Sevilla 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur Match Report

[funster]

Right, first things first..... this is going to be a long one! I'm combining a trip and match report for last week's Spanish adventure so if you're only interested in the match report scroll down to the bit that's entitled match report!

So, where do we start?.....

The problem with getting to Seville.....
.....was that (as most of us know) Seville was hosting major religious celebrations that clashed with our UEFA Cup tie in the city. Result - flights pack jammed and hotels fully booked! After examining umpteen options my sister and I came to different conclusions about the best way of getting to our first ever away European away game. She booked a holiday for few days in Madrid while I decided to go for one night away and cashed in a load of frequent flyer miles to fly to Madrid. The prospect of spending £320+ on flights on top of the €160 for the hotel (which itself had proved difficult enough to snag!) for one night really didn't appeal. I had to fly Club on BA, but what the hell, I wasn't going to miss out!

The plan - my sister gets to Madrid on Wednesday does her sightseeing, I arrive Thursday, we take the train to Seville, stay over one night, train back to Madrid, she continues her holiday, I fly home. Planned to the finest detail, and we were off!

The most convoluted way of getting to Seville possible!
So, I've got my tickets booked and I have to suffer the prospect of flying Club - the things I do to follow Spurs! The one problem I have is that the flight goes from London City and comes back to Heathrow. Usually not a problem as the journey into Waterloo on the train on Thursday morning would only take just over an hour. Except this being Easter the entire Basingstoke area's closed for engineering work so the train journey would take over two hours! And with a check-in time of 08:55 I don't fancy leaving the house that early. The solution - drive up to London, ditch the motor at my mum's, combination of underground and DLR to City. And reverse the process on arrival back in the UK, except from Heathrow.

So actually, my trip starts on Wednesday night as I motor up the M3 listening to Five Live with the shenanigans in Rome with little thought that a similar fate would befall us twenty four hours later.

The flight to Madrid is just over two hours. I'm shocked to find I have to sit with the riff raff as BA has no business class lounge at City. :6: More shocked that I can't get myself started on the gin'n'tonics early doors! But fear not, I manage three doubles on the plane for breakfast all washed down with a cooked breakfast! Cracking.

Madrid to Seville - the next leg of the journey
Now I've been to Spain a fair few times in the past with work and if there's one thing I know its that getting taxis from one place to another isn't that easy as I don't speak Spanish and the taxi drivers don't really speak English! That coupled with a delay to my flight means my sister decides the best bet is to get a taxi from her hotel to pick me up at the airport and we scoot off to Madrid's Puerta Atocha station. After a bit of scurrying around between different areas of the massive new terminal at Barajas airport I eventually find the taxi and we're on our way with plenty of time to spare. Thankfully with it being a public holiday in Spain the roads are pretty empty. Anybody who's been to Madrid will know that traffic can be a nightmare! Not today.

We're at Atocha a good hour before the 16:00 departure time and my G'n'Ts are wearing off. A spot of lunch is called for so we zip into a cafe and grab some (pretty bad) tapas along with dos cervezas (a phrase I used aplenty for the remainder of the trip!).

The extreme efficiency of the train is not something I's expecting. My sister had picked up the tickets the day before. Limited availability on the way out means we're going 'preferente' class and after going through the security checkpoint we're on the train in what can only be described as very comfortable surroundings. The train pulls out on time and the ride is as smooth as you could wish for. None of that clickety-cack rubbish we get back home!

We're served a snack and obviously lubricate with more beer and some rioja. One somewhat comical moment as I go to the toilet..... not realising there are two dispensers - one for soap, one for cologne I hit the cologne one and end up with the stuff all over my shirt, but at least I'm smelling good!

By the time we get to Seville's Santa Justa station I've lost count of how many beers and bottles of wine I've got through but I just can't wait to dump my kit at the hotel and get back into town to join the army of Spurs fans we're expecting to meet.

The build-up to the match
Our hotel in Seville's about a twenty minute drive out of town but no problem. A swift turnaround and we're headed back to the 'fanzone' that's been set up. We find a bar and first order of the evening..... dos cervezas! There are plenty of Spurs fans and a few Sevilla ones too and the atmosphere is just great. Not an ounce of bitterness between the fans and we're singing and chanting together, Spurs fans singing Sevilla songs, and Sevilla fans singing Spurs songs. If this is what European away days are like I can't wait for the next one!

One particularly brilliant song I hear for the first time sung to the tune of 'The Conga'.....

Duh duh duh, shame about the Arsenal! Duh duh duh, shame about the Arsenal!

Hilarious and the Sevilla fans join in too.

With half an hour or so till KO we set off for the stadium as the bar starts to empty and as we near the stadium it becomes apparent that the atmosphere between the two sets of fans - we must have at least four thousand headed for the ground - is great. No sign of animosity whatsoever.

The stadium itself is..... well, doesn't exactly look great from the outside. A big concrete bowl. Inside, not much better! Quite dated with rudimentary facilities. But who cares? We're not going to be sitting down and we're here to cheer the boys on! The sheer number of Spurs fans in this place is amazing. We've got the upper and lower tiers and they're pretty close to packed. The Spurs fans are in great voice and I think the stewards are a bit taken aback at the fervour of our support.

As the atmosphere builds in anticipation of kick-off, there's still great banter between the two sets of fans and not a sniff of the trouble that hit us about midway through the first half.

Match report
So, for all those not interested in the trip report - here you go!

I will admit, I was far more pissed than I ever have been when going to a footie match and my first half observations in particular are probably a bit blurred - as was my vision! But I saw enough to be able to say that within two minutes we were going mad as the ball hit the back of the net at the other end and we were in front in a European tie again!

Just an incredible feeling. To be at the ground of the team that's reckoned to be the best in Spain and to be a goal up so soon after kick-off! That really silenced the home support who had been fairly charged up with unfurling their banners before kick-off.

All the hype about Sevilla and I just couldn't see what it was all about. They really didn't seem to get a look in. Until..... until..... what I can only frankly describe as an incredible refereering decision to award a pen. That one decision got them right back in the game. Unbelievable. What he was thinking I can only wonder because standing right behind the incident it was entirely clear that Robbo had won the ball as cleanly as you could have hoped for. And yet the ref somehow awarded a pen?! God. Kanoute stepped up and 1-1. Ah man. Ref, you have a lot to answer for! That, of course, wasn't his only bad decision - they were plentiful. The most bizarre being THAT drop ball. Eh?!

The pen, I think is pretty much where it all kicked off. As is totally to be expected, such a bad decision led to a serious load of stick from the Spurs contingent in the lower tier in particular aimed primarily at the ref. Nothing we're not used to in Premiership encounters. Suddenly, and completed unexpectedly the Spanish riot police piled in wielding their batons.

Twenty four hours earlier I'd listened to the United fans taking the brunt of the punishment in Rome not giving a second thought to what could have happened in Seville. And yet here we were, the massed ranks of Spurs fans receiving similar treatment. The centre of the disturbance was a bit too close for comfort for my sister and I - probably about ten to fifteen metres behind us so we decided to shift and shift fast and got ourselves across the aisle from where we had a good viewing position of what transpired.

As this all went on in the stands the game continued and I really didn't see much of the match for the next ten minutes - too concerned that the trouble could spread towards us again, and too keen to see what was really happening so I could dispel any myths about our fans causing trouble.

To me and the handful of fans who decided to stick around the lower tier what happened was entirely clear. Complete and utter over-reaction from the Spanish police. At home we'd be used to having the stewards in place to quiet down any disturbances with anything more serious being quickly dealt with by the police coming in and very quickly taking out the individuals thought to be causing it. In Spain, no such approach. The response to a heated reaction towards the ref for a shocking decision - baton charge.

I've read since that the Spanish police have claimed they waded in as Spurs fans began ripping up seats. Utter rubbish. Yes, there were a number of supporters who did this, but it was a full five minutes after the baton charges started. Antagonise the supporters sufficiently and come steaming in with batons raised and you'll get a reaction - eventually. I've also read several articles since quoting Sevilla fans who managed to pull a few Spurs fans away from the trouble into their part of the stand to basically protect them and prevent them ending up in hospital. Even Sevilla's club officials have stated that they were surprised at the level of force used by the police for a relatively minor disturbance. I am under no illusion - the Spanish police got it wrong and they are to blame. At no stage before, during or after the game was there any hint of trouble between the two groups of supporters. So what caused it? The police. Plain and simple.

Anyway, let's move on. While all this happened the match became even more blurred for me but I did realise that Sevilla were back in the game and beginning to pressure us. The second goal looked a fairly decent one - a good header beating Robbo - and we were beginning to rock a bit, but managed to hold firm to go in at half-time 2-1 down.

As I escaped to the toilets my sister filmed what was happening and you'll see that posted elsewhere. It was only when the Spurs stewards in the crowd persuaded the police to depart that normality returned. And very quickly too.

So the second half got under way and our massed ranks of travelling support got fully behind the boys again, and they repaid our faith by putting in a sterling performance! Lee and Tainio in particular I thought had an outstanding second half. Lennon really got going and even though Malbranque was only on for ten minutes he continued the decent attacking we had on the wing. Keane and Berbatov up front were great and not just in the second half. And our central midfield pairing of Jenas and Zokora began to assert themselves much more than they had.

Sevilla still posed a threat and they could claim that they should be taking a bigger lead into the second leg. But in fairness we could easily be going in level or ahead. As the game ended 2-1, while we all shared a sense of disappointment at having endured our first defeat in Europe this season, I think we were all of like mind - Sevilla didn't threaten us so much for us to be worried the game was over. In the cold light of day on Friday morning that feeling became even stronger. What we'd seen from Sevilla hadn't set the world alight. The pen was as dodgy as they come and without it they were struggling to get in the game. The number of chances they created was not of the order that makes me think conceding at WHL is inevitable, and the creativity we had and pressure we applied (particularly in the second half) leaves me with the feeling we can score and we can do the job. Maybe I'm just a hopeless optimistic, but I'm penning exactly what I thought.

As we left the ground, again, no problem between the two sets of supporters and we mixed freely as we made our way out of the stadium. Some, I'm sure, continued to bars and restaurants but for my sister and I the evening was done. Any more beer or wine and I think I'd have been sick! Getting a taxi back to the hotel wasn't easy, but a good night's sleep and we were set for the trip back to Madrid.

Friday morning..... the cold light of day
A 2-1 defeat the night before and it really didn't feel like it. The huge disappointment I thought I'd feel at taking a first leg deficit back home just wasn't there. All because of the performance we put in. We pitched up at Santa Justa station and quickly found a stack of Spurs fans sharing the same travel plans! A quick coffee and a croissant and a scan of the morning's English papers and we're set for the journey home.

I was disappointed at the way in which the previous evening's events were being reported. Not impressed with the fact that the British print media is using wording that leaves open to debate the role played by the Spanish police and the Spurs fans in the trouble we were involved in. I'm strongly of the opinion that the perception of English football fans as trouble-makers both in this country and on the continent is perpetuated by the crap reporting our own media provides of the events. I think over the weekend a better sense of perspective has been applied, but the immediate reaction of the papers in particular seemed to suggest there was no smoke without fire. Rubbish. Get your story straight!

Anyway, back on the train and the ultra-efficient trip back to Madrid sees us back at Atocha two-and-a-half hours later. The train's packed with Spurs fans and the atmosphere is generally upbeat. Not much talk about the match itself, but I bet the Spaniards on the train are bemused at how its been filled with English footie fans! A bit like a few years ago when I travelled up to Manchester to watch us in a Sunday FA Cup tie at OT only to find the train filled with southern Reds!

A spot of lunch at my sister's hotel and I'm in a taxi heading back to Barajas airport.

The trip back to London - almost the last leg!
If you've never been to Barajas airport since they opened the new terminal - its massive! Takes ages to get from check-in to the gate areas but its very pleasant. Maybe a hint of what we can expect at Heathrow when T5 opens in March 2008.

Anyway, a bit of shopping based on the list provided by the other half, and I take a seat in the Iberia business class lounge. Madrid is beset with rain today. Dull, grey and lots of rain. Can't wait to get on the plane and get home as I know the weather's been stonking there!

As I board the plane I'm very pleasantly surprised to find we have a long haul plane with flat bed seats plying a short haul route! Shame the jounery's only two hours. The Club cabin's fairly empty but there is another Spurs fan sat just in front of me and a few others who I recognise from the train down the back.

The guy sat in front of me is hammered. And I mean really, really hammered! Now, I was a bit pissed last night, but this bloke is on another level. His speech is far from coherent and he can hardly stand up straight! I'm amazed he's been let on the flight but he seems docile enough. Luckily, with a cabin as empty as this I can shift myself out of sight and I have a good chat with the cabin crew about this and other topics. The Cabin Service Director and I discuss the events of the previous night and he recounts to me how he's been on planes full of United fans in the past and never had a problem so he has a hard time understanding why English fans have such a bad reputation. He also tells me pissed bloke is only getting watered down drinks! Probably just as well!

I get off at Heathrow, head back to my mum's, pick up the car and get home about midnight. Eight hours later and I know I've got to be up headed back to London to watch us at the Bridge! Hope the boys are a bit sharper than I feel as I pull up and tuck myself into bed!

My first ever European trip..... what was it really like?
Absolutely brilliant! If you ever get a chance to watch Spurs away in Europe - do it. Nothing beats the feeling. The travel, the time away from work, the knowledge you're far away and part of a small contingent, the atmosphere, the exhilaration of scoring and leading in Europe..... just incredible.

It was tough getting to Seville. It was an expensive trip and a far from straightforward travel experience, but it was worth every penny. The events of the first half in the stands didn't detract. If anything they served to prove to me just how shoddy reporting of such things is back home as those of us who were there can recount the experience and tell it like it is.

So we go through it all again in a week's time, except then it'll be at our gaff. Sevilla - for the best team in Spain (so-called) - didn't offer enough to make me think we're out. We have every chance of progressing but let's not kid ourselves - we're a goal down. I don't think we can hope for a 1-0. I'd like to hope the boys will go out with a mindset to win by two at least. If we do win chances are we're off to Spain again in the next round with Osasuna having surprised a lot of people by taking a 3-0 lead from the away leg of their tie against Leverkusen. If we don't progress the Spaniards are set fair for probably at least two teams in the semis.

Let's hope that's not what happens. Let's hope we do the business next Thursday. Let's hope I get another away trip in Europe. :6: Let's hope you all have to endure another waffle-filled trip report. :6: Let's hope our singing continues for at least another couple of games.....

Glasgow, Glasgow, Tottenham Hotspur are going to Glasgow!

[ Added: 2007-04-08, 22:49 ]
Added some more photos.

[RiverWire]

Great report mate , wish i was there even if there was trouble and id imagine id be just as pissed too (as i was just in england :6: )

Only one goal will win it for us at the lane lets hope we can sort the spanish basards out and see if they like our police with big horse's out side the ground lol