14 Dec, 2024

1.FC Union Berlin v Bochum

Report by Joshua Field

As always, I was excited about travelling to Berlin and being in the Alte Forsterei once again with other Unioner and the Reisekader Bamse members. What was not usual was this time I travelled with expectation that I would see a win which hasn't happened in quite a few games now.

I flew into Berlin from Manchester Airport late on Friday night and began my journey from Berlin Brandenburg airport to Adlershof where fellow Bamsegjengen member Arnfinn has his apartment, unfortunately he was not there this weekend so I was staying there alone.

As I was waiting for the S Bahn from the airport an attractive English lady of a similar age to me asked for some directions to Alexanderplatz where she was going for the weekend with her friends to explore the Christmas markets that Berlin has to offer. I explained that she can get on the same train as me and we talked all the way until I had to depart the train at Adlershof and we are still talking now over social media but that is a different story that is still developing....

Back to the match, the following morning I woke up, had some breakfast and a shower and got ready to meet the rest of the Reisekader at the traditional Bamse meeting place at Hauptmann, next to the Kopenick S Bahn station where pre match drinks were enjoyed and there was a sense of hope and expectation in the air as well as the freezing cold weather conditions.

We headed to the stadium together, walking through the Forest on the way. I always savor this walk as it will not be this way for much longer as the stadium development will take over and a lot of the forest will get cut down as well as playing in the Olympia Stadion for 1-2 years while all of that takes place. The Union fan base as I understand it is split on the Stadium being developed. In my opinion, I would like everything to stay as it is as that is the reason I fell in love with this special club some years ago now and I don't want anything to change because it is perfect the way it is, the stadium, the atmosphere, the football culture and the feeling of belonging every time I am there with other like-minded people.

We entered the stadium and headed to our usual standing place in Sektor 3, once the pre match Union anthems had played and Nina had sung it was finally time for the match to start.

The game started at a good pace with both teams having shots on goal and the atmosphere was fantastic as ever, the first significant moment of the match was a straight red card for Koji Miyoshi on 13 minutes for a dangerously high studs up tackle on Andras Schafer. If expectation was high before the match, Bochum going down to 10 men early certainly raised this expectation of an important home win even more. This expectation took a dent when 10 minutes after going down to 10 men Bochum took the lead through Ibrahima Sissoko after a great cross into the box from Passlack, Sissoko was too strong for Khedira and headed the ball past Ronnow.

10 minutes after that, Union were level through a quick finish inside the box from Benedict Hollerbach. From then until the 92nd minute of the match, Union dominated the ball and dominated the chances but as has become so often this season struggled to find the net.

But by far the biggest talking point of the game was what happened in stoppage time at the end of the match. Bochum Keeper Drewes was not for the first time, taking his time over taking a goal kick to the frustration of the Waldseite and for the rest of the Unioner inside the stadium. I did not see what had happened, all i seen from my point of view was Bochum players making their way towards their goalkeeper who was on the floor holding his head. Now, I have watched and been involved in lots of football matches in my life but I have never seen anything like what was about to happen ever in my life.

It had quickly become apparent that an item had been thrown from the stands and struck Drewes as one of the Bochum players held up said item to the Waldseite. After prolonged treatment to the Bochum goalkeeper, all of the Bochum players decided to leave the field and head into the changing rooms, Union players then decided to follow. The game was stopped for around half an hour with fans in the stadium not knowing what was going on or how events were going to unfold. Union players then took to the field and began to warm up for 5 minutes before heading back into the changing rooms with no sign of the Bochum players. Eventually both teams took to the field with the announcement that the game would be played to completion, this raised excitement inside the stadium as people had noticed that Bochum’s keeper had not returned and having used all of their substitutions an outfield player had to go in goal, this meant that Bochum had to finish the game with 9 players.

This excitement quickly turned to disappointment and anger as the match restarted with both teams just standing still and passing the ball between each other as was seen in the Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich game a few years earlier. The game ended with boos and whistles as Bochum went over to their travelling fans to show their appreciation to them as the Union players left the pitch straight away without acknowledging the Waldseite, maybe blaming that fan for not being able to go on and try to win the match.

The news has come out since the end of the match that Bochum have applied to the DFB for 3 points from this game which is ludicrous but as we wait and see what comes of the case it is off to Bremen and then the Christmas carol signing in the Stadium in which I will be at both.

Joshua Field – Bamsegjengen