A Tuesday Forty Years Ago
Budapest Honvéd 1 v Szombathelyi Haladás 2
Liga NB II
Monday 28 August 2023
Ground Tick #446
This is my final Blog from my little three ground ticking jaunt in Budapest. I was actually at two games in Hungary in 1983. Forty years ago. Whenever Hungary come up, I am contractually obliged to publish the above photo from one of those forty years ago games. Blows my mind. Speaks to a different age. The Iron Curtain, the Berlin Wall, were up. And would still be up for six or so years. I'm in the photo. I'm not wearing a cap.
I now need to briefly introduce Hungarian Olympic Athlete Máté Helebrandt into the story. Máté's best result was probably when he came fifth in the 50k Race Walk at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London in 2017. I was mainly in Budapest for this year's World Athletics Championships. Where Máté had competed in the 20k Race Walk. Máté was sat next to me in the stadium a few days after his event. Turns out, Máté and his family are from Nyiregyhaza, where that photo was taken. Obvs, under those circumstances, I was contractually obliged to show them the photo an' all. Blew their minds. He made me Bluetooth it to him. But, Máté's Dad was also sat along the row at the Athletics. After a Hungarian Conflab, Helebrandt Snr was adamant he'd been at the game as well - forty years ago. I have me doubts. But, a lot of the cross examined story hung together. Mad. (He said he's NOT in the photo).
The pre match drink was in the;
Lipták Grund Pub
Budapest, Puskás Ferenc u. 1-3, 1194
As we approached the Bozsik Aréna, my 446th ground tick, we had "beer desert" vibes. But, conveniently, when they rebuilt the ground, they built a pub on the complex.
Interesting dynamic in there. Lots of older, fatter Honvéd Ultras in. With the younger Kispest Troublemakers (that's the actual brand name) passing through and paying respects. Thing is, the away team Haladás Ultras were also in. Happily welcomed by the looks of things. Older Honvéd Hools making sure the younger Kispest Troublemakers were introduced and deferential.
In the ground, there was one, gi-normous, Honvéd lump queuing at the bar. Shirt off. Tatts on display. Including big artwork covering his back. And. That'd be a big swastika artwork covering his proud and exposed back. Hey Ho. I had to endure that for quite some time. There were potentially two beer ticks for me in the ground. But, the electronic tills had failed and nowt could be served. Well. I'm afraid I NEEDED those two ticks. And Nigel The Nazi needed whatever he needed. So, queue up "together" for ages we did.
I was rewarded with;
Borsodi Sörgyár, Mester on Keg at 5%
HORIZONT Brewing, Easy A, American Pale Ale from a Tin at 4.5%
That one proved "elusive" for a while. They weren't happy serving me. Not because I had a swastika tattoo. But because the tins hadn't been in the fridge very long. I tried to explain the Carrier Bag Firm mantra was;
"You Have To Drink Them All"
Not
"You Have To Drink Them Cold"
By the end of the trip, that one had contributed to pushing my Hungarian Beer Ticks up to 22. Honvéd actually scored the first goal on 64 minutes while I was debating the fucking Tin Temperatures downstairs. Haladás equalised on 78.
And, then the lot has gone from 80 onwards. The ref let a few wrestling holds on Honveders go unpunished. So, the crowd got involved. The bench got involved. Kovács Nikolasz got involved. He got involved by means of a high flying retributive challenge on one of the wrestlers. Red Card. On 89, the ref gave a penalty to Haladás.
The Honvéd bench decided the best plan was to put on who I assume is the specialist penalty saving keeper as a sub. Ludicrous. That did not go down well. As the Kispest Troublemakers in the crowd tried to live up to their name. The penalty was scored. One up with eleven has become two one down with ten and a different goalie.
At the final whistle, all players, subs, staff round the whole thing off with a mass brawl. As I said to the guy with the Nazi Tatt,
"It weren't like this in Nyiregyhaza in 83."
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