The fans meet

Room 2012 at Frankfurt Airport Sheraton Towers Conference Centre was a buzz as Australian fans on tour with the FFA stopped by to pick up their tickets and merchandise before heading to their respective hotels. Despite the jet lag their was an air of excitement at the days ahead.

Those 500 odd fans on tour B were invited to a party at "Yours", an Australian Bar in the city. It seemed ironic to trip half way around the world to start in a bar themed on where you had just come from. However almost all of the staff were neither Australian or German and there was an open beer and wine tab and plenty of food to go around.

At the conclusion of the day´s last game and the food came the merriment. Lubricated by alcohol, and in most cases jet lag, the singing began. I met several groups of people including some fellows from Brisbane who had been around the town for a few days. They had some interedting stories of hanging with England fans, whose reputation proceeds them everywhere, and riot police. They had the phots to prove that the riot police where ready to share the helmets and hugs with the Australian fans at least.

Jet lag caught most fairly quickly and late in the evening the crowd thinned to several tens of very well lubricated fans singing very loudly. One wonders wether they where going to make the train to the game the nex morning.