Luton at Bochum: Beers, Bratwurst for the boys from the Bobbers Club

Words: Jan Willem Spaans

Images: Han Balk

Germany away for Luton Town on a grey, gloomy Saturday afternoon in the similarly coloured town of Bochum, an industrial centre in North-Rhine Westphalia.

Like so many others, Bochum struggles to take the limelight with the city sandwiched between Gelsenkirchen and Dortmund, homes to two of Germany’s biggest clubs.

Not even the travelling Luton supporters have put in much effort to change that perception, opting to spend the night before this friendly double-header in nearby Düsseldorf, the state capital with a mesmerizing nightlife.

The contigent who have made their way from Bedfordshire to Bochum may, at 1pm on a Saturday in August, be too well oiled to note the parallels between their hosts and their own city.

Luton, like Bochum, is unlikely to trouble a list of top tourist destinations anytime soon.

What links both towns however, is the remarkable pride they take in their football teams.

©Han Balk/ Terrace Edition. VfL Bochum vs Luton Town.

VfL Bochum were a Bundesliga mainstay throughout the 70s, the 80s and a good chunk of the 90s before falling on harder times. They stuck together and are now a top flight outfit once again.

Incredibly, the same can be said about today’s guests, who completed a remarkable rise to the top at Wembley just a few months ago. The anticipation for those big days out at Anfield, Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium has been building ever since and, obviously accompanied by several pints of continental lager, accounts for the party mood in the away end.

Those who made the trip, in spite of the attractive yet eye-wateringly expensive prospects of 19 away grounds to visit in the season ahead, are determined to enjoy themselves.

Although a European away day isn’t a regularity for those of an orange persuasion, VfL Bochum’s Vonovia Ruhrstadion is a typical, enjoyable German football ground. The 8,400 who paid their way in are treated to a double-header which is a real test of the human attention span – it’s safe to say interest in the match petered out somewhat in the second match between both sides’ substitutes.

The final score saw Luton win by 4-3 on aggregate, following a 2-1 defeat in the first leg and a 3-1 triumph in the second. Yet, the score is of little importance with a higher priority awarded to renewing old acquaintances.

A good handful of Dutch folk have come to see their friends today as the match is conveniently only about an hour’s drive from the border.

Another component of utmost importance for a successful day out is food and drink. The Luton lot seem happy enough downing half litre cups of Fiege, the local beer, and even happier by the fact that nobody stops them enjoying a sup on the terrace. Both variations of sausage on sale go down a treat though the pretzel isn’t met by quite the same enthusiasm.

A remarkable affection is offered to the host’s goal tune. Hooked On A Can Can may not ring any bells, but fire it into Google and most certainly the music will be familiar to you. After Bochum open the scoring within minutes, the away end are happy to sing along, with it being bellowed out several dozens of times during a seemingly never-ending afternoon of football.

When the referee finally calls time on a five-hour feast, the hardy souls who stayed till the end clap off their heroes one last time before the real stuff starts next week. Bochum fans will expect another long, hard battle against the drop, with the Luton faithful honest about the challenges ahead.

The fans are determined to enjoy the ride come what may. It remains to be seen whether or not they will be so chipper after a Tuesday night at the Emirates.

But for now, beers in hands and foreign friends alongside them in the stands and faced with a familiar-looking foe, all seems fine in the world.

The magic of pre-season never wanes.