Wolves FancastWolves FancastWolves FancastWolves Fancast
  • HOME
  • THE PODCAST
  • THE BLOG
  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • SHOP

Block A-14, Row 28, Seat 22 – Wolves in Braga

    Home Blogs Block A-14, Row 28, Seat 22 – Wolves in Braga
    NextPrevious

    Block A-14, Row 28, Seat 22 – Wolves in Braga

    By Gulraj Kular | Blogs, Gulraj Kular | 0 comment | 2 December, 2019 | 0

    6,000 Wolves descended on Braga in Portugal from what felt like all over Europe. Gully Kular gives his account of the a trip that has been a lifetime in the making.

    Go to Braga, they said. It would be an incredible experience, they said. And they would be absolutely bloody well right.

    A lot has happened over the past few days, a lot of which I simply couldn’t encapsulate into a single blog post.

    But it’s safe to say my first European adventure with Wolves will never be forgotten.

    I have a sodden, undersized ticket, a whole load of washed out clothes and an awful grasp of Portuguese as souvenirs of a trip that many a Wolves fan will be able to recall in many years to come, for a number of different reasons.

    From Manchester, to Gatwick, via Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Barcelona, thousands of us descended to this little-known town in the north of Portugal, across various days, transport methods and with varying expectations it seemed.

    What we can safely say is that while we were prepared in some way for some inclement weather, nobody was ready for what we encountered on arrival (for me and the wife, at our hotel, see below).

    While there was no biblical splurge of rain, the weather was a feature throughout the trip, incessant and determined to wreak havoc.

    Having landed on Thursday morning it was a full 48 hours before my wife and I caught a ray of sunlight, time where Wolves fans back home could almost legitimately be topping up their tan based on how Mother Nature decided to operate this week.

    Had we not been there for a football match, it would have been a pretty miserable trip for the most part, with many excursions simply off the agenda.

    But spirits weren’t to be dampened. We arrived in Praça da Republica, Braga to a cacophony of noise, pretty much entirely with a Black Country twang laced through it. ‘Follow, follow, follow!’

    The numerous of layers of singing from inside, outside, under a collection of umbrellas was unmistakeable for a Wolves away following.

    The dozens of flags bestowed upon the bars in this square were a giveaway too. Even McDonald’s became a vessel for blasting out The South Bank’s Greatest Hits, in between not understanding ‘Order Number 89’ and trying to find a free table to wolf down some fuel for the day ahead.

    And how we would need that fuel.

    Back at Cafe Vienna I remember standing at the bar awaiting my order of drinks and noticing amidst the absolute chaos ensuing everywhere else, the manager, a picture of serenity, know how he was about to do his regular winter taking in the space of a few hours.

    Close up for a few months, you’ve done the hard work. All of this was conducted in the best nature we could muster under the rather wet circumstances.

    Just a few thousands fans all simultaneously ticking off an item on their bucket list.

    I won’t delve too much into the acrimonious circumstances that surrounded our attendance of the game, but my wife and I were some of the lucky ones who managed to see minute 0 to 90.

    It should never have been the case that so many seemed to miss out on what was an incredibly entertaining first half hour and for the most part people gave plenty of time to getting into the ground.

    The policing left a lot to be desired.

    On a trip like this I feel like we enter an unwritten agreement with the hosting parties. Cafe Vienna certainly played their part. SC Braga played theirs up until the fixture itself.

    The police didn’t seem to want to do their bit to ensure we all had fond memories though and were happy to antagonise the group.

    On to the game though and it wasn’t your typical European setting by any stretch.

    While being quite simply a concrete mass of two very separate structures, Estadio Municipal is quite the environment for football, as many will have seen on television.

    The journey to our seats was also quite the task. ‘Worse than Newcastle away!’ One retort from a fellow toilet user prior to kick off. We all know what he means by that.

    We certainly couldn’t complain of a bad view either, high up looking down upon the sodden pitch, where the two best teams in the group did battle.

    Aside from the opening goal though, Wolves showed their newly-found Europa League pedigree. A relatively quickfire burst of three goals meant all was forgiven, as the Braga defence was proving charitable enough to cover for the police’s misgivings.

    Time and again Adama Traore would slalom himself into promising positions, the third goal adding a layer of icing to his and Wolves’ cake.

    It made a mockery of the decision not to start him in the first fixture between the teams.

    At this point it felt like it would be four, five or six goals in our favour by the end of the fixture. There would be more but not, as the flow of the game had gone.

    We all know how the game went and after some of the most incisive football we had played all season, it was disappointing not to take all three points.

    It was a phenomenal trip, full of endeavour from the Wolves fans, whether it be the drinking, sinking and walking through the sodding rain to get to the game. But we made it.

    I couldn’t tell you when my journey as a Wolves fan started – it was sometime in the mid-90s before I could actually remember anything.

    But Block A-14. Row 28, Seat 22 of the Estadio Municipal, Braga, felt like some kind of summit.

    Gully
    Musings from Molineux
    Twitter: @molineuxmusings
    Facebook: Musings from Molineux 

    Listen to the latest episodes of Wolves Fancast:

    braga, Europa League, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves, WWFC
    Gulraj Kular

    Gulraj Kular

    More posts by Gulraj Kular

    Related Post

    • The other side of Braga away

      By Sam Lambeth | 0 comment

      In November, thousands of Wolverhampton Wanderers fans descended upon the Portuguese town of Braga for a Europa League tie. They were expecting to enjoy thrilling football, scorching weather and unforgettable experiences. What they received wasRead more

    • Why Europe won’t ruin Wolves this season

      By Edward Marshall | 0 comment

      Image via eurosport.co.uk As I write this, Wily Boly has just turned into Thierry Henry and slotted home Wolves’ first proper win in Europe for over 40 years. An away victory in Turkey against BesiktasRead more

    • The List of the Damned | My Wolves Worst Decade XI

      By Andy Gillard | 0 comment

      Image via football-stadium.co.uk Best team of the last decade? Let’s talk about the worst instead. Andy Gillard produces the ‘List of the Damned’ as he puts down his worst Wolves team of the 2010’s. AsRead more

    • No Saville’s or Holt’s | My Wolves Decade XI

      By Edward Marshall | 0 comment

      Image via Wikipedia Everyone has their team of the decade. Ed Marshall kicks us off with his selection of his Wolves XI of 2010-2019. As we move into a new decade the guys at WolvesRead more

    • Wolves Pop Their Cherries

      By Gulraj Kular | 0 comment

      Images: Twitter – @OfficialFPL Wolves returned to Premier League action against Bournemouth on Saturday, but continued their strong form with another three points. It wasn’t without it’s challenges though and Gully Kular sifts through theRead more

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    NextPrevious

    Recent Posts

    • The List of the Damned | My Wolves Worst Decade XI
    • The other side of Braga away
    • No Saville’s or Holt’s | My Wolves Decade XI
    • Block A-14, Row 28, Seat 22 – Wolves in Braga
    • Wolves Pop Their Cherries

    Recent Comments

    • Worthing wolf on Insanity – Musings from Molineux
    • Edgar on Why Raul Jimenez should be the Wolves Fancast Player of the Season 2018/19
    • Paul Upton on Vote for the Wolves Fancast Player Of The Season 2018/19
    • Neil on Why Wembley heartbreak will be the real test of Wolves’ new era
    • Dave on The Digital Wolf. Where to find Wolves coverage online

    Archives

    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014

    Categories

    • Alex Richards
    • Andy Gillard
    • April 2015
    • August 2015
    • August 2017
    • Ben Husband
    • Billy Price
    • Blogs
    • Charlie Meyler
    • Compton Stars
    • Craig Talbot
    • Dan Butler
    • Dan Jones
    • Daniel Hall
    • Daniel Sherriff
    • David Evans
    • David Handley
    • December 2014
    • Edward Marshall
    • fancast advent
    • Fancast Debate
    • fancast flutter
    • February 2015
    • February 2016
    • February 2018
    • Graham Large
    • Guest bloggers
    • Gulraj Kular
    • Jake Howard
    • Jamie Allen
    • Jan Hogen
    • January 2015
    • January 2016
    • January 2018
    • Joe Hill
    • Joe Williams
    • Josh Lemans
    • Luke Regan
    • March 2015
    • Match previews
    • Match reports
    • Matt Cooper
    • Matt Guy
    • May 2015
    • Michael Spencer
    • News
    • NIck Perkins
    • November 2014
    • November 2015
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • Oliver Floyd
    • Ollie Lewis
    • Paul Berry
    • Richard Hobbs
    • Ross Watson
    • Ryan Plant
    • Sam Astley
    • Sam Lamberth
    • Sam Murphy
    • Sam Pickering
    • September 2015
    • September 2017
    • Stu Hall
    • Stu Hawk
    • Tom Bason
    • Tom Tracey
    • Uncategorised
    • Uncategorized
    • Wolves Analytics

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries RSS
    • Comments RSS
    • WordPress.org
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • COOKIE POLICY
    • CONTACT US
    Copyright 2018 | Website designed & Sponsered by Pixel Yeti Media
    • HOME
    • THE BLOG
    • THE PODCAST
    • ABOUT US
    • CONTACT US
    • SHOP
    • PRIVACY POLICY
      • Cookie Policy
    Wolves Fancast

    We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Learn more about the cookies we use and how to control them here.

    You can control certain cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    Powered by GDPR plugin

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

    3rd Party Cookies

    This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

    Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

    Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

    Cookie Policy

    You can find out more information about our Cookie Policy.