see a game in every European country, this time Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
I had hoped to see three games while here, but I'd reckoned without Sunday's Presidential elections, which caused the cancellation of the day's third division football.
Luck was on my side on the Saturday though, with Dinamo Tbilisi's game starting at 5pm, local time, and this match, also in the county's top division, at 3pm just a few miles away on the western edge of the city.
A language barrier at the stadium, and the lack of any information online, means I'm still none the wiser as to why FC Sioni are spending this season away from their home town. Most games are being played at the impressive Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, a large all seater bowl, with a roof covering a limited area intended for VIPs and press.
The stadium, which looks recently refurbished, is next door to the Georgian FA's modern headquarters, and appears to provide a temporary occasional home for various clubs. It was previously known as the Lokomotive Stadium, but the then resident club, Lokomotivi Tblisi, currently play elsewhere in Georgian football's second division.
I expected a small crowd, although I hadn't expected admission to the game to be free. A lively band of Rustavi fans did their best to create some atmosphere, and were rewarded when their team scored the game's only goal early in the second half.
It wasn't a great game to watch, but the experience of seeing a game in a foreign country is rarely dull. As the final whistle went I ran back to the main road to flag down a taxi for a swift ride to FC Dinamo Tbilisi.
Georgia, Umaglesi Liga
Sioni Bolnisi 0 Metalurgi Rustavi 1 (att 300)
Another tick on my long-term quest to see a game in every European country, this time Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
I had hoped to see three games while here, but I'd reckoned without Sunday's Presidential elections, which caused the cancellation of the day's third division football.
Luck was on my side on the Saturday though, with Dinamo Tbilisi's game starting at 5pm, local time, and this match, also in the county's top division, at 3pm just a few miles away on the western edge of the city.
A language barrier at the stadium, and the lack of any information online, means I'm still none the wiser as to why FC Sioni are spending this season away from their home town. Most games are being played at the impressive Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, a large all seater bowl, with a roof covering a limited area intended for VIPs and press.
The stadium, which looks recently refurbished, is next door to the Georgian FA's modern headquarters, and appears to provide a temporary occasional home for various clubs. It was previously known as the Lokomotive Stadium, but the then resident club, Lokomotivi Tblisi, currently play elsewhere in Georgian football's second division.
I expected a small crowd, although I hadn't expected admission to the game to be free. A lively band of Rustavi fans did their best to create some atmosphere, and were rewarded when their team scored the game's only goal early in the second half.
It wasn't a great game to watch, but the experience of seeing a game in a foreign country is rarely dull. As the final whistle went I ran back to the main road to flag down a taxi for a swift ride to FC Dinamo Tbilisi.
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