Getting Parked Up Must Be Different In Germany

Italy U19 2 v Serbia U19 0

UEFA Under 19 Championship 2026, Group B

Monday 29 June 2026

Played at The Oval, Caernarfon

Ground Tick #553

Croatia U19 1 v Ukraine U19 3

UEFA Under 19 Championship 2026, Group B

Monday 29 June 2026

Played at Bangor City Stadium

Ground Tick #554

There was Beer. I had to buy the German U19s Centre Forward’s Dad a drink. Madri was basically all they had. Don't Read.

Let's deal with that first. The two grounds in this two tick double header are just fifteen minutes drive apart. It's a UEFA Tournament, so they fucking claim all the car parking space for the suits. On street parking agin the Caernarfon Oval was in short supply. Fearing the same at Bangor, we Whacky Raced straight there on the Caernarfon whistle.

Sure enough, some poor Welsh Guy had been given a UEFA Hi Viz for the day. And been instructed to answer - NO - to any sensible logistical question. Eventually, we were directed to park in the nearby Bangor University staff car park. That was dominated by signs saying Permit Holders Only. People were parking up and asking each other - do we think it's OK to park here? In that English/Welsh Collective Responsibility way.

I joined in, I'm not a fucking savage.

But it turns out my parking query was directed at Jürgen Stange. We subsequently uncover that Jürgen is the father of Otto Stange. Germany and Otto are not playing today, but he'd scored two the day before in a 4-3 win against Denmark U19.

With no Germany U19 game today, Jürgen was taking in the sights and sounds of the other teams and grounds.

Nice bloke. But I'm going to say - he knows fuck all about parking up in Wales.

Firstly, during the initial exchange, no concept of - Permit Holders Only.

Following a brief discussion re the Carrier Bag Firm plans, Jürgen felt his dodgy knee wouldn't survive the schlep to the pub. So he offered us a lift there!!!

We explained that he'd lose his parking space here, at the ground, and he wouldn't be able to park when he drove back.

Safe to say he didn't give a fuck about that.

At the Pub, Jürgen had no concept of - pay on the App, or enter your registration details at the bar. The CBF helped him out.

And, finally, despite several assertive warnings from me, after the Madri, having driven us back to the small and full “Permits Only” car park. Jürgen proved he had no concept of - Park in the Marked Bays Only!!!

What a Guy…

Basically, that is how I ended up drinking a Madri.

While we're at it. If you ever find yourself in the Caernarfon area, and there's a pub quiz, and you find yourself thinking - that's a pretty obscure question.

The answer is - Matti Liberali then of AC Milan.

When Italy U19 were awarded a penalty in the 11th minute, the guy behind me in the Wyn Davies Stand was insistent his two young kids paid attention.

“Write down the name of the penalty taker. When you're grown up, it'll be a pub quiz answer - who scored the first goal at the rebuilt Caernarfon Oval?”

It is via this method that I found out Caernarfon Town played 2025/26 at a ground share in Llandudno while The Oval was being rebuilt. Partly with UEFA money I heard, in preparation for this tournament. And today was the first game in the revamped stadium.

This is basically the U19 EUROs. These are held annually. And every two years, including this year, they also act as qualifiers for the FIFA U20 World Cup. Just eight teams out here in North Wales. And England are not one of them. Failing to qualify for the EUROs, and hence also failing to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

I'd been planning a full on holiday to North Wales, microbreweries, beer guide pubs, coastal walks, the fucking lot. But, not for the first time, an England team failing to qualify nixed all that.

My mood not helped by the fact there was a luxury lodge holiday park behind the open end at Bangor City. Would have been a good place to stay.

Despite the early “Pub Quiz Penalty” by Italy, I thought Serbia gave it a real good go. They'll be disappointed not to have scored. Well organised and physical.

Maybes overall, Italy deserved that win. But they had to dig deep for it. Inter Milan’s Jamal Iddrissou easing it a bit with a goal on 76 minutes.

In the second game, Ukraine came out worthy winners. Despite going a goal down to an Ivan Barić penalty. An equaliser from Dmytro Bohdanov just a couple of minutes later brought it level. Nikita Kaliuzhnyi put Ukraine ahead on 48. And then the CBF had a superb, right behind, view of Pavlo Liusin’s strike from distance to push it to 3-1 on 57.

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