Posts Tagged ‘Murcia’

UCAM Murcia CF v Cadiz CF B, Sunday 19th November 2023, 12 noon

January 20, 2024

The second game of the day was just a short drive away in Murcia and the reduced Sunday traffic meant that we were parked up a short walk from the Estadio de La Condomina with plenty of time to spare.

There’s a limit to how much football Jen wants to watch and I suspect that we often exceed it. She decided to sit this one out and I left her in a busy churreria, which is a bit like a coffee shop but sells those cups of thick chocolate that you dip a doughnut-like substance into.

I’d already bought a ten euro ticket online for the fourth-tier fixture between UCAM Murcia and the Cadiz B team. UCAM had inherited the ninety-nine year old Condomina ground when Real Murcia relocated to the ‘new Condomina’ where I’d watched the Ukraine U21 game a couple of days earlier.. I wondered whether this ground would eventually become known as the ‘old Condomina’.

I’m not sure how I’d feel if someone had moved into Ayresome Park after the Boro left, particularly if they played in red. If they were a non-league side, say the like of Boro Rangers, maybe I’d go along and adopt them as a second team. Although it might well be more like going to see a tribute act, which I rarely do.

There were only two areas open. A main covered stand that ran along one side of the pitch that looked like it was dropping to bits and an open area behind the goal to my left. There was a small band of ultras with a drum in that one, squeezed into the only area that had the benefit of shade.

The game got off to a slow start with UCAM having most of the possession and territory with Cadiz relying on counter-attacks. When the visitors did get opportunities, they were invariably blasted high and wide. UCAM scored with a low shot across the keeper into the corner just before the break and that turned out to be enough to take the points.

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Real Murcia CF B v CAP Ciudad de Murcia, Sunday 19th November 2023, 10am

January 17, 2024

This game was the first of three that I had lined up for that day. I’m aware that might be considered a little excessive and I’d probably accept that. But when games are scheduled close to each other and the travelling fits, well, why not? One reservation that I had was that I’d have to miss around ten minutes of either the first or second game as the logistics didn’t quite work perfectly, but I’ve never been precious about having to see the entire game to tick off a ground.

The first fixture required a drive down to Murcia for a ten o’clock kick-off at the Estadio Campus Universitario for a fifth-tier game. We were there an hour early, but the car parks were already full, no doubt with cars that hadn’t moved all week whilst their owners stayed in bed. Fucking students.

It was five euros admission, but very few people were paying as they were flashing what I presumed were their Real Murcia season cards to watch the reserve side. The only viewing option was a seven-row uncovered concrete terrace down one side. We spotted a few plastic chairs dotted about in the back row and collected two of then as a perk of being there so early.

Real Murcia B were fifth in the table with CAP Ciudad de Murcia in tenth, but there were just four points between the sides. The game wasn’t up to much and my eyes were repeatedly drawn to an eight a side small kids game on the next pitch along. On the basis that the adult ref seemed twice the height of the players I’d guess that they were around six years old. Some of them looked pretty decent and you couldn’t help but smile at the joy and despair whenever a goal was scored.

There wasn’t anything like the excitement in the adult game, with not a single shot on target in the first half. I tried for a half-time drink but there was nothing available. By the time we reached the hour mark, at least each side had managed a shot on target. Nevertheless, I didn’t see much point in hanging around any longer and so we cleared off at that point to make sure that I was on time for the second game of the day.

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Ukraine U21 v Luxembourg U21, Friday 17th November 2023, 7pm

January 16, 2024

As both Jen and I can work remotely we decided to head off to Spain for a few weeks. We flew into Alicante and rented an apartment a little further down the coast in Santa Pola. It’s an area with plenty of football grounds within an easy drive and it wasn’t long before I’d pencilled in my first game.

Murcia is about an hour away and was providing the location for a couple of fixtures for the Ukrainian U21 side. It’s just like so many Spanish cities, with a well-preserved old town. We had time to look around the cathedral, or at least, a cathedral and called into the attached museum where the highlight was a painting of an olden day bloke flicking the vees.

It was getting dark by the time we made our way up to the New Condomina stadium that usually hosts Real Murcia. Tickets were free, although with an admin charge of less than two euros that my bank still felt the need to verify.

Only the lower section of one stand was open, so even free tickets weren’t enough to draw a sizeable crowd. Most people seemed to be supporting Ukraine and a lot sang their national anthem. I wondered how many of the players had lost friends and family or knew someone at the front.  

It was the third time this year that I’d seen the Ukraine U21 team after the two fixtures in the U21 Championship finals in Bucharest in the summer.

I’d told Harry where we were, and he had forecasted an easy win for Ukraine. They had most of the possession and chances and went in at the break a goal up. His prediction looked a lot more likely when Luxembourg went a man down minutes into the second half. The fella couldn’t really complain at going for two yellows as his first could easily have been a red in itself when he took his own retribution at being denied a free kick and launched himself from behind at the perpetrator.

Playing against ten men made it easier for Ukraine. They added another three goals and spurned as many other good chances for an eventual four-nil victory.

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