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Gran Canaria trip

pinewoodste
Reserve Team Regular

Mar 5, 2012, 10:38 PM

Posts: 687
Location: Ipswich
Team(s): Whoever plays Ipswich Town

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Gran Canaria trip	Can't Post or Reply Privately

I was on the Wednesday afternoon easyJet flight from Gatwick to Las Palmas Gran Canaria. A bit of a shambles with some passengers trying to find out what was going on with no info (not even a gate no.) but eventually we had a hours delay. (my Ryanair flight back from Porto a couple of weeks was delayed 30mins, again no info). On plane it was advised the French were on strike. Obvious really. Towards the end of this flight an easyJet steward thought he'd been assaulted by a non-British person. The guy got a telling off later after much scurrying around looking for witnesses. Made up a bit of time on arrival.

I caught blue bus 60 to LP but it terminated at San Telmo Bus Station rather than continuing onto Santa Catalina Station. This meant a bit of confusion & faffing about before arriving at my pre-booked hotel using a yellow bus.

I managed to view inside 2 1/2 sides of Estadio Insular, the former home of Las Palmas between 1944-2002.

On Thursday night I was on the net to find out ko times & days of games at levels 4, 6 & 7. (I'd already got level 5) Unfortunately, a couple of games had been scheduled for Thursday night incluing Maspalomas although I would've got back early next morning.

My FRIDAY game I caught yellow bus 21 which almosts stops outside ground:

Regional Preferente Division - Las Palmas (level 5)
Union Viera Club de Futbol 0
Union Deportiva Balos 0
Att: 63 h/c KO: 2100 Cost: 5 Euros. Saw no progs.

Venue: Estadio Pepe Goncalvez, Las Palmas Gran Canaria
2 floodlight poles each side with a plastic pitch. 1 sided ground with all rows steep concrete steps. In 1 half are 15 rows while in other half are 13 going down to 7 in the corner. Small enclosed area in centre at back with bench seating which are covered by weird looking press area above. Rail at the back where you can stand & watch from. Snack bar was open at start of game but I noticed it was closed at h/t. Opposite, straddling half-way line is changing room building. Either side of this & behind 1 goal is banking with trees etc. Behind other goal are trees but not banked. There are some very tall blocks of flats around ground.

2 kids teams were training before game.

Match: clear leaders, 1st v 14th out 18.
Could've been 2-1 inside 10mins. UVCF attacked regularly which saw gk make a couple of saves. UDB only had 1 shot in 1st half but did threaten.

UDB managed 3 efforts this half including a decent effort testing the gk. UVCF matched their 9 attempts in the 1st half including hitting the bar from a free-kick. A couple of other decent attempts saw 1 saved & 1 off target.

My 4th 0-0 this season & all in Spain. To be fair this wasn't a bad 0-0. If I'd been on a long run without one I may of thought differently. Somehow there were 10 yellow cards.

pinewoodste
Reserve Team Regular

Mar 5, 2012, 11:03 PM

Posts: 687
Location: Ipswich
Team(s): Whoever plays Ipswich Town

Post #2 of 9 (1473 views)
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Re: [pinewoodste] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

On SATURDAY I visited a few grounds all within close proximity of last nights game.

Todays game I was advised to catch yellow bus 90 but not in the right place to catch it. Instead I caught yellow bus 21 again & then walked to the gound.

Segunda Division - Liga Adelante (level 2)
Union Deportiva Las Palmas 3 (58, 77 & 91+ Red on 71)
Girona Futbol Club 2 (10 & 86)
Att: 8,234 Came up on scoreboard as did other bits of info. (saw 4 GFC fans outside ground) KO: 1730 Cost: 50, 30, 25, 18 & 15 Euros. Free 16 page newspaper style prog inside ground. (1/2 football, 1/2 basketball)

Venue: Estadio de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas Gran Canaria
8 lane running track with the usual athletics stuff. 2 floodlight structures down side on concourse. Other side has lights along roof. All seater stadium which is elevated. 3 sides have continuous wrap-around with 38 rows. Behind 1 goal are just 12 rows with the scoreboard above. Main side has a curved roof which would only keep some people dry. At the back are VIP/Press areas. Opposite & behind goal is the wide concourse where you can stand & watch against the rail. Must mention the toilets as loads of cubicles. Club shop inside ground as were a snack outlet. Beyond the low goal end its a bit like a building site but does have the 'Anexo' where the other LP teams play. Further on is a hockey ground.

Match: 14th v 21st out of 22
Attrocius 1st half. GFC got a goal. I was in row 26 which at least meant I was high up but behind the goal the match felt I was watching from a different ground. UDLP may of had an effort cleared off the line.

Strangely the concourse is totally open & no stewards so at h/t I moved down the side but slightly higher up. Not only was this a good move the 2nd half was so exciting. GFC could've gone 2-0 up early on but the free-kick struck the bar. UDLP came close with a shot saved then cleared away as went towards goal. The crowd were now willing their team after voicing displeasure at h/t. With the scores 1-1 but 10v11 GFC kept attacking but couldn't get clear chances. UDLP didn't look like they were playing with 10 men & went ahead. GFC got a late equaliser to surely get a point. On 89mins they could've won it but struck the bar again then to be cruelly denied by an injury time goal to UDLP.

Talk about a game of 2 halves. 4th time I've seen GFC & each time there's been a dramatic very late goal.

After a couple of comments on the Sunday WDYG thread. I've now completed level 2 in Spain as I've no intention to catch a flight & travel miles just for a B team. I'm happy to see B teams at home but only as stop-gaps.

I may be incorrect with the following summary, not it makes any difference to me but:
Villarreal B will never play Villarreal. Northwich Villa could play Northwich Victoria.
Villarreal B will never play in a higher league than Villarreal. Northwich Villa could play in a higher league than Northwich Victoria.
Villarreal B will never play in the top league. Impossible but Northwich Villa could play in the top league.

I may be proved wrong & Northwich Villa can't do the above but I've no intention of visiting Villarreal B.

dottirofhod
Man City Transfer Target!

Mar 5, 2012, 11:13 PM

Posts: 6370
Location: The North. 'Ich hassen lehm kopfs'
Team(s): Crewe Alex and obviously England.

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Re: [pinewoodste] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

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But I've no intention of visiting Villarreal B.

There you go 'Yungun' surely it's worth doing this season just to take micky out of the rest that won't do Villareal 'B'.
Your visit to Mini Estadi Ste' ?

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

pinewoodste
Reserve Team Regular

Mar 5, 2012, 11:23 PM

Posts: 687
Location: Ipswich
Team(s): Whoever plays Ipswich Town

Post #4 of 9 (1465 views)
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Re: [pinewoodste] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Level 4 saw 4 of the 6 Gran Canaria teams at home. For some reason 3 of them decided to clash with Las Palmas. The whole of the island's fixtures seem less spread out than when I went to Tenerife last season. Might of been unlucky this time or lucky last time.

On SUNDAY it was almost impossible for me to get a double so I settled with just the 1 game. I caught blue bus 1 to El Doctoral. Before game I managed to just see inside level 3 team Vecindario's ground which is close by.

Tercera Division Grupo 12 - Canarias (level 4)
Club Deportivo San Pedro Martir 2 (49 & 91+ Red for coach on 68b)
Union Deportiva Lanzarote 1 (68a)
Att: 129 h/c KO: 1200 Cost: 6 Euros. Saw no progs.

Venue: Estadio El Doctoral, El Doctoral
4 low corner floodlight pylons & a plastic pitch. Small area down 1 side, behind 1 goal, all down 1 side & small area behind goal is all out of bounds with dirt banking with trees at back. The side has 1 red & 1 blue row of steps straddling 1/2 way line for press. Remainder of 1 half might have had 2 rows of concrete steps. Behind are untidy looking houses with mountains in distance. Behind near goal is red & blue building for the toilets. Set back in corner behind goal are 3 rows of concrete steps with clubhouse at back. Main side is elevated with 5 rows of steep concrete steps. It goes from 18yd box to near the other one. From near 1/2 way line to end of steps is covered. This is also in red & blue.

Match: 17th v 6th out of 20.
UDL had 2 good efforts saved within 10mins. For SPM, inbetween the strong wind took the ball away from gk & a header was cleared off the line. UDL looked the better side.

SPM had 3 chances inside 10mins of the 2nd half including a goal & a superb save by the gk. Not sure why SPM coach got so wound up about with goal UDL got. SPM got a very late winner. Protests from UDL as it appeared they had player injured while goal was scored. In my opinion, so what.

My last trip to Spain this season. Just need Espanyol in top division & whoever comes up who I haven't done. Obviously discounting Real Madrid Castilla for starters if they were to go up.

One last Euro trip left this season in late April.

Monday flight back was on time.

pinewoodste
Reserve Team Regular

Mar 5, 2012, 11:32 PM

Posts: 687
Location: Ipswich
Team(s): Whoever plays Ipswich Town

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Re: [dottirofhod] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

On Sunday 11th December 2005 I visited:
1200 L'Hospitalet v Peralta
1700 Barcelona B v Real Zaragoza B at the Mini Estadi - 2 B teams even worse, stop laughing.
2100 Barcelona v Sevilla

A crowd of approx 450 at the Mini Estadi. Nearly the same atmosphere as the main game.

youngster
First Team Regular

Mar 6, 2012, 9:18 AM

Posts: 1291
Location: The EAST
Team(s):

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Re: [dottirofhod] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

In Reply To

But I've no intention of visiting Villarreal B.

There you go 'Yungun' surely it's worth doing this season just to take micky out of the rest that won't do Villareal 'B'.
Your visit to Mini Estadi Ste' ?

Would i ever take the Micky out of anyone? I can see both sides of the argument, but as they play at a different ground to the first team i'll usually try and do them. It was ok doing Barca, Athletico and Real Madrid B's as they were decent grounds, but i only do the others if they stick around in the league for a few seasons.

dottirofhod
Man City Transfer Target!

Mar 7, 2012, 12:54 PM

Posts: 6370
Location: The North. 'Ich hassen lehm kopfs'
Team(s): Crewe Alex and obviously England.

Post #7 of 9 (1352 views)
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Re: [pinewoodste] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

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1700 Barcelona B v Real Zaragoza B at the Mini Estadi - 2 B teams even worse, stop laughing.

Can you here me ? Don't worry there's people on here who've seen 29 mins at Nacional (Madeira) and give it away when replayed while still there !!

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

Rico
Youth Team Star

Jun 27, 2012, 8:03 PM

Posts: 291
Location: Cheltenham
Team(s): Oxford utd, Tuffley Rovers

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Re: [pinewoodste] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

how would the standard of the regional preferente game compare to the levels in england?

pinewoodste
Reserve Team Regular

Jun 30, 2012, 7:43 PM

Posts: 687
Location: Ipswich
Team(s): Whoever plays Ipswich Town

Post #9 of 9 (427 views)
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Re: [Rico] Gran Canaria trip [In reply to]	Can't Post or Reply Privately

Not sure really as quite hard to compare especially as Spanish football is so different to the English game.

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