Odense BK v Vejle BK, Danish Superliga

 

Odense BK 0-1 Vejle BK
Sunday 17 May, 14:00 kick-off
Danish Superliga (tier 1)
Nature Energy Park, Odense
Crowd: 11,136

My first visit to the beautiful city of Odense on the island of Fyn. I've been on many trains that stopped there but but this time I got out. The Danish season is now virtually wrapped up and this was not only the last home game of the season for Odense (or OB as they are known) but the last game at the stadium before the diggers move in and start a major renovation project. I was told that they will rebuild one stand per season and in the end they will have a modern all-round covered stadium. I'm sure it will be very good but it won't have the character of the present ground.

OB were founded way back in 1887 as a cricket club but soon after they started a football section. They have a proud history and have won three Danish championships (1977, 1982, 1989) and five cup wins. In recent years they have been the island Fyn's sole representatives in the top flight but before the 1980s they had stiff competition from local Odense rivals, B1909 and B1913, who have now sunk into local league football. OB have competed in European cups many times and in 1995 they even knocked Real Madrid out of the UEFA Cup (forerunner to the Europa League) winning the second leg in Madrid by 2-0, a match still remembered as the miracle in Madrid. During their golden years of the late 70s and 80s they were managed by Richard Møller Nielsen who later managed the Danish European champions of 1992. 

Today's visitors, Vejle from Jutland, are rock bottom of the league and were relegated several weeks ago. They have, however, a more illustrious history than OB with five championships and six cup victories, mostly during their glory days of the 1950s and 1970s when their most famous son Allan Simonsen became European player of the year.

The sun was shining and there was a party atmosphere in the ground in anticipation of a fitting send-off for the old stadium. Sadly Vejle proved to be party poopers giving their dedicated band of supporters in the ground a rare chance to celebrate at the end.

The ground
So sad they're rebuilding the place because it ticked nearly all the boxes for me. The main stand is very distinctive with glassed-in hospitality and media facilities in the upper sections. It looked pretty new to me but maybe it will be integrated into the new stadium. The other sides are all enclosed seating except for terracing for the ultras and the away fans terracing at the opposite end. Of course I'm old-fashioned but I prefer more idiosyncratic grounds that are instantly recognizable - modern stadia are generally very similar.

Before the game there was a rock band playing in the fan zone with the band members suitably kitted out in OB's blue and white striped shirts. There was a nostalgic moment for older fans before kick-off when veteran entertainer and fan Arne Lundemann sang the club song from the seventies with enthusiastic backing from the fans.

Food and drink
The stadium outlets had the usual selection of hot dogs (large size), beer, soft drinks etc) but there were other outlets in the ground that offered alternatives and I wish more clubs could realise that many of us do not want the standard selection. As ever in Denmark you are never more than 10 meters from a beer with bars all round the ground.

Clubs in Sweden especially should try to invite a couple of catering vans into the ground to offer, say kebab/falafel/pancakes/pizza slices. It's always good to have a choice and that was the case here.

Pre-match mingle with the band rocking away

The match
After all the build-up and a friendly and relaxed atmosphere around the ground I was hoping for lots of action and goals. But sadly that never materialised as the visitors comfortably held on for an unexpected win to end their frustrating season at the bottom of the league. Six of the OB team were leaving the club after this game and a few key players were missing and this could explain the result.

The party was pooped already in the fourth minute when Vejle were awarded a penalty thanks to VAR spotting that the home keeper had punched a Vejle player when trying to clear a corner from the right. No one around me had seen anything and the referee initially signalled for a goal kick. I don't go to many games with VAR and didn't understand the delay at first. Anyway up stepped  Christian Gammelgaard and put the visitors in the lead from the spot. The rest of the half was uninspiring for the home fans and OB had only a few serious attempts on goal. Far too much sideways passing and their forward pushes were easily defended. We all hoped for more fire and energy in the second half.

Happy Vejle fans

OB looked sharper in the second half as they pushed for an equaliser but again they didn't really click in the final third. Vejle had a well crafted goal disallowed for offside after another VAR session. After that OB did go up a gear and had a couple of great chances towards the end, in particular a cracking free kick that hit the post, but to no avail. The fans and players applauded each other at the end for the season's hard work and an 8th place in the league.

More than Football
Odense is a lovely city with a relaxed feel to it, very Danish I would say. It is most famous as the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the writer of so many much-loved children's stories such as the Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid and the Emperor's New Clothes (a story that I think should be compulsory reading for everyone, especially our politicians). He wrote many other books of course: novels, poetry, travel books, memoirs as well as an opera. The H C Andersen House in the centre of town is superb, especially for children, and a prize-winning piece of modern architecture in its own right.

Another attraction, especially for me as a railway fan, is the Danish National Railway Museum. This is also very child friendly. The city's main art gallery, the Brandts Art Museum, has a large collection of fine Danish and Swedish art. Plus a lovely park beside the river and many pubs and cafes. I had an excellent weekend and saw a lot.

See more on the official tourist site: Visit Odense

H C Andersen centre