sweating like a phat bloke at a cup final

They only went and bloody won it.

Hoa Phat Hanoi, the object of my affections, relegation dodgers and, for the most part, just a little crap…well, guess what? They won the cup.

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

We’d blagged a lift with the supporters’ bus down to Ninh Binh to watch the game which started at three. By five, we were looking at each other incredulously. The Phat had won the cup.

Only three weeks earlier we had walked away dejected after an end of season hammering and the prospect of no games till January.

Suffering, as ever from a lack of information, we’d thought that was it. Then out the blue we heard they were in the semi final. Then, in that game, somehow they pulled back a two goal deficit against Danang.

Then we were in the cup final. Albeit against the league leaders and last year’s league and cup double winners. Surely we had no chance.

But we only went and bloody won it.

Cup final day was magical. As ever nothing was straightforward. The trip to Ninh Binh should take an hour and a half but, for varying reasons, our day was elongated to a 10am start and a 10pm finish.

On the way we had tried to guess what the crowd would be. We reckoned that Hoa Phat were taking 400 fans, the southern-based opposition would probably bring less. Including locals, maybe a couple of thousand would be there all told.

And then we got there. Awesome. I’ve yet to see official figures but I reckon there was 40,000. Just beautiful. What an occasion. The only downside being we were given a south facing, uncovered terrace on what must have been the hottest day of the year.

I hadn’t thought to bring either hat or sun cream. I had genuine concerns of being hospitalised by the heat with my pasty skin taking a hammering. In the end I wrapped myself, in every sense, in a Hoa Phat flag.

But that sun was hellish. Horrifically dehydrated I sweated buckets. It ran down my legs, it stung my eyes, it soaked the flag. With the Vietnamese blokes beside me literally moaning in the heat, what chance did a lardy white boy like me have?

But maybe, on the pitch, the heat levelled it. Because while our all conquering opponents wilted, the mighty Phat rose to the occasion. Pulling back a one goal deficit before hammering the winner with 15 minutes to go.

And as the sun started to mercifully cool and as the final whistle approached the Phat fans started to find their voice and the drums sounded, the trumpets blew and we sang our way to victory.

We saw the cup presented and we got back on the bus and thought we were headed for home. Of course we weren’t. We were going for food and rice wine. The whole supporters club were guests of the Hoa Phat directors.

And we ate, we sang, we danced and we toasted. The drums were set up and the trumpeters played in between rice wine shots.

Man, I love this country.

Then, incredibly, I was invited to say a few words. I kept it brief and talked through a translator. It was so short that I can remember every word of it. This is how it went.

Since I was a very small child back in England I have watched my football team, Newcastle United (translated).

I am now 35 and in all that time I have never seen us win a trophy (translated)

I have been watching Hoa Phat Hanoi for one season and I am very lucky (translated)

Because after such a short time I have already seen them win the cup (translated and general uproar)

Thank you Hoa Phat. And thank you everybody for a fantastic day (translated and more general uproar).

But there you go. That word again “lucky”. There is something about this place. Ever since I came here I have been the luckiest guy in the world. In the grand scheme of things, watching my home club fail to win anything and my adopted club win it at the first attempt – well it doesn’t seem like much.

But it somehow feels like a sign. Like me, Hanoi, KOTO, Hoa Phat etc, like it was all meant to be.

Life’s good. It’s all good. I love Vietnam. Love the Phat too.

* The rest of the pics are here.  Celebration movie here and taking home the cup here.

Comments

[girl]

I am not a football fan, but I really enjoyed the passion for the game over there. Glad your team won - it does sound like a magical day indeed.

[omih]

It was very special. Yet another day when I found myself realising that I would never forget it.

We were treated to well and were looked after it was fantastic.

I'd love to see Vietnamese football really take off - for the most part their passion only extends to supporting big European clubs.

[girl]

True. It was actually my first introduction to European football when I was there. (I am Australian, so this is more a reflection of me rather than the general interest in my country. But I guess I got caught up in the passion that could be found in the most unlikely nooks and cranny's over there!)