The Northern Ireland ladies team played England in May 2007 in Gillingham, Kent. They lost 4-0 and played with passion and pride against full-time professionals. The fans sang loudly in defeat. So when Shaun Schofield (Author and full-time genius) mentioned going to another away game, it all fell into place. I was going to Belarus! I had exchanged emails with a few of the team and staff before arriving, and when I arrived at the Tourist Hotel in Bobruisk, the team welcomed me as the only Northern Ireland fan at the match! I got to hang out and dine with the squad and staff, and was also given free transport to the stadium, hotel and airport.
I watched the team train and enjoyed the team talk by manager Alfie Wylie. I was also presented with a signed shirt by team captain Stacey Hall. A valued possession. I then soaked in the pre-match atmosphere in the tiny, but clean Sparta Stadium (home of Belshina Belarus) and sat myself down as the only Northern Ireland fan at the match. If any moment in my life convinced me of my desire, passion and love of being on this planet, then that all hit me forever in urban Bobruisk. Don't Stop Living would from then on be my phrase. A phrase which I coined in August 2001 while in Toronto, Canada.
In the hotel in Bobruisk I met an Irish Australian guy called Owen and him and his mate Albert joined me in the Northern Irish end for the match. I sang my heart of for 90 minutes to inspire the Northern Ireland ladies team against Belarus, but we went 1-0 down in the first half and never recovered. The final score was 5-0 but I sang loud and proud for the entire match. Belarus had won and I had enjoyed the match. The locals didn't seem to appreciate my singing too much as the police had to escort me from them towards the end! It was all a bit of fun.
I had to wait outside the stadium after the game and was mobbed by about 30 kids from Belarus who had warmed to my madness and crowded round me looking for presents. In the end all I gave was a Northern Ireland bottle opener to a kid who was happy to receive it. These kids were obviously still very poor and drenched in the aftermath of the soviet regime, still not commercialised like Western Europe. So I felt sorry for them, but could not give them anything more. I then caught the bus with the team back to Minsk, where I enjoyed the sights of Victory Square, the Parliament Building and the token Irish pub (random going all this way and then trying the Irish pub - the first pub I saw opposite the government building and called Drozhzhy United!!), which I popped in for a pint.
So after all that my journey to Belarus came to an end - what an experience and I was heading to Warsaw in Poland next!
Match statistics:
Belarus 5 - 0 Northern Ireland
(Kazeeva 26, Tatarynova 49, 90, Davydovich 57, Kuzniatsova 80)
Top beers - Dnyaprouskaye and Greynitska.
Bars Visited - Minsk Airport Bar, Hotel Minsk, Drozhzhy United Irish Pub.
I watched the team train and enjoyed the team talk by manager Alfie Wylie. I was also presented with a signed shirt by team captain Stacey Hall. A valued possession. I then soaked in the pre-match atmosphere in the tiny, but clean Sparta Stadium (home of Belshina Belarus) and sat myself down as the only Northern Ireland fan at the match. If any moment in my life convinced me of my desire, passion and love of being on this planet, then that all hit me forever in urban Bobruisk. Don't Stop Living would from then on be my phrase. A phrase which I coined in August 2001 while in Toronto, Canada.
In the hotel in Bobruisk I met an Irish Australian guy called Owen and him and his mate Albert joined me in the Northern Irish end for the match. I sang my heart of for 90 minutes to inspire the Northern Ireland ladies team against Belarus, but we went 1-0 down in the first half and never recovered. The final score was 5-0 but I sang loud and proud for the entire match. Belarus had won and I had enjoyed the match. The locals didn't seem to appreciate my singing too much as the police had to escort me from them towards the end! It was all a bit of fun.
I had to wait outside the stadium after the game and was mobbed by about 30 kids from Belarus who had warmed to my madness and crowded round me looking for presents. In the end all I gave was a Northern Ireland bottle opener to a kid who was happy to receive it. These kids were obviously still very poor and drenched in the aftermath of the soviet regime, still not commercialised like Western Europe. So I felt sorry for them, but could not give them anything more. I then caught the bus with the team back to Minsk, where I enjoyed the sights of Victory Square, the Parliament Building and the token Irish pub (random going all this way and then trying the Irish pub - the first pub I saw opposite the government building and called Drozhzhy United!!), which I popped in for a pint.
So after all that my journey to Belarus came to an end - what an experience and I was heading to Warsaw in Poland next!
Match statistics:
Belarus 5 - 0 Northern Ireland
(Kazeeva 26, Tatarynova 49, 90, Davydovich 57, Kuzniatsova 80)
Top beers - Dnyaprouskaye and Greynitska.
Bars Visited - Minsk Airport Bar, Hotel Minsk, Drozhzhy United Irish Pub.
About the Author:
To read more quirky articles like Ladies football in Belarus head to Jonny Blair's fantastic website called Don't Stop Living for ongoing travel stories and tips.
