Bud & Bratwurst

Bud & Bratwurst
Iwan pictures World Cup 2006

Some random musings from St Clears' finest cameraman Iwan Cruyff who was dragged off kicking and screaming to the World Cup he really had better things to do but is coming to terms with it. Most of the pics are his. Some from Ade Colley.

Iwan: Rain came to Dortmund but it wasn't enough to stop the Poles clunking heads with the Germans on Wednesday. As if the game wasn't massive enough the Polizie presence added to it all with the Poles getting surrounded by the Robocops at lunchtime and penned in not being allowed out of a the circle for a pee or a pint.

Game over after Neuville (French?) took advantage in the dying seconds. A 5km bus ride took 1hour as the Bratwurst was replaced with Bitburg Beer. Ambulances dashed and fans danced till dawn as the next day was a Bank Holiday-on a Thursday?

Friday 16th was Gaucho day. An historic performance to put 6 past Serbia & Montenegro- my lasting memory will always be seeing the Argentina team bus bounce down the runway towards the stadium on arrival.

The whole bus was jumping up and down and the players yelling their heads off followed by a minibus of supporters equally as nutty.

Post-match I went down pitch side hoping to see Maradona-no show. The photo below shows Man of the Match Riquelme leaving for the bus and behind you can make out Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler who is telling Crespo that the second goal is the greatest goal he has ever commentated on-high praise indeed from a man working at his 10th World Cup. Good to see some Argentine players sparking up the Gitanes once back on the bus.

At Gelsenkirchen on June 12: No one does it like the Americans. Girls, Burgers and Budweiser. The Budweiser girls were on form settling for a 5-girl defence you would sell your ticket for if you were lucky enough to have one.

Eyeties everywhere the night before with their car horns up and down the Strasse outside my room - piss chuckers (we had to get a dig in at the Italians Ed)! Pen for Ghana I thought.

Will have to stop wearing my GOL - Serbia t-shirt. Keep having to join in the drinking/singing with the Serbia & Montenegro fans. They tell me I'm Velsh not British! Ended up in the Blue Oyster Biker bar with them. Big fuckers, mind, you would want to fall out with them!