Ukraine v England
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier,
Group C
Tarczynski Arena
Wroclaw, Poland
9 Sep 23
The official programme was available as a PDF on the Ukrainian FA website and was exclusively written in Ukrainian Cyrillic. It contains a nice graphic showing all of the previous results which makes good reading if you are an Englishman that can read Cyrillic which I am 👍:
The Record:
England 2 Ukraine 0 (Wembley, 31 May 00) Fr
England 3 Ukraine 0 (St James' Park, 18 Aug 04) Fr
England 2 Ukraine 1 (Wembley, 1 Apr May 09) WCQ 10
Ukraine 1 England 0 (Dnipropetrovsk, 10 Oct 10) WCQ 10
Ukraine 0 England 1, (Donetsk, 19 Jun 12) Euro 2012
England 1 Ukraine 1, (Wembley, 11 Sep 12) WCQ 14
Ukraine 0 England 0, (Kiev, 10 Sep 13) WCQ 14
Ukraine 0 England 4 (Rome, 3 Jul 21) Euro 2020
England 2 Ukraine 0 (Wembley, 26 Mar 23) ECQ
P9 W6 D2 L1
The number of members who registered an interest in the game in Wroclaw surpassed the 7000 mark again. This time 7115 EF members registering their interest so it would require another ballet as the allocation was just 3406. The magic number of caps for a guaranteed tickets was 23. We easily made the cut but I had to un-register Sue when she confirmed that she wouldn't be travelling. The ticket cost was excellent value at 19 Euros.
Bukayo Saka earns his place on the front cover of edition 182 after his excellent hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford in June
Stadion Wroclaw (AKA Tarcyzynski Arena Wroclaw) was a host in Euro 12 and has a capacity of 45000 but the reason our allocation was minimum was due to the large amount of Ukrainians living in the area (some 300,000)
Great views from the rear of the England end
Coming off the tram and first view of the stadium
After our late arrival due to poor planning and the Charlie Mellor factor we had to settle for seats near the front as the stairs were blocked
Tarycynski is a company that specialises in the meat industry (Kabanos - a bit like pepperoni sticks)
Ukraine 1 England 1
Attendance: 39,000
Day 1: After an early 0410 Hrs from Tbilisi to Warsaw and then a connecting flight to Wroclaw departing at 0850 I finally arrive under the Sleep Walking Gnome at my hotel
The SleepWalker Boutique in the Old Town was a cracking little find and the staff were brilliant, allowing me to clean up and chang clothes prior to check in
Super comfy beds with velvets curtains
The study didn't get used much
Quick wash and off to collect tickets at the Wyndham Hotel
St Elizabeth's church is the tallest building in Wroclaw and dates from between the 14th and 15th centuries
It serves as the military garrison church and military flags and memorabilia can be seen at the knave
91 meters and 300 steps later I arrive at the top
The views over Wroclaw are impressive, you can just about make out the floodlights of the stadium in the distance
The Old Town dominated by the Townhall (Ratusz)
At St Elizabeth's I spot my first Dwarf, this one is called 'Veteran' (No 75). The city has over 600 dwarves which are a symbol resistance against communism and the soviet union
Zdroj Fountain named after the governor of Wroclaw
Fire Dwarves (No 70) dedicated to all employees of the state emergency service of Ukraine are in the front of St Elizabeth's
Sleepy (No 71) is guarding the entrance to the Wroclaw drawer, it is popular for locals to tap him on the shoulder and tell him not to sleep or he will be robbed
The Townhall
Front of the Townhall (Ratusz)
Breakfast at Whisky in the Jar
Tekla and Marytynka (No 37). Located on the bridge between the two towers of St Mary's Magadelene's church are two gnomes which cleberate the legend of Tekla and Marytynka. Tekla was a lazy and vain witch and one day her father cursed her which resulted in a spell being cast which meant she would grow old, ugly, dirty and a prisoner on the bridge always sweeping up. Then a young kind hearted witch came to the bridge and learned of her punishment. When she was not looking she took her broom and flew to the Market Square, it was then that she met Michael the Wizard who had lost his glasses and wand. Marytynka handed Michael his wand and Michael rewarded her with a wish. Marytynka asked for the release of Tekla which Michael gladly fulfilled. When Marytynka returned to the bridge Tekla had already gone. The bridge has since become a reminder to all lazy people
The Academus is a friendly family run hotel and pub in one of the back streets (Kielbasnicza) and he makes his own cider
Just outside the Patio Hotel on Kieldasnicza is a small cot permanently reserved for the dwarf Chrapek (snorer). He can sleep for many hours
The Rynek (Market square)
Wroclaw in 1945 and the Seige of Breslau which lasted 3 month and resulted in 6000 German dead, 60000 Russian dead but the Civilian losses were as much as 80,000 dead. Breslau was the last major city in Germany to surrender, capitulating only 2 days before the end of the war in Europe
After meeting up with the boys we plan a river cruise on the River Odra for 1100 tomorrow
Time for some Polish fare
Pork knuckle for one
Day 2 is match day and the lucky pants are going on
Its early and the Ukrainians are in town
Touching base with our river cruise girl
Charlie is running late so time to explore Cathedral Island
Rachciach (snip snip) is a dwarf who snips locks from the Tumski Bridge if they have been put on unwisely so that he can free their love. The locks gather moisture from the river and corrode. It is believed that this gnome has carried 17.5 tonnes of corroded locks from the Tumski bridge already
Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St Bartholomew
Haleluljula
On a beautiful morning it is a pleasure to gaze at the twin towers of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
Tumski Bridge the scene of Snip snip's activities connects Cathedral Island with Wroclaw's mainland
Pontoon bars where we had a beer waiting for the late arrival of Charlie and Bish
Finally a beer on the River Odra
Shipmates
Cruising on the Odra
Great bars
Passing the Cathedral of St John the Baptist
More pontoon bars
The Panoramic Museum of the Battle of Raclawicka
After sprinting from the river boat I just managed to
make my 1300 hrs slot
The battle of Raclawice took place on 4 Apr 1794 in Lesser Poland near the village of Raclawice. It was a peasant uprising known as the Kosciuszko (or Polish) uprising against the Russian Empire. Although the battle was a famous victory for the Poles, the uprising ultimately failed to liberate the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth from the influence of the Russian Empire. During the reign of Catherine the Great, Russia and her allies (Prussia and Austria) successfully annexed Poland and Lithuania, so began the Third partition of Poland-Lithuania which including the disappearance of Polish and Lithuanian national sovereignty until 1918. Regardless it is still considered a national treasure because the panoramic depicts victory against all the odds, standing up against an aggressor like Russia. It also marks a turning point with the status of Serfs in Poland
Fans starting to arrive in the old town
The Setka Bar and restaurant is just on the ring road of the Old Town and was the scene of my last drink on both nights
'The passage' showing Commuters sinking into the pavement on the busy crossroads at Swidnicka
I finally locate the boys under the railway arches at Nasypowa
Great bars serving local beer
Enjoying the craic under the arches
Charlie with Millwall Des the Swinger but who is looking after the business because Des Junior is here too 😅
Arminian food - what's not too like
Balagan (mess)
Bish (WW) and Martin (DCFC)
Heading to the tram and there has been a drone strike in the city but we have a game to get to
After successfully negotiating the correct tram to get with a Ukrainian (in Russian) I am justifiably proud of myself
1800 local time and we are not going to make KO
Street vendors trying to make some last minute sales
The Stadium casting a great shadow in the late afternoon sun
More tak
We're heading for the nearest gate
Millions of Ukrainians are one national team
After accessing the stadium at the nearest gate we are in the Ukrainian posh/premium seats in Trybuna C. No space so we head to the concourse to get through to the England end
The England end
SEKTOR GOSCI (Away fans)
View from Sektor Gosci sandwiched in the corner
between Trybuna C and D
The scoreboard opposite in Trybuna B welcomes both teams
We love a good bit of netting
For club and country, Derby and England
Goal!! the stadium erupts as Ukraine go 1:0 up with a great goal from Zinchenko on 26 minutes. This is very loud!
Trybuna A
Martin, me and a guest bomber
Lighting up the stadium
The game finishes 1:1 after Kyle Walker slots passed the keeper following a sublime defence splitting dink from Harry Kane just before HT. A fair result
Slight delay getting out through the bowels of the stadium
The Tarczynski Arena at night
Last orders at Setka
Day 3: Cheerio to the fabulous SleepWalkers Boutique
The gnomes have followed me to the airport
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