On Tuesday I was with my wife at the

Farewell Match of the Frankfurt football player Birgit Prinz.

She has been FIFA player of the year several times and scored 128 goals for the German national team. The match was great, but until I got there…

The organisation of a wheelchair ticket directly at the German Football Association (DFB) proved to be quite difficult this time. So far I had made only very good experiences during the women’s world cup (see older blogposts).

After my first e-mail with the ticket order apparently ended up in the digital nirvana, it worked out a little better with e-mail number two.

Well, apparently you have to see it sportingly. Such an e-mail doesn’t harm, but doesn’t necessarily help either…

Now the whole event approached rapidly… 3 or 4 days!

I had not received a confirmation if I can pick up my ticket at the box office until the moment when I hit the road to the stadium.

On the matchday I also tried to find out by phone where I could possibly park my car because my e-mail inquiry wasn’t answered either.

When I drove to the stadium I was hoping that an admission ticket would be deposited at the box-office for me, and the parking thing was still not clarified. I knew about the bad parking conditions there.

At some stage I didn’t care, I picked up my wife and drove directly to the entrance of the stadium. It was quite busy there!

Although I didn’t have an admission ticket, not to mention a special parking admission, the very kind marshals actually found an adequate parking space next to the OB vehicle of the regional broadcast station on which I could transfer easily into my wheelchair. Thanks again from this side.

Why the German football association as organiser of the event didn’t create a designated handicap parking area, they probably don’t know themselves. At least 15 wheelers were in the stadium. Where did they park?

If now no ticket had been deposited at the box office, or I hadn’t been able to buy a ticket, even a weekly dosage of my medication wouldn’t have calmed me down.

I got an envelope at the box office in which not only my ticket, but also a VIP parking admission was inside. A little too late, but as a proper German of course I laid out the parking permit in the car

Then in the stadium I actually would have needed my mountainbike tyres for my wheelchair, because the main stand currently consists just out of small homeopathic pieces and some rocks.

Luckily I had a ticket for the opposite stand, which was there

It was a great farewell game and I am a little sad that Birgt Prinz is quitting her active career.

When I was back home I read an e-mail from the German football association where all my inquiries about ticket, parking… were answered.

The e-mail was sent at 16:45 h, kick off 18:00 h.

The staff member was already at the stadium at this time as she wrote, and I totally uninformed on the road!!!

What a pity that I haven’t met the lady

I could inquire at the German football association if they wouldn’t sponsor a smartphone for me so that I can be always up to date online about my ticket status.

Translator BL

Final Japan-USA 5:3

Yesterday I had to go again to the stadium, this time fortunately to the final, the whole football world cup slowly gets tiresome.

So one would fancy a little drive with the wheelchair, and once again gets a parking place directly at the stadium entrance assigned.

I had taken out again another football shirt, I thought red to be suitable, the other fans were partially dressed up as if the match was in a carnival city!

So you are looking forward to a cozy 90-minute not too stressful women’s football match, and nothing like that. My beloved SLR camera gave up the ghost already before the match, but my “Little Conan” was in a good mood.

It already started excellently. Before the match 1000 colourfully dressed, slightly confused people were running around on the field, trampling down the lawn and calling it final ceremony.

A glass ball, so what…

There was even a little bit of music…

Afterwards the match finally started!

In front of me there was an unqualified foolish clatterer with a kind of castanets shaped as black-red-golden hands. She got on my nerves with her clattering that much that I almost sacrificed half a liter of cider to extinct her confusion!!!

My “parking position“ in the stadium wasn’t too great. From there you could see too well how the Americans constantly dropped the ball.

After 90 minutes it started to get rather cold. Although the stadium roof was closed the heating was probably out of order. This permanent delay of the game by the Japanese players slowly got on my nerves. I was feeling cold, and they permanently scored an equalizing goal. Couldn’t they simply let the Americans win, then I wouldn’t have a cold now and no flat butt either. In the 120th minute the Japanese collected a red card and even got the fairplay reward of the tournament for this…

During the penalty shoot-out my mood hit rock bottom. The Americans still have to practice the 11 meter distance. They almost managed to score the ball underneath the goal.

What flight attendants are doing at the award ceremony they probably don’t know themselves, they certainly have lost their way, the airport is nearby.

When the Japanese finally held the cup in their hands they made a real mess in the stadium. They threw golden emergency blankets cut into pieces from above onto our holy Frankfurt lawn.

My ears are still buzzing from the noise of the fireworks, and because of the closed roof I haven’t even seen anything.

When I finally got outside it started raining, and afterwards I stood with the car in a traffic jam. I won’t forget the final too soon.

Oh, the effect of my medication fades away. It was a great football match yesterday!!!

Translator BL

Final Japan-USA 5:3

Yesterday I had to go again to the stadium, this time fortunately to the final, the whole football world cup slowly gets tiresome.

So one would fancy a little drive with the wheelchair, and once again gets a parking place directly at the stadium entrance assigned.

I had taken out again another football shirt, I thought red to be suitable, the other fans were partially dressed up as if the match was in a carnival city!

So you are looking forward to a cozy 90-minute not too stressful women’s football match, and nothing like that. My beloved SLR camera gave up the ghost already before the match, but my “Little Conan” was in a good mood.

It already started excellently. Before the match 1000 colourfully dressed, slightly confused people were running around on the field, trampling down the lawn and calling it final ceremony.

A glass ball, so what…

There was even a little bit of music…

Afterwards the match finally started!

In front of me there was an unqualified foolish clatterer with a kind of castanets shaped as black-red-golden hands. She got on my nerves with her clattering that much that I almost sacrificed half a liter of cider to extinct her confusion!!!

My “parking position“ in the stadium wasn’t too great. From there you could see too well how the Americans constantly dropped the ball.

After 90 minutes it started to get rather cold. Although the stadium roof was closed the heating was probably out of order. This permanent delay of the game by the Japanese players slowly got on my nerves. I was feeling cold, and they permanently scored an equalizing goal. Couldn’t they simply let the Americans win, then I wouldn’t have a cold now and no flat butt either. In the 120th minute the Japanese collected a red card and even got the fairplay reward of the tournament for this…

During the penalty shoot-out my mood hit rock bottom. The Americans still have to practice the 11 meter distance. They almost managed to score the ball underneath the goal.

What flight attendants are doing at the award ceremony they probably don’t know themselves, they certainly have lost their way, the airport is nearby.

When the Japanese finally held the cup in their hands they made a real mess in the stadium. They threw golden emergency blankets cut into pieces from above onto our holy Frankfurt lawn.

My ears are still buzzing from the noise of the fireworks, and because of the closed roof I haven’t even seen anything.

When I finally got outside it started raining, and afterwards I stood with the car in a traffic jam. I won’t forget the final too soon.

Oh, the effect of my medication fades away. It was a great football match yesterday!!!

Translator BL

Semi final: Sweden – Japan 1:3

Yesterday it was raining only once. It started in the morning at 07:45. It was raining, raining, and in between it was raining as well.

Rainy weather and wheelchair, that doesn’t fit. When you are travelling alone with an umbrella, you are always driving around in circles

The only positive thing with rain is, it doesn’t hurt!!!

Unbelievable, but God is a football fan…
Just in time before the kick-off the pouring rain stopped, and all 46000 fans arrived with dry hair at the Frankfurt stadium to the semi final Sweden vs. Japan. The Wet T-Shirt Contest would have been omitted anyway as the stadium roof was closed to be on the safe side.
Because I am supporting the playing technique of the Swedes, the visual appearance of the ladies doesn’t interest me in no way, all contradictory claims would be a lie, I went to the stadium together with my wife in the best mood.
My yellow Eintracht Frankfurt Tetra-Pack football shirt from the 90s (see older blogpost), was virtually made for this event. About the match I remain silent.

Japan has deservedly won, will I be rolling to the final against the US?

Translator BL

Semi final: Sweden – Japan 1:3

Yesterday it was raining only once. It started in the morning at 07:45. It was raining, raining, and in between it was raining as well.

Rainy weather and wheelchair, that doesn’t fit. When you are travelling alone with an umbrella, you are always driving around in circles

The only positive thing with rain is, it doesn’t hurt!!!

Unbelievable, but God is a football fan…
Just in time before the kick-off the pouring rain stopped, and all 46000 fans arrived with dry hair at the Frankfurt stadium to the semi final Sweden vs. Japan. The Wet T-Shirt Contest would have been omitted anyway as the stadium roof was closed to be on the safe side.
Because I am supporting the playing technique of the Swedes, the visual appearance of the ladies doesn’t interest me in no way, all contradictory claims would be a lie, I went to the stadium together with my wife in the best mood.
My yellow Eintracht Frankfurt Tetra-Pack football shirt from the 90s (see older blogpost), was virtually made for this event. About the match I remain silent.

Japan has deservedly won, will I be rolling to the final against the US?

Translator BL

Germany – Nigeria 1:0

I could actually get hold of one of the 100 wheelchair tickets for the stadium.

In total almost 50.000 people fit in the Frankfurt stadium. I consider the contingent of 100 wheelchair places as much too high. Thus you get the admission tickets quasi imposed so that not so many places remain vacant. Ho, ho, ho…

In the preparation I was yet surprised that I received together with the admission ticket a parking permit as well. Look at that:

I am standing with my car directly in front of the

main entrance of the stadium!!!

Ok, the actual match was, let’s call it “valuable”, didn’t have the highest standard in football terms, but the whole event was an experience.

I think I got somewhere some orange tickets lying around…

Translator BL