Playing for The Accies is an extraordinary thing.
Quite
apart from the joy of Thursday night football in Crystal Palace, the club has
been built around regular club trips
abroad – most recently Cantoria in Spain and Rotterdam in Holland.
I just wanted to take a few moments to write about these
magnificent trips, as your Club Captain, friend and well…bloke.
It is always hard to put into words how fantastic these
trips always are – but I thought now
was a great time to try to do just that about the trip to Rotterdam .
Someone booked my train tickets for me. The club contributed
£50 towards it. I’d increased my Accies subs by £10 a month many months ago so
that accommodation was basically taken care of. I met my brother and Luke at
King’s Cross at 11am on Friday, had a couple of beers before boarding the
Eurostar with a few more train beers in hand. My accommodation was booked for
me too. A bike was rented for me and several team-mates were always there to
get us from A-B without getting lost.
On the Friday evening we met up with several other Accies
already in Rotterdam and had a few beers near the accommodation by the harbour.
On Saturday, I had a lovely leisurely breakfast with my friends and team-mates, a
bike ride to a Pancake restaurant by a lake for a small lunch and then cycled
as a team to the stadium where the big match was due to take place. We started
the game with ten men and were losing 1-0 at half time. We went 2-0 down pretty
quickly at the start of the second half, but the belief was still there with
The Accies, you could tell.
Then we scored. Then our 11th player arrived and
the turnaround and comeback accelerated. 4-2 to The Accies, final score.
Hat-trick for Graham Dietz, a cracking goal also from Scott Greenwell. An
impeccable goalkeeping performance from Dave Rudd in goal – and a solid back
four made up of myself, Stuart Dade, Luke Fallon and Simon Mesner. A fantastic
return to playing action from Phil Caldwell. Superb play, and communication from Perre. Goliath effort
from Sam Herbert in midfield. Scott and Graham up front – a double left footed
pain for the oppo. A much needed stellar performance from late-comer Chris.
Just writing the words doesn’t do it justice. WHAT a game –
what a cracking bunch of lads the oppo continue to prove themselves to be!
Does it get any better than winning 4-2 after being 2-0
down, away – with 55 minutes with ten men?
Well, yes.
After the game – the generous Dutch provide several crates
of lager. One of them, Dutch legend Nils then provides storage for bags and
accompanies us to the Excelsior ground – having arranged for the entire Accies
team to get tickets for just ten Euros each for their clash with Dordrecht
(final score 1-1). Great atmosphere, more beers during the game – great company
and yet more smiles all round.
Surely, the day couldn’t improve?
How about being on the guest list for an album launch gig
with now Accies friend Bregje Lacourt?
Thanks to the friendship between Simon Mesner and Bregje – which started some 7
years ago on a previous Accies Rotterdam trip, we found ourselves supping more
beer whilst watching this fantastic gig.
Then on for more beers, in several bars etc. with some
taking the opportunity to rest up at the accommodation, or hit the clubs –
ultimately and basically just have a fantastic time, in the company of friends
and team-mates.
I doubt I’ve even covered 10% of the magnificence of this
latest Accies club trip – and my only regret is that more Accies weren’t there
to experience it as well.
We have the 15th Anniversary game and
celebrations coming up on Saturday 4th October and I look forward to
enjoying that with you and your friends and family. Plans are already being
made for Spain 2015 and Rotterdam 2015 – and my extra £10 a month into the club
is definitely going to continue to ease the financial burden of these when they
come around.
My advice is to do the same if you think you need to. Get
the dates in your diary as soon as you know them, along with all the other
social events – because these weekends and events are without question an
integral part of the past, present and future of the Effra Academicals – and
without question are some of the greatest weekends I’ve ever experienced – and
will continue to do so for many years, hopefully in your company.
Up The Accies!
Andrew Dade
Effra Academicals Club Captain and Club Secretary.
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