First win of the season! (17.March@FUKUOKA)
Due to time constraints and the secret inner trainspotter in me, which has emerged due to the phenomenal train system in Japan, I’ve just got back from a 24 hour round trip to the Fukuoka away game, only possible via shink. And 2 types of shink may I add. This trip I got to experience the Mizuho variety – the private jet version of the shink – wooden panelled what-nots and even more legroom. I thought any train that turns up vaguely on time and has a seat not covered in too much gum and abandoned newspapers I’d be happy. The shink continues to hold a special place in my heart.
After arriving around 10pm, I headed straight out to watch the Arsenal game. Found a great little sports bar and ended up sharing it with some Japanese scousers – me at one end with the Arsenal game on a TV, and them the other end with another TV set up for the Liverpool game. Whilst the place was a little overly dedicated to baseball, the menu contained a section of J League team cocktails. Much to my horror Sanga was not on the list, but after a bit of banter with the barman, I soon corrected this flaw and he whipped this up for me – a lilac fruity little number for Kyoto.
Sunday morning I headed off to the bus station and joined a long queue of navy (Fukuoka) and purple shirted people heading to the Level Five stadium. I know I always say it, but again only in Japan could rival fans, so openly ‘out’ in their respective shirts travel to the stadium together so peacefully!
We wound along through the back streets and arrived at the pretty decent Level Five stadium – NO TRACK (need I say more?!), the token inflatable provided by sponsor (coke can) and an array of food stalls. Since supporting Sanga not only has my football routine switched from the Saturday 3pm ritual to Sunday afternoon, but because of the stadium staple – my Saturday night kebab ( or Sunday hangover leftovers breakfast) has also moved to Sunday afternoons. Not as good as Nishikyogoku’s kebab where they use a hot plate rather than a rice cooker to finish the meat off, but a decent attempt with the chilli sauce.
As for the game itself, whilst of course the first victory of the season is always sweet, today was one of those games that you just didn’t want to end. Sanga took their first shot at the 43 second mark, which set the standard for the game with them pushing up and constantly stripping the ball away from a quite dirty Fukuoka. I have to say I actually enjoyed the cheek of the Fukuoka lads, and after seeing the interpreter desperately trying to convey the ranting of their Slovakian manager, I figured that the players may have been learning some other lessons than just new formations.
After the final whistle, the Sanga lads headed straight to the supporters’ stand to celebrate, and as I watched them chanting together, I felt that whilst the J League sadly remains a bit minor, in some ways it is better than the Premier League for us fans. The Premier League will always be my first love, but it has quite an exclusive, distant feel to it these days. As a fan I want to go the stadium and see the game, I don’t want to have to rely on Match of the Day or Twitter updates, yet if I was in the UK now I wouldn’t be able to get to the stadium as often as I can here – lack of funds for those tickets and the ridiculous waiting lists. If something makes it hard work for you to support it, you have to think is it worth it? The J League makes itself accessible to fans, and for that it deserves a bit more recognition.
