Internet access proved to be difficult from our hotel so I couldn’t provide the ‘as it happens’ updates from the Denmark trip as I wanted to.

The following is a brief summary.

Sunday

Met up with travelling companions at the airport at a ridiculously early hour for a Sunday morning, 04:15 !!

Flew Aberdeen – Amsterdam, Amsterdam – Copenhagen, then took a 5 1/2 hour train journey from Copenhagen north to Aalborg.  

Tip : If undertaking a long train journey it is a good idea to book seats.  The enforced moves that happened en route did help to break up the journey though, and provided a source of humour as we waited to see who got ‘bumped’ next. 

Met on arrival, taken to hotel, then out for Dinner.

The venue for our welcome dinner was Restaurant Costa.  A Greek restaurant run be a very shy retiring gentleman who made it his personal mission to keep us entertained all night, telling jokes and singing songs – including one self penned (I hope) number that managed to rhyme “plectrum” with “rectum”.

Post prandial beers were taken in “The Street” before retiring.

Monday

Visit to Lindholm Hoje, Viking burial site before a guided tour of the city centre.  

At the end of the tour one of the lads got himself a nickname for life when he asked the question: “I see a lot of the buildings have on them the word Anno and a date.  Who was Anno?”.  From that moment on there was only one Anno…

Afternoon visits to Sports School and Community Sports Centre followed by tour of Energi Nord Arena and chance to observe Scotland U21 training session.

Dinner plus post prandial drinks in “The Street”.

Tuesday

All day visit to Aalborg Freja community football club – very impressive facilities and set up and extremely nice people.

Dinner at Energi Nord Arena followed by Denmark v Scotland U21 game.  Sadly Scotland lost but as the only 13 Scotland fans in the place we made sure we were heard.  We even got joined by an ex-pat from Dumbarton who helped swell our numbers to 14!

Post prandial drinks in “The Street” (a theme developing here?) where the kilted member of our party found himself the subject of much female attention.

Wednesday

To the Mayor’s office for a talk with some chap about Coach Education.  He only turns out to be the Technical Director of the DBU (Danish FA).  Fantastic.  Lunch then presentation on how the Aalborg Sports Union operates.  Main source of income was running TV Bingo!

Afternoon, wander round city.

Evening, dinner then off to watch the Scotland game.  Luckily we had tracked down an Irish bar, managed by a Scot, which was showing the game.

Victory for Scotland, a few beers, plus a last minute victory for Denmark made for a happy mood in the camp.

Post prandial drinks in “The Street”.  The kilt was on display once more.

Thursday

Early start a bit of a nightmare after last night’s celebrations.

Out to AaB’s training ground to watch elite kids being coached before going to school, followed by a visit to AaB College.

Visit to Gigantium, a huge sports complex with a huge sports hall, currently configured as a hand ball arena, conference facilities, gyms, and two ice rinks – one for ice hockey games and one for training and curling.

Evening, back to Aalborg Freja to watch training sessions – women and lower division.

Dinner in town.  Post prandial… you know the score. Kilt on show again…

Friday

Back out to AaB training ground.  Presentation on club finances followed by watching the first team squad training.

Chat with Bruce Rioch about life as a football manager in Denmark compared to U.K., EUFA Champions League, etc.  

Signed autographs for a group of Danish schoolkids who refused to believe that we weren’t famous in some way…

Evening, back to our friends at Aalborg Freja to watch the 2nd team match.  Distribution of nips of Highland Park whisky to members of the watching crowd helped cement international relations!

Dinner, post prandial, kilt…

Saturday

The return journey.

Tip : If you are an airline pilot and you are in the middle of making your standard “we are approaching Amsterdam airport yada yada yada” speech when the plane suddenly drops and veers to one side,  please please please do not squeal “My goodness what is happening here!”  It tends to make people a trifle nervous. 

Everyone back to Aberdeen safe and sound and wishing each other all the best before heading off to respective homes, hotels, etc.

A great trip which gave everyone a lot to think about.  What aspects of the Danish system could we take back and apply in our own clubs etc.  A lot of fun had as well, the whole group gelled well and there were a lot of good characters on the trip.  

Met a few football faces along the way : Bruce Rioch (lovely fella), Morten Weighorst (lovely fella), Peter Schmeichel (arrogant grump).

The boys play a friendly game tomorrow but unfortunately I am going to miss it.

We have lined up a game against a team of a similar standard to ourselves to let the boys get rid of some of their summer rustiness before the season proper starts next week.  It also gives us a chance to try out some new players to see how they fit in with the existing squad.

I will not be present however as I am off to Denmark with a group of fellow coaches on an SFA trip to find out about grassroots football in another country.  We will be based in Aalborg, where Bruce Rioch is manager of Aab, and taking in the U21’s game between Denmark and Scotland as well is visiting a number of community football initiatives.

I am really looking forward to the trip and hoping to pick up some new ideas.

Will try and post info on the trip as it progresses.