International FC Union Berlin supporters - Berlin derby weekend

The score last time at the Olympiastadion

Union in Englisch

Firstly, the name is not serious. Thanks for the correspondence and feedback though. My favourite was that it should be 'English' not 'Englisch.' At present we have a facebook page and Twitter account. We're meeting before the next Union game to discuss website content and to start building the site. We're especially interested in articles on your visits to Union, why Union and of course any pictures. Post them on our page, drop us an e-mail (unioninenglisch@gmail.com) or send us a tweet to @unioninenglisch - it's always great to hear from people.

Stickers available on the day - limited edition

What is the point?

Someone asked me this the other day. I told them to jump. There is no point. You live. You die. Sorry, why have a fan club with information in English - everyone should speak enough German to sort out tickets or they should not bother attending. That's an interesting view but not a view we subscribe to. Firstly, we're made up of a bunch of people from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. English is our common language. We all speak German to varying degrees of success. We all love speaking to the locals and learning about the history of Union. If we can then pass on what we learn to the English speaking world we see that as a good thing. No Dice Magazine has been a big success story recently. An English language magazine all about Berlin football. People told them they were mad. They proved the critics wrong. It's been a huge success.

The Launch

On Sunday at 17:00 we'll be launching the concept of an English speaking supporters group of Eisern Union. Details here about the exhibition. Union is about more than football. It's about community and it's also about the theatre (there is an Union play) and about art. The Eiserne Botschafter (Union Ambassadors) have kindly partnered with us to host our launch event. A massive coup and we're delighted as they have a Union Berlin modern museum which will open as well. It has numerous Union artefacts and is worth a visit in its own right.

The exhibition will feature 32 photographs dating back to 2006. We can exclusively reveal that the prints (300mm by 450mm - pretty big!) will be available to order on the night. They will be €10 each or 2 for €15 (excluding postage and packing). This is simply to cover the costs of the exhibition. Hopefully we'll have some cash in the kitty to fund the website too! If you live abroad (or in Berlin) we'll of course post them out to you in special tubes to protect the prints.

After the exhibition we will be going to an Union pub nearby. An experience in itself. Check out the event page above for details.

What else can I do over the weekend in Berlin?

Clearly there are a lot of international Union supporters in Berlin for the derby on Monday. If you're anything like us you'll be spending the weekend taking in a mixture of culture, football, average food and drinking. To help you with all of these things just read on.

Regular contributor Felix has put together a good list of games that are on over the weekend. Click here to read it. My personal recommendation is the Tennis Borussia game on the Friday night. A gem of a stadium and great club. If you want to see Union place twice during your stay, then it's Union Berlin II vs. Red Bull Leipzig (Regionalliga) at the Jahnsportpark for you!  Handy if you want to brave the elements and take in the legendary Mauerpark flea market prior to the game. For a traditional German breakfast I strongly recommend Entweder Oder which is also nearby. 

Derby Day

As well as our launch event we'll be meeting for a few pre-match drinks on Monday afternoon. Whether you are an Unioner or a Hertha fan, we'd love to see you for a beer. This is a friendly city derby and we're keen to enter in to the spirit of things. We're hopeful the UK Hertha fans will join us as well!

We've decided to travel to the game from Friedrichstraße via the S-Bahn. We needed a pub in close proximity and have opted for an Irish boozer - Oscar Wilde. It serves food, alcohol and is an ideal central meeting point. The plan is to be in there from around 15:00 and depart just before 18:00. If you can't find us then ask at the bar or look for 10 Swedish lads!

Eisern!!! 

Looking forward with Union Berlin

2012

I've taken a look back and reviewed Union Berlin's campaign so far for Bundesliga Football. On a personal note, I've learnt a significant amount this year. Glühwein is deceptively strong, German is a tremendous language to learn when you put the hours in and there is more to life than purely football at Union - much more. You can scoff at that last notion and are perhaps thinking, 'of course there is'. Let me explain. When I first went to Union in 2010 I encountered a passionate fan base and a cracking 'local side'. As I have slowly learnt more about 'Eisern' I've discovered theatre productions, carol singing and some of the friendliest people I've had the privilege to meet in Berlin. They speak German to me as well. 1.FC Union Berlin are an association in the true sense of the word. A genuine community club but equally, people such as me, are accepted. I can assure you that does not happen everywhere in Berlin.

Superb Stuff

However, lets move on. I want to have a look forward now. It's New Years Day after all!  What does the future, or the next 5 months, hold for Union?

The Stadium

Before considering matters on the pitch, it is only right to applaud the Berliners for a magnificent job in building the new stand. Boasting over 3,600 seats, the grandstand, weather permitting, will be open for the first home game after the winter break. It will be 'Friday Night Lights' at 6pm against SV Sandhausen. The special heated seats may not be installed by then but the majority of the standard seats will hopefully be ready for this fixture. Perhaps Union should have been awarded the contract to build the new airport?! (so far over a year behind schedule).

On The Pitch

There are 15 games remaining. 7 of these are at home and 8 away. 

The majority of the away games are against sides in the top half. 2 of the 8 matches are against sides in the bottom half, although that includes Köln, in 10th place, who sit a mere point behind the Berliners. Union have only won twice in the league on the road so far this season and although they have managed to score 3 goals on three occasions it is worth pointing out that these games earned the Berliners a measly 2 points. Strangely the influential Torsten Mattuschka has only featured in one of these three games. Union do not travel particularly well.

In light of the above and if football were played on paper, the 7 home games, will be crucial in deciding Union's fate this year. Will they be battling for third, or set for another very respectable, mid-table finish. Union are a small club, run on a small budget and aiming to establish themselves as a solid Bundesliga 2. side. Arguably they pretty much achieved this status. However, if you are not moving forward you're probably going backwards as it's pretty difficult to stand still in football. 

As Union found out in August and September, momentum is key. Therefore, I'd argue the home games against Sandhausen (2nd bottom), Ingolstadt (9th) and Erzebirge (11th) will decide Union's final position in the table come May 2013. If they are to contend 3rd place, whilst a pipe dream for most it is certainly not an unrealistic ambition, they'll require maximum points. Anything less than 7 points from these games will mean Union must significantly improve their away form - in particular their defending away from the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

The stand out fixture after the 'winterpause' is clearly the Berlin derby - the stadtmeisterschaft. Can Union avenge the 2-1 reverse they suffered in September? Hertha are clear favourites. They are at home and riding high in 2nd place in the Bundesliga 2. Union have previous though. One down at half-time they fought back and claimed a famous victory in 2011. After having watched Hertha labour for 85 minutes against St.Pauli at the Olympiastadion, I certainly won't be heading to the Berlin derby with any fear and nor I'd guess are Neuhaus and his men. The team who win this fixture will have those key ingredients that make football so difficult to predict - momentum and players with confidence. See the league leaders Braunschweig for evidence. They got off to a cracking start and have not looked back. That dodgy penalty at Union served them well!

Can Union gain promotion? Well, they are currently looking to strengthen the squad with another attack-minded player. Creativity has been a struggle at home for Union. Many teams come to sit back and hit Union on the break. This is arguably when the Berliners struggle most. Some additional creativity may be just what they need as well as an increase in 'defending from the front' when away from home.  I think Union will do well to finish 7th again. They have a good team spirit, fanatical home support and a stadium that hits a superb balance, in terms of being modern, whilst also accommodating the masses who prefer to stand.

I'll predict a 6th place finish because I'm a born optimist. Whatever the outcome, it will be an exciting year as an Unioner. Hopefully the Försterei will be become even more intimidating for the opposition and we'll roar Union on to a play-off spot. We can but dream, for what is life without dreams?

Enjoy 2013 and feel free to make your prediction of where Union Berlin will finish in the league by using the comments section below.

Happy New Year / Guten Rutsch to you all!

For information on the 'Union in Englisch' fan club please take a look at this blog post. Stickers are now on sale!

Hertha BSC v 1. FC Union Berlin - 20:15 Monday 11th February 2013

Updated 23rd November 2012 at 5:30pm with KO date and time

Due to the amount of correspondence I receive about the Berlin derby I decided I'd try and cover some of the main points about tickets for this fixture in a blog piece.


Image courtesy of Offside.com

I want sit/stand in the away end

Unless you're a member or have a season ticket at Union this is going to be difficult. Even with a membership card you only have until Wednesday 14th November at 8pm to travel to the ticket office and you are only eligible for one ticket per person. If you are a member who lives outside Berlin you can e-mail the club. Membership is €80 per season. Details here. You get a free scarf and a few other bits and bobs - chiefly, priority for away games.

Some people on Union forums have decried the fact that the club have not moved with the times and used the internet. Perhaps I am bias but there was something about having the morning off work and standing in the cold for 4 hours. I'm not sure what that something is. The sense of achievement? If you have membership and authorise someone to use the membership card on your behalf then they can buy you a ticket. "Vollmacht" is the German word for this. There was quite a bit of this going on.


Edit: Union have sold their full allocation. Ausverkauft is the German word for this.



When is the fixture?

Sky TV have not chosen their matches for the second half of the season yet. A farcical situation of buying a ticket for a match that could be on one of 4 days across the 2nd weekend in February. Not much help for international fans flying to Berlin for the game I know - unless you fancy coming Friday until Tuesday of course.

Can you buy tickets in the Hertha end yet?

Yes you can. These have been on sale for a while now. The game sold out in 2011 so I see no reason why it won't sell out again. (Edit - less than 5,000 tickets left according to Hertha site)

The official site is here. Block K.1 or Blocks 12 - 14.2 would be a good shout if you're looking to be near the Union faithful. (Edit - no tickets now available near Union fans.)

Is it a poisonous atmosphere like at other derby matches?

Certainly not. A heavy police presence, an alcohol ban in the stadium and away fans herded into the ground like cattle - yes. Bad atmosphere - no. Such points are always subjective of course but I can only go on my own experience. I called Hertha a few days before the game, and was lucky enough to get a ticket for the 2011 derby, as some players had returned their allocation. I was in the expensive seats and a few Union fans jumped up when we scored. Some even wore colours. I would not recommend this but I hope you take my point. This is not Newcastle v Sunderland or Celtic v Rangers. I've not been to a Merseyside derby but it's probably closer to that end of the spectrum than the Manchester derby. As ever, take care.

Traveling with the Union fans to the game

I was fortunate to do this in 2011. The U2 line runs from Alexanderplatz to the Olympiastadion and the journey is very lively. Well worth doing.

Pre-match drinking

Keep an eye on the blog and I'll be covering where and when to have a pre and post-match drink.

Accommodation

Numerous friends have stayed here and been very impressed. A hotel style hostel. Read a few of the reviews.

Where can I party that weekend?

Check out this website from Mogli Oak. They have their finger on the pulse of what is happening each weekend.

I love Berlin and want to move to Berlin!

Do it. For more about Berlin life check out Überlin website, Slow Travel Berlin website and this guide to moving to Berlin which is also hosted by the team behind Überlin. You can ask them anything!

UNVEU


Picture courtesy of Groundhopping etc

Videos from the famous 1-2 win in 2011






Videos courtesy of Groundhopping etc

Englische Woche - Union v Energie Cottbus

The term 'Englische Woche' had bamboozled the small crowd of Auslanders (foreigners) that had gathered to watch Union's third game in 9 days. We should have guessed. The term 'Englische Woche' came about in Germany to describe a week where 3 games are played - a happening synonymous with the English game that harks back to a time when games were scheduled this way to accommodate the cricket season.

The Köln game on a Friday night had kicked off the 'trilogy' with Union coming from behind to win 2-1. It was a very English affair. Not pretty but both teams were scrapping for the points. The fans carried Union over the finish line.

The Wednesday saw Union face FC Erzgebirge Aue who were, at that stage, second bottom and on the same points as Union - five. Union took the lead after 7 minutes through Terodde. Last term the fixture had finished 1-1 and with Union's defence looking frail and devoid of confidence on more than one occasion, it was no surprise that Erzgebirge leveled 7 minutes from time. All very symmetrical. However, whilst a point was not ideal it meant that Union went in to their home game against local rivals Cottbus undefeated during Englische Woche.

My first Union away game was against Cottbus. On the trip to that game a group of youngsters had informed me that Cottbus fans were, and I paraphrase and translate, 'a bunch of farmers from the middle of nowhere.' On arrival in Cottbus on a Sunday morning it was hard to disagree. Whilst there were a few more police around than usual at Ostkreuz Station there was no hint of trouble. Judging by my visit to Cottbus the away fans had probably been shepherded in to the ground en masse.

One of the reasons for writing a blog and following Union was to widen my circle of acquaintances. The four of us who managed to meet up at Ostkreuz were a 50/50 split of Americans and Brits. Matt, who I met at the Köln game, has promised (slightly under the influence) to write a blog piece in the coming months. He knows the offside rule and likes a beer - it will be good material I'm sure.




The game was a sell out for the fourth consecutive home game in a row. The 16,750 capacity crowd were in good voice and the Union home end looked awesome decked out in red and white. The Energie contingent had brought along some very strange reflective boards in gold and red. They looked almost mystical when held aloft.



Nemec started up front with Terodde as Neuhaus opted to go 4-4-2 - this has to be Union's best formation at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. It was just after the half hour mark when Terodde scored after Mattuschka had salvaged a short-corner gone awry. Much to the amusement of our group as Rob had just stated, "we never score from short corners." The corner routine did not work but the ball fell kindly to Mattuschka who scooped in a cross and Terodde was quickest to act and headed home, via a ricochet from the keeper, for his 2nd goal in as many games. (Click here to see Terodde score the quickest hat-trick I have ever seen in under 3 minutes - albeit in a friendly.)



Union came out for the second half and looked a touch off the pace. They were punished by a well taken goal from Adlung. The ball broke to the Energie player just inside the box and he placed the ball in the top right. Haas, the Union keeper, had no chance. As luck would have it, Rob had just uttered that Energie looked poor! The Energie euphoria was short lived however as Union hit back within five minutes. Terodde slid a neat ball through to Quiring. The Union right winger is full of running and it was his pace that led to the Union goal in the first half, when he won a corner. The goal was just reward for an energetic display. 2-1 Union.

There are times during a season when you just know you're going to win. This was one of those days. Or had the half-time pint just kicked in? On 70 minutes Union conceded a penalty and were down to 10 men. A huge turning point in a physical encounter. However, the touch was minimal and whilst the referee had no option but to point to the spot, the sending off of Schönheim was harsh, as there appeared to be a Union defender alongside him.

It would be easy to say that Energie squandered the goal scoring opportunity that had been gifted but that does a disservice to Haas. He guessed left and was half way across the goal by the time the Energie striker shot. He palmed the ball away with a strong left arm and Union were able to welly the ball out for a corner. Mattuschka was like a man possessed and raced over to congratulate his team mate and clearly realised the significance of the save. It was match winning.



The drama continued as Adlung was sent off to even things up a bit. It must have been for something he said to the linesman. We didn't care. The game opened up with Cottbus throwing everything forward. In the closing stages their keeper was in the Union box on more than one occasion. In injury time Union sealed the points with a goal on the counter-attack. Union had a man over although due to a neat shimmy by Jopek he was not required, and the midfielder drove the ball home to make it 3-1.

7 points from 9 in Englishce Woche. St Pauli next up in the Friday night game on October 5th. Union are on the up!

Massive thanks to Groundhopping etc. for the photos. They are brilliant and really capture the key moments and bring the blog to life.

The Berlin Derby - Union v Hertha

I was stuck on an aeroplane so missed the biggest game of the season. Luckily my partner in crime was there and has kindly written an excellent blog - thanks Rob, pints on me next time!

If you ask me, football fans are far too keen to panic. Whether it be a fumbling goalkeeper or a misfiring striker resulting in a poor run of form, the default setting is to panic. It may be true when looking at Union’s points tally (1 from 12) to reach for the panic button, but Monday night was about much more than simply getting three points and climbing up the table

The “Stadtmeisterschaft” really means something. I’ve never lived in a city where two teams dominate the footballing landscape. For the uninitiated, Union in the east, the other lot in the west. As an east Berliner I’ve loved going to see Union over the years, but this was going to be my first derby experience.

One of the first and most interesting things I saw was the presence of a few Hertha fans getting a pre-match beer and sausage at an ostensibly Union meet-up point. There was no trouble, no lingering mendacity, just a couple of blokes in the wrong shirt enjoying their wurstchen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there could (or maybe even was) some trouble between rivalling ultras, but from my limited derby experience I can’t imagine that this image is replicated at similar matches.

Just under an hour to kick off and the main stand is RAMMED. I emphasise this because usually you can rock up say half an hour before kick-off and still wiggle into a fairly decent spot on or around the half way line. Instead the Unioner were there in force, flags, scarves and voices at the ready. When the Hertha players came out to warm up, the whistling was deafening. Like I said, this game really means something.



After an inspiring display of choreography from the Union Ultras, the game was finally underway and for the first quarter of an hour or so, things were looking good for Union. I’m not entirely sure if they had a detailed, tactical plan, but the high-tempo up and at ‘em approach seemed to be working. I’ve maintained that Union are one decent striker away from being a consistent top 6 finisher in Liga 2, and the inability to take (or even create) clear cut chances continues to be a problem.



Once Union had huffed and puffed for a bit, Hertha started to settle in to the game and after a slick passing move, Wagner stuck away the first goal after half an hour. The first half rather fizzled out after that, but after two minutes of the second half Union had their first clear cut chance – a header at the back post which Nemec headed wide. A chance none the less, and this gave us some hope that more was to come. Which it did.

Although not before some Unioner with whom we were standing marked us out as a couple of foreigners and asked us how we ended up at the game. In our Denglish we told them our stories and in no time at all they were educating us about Leipzig’s Liga 4 team. Unlike much of Berlin, where an English accent is an invitation to holding a conversation in English with a German in possession of an American twang, Unioner are always more than welcome to put up with a litany of grammatical mistakes.

After 69 minutes a cross found its way to the diminutive Quiring at the back post who forced the ball in with a crouching diving header. And the crowd went nuts, I mean really nuts. We were jumping and hugging our new mates from Leipzig and I can honestly say it was one of my most euphoric moments watching Union. With twenty minutes to go it was honours even and with the momentum of the goal, Union were looking good to at least make sure it was honours even.



Hope is a funny emotion; I suppose the antithesis to panic in many ways. Whilst panic induces blind pessimism, hope allows a form of unfounded optimism to wash over the soul and increases expectancy to the point where you truly believe that anything is possible. Well, for at least three minutes last night I had hope, and then after conceding a free kick following a nothing foul, Ronny drilled a low, left foot shot from around 22 yards that squirmed under keeper Haas.

And that was that really, the game ran away from Union, and despite the introduction of Silvio, we were unable to convert pressure and desire into chances or even shots on goal.

Still, come full time the Union fans were in full voice. We believe in our club and players and despite the result remain dedicated to the cause

Eisern Union!

The Closed Season: SAFC v NUFC London Branch Pool

I may be an FC Union Berlin Man but when it comes to the closed season my friends, I'll watch absolutely anything. In fact, not only will I watch any sport, I will follow a pool match between a bunch of predominantly overweight north easterners and live tweet the whole occasion in real time.

The Match

@SAFCofficial @ALS_Fanzine Follow me to find out how London Branch pool team get along against Mags tonight at Kings Cross Pool Hall.#title

Team sheet for SAFC London Branch Pool v NUFC London Branch. An exclusive. @SAFCofficial @ALS_Fanzine

Rumours are reaching me that the NUFC team features Terry McDermott's brother. #calmdown #calmdown

@mintonthego has voiced concerns over the quality of the green at Mables. #safc #nufc #poolepic

My last minute flights costs me €400. Would not miss this match for the world. Very tense first game at the Kings Cross Venue. #safc #nufc

PS - 1 tweet tonight will be artistic license. See if you can spot it. #safc #nufc

Wow! Controversy in the first game as Doog plays "the worst shot" Matt has ever seen. Re-wracked balls after a 10 min discussion.

Doog takes 1st frame with clean finish polishing off last 4 balls and black with aplomb. 1-0 to SAFC. Gallowgate silenced. #safc #nufc

Explosive break. Cat is among the pigeo...magpies now. This game should be over at two visits if someone can be clinical. Tense evening tho.

Jan, SAFC supremo is struggling. Should have cleared up but misses routine red. Can barcodes level the match? #safc #nufc

Pre-game polishing of the SAFC sword known as "the beast". You'll have to rotate yourselves followers. #apologies

2-1 to #NUFC as Jan squanders the chance to heap pressure on the mags. Paul drags himself away from the TV to grace the table. #safc #nufc

Paul's last name is Robson. Mags whispering that he may be related. After the Terry Mc rumour that would be something. #RIPBobby #safc #nufc

Close game but wide open. My money is on the Black Cats to level. #safc #nufc games will get longer as night progresses. Late finish likely.

2-2 as #SAFC show why they were favourites coming in to the clash. #SAFC skipper Large is up next. Can he deal with the pressure?

Two singles games left. It really is hotting up here at Mables and was worth every penny. After the 6 singles games we have 3 doubles. #SAFC #NUFC

Big game that and #NUFC take an arguably undeserved lead as Large suffers from pressure of being gaffer. It's 3-2 to the Skunks #SAFC

Anaemic performance from Large. Cats are 3-2 down to Magpies #safc #nufc. On the plus side the drink is flowing. #thirstbeingquenched

@CaulkinTheTimes You are missing out on an epic pool game between SAFC and NUFC London branch. Full details on my blog tmrw. Live tweeting!

SAFC have started the stronger in last game of singles. They'll want t level it to have a strong platform for the doubles. #poorsurface

3-3 Get in! Tough game with plenty of chances. The Sunderland lads are cock-a-hoop with that and scent blood. #gameon @ALS_Fanzine

Ben Elton is in the bar. The games between these two clubs really does attract the big names. #popcorn anyone? #truestory

Cagey doubles game. The side that win this know they only need to win one of the next two. #critical #thefirstcasualty

Could be #meltdown on Twitter when people read that Ben Elton was in the infamous Kings Cross boozer watching this one. #inconceivable

Tight pockets making it difficult for Doog. The man takes a while sizing up his options. #longnightahead #tellussomejokesben

It's approaching 10:30pm and the game is in full flow. Could go either way. Ben Elton seems more interested in the pork scratchings #odd

Elton's best performance came in Much Ado About Nothing IMO. Not the case 2night tho with title at stake. #tense #safc #nufc @ALS_Fanzine

Why watch #bbcqt when you could be following my live tweeting of an epic pool encounter b/ween SAFC and NUFC? #doboth

#NUFC are in the driving seat and manage to win a scrappy game. 4-3 up and only need one game to win the match. #safc #undercosh

Jan and Minton are paired together to save the game. Minton was dropped for the singles and has a point to prove. Jan lost so does as well.

Could be a tactical masterstroke from SAFC manager Large. If it goes wrong he'll be facing the axe in the morning though. #bigcall

The tension is unbearable in Mables. Ben Elton orders a G&T and seems to be settled in fr the night. #nopopcorn #shame

WOULD. YOU. BELIEVE. IT. The wood carver from Prague and @mintonthego have won with ease. Mags hammered and it rests on the final game. 4-4.

All over. Dramatic last frame. Robson attempted the pot. Failed. Mags cleaned up. No recriminations. Pardew not there to milk it. 5-4 mags.

Always a hard game but played in the right spirit. #NUFC generous in victory. Elton appears to have enough material for his book & has left!

Great night following the match. Thanks to @mintonthego and hope you have all enjoyed it. http://unionberlinman.blogspot.de contains all tweets in 1 post

The London Pool league

When I first moved to London as a fresh faced youth, I did what anyone with only one mate in the capital would do - I searched out a way to connect with people from the area I was born and had left only a few years previous. My parents had met each other in London and had been members of what is commonly referred to as "the branch" or "the London branch" - the full title, Sunderland Supporters Association London and Southern England does not exactly roll off the tongue.

The branch was formed in the summer of 1966 by Ian Todd, who painstakingly wrote to all of the Sunderland fans in London and the Home Counties. By February of the next year, he had single handedly amassed over 50 interested members who met before Sunderland faced West Ham United at Upton Park. The London branch was born. It was the first branch to be formed and is the largest with over 1,000 members.

Prior to my moving to London, my mum, using the slightly easier method of e-mail, contacted Ian to let her know that her son would be starting a new life in the capital. Ian is clearly a stickler for keeping records (or has an astounding memory) as he replied and referenced my mum's old address. Prior to Sunderland playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge I was given a description of Ian and headed to Parsons Green to find him.

The match was a sell out and I spent the afternoon in the pub with a Norwich fan who had somehow joined the branch. We chatted all things football and after the game branch members returned to drown their sorrows. As luck would have it there was a celebration that evening as a branch member was having his stag do. I was warmly welcomed in to the fold and after numerous pints told of a quiz, cricket and pool team.

I joined the cricket and pool team. I played both sports to a level that can only be described as mediocre. However, if you can buy a round and sup a few pints - you're in! My branch cricket appearances were limited to going in at number 10 and loafing about in cow corner or deep mid-wicket. The cricket team even went on tour and to this day still have two regular trips.

I embraced the concept of a small pool league with promotion and relegation (there are two divisions) with gusto - what's not to love about drinking a few pints of a Guinness on a school night whilst fraternising with supporters of your hometown club? Originally the branch had Swiss Cottage as a home venue. The Swiss has a pool hall with numerous tables in a dimly lit back room. Sandwiches and small sausages would be brought out at the mid-session interval which occurred after 6 games of singles. The home team was in charge of organising the culinary aspect of the evening and ensuring there was enough change to operate the pool table. I once recall playing an away match (where and against whom I have no idea) and we were treated to some Indian snacks. You'd think we were eating at a Michelin starred restaurant the way we talked of these delights. The Swiss Cottage was managed by a Sunderland fan, hence the affiliation. However, when a blade came in, we were no longer welcome and became a team without a home. The Charlton Athletic of the pool league.

The fact that Sunderland has a branch so large speaks volumes about the passion people have for the club. It is the largest supporters association in London. I'll not embarrass those involved in the running of the branch but it is only due to people volunteering their precious time and organising travel to away games that allows the branch to be the success that it is.

Thursday night was a small game of pool in a Kings Cross boozer between 12 or so blokes. The live tweeting started off as a bit of a joke on an e-mail thread. However, I thought the night deserved some background and I hope that I have demonstrated another of the reasons that makes me proud to be a football fan. I met some superb people through the branch and it certainly aided with my acclimitisation to 'the Big Smoke'.

It's clearly a bit sad live tweeting a pool match but I hope I have outlined why it was more than that. I'll be looking to explore FC Union Berlin's many supporters branches throughout the season. They are dotted around Berlin and contain only a handful of people and are predominantly used to share travel costs I understand. I'm sure that whilst small in number they contain many characters to rival that of the London branch.

Follow @UnionBerlinMan