This 24 page colour programme was available from the Albanian FAs website and could be downloaded as a PDF, which I hasten to add is what many programme sellers are doing and then printing to order on EBay! The programme itself is good quality but is 100% in Albanian
For the 2nd away game in a row we were issued paper tickets at the collection point, the International Tirana Hotel. For the final match of the qualifiers the FA secured an allocation of 1,920 tickets but with a massive 7,443 applicants it was always going to be a difficult task. The cap cut off was set at 49 caps, which meant that I was safe on 54 caps but Sue missed out on 46. She also missed out on the 30% ballot but as miracles would have it, secured a last minute ticket on the waiting list. The cost of a ticket was a snip at £33
View from the South Stand of the 22,500 capacity Air Albania Stadium (Arena Kombetare). To the left is the West (Main) stand and ViP area. Opposite is the North stand and in the NW corner is the 112m tower, which is actually the Marriot Hotel. The other long side is the East Stand which has two tiers similar to both ends behind the goals.
England fans in Block V102 and V202 facing towards the East Stand. This is the 4th time England have played in Albania but a first in their new stadium, when fans have been allowed:
The full away record: P4: W4, D0, L0
(W:0:2) 08 Mar 1989 v Albania, Stadiumi "Qemal Stafa", Tirana
(W:1:3) 28 Mar 2001 v Albania, Stadiumi "Qemal Stafa", Tirana
(W:0:2) 28 Mar 2021 v Albania, Arena Kombetare, Tirana
(W:0:2) 16 Nov 2025 v Albania, Arena Kombetare, Tirana
Albanian ladies on match day
Albania 0 England 2
Attendance: 21,459
England held firm to seal an unblemished defensive record
across the entire qualifying campaign but were made to work hard for the clean
sheet in Tirana. Harry Kane
continued his incredible international record with his 77th and 78th goals.
England's skipper showed his
poacher’s instinct to steal in at the near post and force the ball home from a
corner to break the deadlock before displaying excellent movement and composure
to nod home Rashford’s excellent curling cross
After a string of excellent performance for the Three Lions, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers takes centre stage in Edition 198 of the Free Lions
Day 1: Travel Day. Our 1725 flight from Stansted to Tirana is on
time and landed at 2120. We shared a taxi to central Tirana with Des and Harry
Gunns. It proved a bargain at 20 Euros.
Our Airbnb (Rruga e Dibres 3) is right next to Skanderbeg Square. £210 for 3 nights. Amazing!
First beer at the Hannover Bar on Rruga George W Bush
Last port of call is Elements Night Club
Day 2: Skanderbeg Square, Dajti Ekspres and Bunker 1
Good Morning Tirana!
Our digs behind the mural
Street Art in Tirana - 'Mother's care' by Case Maclaim
Our first stop is the Intercontinental Hotel just off Skanderbeg Square to pick up our match tickets
On the way we bump into QPR Steve, who being Ex - RAF is is never far from a hotel
Free Lions available at Skanderbeg Square
Skanderbeg Square - The Movie
The Clock Tower on Skanderbeg Square was built in 1822 during the period of Ottoman rule
The 'National History Museum' is located on the other side of Skanderbeg square and is showcased by a huge mosaic facing into the square called 'The Albanians'
Skanderbeg Monument is an equestrian statue of the national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg
After the square we flagged down a cab that took us on a 40 min ride to the Dajti Express, where we jumped on a cable car to the top of Dajti Mountain
A well timed selfie
Stray mountain dog with her pups
On the descent down to Tirana
Just a few hundred meters from the Cable Car station is 'Bunk'Art 1'. This is a museum dedicated to periods of Albania's history including: Occupation by Fascist Italy, occupation from 1939 -43, occupation by German Nazis from 1943-44 and the communist period under Enver Hoxha from 1944 until his death in1985. Communism limped on in Albania but Hoxha's statue on Skanderbeg Square was eventually pulled down by protesters on 20 Feb 91
The museum is within an underground bunker comprising 5 floors, 106 rooms covering 3000m2.
Enver Hoxhas' quarters comprised of an office and a
bedroom (which he never slept in)
The digging of this bunker started in 1972 and was completed in 1978, costing the lives of many workers. This is the exit!
Nice Albanian meal at the Shije Fshati (Taste of the Village) before we head out to meet everyone
Meeting up with the gang in the AlBar Taproom
The Euro Star train Drivers
Mr Skanderbeg on his horse
Passing the Et'hem Bej Mosque on our way home
Day 3: Matchday
In the morning we paid a visit to Bunk'Art 2 which is located next to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ironically depicts the horrors of the ministry and it's political police the "Sigurimi"
The tunnel was constructed between 1981-86. On the ceiling of the entrance there are photos of some of the 6000 Albanians that were executed with or without a court order between 1944-91
Dogs were one of the main methods used by the regime's border force to prevent people from escaping Albania. People were caught and shot on site if attempting an escape. This mannikin is wearing a suit used for training attack dogs!
The Pyramid of Tirana has had a chequered past. It was built in 1988 and initially opened as the Enver Hoxha Museum following the dictator's death 3 years earlier. After the fall of communism in 1991 the former museum had many purposes, including a nightclub, radio station, homeless shelter and a NATO base during the Kosovo War, Now it is an IT centre!
Last one to the top pays for the beers and milk shakes!
The view from the top is quite refreshing
Basking in glory after winning the race to the summit
The impressive entrance to Arena Kombetare
The countdown to KO is 5 hours away
We headed to Lake Tirana before the game. My map reading was a bit off so we missed all the lads who had gone to the correct bar whilst we ate pizza in 'My Favourite Bar'
We stopped for a few pre-match beers in the Blloku area. First to the Duff Sports Bar where we met Harry, Bails and RAF Steve and then nearer the ground to the Velvet Bar
Anglo-Albanian relationships are thriving in the Velvet Bar
The historic entrance to Arena Kombetare
On the way to the stadium
Those lights!
The queue at the away end was well managed
One half of the 'Odd Couple' entering the stadium
The Stadium is filling up nicely
Taking our positions in the Air Albania Stadium
All stand please for the National Anthem of Albania
Derby and Lincoln in Block V202
How many coppers can you squeeze in the corner?
The scoreboard makes good reading as 2 goals by Harry Kane make all the difference
The Albanian fans were buoyant after making the Play Offs, but tonight at home against England the wheels came off
The Deep Bar Experience in Blloku
Day 4: Tirana Castle and last day tourism
Shendevere Wine bar and Restaurant💕
The national dish of baked lamb in a yoghurt + cheese sauce, Tavi Kose, sometimes called Elbasan tava
The Namazgah Mosque is also known as the Great Mosque and is a Sunni mosque near the Tirana Castle
Back streets of the city
Pazari i Ri (the New Bazaar) is a large and lively market
The Lane stream is not the nicest river I've ever seen
Tanner's bridge is an 18th-century Ottoman Bridge. The bridge was part of the old route where livestock and produce entered the city across the Lane stream near where butcher shops and leather workers were located.
Sue has found a giant inflatable chef 😂
The Resurrection of Christ Cathedral is an Albanian Orthodox church and is one of the largest in the Balkans
The church was opened in 2012 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the revival of the Albanian Orthodox Church following the fall of communism
Lest we forget
Always looking down upon us
The Bell Tower consists of 4 Paschal candles which symbolise the 4 Evangelists/Apostles. These join around the central shaft of stairs leading to the 2 open floors containing 16 bells
