We all follow the Red & White! We all follow the GFA!
As the unrelenting afternoon sun initiated its graceful descent over the impenetrable fortress city of the Rock of Gibraltar, the recently accepted 54th member of UEFA took the field at Victoria Stadium amidst a sea of cheers and adoration from the 3000 strong home crowd. It was as if one universal smile extended itself across the main stand, harbouring eager anticipation and, regardless of the result, the fans were ready to express their irrepressible support for a country which has suffered extreme sporting, political strife in its road to its inauguration into UEFA.
The perfectly uniformed
blades of artificial grass, glistening under the Mediterranean sun
would be the battleground for this encounter and, although
technically a friendly, there is always an electrifying atmosphere
emanating from this historical ground, which has held its fair share
of glamour ties, such as against a certain Real Madrid in 1949.
It is regrettable that we could not witness the likes of Liam Walker, who impressed for
Portsmouth last season, as well as other 1st team members who were injured or otherwise indisposed for this fixture. The GFA can be proud of recent performances toppling Portsmouth FC and Notts County along the way, instilling a winning mentality throughout the squad and the fans. The friendly against Pompy actually prompted their subsequent interest in the technically gifted Walker and there is hope that these “Friendlies in the Sun” will provide a platform for young Gibraltarians to earn themselves a contract in the much coveted English Leagues.
Amongst the Red and White crowd, the multi-lingual banter is always a joy to witness, giving well known British chants a Latin flair whilst also displaying an impressive knowledge of the English game as one particularly enthusiastic Gibraltarian fan chanted “Eeeaaaagles!!! “ directly at the bemused Addicks players, mocking their rivalry with Crystal Palace.
It is regrettable that we could not witness the likes of Liam Walker, who impressed for
Portsmouth last season, as well as other 1st team members who were injured or otherwise indisposed for this fixture. The GFA can be proud of recent performances toppling Portsmouth FC and Notts County along the way, instilling a winning mentality throughout the squad and the fans. The friendly against Pompy actually prompted their subsequent interest in the technically gifted Walker and there is hope that these “Friendlies in the Sun” will provide a platform for young Gibraltarians to earn themselves a contract in the much coveted English Leagues.
Amongst the Red and White crowd, the multi-lingual banter is always a joy to witness, giving well known British chants a Latin flair whilst also displaying an impressive knowledge of the English game as one particularly enthusiastic Gibraltarian fan chanted “Eeeaaaagles!!! “ directly at the bemused Addicks players, mocking their rivalry with Crystal Palace.
The game itself was
more of a tight affair with “oooos” and “aaaahhss” synonymous
with every guilt edged chance and there was no sign of deflation in
the fans’ support when Callum Harriot opened the scoring after just
two minutes, with the crowd applauding the good play leading up to
the goal. Although dominating much of the play in the first half,
the GFA 11 did well to prevail against what must be considered on the
day as much fitter opposition and it was in the second half where we
got to see the true meaning of “The 12th Man”.
Despite being 0-1 down,
the roar of the “llanitos” as the players emerged from their half
time team talk with First Team Coach, Allen Bulla, galvanised and
propelled the GFA to not disappoint their fans and fight for every
scrap. Just like that the GFA midfield transformed and closed down
play more effectively as the depleted squad moulded together to unite
against formidable opponents.
It was not long before
the famous “Mexican Wave” was doing its rounds, encouraging full
participation as always, with the odd few who did not join in
receiving playful scorns. A free kick late on, as hearts in mouths
took hold, was threatening to put a damper on Charlton’s day out in
the sun…The crowd could sense it, this could be the chance to
equalise and even turn this into a win. The tension was obvious and
grew into a crescendo as the free kick was being struck, with a
mixture of confused cheers, gasps and groans filling the air as the
ball was poked agonisingly just wide. The relief in the Addicks bench
was evident, inviting a cheeky smile from the one-time capper for
England, Chris Powell, who is currently in the hot seat for them.
Charlton were perhaps somewhat overly flattered as they sealed the
victory with two minutes remaining against a now tiring Gibraltar 11,
scoring another goal.
Chris Powell |
There are many
positives for The Gibraltar Football Association to take from this
fixture, the numerous youngsters performed admirably against
professionals and should take heart from their spirited performance.
There are now talks of a new 10,000 all seater stadium, which is set
to be constructed on the most southern point in Europe overlooking
the Straits of Gibraltar, promise of new investment and opportunity,
the GFA is likely to have a bright future.
There
is no doubt that the whole country is behind the GFA in any fixture
they may encounter, for many this is more than football and likely
seen more as an expression of Self Determination, a chance to signal
to the world that Gibraltarians are an independent people, so much so
that a popular local band (Area 52) released a new song dedicated to
the GFA.
To listen to the
extremely catchy Gibraltar National Football Team Song click here
They may not catch the
eye too much against top international competition, although the
opportunities presented to future generations may very well conjure
up a decent squad capable of possibly pulling off a shock result.
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