25/08/07 Bayern München 3:0 Hannover 96

It´s one of the longest journeys you can do as a Hannover supporter. But when you a obligated too the club like me.......no trip is to far. In total it´s about a 9 hours trip by train (including both ways)

I took the Inter City Express (train) at 6:20 in the morning and arrived 4 1/2 hours later to Munich. First I wandered through the streets and had a typical Weißbier (beer) at the Marienplatz and some Weißwürschtel (typical sausage from Bavaria).

At one o clock I made my way to the stadium and arrived about 2 hours early to make some great pics of the Alianz-Arena.

Alianz Arena in Munich

Los dos cochinos


The Stadium

Stadium: Alianz-Arena
City: Munich
State: Bavaria (Bayern)
Country: Germany
Capacity: 69.000


Inside 2 hours before kick off

The Game

Date: 25/08/07
Score: Hannover 96 0 : 3 Bayern München
Goals: Toni (28), van Bommel (68), Altintop (86)
Attendance: 69.000
Match Type: Bundesliga 3 round



It´s me again

I was impressed of the stadium but I have to say that the atmosphere is really poor. No shouting at all. Behind both goals you find the home supporters the away supporters are so far away under the roof top.

Nice view but no atmosphere

The game was even worse than the atmosphere. Hannover 96 didn´t play any soccer. Loosing against Bayern is not the problem but the as a supporter I can await to see my team fighting and even trying to defeat the other team. But nothing. I think this one the poorest games that I ever attended.

Lets go Hannover

At night I arrived very frustrated back home in Hannover hoping that next week all will get better.

Hannover, Karlsruhe, Zürich, Hannover

Away supporters from Basel in action

It was an hot weekend not only because of the great atmosphere in the Hardturm stadium that I visited in Switzerland. But let´s start at beginning:

Friday the 17/08/07 with the first game on the second match day in the German Bundesliga. The Reds were facing Karlsruhe away in the Wildpark. I took the half day off and left with the InterCity (train) at 10:01 Hannover. 5 hours later I arrived to Karlsruhe in Baden. I still had sufficient time to find a cheap hotel and to get some liquid food. For the beer down here they got a funny name. They call it "Tannenzäpfle".

F. and I supporting our team

Anyway I didn´t care to much about the name. After rushing through the palace grounds to the stadium I arrived 3 hours early. In front of the stadium I met F. who also supports Hannover but lives and works down there.We some more Tannenzäpfle we quickly made friends and were happy when the ganestarted

The "Wildpark" stadium

The atmosphere was just thrilling and is hardly to describe. For the supporters of Karlsruhe it was the first home game in the Bundesliga after relegation nine years ago. Additionally I have to mention that the "Wildpark" is one of the last real stadiums and wasn´t changed into a modern arena. I think it is the only one left in the Bundesliga and I was very happy to see it before it will get it´s renewel.

M. and his gang from Baden Baden

First Half

With 30.000 spectators the stadium was sold out. When the game started the support were enormous. When Karlsruhe scored the 1:0 lead all fans went nuts. Even in our block some Karlsruhe supporters could be find. They told me that all home games were sold out in less than one day and that they didn´t have an other chance to see their team. In my opinion very tough!!

Ok let´s get back to the match. The rest of the first half was very poor. Karlsruhe was fighting and Hannover could find a way through their defense. The Reds had only two chances. That was not enough.

Hannover supporters in await of their team

Second Half

With the beginning of the second leg all Hannover supporters were still hoping for an change and we almost couldn`t believe when Hanke scored the equalizer and his very first goal for Hannover. I felt very happy. It wast just great. I thought that one point was better than nothing. But the game still was not over and both teams had several chances to to score but Hannover`s number 14. (Balitsch) scored the lead. Hannover won that night 1:2. What a great happy end for Hannover.

After the game went all together to the city center and had some more Tannenzäpfle and I rember that we got a cuba at the Lehner´s and that at the end we hopped to an other place. I arrived at 4.00 am too my hotel that night. I have to say that this was a great night with some great people.

On the morning of the 18/08/07 I took the train to Switzerland. First I arrived to Basel. From Basel I traveled to Aarau and than to Zürich. First I had in mind to watch a game in Aarau but I still was to screwed up to see any game. So I searched for an hotel in Zürich and spent the night in the historical city center.

Zürich

Next morning I recovered and visited first the Letzigrund. It´s on of the stadiums for the Euro 08. They just finished the constructions. Before I went off to see the game Grasshoppers Zürich against FC Basel in the Hardturm stadium, I stopped by the the lake of Zürich.

At the Hardturm stadium I was welcome by lots of police forces. My ticket for the game I already had purchased voa.. What I didn´t know up to my arrival at the stadium is that the match 1. FC Basel against Grashoppers Zürich is one of several famous derbies in Switzerland. In addition I have to say that this game was the last on in the historic Hardturm stadium and the team will move to the Letzigrund.

Basel supporter burning to win the game

It was an incredible exiting game with many chances to score on both sides. Zürich scored the lead in the first half an a second goalafter the half time. Also the atmosphere was awesome . The away supporters were very loud and the Grashopers fans showed some nice choreographies. At the end the game ended with a 2:0 score for the home team.

Zürich supporters put much work into this choreography

With the flight AB 8867 I safely landed at Hannover airport and I have to say that this was an amazing weekend with lots of soccer and that I really met some great people.

Hannover 96 0:1 Hambuger SV 11/08/07

Hannover supporters in await of the match

The Stadium

Stadium: AWD Arena (Arena)
City: Hannover
State: Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
Country: Germany
Capacity: 50.000


Supporters showing flag


The Game

Date: 11/08/07
Score: Hannover 96 0 : 1 Hambuger SV
Goals: Benjamin (23)
Attendance: 49.000
Match Type: Bundesliga 1 round

Nice choreography of the away supporters

TSV Havelse 0:3 TUS Koblenz 05/08/07

In the first phase of the German Cup TUS Koblenz kicking in Germans second league
(2. Bundesliga) visited the team of TSV Havelse which normally plays in the fifth devision. Some more 2000 supporters found their way to the Wilhelm-Langrehr-Stadion to watch this match which is the highlight for the amateur players from Havelse on this hot Sunday.

The ground

The Stadium

Stadium: Wilhelm-Langrehr-Stadion
City: Havelse
State: Lower Saxony
Country: Germany
Capacity: 2600

Attendance

The Game

Date: 05/08/07
Score: TSV Havelse 0:3 TUS Koblenz
Attendance: 2600
Match Type: First round German Cup (DFB Pokal)

It´s getting smoky

In the first leg the guests dominated the game and showed some nice passing. They used three of their several chances that they had to a score. TSV Havelse didn´t find a way through the solid defense of Koblenz. In the second leg Havelse got better and worked out some chances but at the end the victory of Koblenz was not at a single moment in a risk.

Nice free-kick goal

Wersestadion RW Ahlen

The game against Ahlen which normally plays in the third devision (Regionalliga Nord) was the first important game this year. To see the Red´s winning against Rangers and Madrid was great but this game was the first one that really counts.

Traveling with group of supporters met in the Hannover 96 forum we started in Hannover with the train to Minden. In Minden we changed the train and went on to Ahlen. The police already await us and did the escort to the stadium. Still one hour to go we had enough time to grab a beer or two.

The Stadium

Stadium: Wersestadi0n
City: Ahlen
State: North Rhine-Westphalia
Country: Germany
Capacity: 10.500

I would say that in total 1500-2000 fans traveled to see and support their team. At 15:30 the game finally started. Hannover was playing with the new away black jersay on. The squad was same that had won the game against Real Madrid: Enke, Tarnat, Zuraw, Kleine, Cherundolo, Pinto (Lauth), Huzti(Krebs), Yankov (Lala), Bruggink, Balitsch and Hanke.

The Game

Date: 04/08/07
Score: Ahlen 1:3 Hannover 96
Goals: Kleine(5), Bruggink (11), Hanke (44) & Schoof (61)
Attendance: 4500
Match Type: German Cup (DFB Pokal)

First half:

Hannover started aggressive. After 5 minutes Kleine brought Hannover in lead with an nice volley and Bruggink managed to score an other goal 6 minuts later. In the following minutes Hannover had some more chances to score but also Ahlen did not give up. Once Hannover were lucky when Ahlen´s player Tuborg only hit the post. At the end of the first half Hanke scored the third goal this afternoon and his first for Hannover 96. With a 3 goal lead the players went off to have a drink.

Second Half

In the second half did not happen a lot. Hannover was not investing anymore power and Ahlen just could´t find a way to turn the game around. At the end they scored the 1:3 but this was not any important. Hannover won after a very good first half that´s all what counts at the end. Let´s see what´s on in the second round.

Hannover 96 3:0 Real Madrid 31/07/07

The friendly against Real Madrid is part of Hannover´s pre-season. The attendance of 47683 is the perfect scenery for this unique match and shows at the same time the importance of the game. The game created an extraordinary media interest which Hannover 96 used as a platform to present itself in the soccer world.

The home of Hannover 96

The Stadium

Stadium: AWD Arena (Arena)
City: Hannover
State: Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
Country: Germany
Capacity: 50.000

Hannover supporters in action

Hannover supporters in action 2

The Game

Date: 31/07/07
Score: Hannover 96 3 : 0 Real Madrid
Goals: Huzti(31), Thorvaldsson(63) &Lauth(82)
Attendance: 47683
Match Type: Friendly

After the goal, the supporters go nuts.

First Half

Real striker Higuain tries to score with a header

Second half

Cannavaro keeps a cool head