DJ’S JOTTINGS – NUMBER 36 (Macedonia)

Matchday images (3) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/FYRMacedonia

By early June the only remaining domestic football in UK is north of the border and that is a long way from Surrey. It therefore seemed sensible to fly away even further for some international action in Macedonia.

With no direct flights to Skopje we opt for alternative routes out and back in order to provide a bit of variety and to visit another new country en route. The famous five of us meet up at Gatwick on the Friday morning and despite the early hour, it seemed churlish not to sample the airside offerings of Mr J D Wetherspoon, before a smooth British Airways flight to the Kosovan capital of Pristina.

30-minute taxi ride from the airport to the city centre where we indulge ourselves with local beer and firewater while trying to fend off the beggars and street vendors. One of our party thinks we could be in Wolverhampton High Street. No need to change money as the euro is used.

Pristina is situated in the north-east of the country and surrounded by mountains. The city grew from the former Roman settlement of Ulpiana and it’s population of around a half million is now mainly Albanian. Kosovo was ruled by Serbs in mediaeval times, then by the Ottoman Empire and very briefly became a region in the newly independent state of Albania in 1912 before being attached to Serbia a year later. There has been much conflict between Serbs and Albanians ever since. Part of Yugoslavia from 1918, the Albanians supported by the Nazis, indulged in ethnic cleansing against the Serbs during WWII, but after the break up of Yugoslavia, Kosovo returned to Serb rule once more, with a harshly repressive regime under Slobodan Milosevic. The late 1990’s saw the Balkan War before NATO forced Serbia to desist. Most Serbs then fled and despite further unrest in 2004, Kosovo became an independent country in 2008, Bill Clinton playing a prominent role in its formation.

After our brief stop in Pristina get a taxi to the outskirts of the city where we catch the bus for the 90km ride to Skopje. The journey takes about two and a half hours with a brief stop in the town of Ferizat and border checkpoints as we leave Kosovo and again as we enter Macedonia 100 yards later. On each occasion a border guard comes down the bus collects all the passports and takes them away for processing. The official title of Macedonia is ‘The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ to reduce problems with Greece over their region of the same name. Independence was gained in 1991.

We stay at the Hotel Villa Vodno, in their own words “we are not the best, we have the best guests”. A family run hotel set in an upmarket residential area at the foot of a mountain, it provides an excellent base, with spacious rooms and very good service, including a surprise welcome meal on arrival. Eat goat with salad, fried potatoes and hard cheese and drink local beer and wine with the other guests, a group of Austrian cable car engineers, one German lady and two Irish couples there for the football. One of the Irishmen plays his own selection of ‘Desert Island Discs’ and when he reaches Johnny Logan we decide its time to go into town.

Skopje is the capital city, on the Vardar river in the north of the country and holding about a third of Macedonia’s total population. It has always held strategic importance as it sits on the main Belgrade – Athens trade route. In 1963 80% of the city was destroyed by an earthquake and re-building has been a long slow process.

We cross the river from the new to the old city via a 15^th century stone bridge. Narrow cobbled streets with bazaars, mosques and inns lead up to the recently renovated 6^th century Byzantine fortress. We go as far as ‘Pivnica’, or ‘Old Town Brewery’ where we sit in the open air drinking dark beer accompanied by live music from a local trio. In Macedonia Square see an unusual and impressive pyrotechnic show, with bursts of fire from a number of pipes and flamethrowers, choreographed from computers by three folk in white coats in a Kraftwerk style. 

On the Saturday, our group attends breakfast, which includes omelettes cooked to order, at vastly varying times. What from clever photography appeared to be the hotel swimming pool is in fact a small pond with ornamental fountain and waterfall, so we head into the centre for more tourism, eating and drinking. In the streets of the old town sample the local snack ‘burek’ before having a more substantial meal that is quite Greek in character. The waiter gives us a lesson in Balkan politics. We also pass some locals who tell us they will be supporting Ireland in the football as ‘we are in Albania’. The troubles in this part of the world may not be over yet.

And so to the football, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v Republic of Ireland in a European Championship qualifier. The Phillip II Arena is just a short riverside walk from the city centre with a bar handily placed en route.

The ground was originally opened in 1947 and prior to 2009 it was known as ‘The Skopje City’ or more commonly ‘Gradski’ Stadium. Re-built in 1979-80 and again in the last couple of years, indeed this is the first match at what is now a smart modern 32,580 capacity all-seated stadium. Entry to the ground however, is completely chaotic, bordering on dangerous. There is no signage or indication where to go and everybody tries to squeeze through just a couple of very narrow gateways to get in. Police and stewards form lines to prevent overcrowding immediately by the stadium, but simply create a bigger problem further back. Once in, the away supporters are corralled into two sections behind one goal regardless of what their tickets say. Entry is 20 Euros, although it is only 3 Euros for home fans. Small quantities of a match programme are available at an inflated 300 dinars (about £4.50). The catering facility only sells water.

The ground consists of a single continuous tier, rising higher to the centre of each side with the roof curving in line with the seating decks. Apart from being the national stadium, it is also home to top division club sides, FK Rabotnicki and FK Vardar.

Macedonia are 5^th in the group table and realistically out of the running for qualification. Inter Milan’s Pandev is their key player. The one Irishman in our otherwise English group instantly recognises Ireland manager Giovanni Trappattoni on the touchline. Shay Given and Robbie Keane are the most experienced players in the away line-up. There’s a fine atmosphere with a near sell-out crowd aside from the neutral area between the two sets of fans. The Irish sing Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’. Keane scores with two fine strikes to become the first player from Britain or Ireland to each 50 international goals. The home side have some chances in the first half but after hitting the bar from the penalty spot shortly before the interval, rarely threaten thereafter, as Ireland close the game off.

Return to the old town for some post match refreshment accompanied by jazz music. Brian Buck appears to play the piano, well it was certainly his hat anyway. Chill-out on the Sunday morning  prior to our return. This time we fly from Skopje airport with Hungarian airline Malev, via a one- hour connection in Budapest. Only one match seen, but it had been a most enjoyable experience with very good company.

contributed on 25/11/11