Where are you going?

You could always get the hovercraft from Southsea.

Off to Wales - Denmark tomorrow, booked the day off work and going across with my Dad for some beers. Really enjoying the Nations League, it's worked really well.

I think they need to run it through to the end to do that, I certainly think though it could be used to skim off some qualifying matches though. For instance Luxembourg are looking good for a Playoff place now with what can genuinely be called their "Golden Generation". This is the same Luxembourg that of course drew with France just over a year ago. The Nations League by giving Playoff spaces to group winners actually presents an opportunity for teams that have been given a seeding nightmare despite them having a great team a route through the back door. A classic example of this was Scotland being drawn with the two 2006 World Cup Finalists Italy and France as well as Ukraine for Euro 2008 Qualifying.

I went on cricket tour last year to that part of the world and played against the guy who is Chairman of Hartley Witney FC.  Deeply eccentric individual - I was amazed they were so far up the pyramid.  It is a very small place!

Saturday was a bit stupid in the end.

Left home at 6am, drove to Ashford for a fry up and then across in the Chunnel to France. Upon arrival parts of the A16 were sectioned off by fuel protestors, after being sat in traffic for around 30 minutes with tyres burning on the motorway in front we were shown onto the hard shoulder by protesters and cut through a hole in the fence, around the protestors and back onto the Motorway. They were targeting freight over individuals so were happy enough to let us through. A mad dash followed across country to Lille where we parked up and headed to Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

The stadium was opened in 2012 and used for the 2016 Euros, a smart stadium with roof over the pitch it's one of the better new builds. The game was a cracker with Lille racing into a 2 goal lead thanks to goals from former Newcastle strike Loic Remy and Nicholas Pepe. Lyon were given a penalty which, Memphis Depay blazed over the bar before Bertrand Traore and Moussa Dembele scored to make the game 2-2.



We then travelled around 25 miles across the boarder to watch KV Kortrijk take on Royal Excel Mouscron. KVK play at a small stadium with a capacity of around 9,000. We stood on the big terrace behind one goal where the "Ultras" had gathered. KVK took an early lead through Julien De Sart and dominated the rest of the match without forcing a second. Another entertaining game on a chilly night in Belgium.



We then headed back to Calais, however the motorway was fully closed now and saw us get to the Chunnel Terminal 2 hours late. We ended up getting the 1:17am train back and back home just past 5am. Needless to say I was utterly knackered yesterday but a real fun day over all!

Ooft. I’d already done Sunderland and stand on 85, going to hopefully get Accrington, Huddersfield and Lincoln over the coming months.

Next Island Adventure penned in for the 5th of January. Weather permitting I'm heading down to Portland with the old man to watch Portland United vs Cowes Sport. Train down to Weymouth and then a bus across. Should be a lovely little jaunt.

I've decided for my trip to Anglesey it's only right I should go to Clwb Pêl-droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Hopefully will get that one in before the end of the season.

I go to Anglesey now and then with work and was a bit disappointed to find that the place (other than the railway station) is actually called (and signposted) Llanfairpwllgwyngyll' I have never even noticed a football club, but I did tick off Bangor City  who were in the Welsh Premier at the time, on one of my visits.

My money would be on De Meer. The Olympic Stadium was used but only really for European games. De Meer is iconic, tiny little ground considering the size of the club.