Lorraine Chase

Bassecourt v Binningen, 

Lorraine Arlon v Givry

Jeunesse d'Esch v Wiltz

Off the ferry at Civitavecchia with a +70 for the train station, which is a 20 minute walk from the port. Only to find that all the vehicle decks were being unloaded first, so after a 30 minute wait, it was chanced to walk down a set of crew stairs, off the unloading ramp and then a wander through the port, all without any challenge whatsoever.

This put me on to another E464 push-pull set up the coast to Pisa and then inland to Florence.

Here I picked up one of the Italian Eurostar services.

This whisked me along the very devolved Italian High Speed network, over 300km in less than two hours with a stop at Bologna, back to Milan Central.

From Milan, it was onto a SBB ETR 610, the latest version of the Pendolino train.

This took me through the Italian lakes and then over the Simplon pass over the Alps and into the spectacularly located station in Brig (Switzerland, not to be confused with Brigg, Humberside).

My move onwards was a curiously formed SBB service with the loco sandwiched half way along the train.

However, a quick scout outside the station revealed I could have a quick spin on the narrow gauge to Visp with none other than the southbound Glacier Express being the unplanned move.

From Visp, a rather challenging 8 collection of Euro Weisbeir was procured, which rather occupied the journey via Bern and Biel to the overnight stop of Delemont. Here, after an unsuccessful attempt at fitting a euro plug adaptor into a recessed Swiss socket, the train was taken the 10 minutes down line to the small village of Bassecourt.

Bassecourt 3 v 0 Binningen, Switzerland - 2. Liga Interregional

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The ground was a pleasant little non-league set up, with a very extensive refreshment counter and bar area, adjacent to the main stand.

This was a relatively top of the table clash, with Bassecourt in third and Binningen, from north east of Basel, in fourth.

A pleasant feature was the cinder terracing, held up by rotting timbers.

The more raucous support was situated next to the scoreboard, on a swing and climbing frame combo.

The game was kicking off at the rather strange time of 2015, so the visitors could get a full days work in before the game. The usual hand shaking pre-match ritual was obliged.

The game was soon graced with the best goal of the trip. An attack down the right wing saw the ball pulled back from the goal line to outside the penalty area, where it was placed in the top corner by an advancing home forward.


They went on to score two more against a very stuttering away team for who it seemed the full days work and travel was too much.

The next day was planned on trying to get an original SBB Pendolino, because their FC business compartments have standard two pin plug sockets and my phone was just about to die. So this was taken to Basel.

Where a pit stop was had at the ever great station bottle shop for some Swiss Saisson beers.

And then on to the dreary SNCF corner of the station. Though this was enhanced when the required train to Mulhouse and Strasbourg produced some down graded coral stock instead of the booked unit.

So on to Strasbourg behind an SNCF 26000.

Just time to grab a saucisson baguette before onto Nancy behind another “Sybic” (short for Synchronous Bicurrent if you really want to know).

From here, it was onto a bi-current unit, through Metz and Thionville, into Luxembourg.

Hotel was right opposite the main station, so bags were dropped off, and then back to the station for a Belgian bung unit over the border to Arlon.

Joy upon joy, someone had left behind my first British paper for ten days, so I got to catch up on bigoted views of cricket in the UAE.

The ground seemed to be relatively close to the station, but the usual issue of choosing the three sides without an entrance, before finding one.

But what an entrance. Surely this has to be one of the great entrance signs?

Lorraine Arlon 1 v 2 Givry, Belgium – Promotion Group D

Arlon is just over the border in Belgium and were second in the league.

This was a local derby against Givry, who were just along the border and near the foot of the league.

By now a cold mist had descended on the ground..

…with the main stand with a glass fronted refreshment area on one side…

…and a low cover on the other side.

…and a low cover on the other side.

Here we go with the handshakes again.

Whilst I carried on the nature walk round the ground.

This ended at the abandoned entrance that I had tried to find earlier.

Whilst taking a shot of the agricultural clutter and groundsman’s man cave, I managed to miss the home sides equaliser behind the main stand to the left.

A horrific development in non-league was the appearance of ridiculous squad numbers.

Half time and off to the afore mentioned glass fronted bar. Except they had the most confusing token system going. You had to go to the turnstyle to buy tokens, but then there were different coloured tokens for different products. Is petty theft really that prevalent in low-league amateur football that this primitive barter economy has to be in place?


In the second half, Givry got a late winner for a surprise victory to the away team.

We then headed back to Luxembourg, then straight up to Wasserbillig on the German border, where there was fishing tackle hire for a spot of night fishing. I am no fan of coarse fishing, much preferring fly. So sitting on the freezing banks for 8 hours with only a couple of Graylings and Brook Lampreys, wasn’t the finest night I’ve ever had. As the dawn broke, it did at least give some idyllic views of the upper Mousel.

Throughout the night we had the company of our fishing mate and the chain ferry to Uberbillig.

Fortunately, the town had a trail of bars who all opened at 0800 for breakfast and beers, so the fishing was soon abandoned. After quite a few hours we then headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours kip.

This was on the new multi voltage CfL units on the Koblenz – Luxembourg run, that have replaced the DB 181 locos that used to bring hauled IC stock from destinations throughout Germany.



Original plan was to go to RM Hamm Benfica, but the line to Hamm was closed for re-building for an airport line. So we headed up to Esch-sur-Alzette. This was a huge steelworks town in the south west corner of Luxembourg.

Esch is home to Jeunesse d'Esch, the most successful team in Luxembourg. I have seen them numerous times, but they were a winner for my companion. New to me was this massive new bridge from the town, into the woods where the ground is situated.

Once across thebridge, first of all there was pleasant gardens.

Then an old railway alignment.

And finally the floodlights were spotted.

The ground is really hemmed in by housing and the entrance is along a suburban street.

Seven euro for the uncovered seating, including programme.

Jeunesse d'Esch 2 v 0 Wiltz, Luxembourg National Division



Jeunesse d'Esch are the most successful team in Luxembourg, having won 28 league titles. 

Wiltz are from the north of the country and have only recently been in the top division.

As was noticeable from all the games attended, all the ‘ultras’ with the flags and banners, were less moped throwing maniacs, and more spotty students.

The seating was quite a feat in that the step was only about 15 cms below the base of the seating, so they had to be sat in cross legged.

Thankfully, refreshments were obtained through the quaint old method of cash money, and the local Battin beer and blood sausage was enjoyed.

The home side had an impressive winger who scored an excellent opening goal mid way through the first half.

They also had a shocking striker who missed at least five simple opportunities, before finally scoring a penalty in the second half.

Note if anyone is building some screens to stop boards going out of the ground. Don’t space the balls slightly further apart than the size of the ball, or they won’t be very effective.


Game finished 2-0 and it was back to Esch for a crawl of Belgium beers in the town, then back to the hotel.

The next day it was down to the station to get an SNCB service up to Brussels for the Eurostar. Except there was a national strike and no trains in Belgium were running. Plan B was to go to Paris, but as I hadn’t got my French free coupons, it would have involved a 75 euro ticket. Just as I was about to buy this, in rolled an SNBC bung unit. Enquiring with the guard, he announced he was running non stop to brussels, which was a bonus.


This meant I got to Brussels Midi an hour early, so was able to make more inroads into the Ibis beers of the world menu.

Heading to the Eurostar terminal, it was almost deserted, as everyone for the trains was trapped across Belgium, unable to get anywhere. This meant there were only 40 people on our 700 capacity train, and I had a whole carriage to myself.

This gave the perfect opportunity for a final indulgence in some euro food and beer.

All in all,
- 2830 miles of new railway
- 5 new grounds
- 52 new beers

- 38 new locos