fun day!

[winterbadger]

I went on the coach trip up to the Meadowlands to watch DC play NJ-NY-Metros-Redbull-Cosmos-flavour of the week. It was a good deal of fun. I did not have too much to drink. I did not get mugged by NJ fans. I did not get thrown out of the stadium; 3-4 people from our trip did, for: setting off a smoke bomb (fair cop), throwing beer (but only in celebration, on other DC fans, none of whom objected), swearing (!!??), taking photographs (!!???), and flipping off the security guards (rude, but after the foregoing, a pretty understandable reaction). Two other people were "detained" and then released again; security had wanted them to give a statement about some NJ fans throwing things at *us*, but they grabbed them and hustled them away in the same manner they used for the people they were ejecting. Goons.

Anyway, the rest of us had fun, drank, ate, sang, cheered, and chanted. We totally outsang the paltry showing by the local fans. We ran into our own team at a rest stop on the drive back, and one of the coaches opined that there had been more NJ fans at our home opener (the club gave them bus rides for free!) than there were at their own stadium today.

I took the right clothes, so I wasn't soaked (or even wet), even though I stood in the rain for 2+ hours. I got to enjoy my lovely MP3 player (!) and read some on the bus, and talked to folks I know in the supporters' group that I haven't talked to in a while. All in all, it was a great way to take my mind off the preceeding 24 hours.

Comments

[aitkendrum.livejournal.com]

It's good to see the States having the same atmospheric soccer matches as great derbys as Rangers vs Celtic!

It sounds like a Saturday over here even with arrests!

Sorry to hear about the past trauma!

[winterbadger]

Yeah, I was walking away from Giants Stadium last night and saw a bunch of NY Rangers (hockey) fans--their team had been playing the NJ Devils at the same time as our game and had lost 1-6. They were lamenting the loss and all of a sudden I flashed right back to the end of the 04/05 season, which was the same day I arrived in Glasgow last May, when Rangers won the league because Celtic lost to Motherwell, and Sauchiehall Street was filled with unhappy Hoops fans and happy Gers fans, all inebriated, and all the pubs had "no team colours" signs outside...

[dcu-fan.livejournal.com]

I've been to two previous trips to NJ and have never seen that many problems with security.

I'm glad you got to go on the trip. Which bus were you on?

I also brought a poncho so didn't get too wet except the ends of my sleeves. And on the walk to the bus my jeans and shoes got wet. I hate when my socks get wet. But the 4-1 win totally makes up for any discomfort. :D

[winterbadger]

I was on the "red" SE bus (the one that started at Summers and picked up in New Carrolton).

I had some imitation Doc Martens that my mum (!) bought a couple of years ago and gave me because they didn't fit her. My feet stayed pretty dry. I brought some training trous that kept my jeans dry (they had served well as rain paints at our wet home game a few weeks ago); I learned on my last trip to Scotland that there's nothing so miserable as soaking wet jeans!

[winterbadger]

Which bus were you on?

[dcu-fan.livejournal.com]

I was on the 'black' bus. The one that was late. You were very smart with your clothes choices. Luckily my jeans weren't totally soaked. Next time I go to a really wet game I'll wear my water proof hiking boots.