Matchday images (2) http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/footballgroundsinfocus/IlvesTampereFC

That nice Mr O’Leary is kind enough to provide us with cheap and cheerful flights to Finland and who are we to not take advantage. Tampere is the third largest town in the country and located on an isthmus between two lakes in the southern part of Finland. 

Stay at the Hotel Kauppi where fish is a large part of the breakfast menu.  Do some sightseeing on the first day and observe a plain-clothes dress rehearsal for a fashion show. Some very attractive women are in evidence. They could be models ! Also, visit the Lenin museum. Vladimir Iljitsch made numerous visits to Finland and lived there openly, from 1905 to 1907 and underground, prior to the Russian Revolution. He vigorously defended Finland’s autonomy and was the first signatory on the document recognising their independence in 1917.

History lesson over, we head for the Plevna Brewery Pub and Restaurant for home-brewed beer and a meal comprising diced bacon, smoked sausage, onion and potato in a creamy mustard sauce with gherkin, beetroot and lettuce on the side. The Plevna is housed in the former weaving shed of a cotton mill founded by Scot James Finlayson in 1820. It was the first place in Finland to have electric light bulbs, only three years after Thomas Edison invented them.

Cookery and another history lesson over, it is time for the first football of the trip. Ilves Tampere play in what is essentially Division III West of the Finnish League. The 5,040 capacity Tammelan Stadium is in Ilmarinkatu and has separate covered stands on all 4 sides, plus further small stands in 2 of the corners. There are 14 rows of individual seats in the main stand with another 4 rows of benches behind, just 4 rows of seats in the end stands with basic benches in the remaining areas. 4 Euros for admission with a free 4 page programme and handbook available. The ground is shared with TPV (Tamperen Pallo-Velkot) and Tamperen Peli-Pojat 70.

The original Ilves were one of the clubs that merged to form Tampere United in 1998, but they continued with separate youth and women’s teams and re-started a men’s side in 2008. The match against SalPa provides a fairly dull first half but a very entertaining second period. It is a close game, but Ilves prevail 3-2 mainly thanks to two bad defensive errors by the visitors. 145 heads are counted.

On the Saturday morning some of our party take a bus ride to the suburb of Lamminpaa for a women’s match. Enjoyable journey with splendid scenery and the bus driver’s choice of music, including Deep Purple and AC/DC blaring out. In contrast, Laminpaa is very quiet, just a cemetery, school and a few houses around the ground. Pitch at centre of an athletics track with open bench seating for about 350 on one side. Entrance including a 4-page programme is free. The game sees the ladies of TJK Tampere take on their counterparts from FC Wimma, from up near the Russian border, in the National second division. The game is of variable quality but entertaining nonetheless, TJK triumphing 4-2.

Take the same bus route back to the centre for the main event, Tampere United versus IFK Mariehamn from the island of Aland in the top division Veikkausliga. The Ratinan Stadium has a capacity of about 17,000 and is the largest club ground in Finland, but only attracts just over 1,500 for this particular match. Some games at the women’s European Championships had recently been staged there, including the England v Holland semi-final. The pitch is naturally enough at the centre of an athletics track, with continuous seating all round, lower in the corners. Only the main side is covered. 13 euros is charged for admission with the programme costing 1 euro.

The club was formed by a merger of 2 previous Tampere clubs in 1998 and success soon followed with 3 league titles in this Millennium. Mariehamn look the better side for most of the game but cannot finish. With half an hour to go a home player is sent flying off the pitch and responds by throwing sand from the conveniently placed long jump pit into the face of his opponent and receives a straight red card. This seems to galvanise the remaining 10 Tampere players and they go on to take the game 1-0.

Have time for some refreshment before a late night return flight, ending an enjoyable trip and dare I say it, we have not yet finished with this particular country.

contributed on 18/10/10