Europe's 55 football nations in one season
55 Football Nations motored to three very modern stadiums in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. KAA Gent secured a narrow win at the sparkling Ghelamco Arena (opened in 2013), Borussia Mönchengladbach struggled to a draw at Borussia Park (2004) and ADO … Continued
55 Football Nations was on a food and drink odyssey at three football matches in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands over one weekend. How did the experiences compare? I had high expectations at KAA Gent. Their new Ghelamco Arena is … Continued
Lonely Planet have published a 55 Football Nations interview with Matt Walker, intrepid football fan, as part of their Meet a Traveller series. It’s a routine familiar to millions of devoted football supporters: a sunny Saturday afternoon in the stands, a … Continued
55 Football Nations saw three tight home wins in Ukraine (shock Chornomorets victory against Dynamo Kiev), Moldova (Zimbru edged out Speranța in Chișinău) and Romania (where Juventus Bucureşti registered their first win of the season). And there was an absolute thrashing … Continued
55 Football Nations has completed at least one top division match in each of the 11 disparate football nations that once formed the Soviet Union. The 55FN top 20 lists the best and worst bits from the pitch, the road and the … Continued
55 Football Nations experienced dramatic highs in Turkey (Alanyaspor coming from three goals down to win at Trabzonspor) and Serbia (97th minute winner for Napredak against champions Crvena Zvezda) and a really poor match in the interesting Bulgarian city of Plovdiv. … Continued
A friend of someone I met on an internet message board. It sounded dodgy. This was Ergin, a very random contact in Trabzon for my game in Turkey. We messaged each other before I arrived. His English was minimal. My … Continued
55 Football Nations took in four top flight league games in Azerbaijan and Armenia, some amazing scenery and mountains of great bread. Photo highlights include gratuitous Ladas and the odd rogue shot from beautiful Georgia.
55 Football Nations went Irish for a weekend. Photo highlights from Bray Wanderers’ nervy 2-1 win over Drogheda United at the Carlisle Grounds in the Republic and, north of the border, Glentoran’s scrappy 1-1 draw against Carrick Rangers at the historic … Continued
55 Football Nations is about the full football experience. The fans, the match itself and the stadiums. Or grounds. My journey over the Irish Sea was to matches at two very traditional grounds in Bray and Belfast. The Carlisle Grounds … Continued