{"id":796,"date":"2013-08-26T22:31:34","date_gmt":"2013-08-26T21:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/s700014969.websitehome.co.uk\/2013\/08\/26\/mel-aldis-article-on-sassco-s-visit-to-france\/"},"modified":"2021-07-31T11:03:56","modified_gmt":"2021-07-31T10:03:56","slug":"mel-aldis-article-on-sassco-s-visit-to-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sassco.co.uk\/overseas-soccer-tours\/france-tour-2013\/mel-aldis-article-on-sassco-s-visit-to-france\/","title":{"rendered":"Mel Aldis’ article on Sassco’s visit to France."},"content":{"rendered":"
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A fantastic article by Mel Aldis, who arranged the games in France. A brilliant take on what the “other” organiser has to go through in arranging a game.<\/h3>\n

Sassco.co.uk visit the C\u00f4te d’Azur.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"TheI just happened to be browsing the AngloInfo Riviera website back in the springtime when I noticed a request for football opponents to play a group of guys that would be visiting from Sunderland in August.<\/p>\n

So I offered to play them at 5 aside with my team being made up of friends, colleagues and contacts from in and around Nice and affectionately known as AngloSports Select, My offer was accepted and initial talks with Tour Organiser Davinder Sangha led to us agreeing a game on the Saturday of their visit,as they already had a Fri night game arranged at Soccer Park Antibes. Within days Davinder advised me that Soccer Park would be closed for refurbishments when they arrive and could I sort a game for them on Friday as well.<\/p>\n

After a couple of weeks of trying to sort a local club without success (out of season) I spoke with the Beach Volleyball Guys in Nice and they agreed to host a 4 v 4 Beach Football Match, so the details were set and agreed with Davinder.<\/p>\n

Friday Beach Football at Plage Ponchettes – Nice 7.30pm
Saturday 5aside at Stade de Villefranche – Villefranche sur Mer. 10.15am.<\/p>\n

So everything sorted with 2 months to spare.(hah)<\/p>\n

Those in the know will be well aware that there is a somewhat laid back approach to all things in this area of France, so with a month to go i make a quick visit to Villefranche and Plage Ponchettes to confirm all is ok, pleasingly no problems and all is good.<\/p>\n

Regular contact with Davinder is kept as we countdown to their visit.My teams are sorted with the help of Ben Morter and some friends from Wayne’s Bar and Ma Nolans (life doesn’t just revolve around Bars!).<\/p>\n

With 3 weeks to go another visit to Villefranche and its confirmed that the Stade de Villefranche will be opened at 10am for the big Match, on the way back home I call in at the Beach Venue and the Volleyball Guys tell me it will be difficult to take down Volley and put up Football Posts for one hour of Soccer (oh shit! ).<\/p>\n

An email to Davinder, where we considera game at Urban Soccer in Villeneuve Loubet, this idea is discarded due to time restraints,as Sassco don’t land until 4.50pm on the Friday, we then agree to a Volleyball Match, something quite different forSassco.co.uk.<\/p>\n

Back down to the Beach and court booked for Volleyball – AngloSports v Sassco.co.uk.
I’ve come to learn that on the C\u00f4te d’Azur, plans and arrangements get changed regularly and sometimes without notice or correspondence , that’s just how it is, but when you have a group of guys relying on you and travelling some 1200 miles I cannot be so laid back.<\/p>\n

So after work on Thursday (the day before Sassco.co.uk arrive) I call in and see the Sports Director in Villefranche, to check all is ok for the visit of Sassco, I eventually catch up with him after waiting around while he was on a prolonged Ciggy break and give him the mandatory bottle of Red as a thankyou, he phones the President of FC Villefrancois who is to open the court for us on Sat morning, only to learn that he is on Holiday, a further call to the VP and we receive the bad news that he is on sick leave, (another oh shit!) but M.Fredolini then offers to come in on Sat morning,his day off, to unlock for us- phew- remember the Red wine! So after 2 hours in his office its back to the Bus stop to return to Nice, where 2 buses Menton-Nice fly past without stopping as the sign says -Complis, finally the third bus comes along and I hop on and return to Nice, where a final check at the Beach Court the lads there inform me that the new Beach rules says Winner Stays On, so no organised match now, crikey what a day!<\/p>\n

Can’t be bothered to walk all the way back up to Garibaldi, so it’s straight to Wayne’s Bar for a Happy Hour pint or 2 (5-8pm) and a bite to eat. A few texts to tell my local Volleyballers they are not required and a bit of David Zincke live in the Bar. Life is sweet on the French Riviera.<\/p>\n

Friday 16th August arrives and I have a day of work in Monaco, well 4 hours including a meeting at Rascasse Corner, after work I enjoy a few sunrays before heading home for a shower etc.<\/p>\n

At 5.14pm I get a text from Davinder ‘we’ve landed’, they still have to get through Passport Control and travel to hotel and book in before coming to the Beach. So it’s down to Civette de Cours, my favourite spot in Cours de Saleya(flower market) for a Pre-meet glass of Ros\u00e9 .<\/p>\n

I get over to Plage Ponchettes for 6.30pm to be ready to greet the boys from the North East of England who are expecting to arrive at the beach by 6.50pm.<\/p>\n

As I sit on the bench nearest the Volley Courts on the Promenade des Anglais I wonder how I will recognise them amongst the 1000’s of folks walking on the Prom in the early evening sunshine. I need not have worried, no need to wear a rose for ID, six guys resplendent in Red and white Volleyball kits with Sassco.co.uk emblazoned across them come marching across the beach.<\/p>\n

I hop up to greet them with handshakes , they don’t look like the sort of boys that do the “double kiss greet”, a few pleasantries are exchanged and an explanation of the format of the evenings Volleyball follows. The visitors from Sunderland then give me a Sassco Tour Shirt signed by them and a signed Black Cats programme, very much appreciated!
The boys are next up and their warm up game is to be honest slightly ‘iffy’ as they come to terms with their beach volleyball techniques, the Volleyball version of Cool Runnings springs to mind….<\/p>\n

It’s 7.30pm and the Beach and Prom is packed, is it the sunshine or the Boys in Red that have brought tourists and locals out on this beautiful Friday evening ?… A bit of both I think.<\/p>\n

The Main match against the Plage Ponchettes Boys is actually a close run thing with the scores 18-18 at one stage, with the Sassco boys receiving cheers from other locals including a Maradonna lookalike,for every point they achieve. Even in France the underdog is the people’s favourite especially after I explain to the locals in my own Suffolk\/Nicoise language that this is the first time they’ve played Beach Volleyball, the Local team of French lads eventually win the game 25-19. Handshakes all round at the end, a noted improvement over the 70 minutes and time for the boys to return to their hotel before they eat. I walk the boys through a couple of shortcuts and point them into the direction of their hotel, I then head home and have a shower before treating myself to a Steak dinner at Mori’s on Rue de France, highly recommended when in Nice, apr\u00e8s dinner I head to Ma Nolans for a nightcap, well a pint of Carlsberg. A quick email to Davinder to explain how to get to Villefranche from their hotel via Tram and Bus and ok then one more drink in Wayne’s on the way home. It’s in Wayne’s I learn that 2 of my team can’t play football in the morning due to change of shifts, (i’m sure they were going to let me know ?),so a quick email to Ben to confirm that his 5 are still coming, Ben confirms they are, so drink up and wander home.<\/p>\n

Saturday morning up early and pack the Yellow and Black kit in the bag, get the Mitre matchball out of the cupboard,it needs some air in so I pump it up (yes I have a pump and adaptor in my room , I’m English), time for a quick shower before some brekkie and the short walk to Bus Stop Seguane for the 10 minute journey to Villefranche.\u00a0 After showering and deoderanting, it’s gonna be hot and sweaty today, I notice the Ball has lost some air, so I pump it up again only\u00a0 for it to be semi flat within minutes, I now have one of those ‘oh shit’ moments, I have to leave in 40 minutes and no matchball.<\/p>\n

A pitch – 2 teams and no ball will be slightly embarrassing!<\/p>\n

I decide to run from Garibaldi to Place Massena, there is a Sports Shop under the arches there, so a quick run down the Tram Line to the shop, yes you’ve guessed it, shop opens at 9.30am, (I’m catching Bus at 9.30), so it’s another run, well a jog by now,to Nice Etoile, the big Mall up Ave Jean Medecin, I arrive out of breath to see the sign on the door Samedi overt a 10hrs, yer open at 10 on a Sat, it’s a massive ‘oh shit!! ‘ now….. Mmmm what to do?. Wait for the shops to open and be late or be on time with no ball ?\u00a0 I take a very slow jog along the Pedestrian area to see if the Sports Shop along Rue Massena is open, wishful thinking I know, I’m sure it closed down a couple of years ago,……..I’m right no sports shop there.<\/p>\n

Right then my last chance, hit the Promenade and see if one of the local kids will sell me their ball, then as I jog past a Gift shop along Rue Halevy I amazingly see a Sondico matchball hanging up outside amongst the sunglasses and flip-flops, I take a second look and yes it’s a decent ball, well good enough to play with, I ask the lady how much and she says 10 euros…Bargain!.\u00a0\u00a0 I now have to sprint back home to get the Kit, well sprint as a 50+ man does, I arrive at the Bus stop as the Bus arrives, my next worry, will I get on this Bus? there are a lot of folks waiting for this Bus, after about 10 minutes I’m on the Bus and moving in the direction of Villefranche, I have to stand but who cares ?, the journey as always makes me realise why I love this area, the scenery from the bus is awesome, the American Tourist informs me that it’s 33c outside, just right for some 5 aside football. I arrive at bus stop Octroi in Villefranche, the Football ground is just 60m away, I’m here and it’s only 9.50am, then my next worry kicks in, will Mr Fredolini remember to open the gates to the pitch, he said 10am, but we all know about South of France timekeeping don’t we ?, well to my relief at 9.59am Mr Fredolini comes puttering up the path on his scooter, yes!\u00a0 Now all I need is the teams, within a minute Sassco.co.uk arrive, where are my Team?, then I spot Mike Steve and Remi arriving, closely followed by Ben, just Korma to come then, if not I’m playing, 2 minutes later Korma appears, he has travelled from Cannes to Villefranche by train for the game, that’s dedication.<\/p>\n

A few intros and handshakes and we are ready to play, Ben and Mike both brought decent match balls so my early morning ball search, run and stress was all for nothing as my new Sondico gets relegated to 3rd choice.
I bring the skippers together and Ben presents the\u00a0 Sassco.co.uk captain with a much sought after AngloSports Polo Shirt (only 12 manufactured) signed by our team and of course the Referee.<\/p>\n

From the ko it’s straight away evident that Sassco are much more confident at football than volleyball, <\/p>\n

my quick analysis of their team,! – they’ve all played a bit, individually :<\/p>\n