Jelling Stadion, Friendly, 12/3/24
Me 303 (100 abroad)
Jelling Forenede Sportsklubber
Founded – Unknown
Nickname – None
Honours – Unknown
Random Fact – More town related than club. The town was where the first monarchs of the Kingdom of Denmark held seat. It is a hugely important town in the history of the country with numerous UNESCO heritage sites.
When I started watching football in foreign countries I would never have a imagined I would have reached 100 clubs visited (across 18 countries). But if I did think I would, i would never have imagined the 100th would be in a little town of just shy of 4000 inhabitants to watch a friendly between two 10th tier teams. But thats exactly how it panned out
With getting bumped at the heliport due to fog and the clamour for hotel rooms in Esbjerg I thought I drew a short straw with having to head to Billund for a bed for the night. Turns out it worked in my favour as a wee bit east sits Jelling, where the football team was hosting Billund IF. Little did I know was it was set to be a brilliant game in this historic town and put any memories of the poor showing the previous night to bed.
I arrived in Jelling outside a supermarket, meaning one thing, a bag o cans and Haribos for the game. I didn’t have a clue where the ground was but there was an immense glow in the sky in amongst what seemed a really dark place. I winged it and stumbled across the ground no hassle, this with the pea soup fog that was closing in. The Jelling Stadion is 3G affair with a large clubhouse at one end, a patioed area on one wing for spectating and dugouts which are fitba induced OCD nonsense. As I took a couple of photos I could feel the small band of locals looking at me thinking who’s this boy? Then when I answered a phone call the English spoken gained me a few more funny looks. They must not get many foreigners armed with cans at their club.
Then came the game. What a game too. With only 32 seconds on clock it was 0 v 1 when Billund took the lead. A wonderful 40 yard run took their left back (24) past at least 5 Jelling players and into the box one on one with the keeper to smash home. What a start. It was all Billund from here for then next ten minutes then they let Jelling score with their first attempt when a header from 20 yards found its way through a host of bodies and in. It was quickly 2 v 1 when the home number 5 took a cross down out of the air with a touch that wouldn’t look out of place in a pro game to slot past the keeper with his second touch from 18 yards. A great goal. 2 v 2 it was immediately when the ridiculously numbered 72 tapped in a cross from the right from 3 yards out this on half an hour. It was easy to see this was a derby of sorts given the short drive between the two clubs. This was shown by the fact it was a friendly yet the tackles were lets say tough at times. It was great to see, and the fact the referee let it flow aided how good the game was turning out. With two minutes to go in the half Jelling took the lead again when they scored an identical goal to Billund’s second. Then incredibly Billund managed to fins an equaliser before the break when another jungle run through players saw a tame effort which left the Jelling keeper cursing the air when his meek effort to save saw the ball trickle in via his weak hands. What a half of football, so good I had hardly touched my beers which is not like me.
HT 3 v 3
As the teams had their half time team talks it occurred to me that it was orange v red. I had obviously been to engrossed with the action to notice this. It made me think “why don’t Aberdeen play Dundee United in home v home? (it has happened in the past but seldom). There is a clear difference in the colours. The teams came back on and I was wondering what the score would finish after such an action packed first period. There were equal amounts of chances for both teams but they had lost their clinical edge limited the need for the keepers to be called into action. The best chance fell to Billund’s 51 who walloped an effort a millimetres past the post when placement would have seen his team in the lead as the keeper was already down from a previous save. This proved costly as Jelling did find the net to win the game when a terrible keeper clearance allowed a lobbed effort back up and over him from thirty yards . A cracker of a finish but avoidable all the same. That was it in terms of goals for the night but that didn’t take anything away from this action packed barnstormer and I was only there because my helicopter was cancelled. Top viewing once again from the 10th tier of Danish fitba. I am really going to miss it once I am gone. I could have stayed in the hotel and watched the Champions League , but in the nicest way possible. Fuck that. Give me games like these any day.
On the way back to Billund I got speaking to the taxi driver about football. When he found out I supported Aberdeen he informed me he played golf with ex goalkeeper Peter Kjaer. This stemming from the guy being a Vejle fan and Peter playing for the club for ten years. I asked if I could get in contact with him to interview him for the Black & Gold. The driver reckoned he would love that. A random way to finish what was a brilliant unexpected night in the Jutland fog.
100 up abroad and what a way to do it.
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 17
Pie – N/A
Pint – Bag o’ cans
FITBAWBAG 