Sweden

Allsvenskan

Saturday 22nd September 2018

Kick Off 16.00. On Time !

I.K. Sirius 0 Östersunds F.K. 1,  attendance 3,840

90’ + 5, 0-1

@ Studenternas I.P.

Ullerakersvagen 6

753 09 Uppsala

190 SEK Admission, Print at Home Ticket.

15 SEK Programme, 8 pages.

It was a 30 minute train ride north from Stockholm Central Station to Uppsala for this top division clash, between third bottom in the league table Sirius and sixth placed Östersunds. The train left on time in both directions, with the cost being 190 SEK return. The walk from Uppsala Central Station to the ground took just over 15 minutes.

The Studenternas I.P. was opened in 1909 and originally had a running track around the pitch. This has now gone, with both ends of the ground now having ‘temporary’ type metal terracing butting up to the pitch. There is a new west stand under construction, which once finished, will take capacity up from 7,200 to around 10,000. I hope the traditional huge corner floodlight pylons survive as the ground is modernised.

Entering the ground, it was very unusual to have male stewards frisking female supporters. In fact, in most countries, this is pretty much something that would not be acceptable in the current climate. Then, once inside, there is no cash payment accepted for food and drink, with transactions carried out via mobile phone banking. At least there was free water, along with paper cups, available from containers under the stands. It was also a bit of a problem trying to buy a programme. Although they were actually taking cash for these, most of the sellers were refusing bank notes, but they seemed okay with coins. In the end, one of them agreed to take a 100 SEK note and gave change, which included four 20 SEK notes !

As for the match, it was never one to live long in the memory. Both teams hit the crossbar in the first half, with Östersunds always looking the more likely to nick it. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to see my first scoreless match of the season, but with just 10 seconds of the five added minutes left on the clock, (they left the scoreboard clock running as we hit the 90 minute mark) the visitors scored with a close range finish from a pull back from just inside the box, much to the delight of the travelling fans, who had arrived at the ground en masse, having marched from the city centre.