Skjern Stadion, Jutland Series 4, 22/5/23
Me 278
Skjern Gymnastikforening Fodbold
Founded – 1916
Nickname – SG
Honours – Jutland Series 2 – 1995
Random Fact – Former player Bjarne Homann once won a bet with teammates that he would score a goal in a match against Faster. With SG leading 6-0, Homann received the ball in the middle of the park and proceeded to dribble straight down to his own goal and scored past keeper Bendt Christiansen. Christiansen was furious because he lost his bet with Homann that he could keep a clean sheet in the same match. This meaning two bet wins for Homann
Not the Superliga match that was the original plan for the night. A trip to see Nordsjaelland v Randers was put to the sword by a delayed flight from Aberdeen to Esbjerg which had a domino effect of a missed train. A dip into the Jutland Series it would have to be and to see two branches of the same team play each other an hour away from Esbjerg in what looked to be a tidy stadium was the perfect substitute.
I decided to head up to Skjern early so I could have a walk about and see the sights. As it turns out that there is not much to see in here and my walk didnt last long. There is a quality Holger Danske statue though. One highlight. And it was in Holger Danske Platz I retired to a bar called Rakkerstuen for a couple of pre matchers(cheapest beer I have found in Denmark to date too). Leaving the pub stinking of fags I wandered off in the direction of the ground to see if it was a tidy as the pictures portrayed it as.
It turned out to be a wee gem of a place. One of the best if not the best lower league ground I had visited in the country. With a stand which would house about 350 on one side and a dug out/stand on the opposite wing I was immediately impressed with the place. On the theme of dug outs the Stand side home dugout was a beauty as it was a proper dug down dugout. Very old fashioned. I was told in the pub that Skjern is a predominantly a Handball town. Well if this was the lesser fancied fitba facilities then I would love to see the Handball (which were in the sportspark right next to the ground). A great place to watch a game for sure, however the night was to be about the stadium rather than the fitba as it was a total non event. As one sided a contest as you could see. Incredibly it took 30 minutes for the first goal. First goal that counted that is as Daniel Rosu had the ball in the net only to be called offside. Rosu also had two big chances in the first half hour where he really should have been finding the net but on both occasions seemed to be caught in two minds. Inevitably though it was Rosu who opened the scoring when he was left with a tap in from a few yards after some brilliant play on the wing from Stephane Sorensen. It was quickly two when Magnus Pagaard took a super touch from a Sorensen cross to stop the ball dead to lash home from close range. Just as the half was looking like ending Mads Smedegaard Hansen went on a jungle run and past a host of players to slide the ball into the bottom corner. A very good solo goal. This was then followed up by Rosu grabbing a brace as he volleyed home a Allerslev cross. It was pretty much game over by the time the ref blew for the break.
HT 4 v 0
4 turned into 5 quickly after the restart and it was Rosu who tapped home at the near post to grab a hat trick. Worryingly for the second team it was another goal that stemmed from the wing which four had. Another 15 minutes passed before the net rustled again and it was Hansen who was on hand to tap in a rebound from a Rosu effort. Rosu then grabbed his fourth for the night when he lobbed Andersen in the (2) goal. It was getting a bit embarrassing and Andersen looked like he was in tears and being consoled after the seventh. His night of picking the ball out of his net was not over and Hansen grabbed his hat trick from another Sorensen assist from the wing. Could he equal his strike partners 4 goal haul. With two minutes to go it looked unlikely that there would be any more goals. However with the last kick of the ball Sorensen got on the scoresheet when he rounded the keeper to tap home. A very much deserved goal. What a player this boy was. When I saw him at kick off I thought he was about thirteen with his slight frame and childlike looks. But he was immense and in my eyes the best on the park. As for Skjern (2) there is not much to say about them or take out of the night from them. They did have a player called Kenneth Kenneth though.
One sided shambles at an excellent wee ground in a town with nothing is a good summation of my night. As I sat having a beer waiting for my train (not in the smokey bar) I again was counting myself lucky to have a job where football tourism can done and since heading to Denmark in October for the first time i have been to 14 grounds and 17 games. Inclusive of Europa League, Europa Conference, Tiers 1-4, and non league down to tier 12. Not bad going at all. There will be more to come to as I am here until next Spring at least
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 39
Pie – N/A
Pint – Tuborg Gron 20DKK (approx £2.30), Rakkerstuen
FITBAWBAG 