Just arrived back from my first taste of Russian Premier League Football and boy am I pumped!
Luch, (Vlad's home team), just drew with Moskva FC. Sure I've been to plenty of sports events, the Rugby, Rugby League, AFL etc.., But nothing like this. To start with there was virtually no build up. Back home two weeks before the Broncs play the TV, radio and newspapers are smothered in Broncos related news. Here, in typical Russian fashion, the build-up was conspicuously Russian, nothing, it seemed was going to happen,- UNTIL the day to competition. Russians have an uncanny ability to leave things to the last minute, play down the hype and act rather indifferent, until a break point. Look at the Revolution, hundreds of years of subjugation and then complete annihilation of the source.
Today's game somewhat confirmed this odd Russian trait. This morning you wouldn't have known that today was Vlad's Premier League season kick-off. No news, no hype and no geriatric morning radio commentators, crapping on about past statistics and probable outcomes. This was the calm before the storm.
I had heard that Russian's are on a par with the Brits with their football fanaticism. However, I was a little sceptical as Dasha, Artyom and Denis pulled up outside our unit block. Scepticism slowly evolved into curious expectation as the 5 of us (Nastya included) drove through the abandoned main streets of Vlad towards Dinamo Stadium. Then as we approached the stadium the build-up I was waiting for, hit me like a punch from nowhere. Streets were closed off to traffic and people sprawled out all over the place. Just like the Rugby only without the build-up.
There was one big difference, however, today was a barmy -2 degrees. How the hell were the players going to perform in these freezing conditions? But more to the point, how the hell were we going to sit and watch?!
Entering the stadium was rather surreal. Wall to wall police. The security was absolutely everywhere and I was frisked no less than 6 times by six different cops. The Russian stadiums hold a zero tolerance rule with alcohol and are extremely vigilant in maintaining this rule.
You may think that a sober crowd equates to a subdued crowed, but here at Dinamo Stadium no such chance. Like any European football match the atmosphere was electric. Chanting, drums beating, smoke bombs exploding and fans hypnotised by the spectacle were all part of the event. Although, unlike the Euro matches, this one was being played at extreme temperatures.
Dasha, Denis, Artyom and I very snug in the stands.
Smoke bombs!
Maybe the police weren't that vigilant. Take a look at what the two old mates managed to smuggle in.
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