Durham vs Rotterdam: The Inaugural Tournament

A truly ludicrous - bordering on miraculous - alignment of the elements on Saturday 27th September ensured perfect sunshine for the inaugural Durham-Rotterdam Cup, played between all my mates from Rotterdam (pictured outside Durham Castle, where they stayed) and the fellow University staff members I play with every Tuesday lunchtime here in Durham. The Rotterdammers out on Palace Green, Sunday afternoon.

I had set up an identical arrangement in 2002 between the Rotterdammers and my mates down in London, which worked brilliantly as a home and away two-legged confrontation for 4 years. But in the last two years a number of players felt it had turned too competitive (tackles from behind from one or two players, way too many 'handbags' confrontations, even bookings for crying out loud!). It had lost its original vibe somewhat. That, and the Rotterdammers wanted to see Durham, and Liam and Valeria... So they came to Durham.

The Dutch arrived by the overnight ferry on the day itself, with 12 players and their coach Bob Uijlen. The Durhamite ranks eventually swelled to 16 players, and so I - with a conflicted identity - played for the Dutch to even things up, stamina-wise! (And because I really couldn't bring myself to wear the suspiciously T*tt*nh*m-esque kit that had been sourced for the home team...!)

(below) DURHAM team L to R (standing): Gareth Bird, Vig Juntas, Michael Lavery, Dima Yufit, Padraig Lyons, Andrei Krokhin, Steve Bradley; (front row): Richard Gildea, Steve Smith, Greg Iordanou, Andres Sanchez, Steve Willis, Rick Simpson.

(above) 'THE ROTTERDAMMERS' L to R (standing): Richard de Jong, Remco van Dijk, Robin de Roon, Dennis Tummers, Gerwalt Spijkerman, Manfred Wienhoven, Jan Hanssen (front row): Nils Ligthart, Me, Christiaan van Beek, Jeroen Peters, Edwin van der Zon, Gijs van Beek.

The game was played in a terrific spirit, which was a huge relief: still competitive - both sides certainly keen to win - but very friendly at the same time (genuine concern for people knocked over; pass backs to the opposition at drop-balls, that sort of thing). Unfortunately, the 90 minutes saw one hospitalisation, Steve from the business school's catering team chipping his shoulder when he fell awkwardly (but he's all right now, and serving up his usual delicious grub for us).

Rotterdam took the lead early, super striker Gerwalt Spijkerman skinning a Durham defender in the box and shooting across the 'keeper for 1-0. But Durham equalised within a few minutes, defender Greg Iordanou chancing a lob that eluded the Rotterdam keeper, Gijs van Beek. A defensive calamity let in Spijkerman for his second, and at half-time the vistors were a goal to the good - although Durham had had a fair few chances, as well.

In the second half Michael Lavery slammed home from close-range from a corner to level the scores again, but the practically unmarkable Spijkerman got his hatrick with a trademark header from an equally trademark Edwin van der Zon corner. 3-2. Richard de Jong then stretched the Dutch lead, with - I think - his first 11-a-side goal in an Anglo-Dutch fixture.

Durham striker Andrei Krokhin had a goal ruled out for offside after probably the best move of the match (lashing home a volley from a deft lob provided by Durham captain Andres Sanchez. The linesman stuck to his guns admirably - all the more impressive as he was only about 13! No histrionics from the locals, I'm pleased to report. But shortly after, Steve Willis, who had flown in from a holiday in Italy that very morning, celebrated his return with Durham's 3rd.

With five minutes to go, Krokhin got his just reward, spanking in the equaliser to set up the archetypal "frenzied finale". This saw Durham's defence - and Steve Bradley in piggin' particular - deny your correspondent a clear run on goal at least twice. Then Durham captain Andres Sanchez showed the best shimmies of the match to free up space and launch a rocket - which cannoned off the bar. At the death, Durham had at least four corners in a row - it felt like 94 - but they were all scrambled away by Jeroen Peters, Dennis Tummers and Jan Hanssen, Remco van Dijk and Christiaan/ Gijs van Beek in the Rotterdam rearguard.

So, the game finished 4-4 at 90 minutes, Durham probably shading it in terms of chances but having to come back from 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 down.

Louise, wife of Durham's Steve Bradley, took some tremendous pictures from the sidelines, and they can be viewed here.

Being old, fat, slow and less than diligent in matters of personal fitness, we went straight to penalties, and when Gareth Bird guessed right to deny Spijkerman with a terrific block for the first (pictured here-ish), it seemed that Durham were set fair for victory.

Steve Willis, Greg Iordannou, Andrei Krokhin and 'John from the Business School kitchens' (apparently playing football for the first time in four years) all belted theirs home, while Nils Ligthart, Edwin van der Zon, Jeroen Peters, and Richard de Jong netted for the Dutch (see various pictures below - you can click on some to enlarge them, but not them all for some reason).

So, on his penultimate game in the city, Durham captain Andres Sanchez stepped up to win it for the home side...

Cometh the hour...

And he had a 'John Terry' moment (pictured) - complete with slipping on the surface and landing on his ar*e. Except Andres didn't hit the post, only Manfred Wienhoven in the Dutch goal who, the photographic evidence above clearly confirms, was some way off his line!

Gijs van Beek and Michael Lavery knocked in the first pair of 'sudden death' pens, and modesty forbids a detailed commentary on what turned out to be the decisive penalty for the Rotterdammers, stroked into the bottom corner with the right amount of pace, power and precision to beat Gareth's flailing dive. (Just - thank God!) ;-p .

Then Guy Millen, from the Business School, invoked the ghost of Chris Waddle with a thumping drive aimed high. Although Manfred the Rotterdammers' specialist 'penalty keeper' never moved, it thwacked unluckily off the bar, and that was that.

Bob the Dutch coach filmed the penalties with full commentary (albeit in Dutch), and most of them can be seen here [mainly the Dutch ones] - although it's a bit grainy and ended up being filmed into the sunlight, but hey.

Mike Carr, who works at the Maiden Castle sports centre and was a perfect ref, gave me a free trophy which was awarded to their captain Jan Hanssen - and then broken in two places within 10 minutes of falling into Liam's hands on the Sunday.

The post-match meal was at Oldfields, a great restuarant in Durham that uses only locally sourced ingredients, and it was yum.
The Dutch lads then experienced the glorious spectacle that is 'Durham on a Saturday night', in Varsity, Lloyds Bar and LoveShack. As Edwin said the morning after, "Last night I saw some sights...", and then his voice trailed off, as he stared into the middle distance in the manner of a Vietnam veteran. Next year, the Bigg Market then! (For a reflective commentary on the weekend, in Dutch, on the Sunday morning click here.)

So, general consensus seems to be that a home and away two-legged fixture for next year is nailed on, as it was brilliant fun. Or a tri-team tourno with the Londoners. BIG thanks to everyone who played, it went better than I could have dreamed.

Austria holiday - September 2008

After failing to even start our planned two week holiday in California tagged on the end of one of Daddy's conferences - we were told at Newcastle Airport check-in that Liam needed his own passport to get into the States (he's been on his Mum's for his entire life), a minor technicality that eluded the otherwise thoroughly professional service we received from our travel agent and the Italian Consulate, but it's always the LITTLE DETAILS that matter, isn't it? - we looked around for somewhere else, and Valeria found Zell am See in Austria.

Zell am See town pictured from the top of Schmittenhöhe mountain (1967m, reached by cable car.

Zell am See town pictured from the lake, with the Schmittenhöhe mountain in the background (above); The lovely lake, taken from a pedalo with Liam steering (below). Imagine what all this looks like covered in snow, too...

I think it's fair to say we travelled more in hope than in expectation, but we have to report to everyone reading this, especially with young kids, that Zell am See itself (pictured) and the Hotel Stadt Wien (pictured) are both completely tremendous: a revelation.







The hotel had its own heated outdoor pool, which Liam LOVED. We had some little games we played, and after certain cues Liam had to swim toward me. He can't yet, but I alternated my hands pushing him up by his tummy while he thrashed his limbs (see pics), and he loved the danger of nearly drowning - or 'nearly swimming', as we preferred to think of it.

The town also has a couple of great outdoor public pools (pictured) on either side of the lake, the one across the water being particularly dramatic.

This is a lovely photo of Liam and Valeria lying down on their towels after a long swim.

Here is Liam steering our boat on the lake cruise - a peaceful way to while away an hour (provided Liam consented to eating his cheese sandwiches...)

We took two trips away from 'Zell', one a guided tour to Krimml waterfall and the other on public transport to an Animal Park/ Adventure Playground called Ferleiten. First up, Krimml.Krimml is apparently Europe's tallest waterfall, and is certainly gorgeous - but Valeria and I did see Iguazu on the Brazil-Argentina border on our honeymoon, and they are the falls by which all others (including Niagra) are judged.

Nevertheless, the forest hills you walk through to reach the summit are gorgeous, and the hour and a half it took to conquer Krimml was great fun, Liam alternating between walking two switchbacks and going on Daddy's shoulders. But he made it. Here he is at the start, looking like an intrepid, and slightly eccentric, explorer - replete with lollipop.Ferleiten, meanwhile, is about 45 minutes away by bus, and is a great little animal park, with bears and ibexes (long-horned goats, in essence), and has some good rides, notably the electric cars (see a home entry on the ones back in Durham elsewhere), and electric boats, as well - set in gobsmackingly fantastic mountain scenery. Here is Liametto Fittipaldi, tearing around the track.
So - notwithstanding the usual, expected disciplinary challenges (a seeming inability to eat any food prior to the 12th request and/or threat of a 'timne out' - we had a great break.

So good, we're planning on going back next year. Especially as kids under 12 stay for free.