Germany 1 England 2

Match 26/08/710 - Wednesday, 19th November 2008 - International

Germany (0) 1 Helmes 63
England (1) 2 Upson 23, Terry 84
Att. 74,244

Entrance: £19
Programme: Free
Mileage: 100/3,345
New Ground: 227 (33rd abroad)

Match Report

A year ago tonight on a rain soaked Wembley night, Croatia inflicted a Euro 2008 exit and the demise of the Wally with the Brolly. English football had reached a crossroads. On one hand there was the Premiership, supposedly the best, certainly the richest league in the world and on the other was that league’s players, for some reason performing way below their club form for the national team. It was an embarrassment for the whole country and the FA in particular that the international side would not be appearing in Switzerland and Austria.

Fabio Capello was appointed on an enormous salary and the obvious comparison with the wages earned and the quarter final destinies of Sven. Were we heading down the same road and wasting our money on a foreign manager? Following Wednesday’s victory in Berlin, you will not find many England fans complaining about the size of Fabio’s salary.

It was cold and wet in Berlin on Wednesday and the wind cut through you like a knife through butter. We had been in the city since Monday and the weather had not changed. Unfortunately it was all change in the England team. Withdrawals of the star names of Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney, with the late injury to Walcott, had left the 6,000-odd England supporters that had descended on the German capital with very little hope of any repeat of that famous night in Munich seven years ago.

But whatever Mr Capello has should be bottled and sold at extortionate prices, because his team, that looked cobbled together, won with a style that deserved even more than the 2-1 scoreline. There was some wonderful performances, Shaun Wright-Phillips looked every inch the star he threatened to be before his ill-fated move to Chelsea. There was a brilliant debut for Gabby Agbonlahor and Gareth Barry made light of the absence of his more illustrious peers in the centre of midfield. The Lampard-Gerrard conundrum solved on a cold Berlin night, leave them both out! Not really, but it showed there is an alternative to the sometimes less than dynamic duo.

Sure enough, another Scott Carson howler, just as a year ago, was a downside to the evening, but the way England controlled the majority of the game was a delight. Skipper John Terry might have taken responsibility for the goal, but the reality does appear that Carson freezes in an England shirt. Mind you most of us did.

The game had began with a taunting England chorus of “5-1 and even Heskey scored” and finished with “2-1 and even Upson scored”. I personally cannot be had with the monotonous 10 German bombers let alone its lack of political correctness, but I have to admit to being amused by the arm waving of the Dambusters, I actually think the Germans take this in good humour.

The Olympic Stadium is a grand old edifice. Built for Hitler’s 1936 games and updated for the 2006 World Cup Final it retains its original façade, but has a modern feel on the inside. It has the oddity of the gap at one end where the marathon runners would have entered the stadium 72 years ago. Unfortunately this gap extends to the roof and, naturally adjacent to this was where the England support was housed. As the rain got heavier and the wind blew harder the covering provided no protection. Although we had been at the ground a couple of hours before the kick off, we left it to a half-an-hour before taking our seats as the icy wind was to much to bear.

In the surrounds of the stadium there is still the swimming pool and the Olympic rings hung between two imposing columns to be viewed from those ‘36 games. It is a fascinating mix of old and new. Downside is the running track that does make the far goal seem like a mile away with less than 20-20 vision.

Berlin itself was just as interesting. Visits to Checkpoint Charlie, the remnants of the Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, with its strange symbolism that I did not quite understand but still very moving. Absolutely fascinating museums documenting the persecution of the Jews, not just in the two World Wars, but for hundreds of years previously. What I personally like about Berlin was that it is facing up to the atrocities of its forefathers and saying this is what we did and we face up to the wrong-doing. They were sobering thoughts in amongst the joy that the simpleness of a football match can bring.

There were several Gillingham fans in evidence and the Binman’s Pride of Kent flag was flying. Baldangel now has his own hat trick to rival that of Sir Geoff Hurst. I’ve been in attendance at the 1966 World Cup Final, the 2001 Munich 5-1 and Wednesday night’s 2-1. I await my telegram from the Queen, arise Sir Baldangel!