This year it was our turn to visit Bavaria for the 5th biennial summer tournament with FC Wallenfels.

Bingham has been twinned with the small town of Wallenfels in Bavaria, Germany since 1984, and the trip taken or hosted by Bingham's Youth Football Club is a highlight of the many twinning activities. This event was first organised by Club Chairman Steve McRobie in 2001 and this summer was another roaring success with a group of 52 junior, youth, and senior players making the long away trip with their travelling supporters.

Arrival

With the Sherpas (Ozzy, Darrell, Stotty) leaving two days before, we arrived after a very early 3:00am start on Friday to find the campsite fully set-up and the Kaiserhoff ready to flow. A relaxing afternoon and evening was spent with our hosts, who provided lunch and a cracking evening BBQ prepared by the families of FC Wallenfels under the stewardship of team manager and local legend Wolfang Köhlmann.

Saturday was an easy start but the tour began with a bang we set off for an afternoon's rafting on the beautiful River Rodach running through the heart of Wallenfels. The new-comers (who were expecting dinghies, life jackets, and helmets) got their first taste of German "Health & Safety" when they discovered that rafting actually meant sitting on a plank nailed to six tree trunks. Clinging desperately to the person in front, one minute up in the air, the next fully submerged in the icy waters, was a thrilling affair as the raft raced under bridges and round the bends. All 6km of the river banks were lined with revelling spectators, and hearts finally stopped pumping when we arrived downstream in the centre of the town.

Tired and thirsty, an evening round the campfire was just what the doctor ordered, and with Disco Dave Farrelly laying on the entertainment the party went on until the early hours; fine preparation for the following days matches

FC Unter-Ober-Rodach

Sunday saw the start of business as we travelled for our first matches hosted by FC Unter-Ober-Rodach. In scorching 30° heat, the pitch was well watered at lunchtime, with the players and the fans being pretty much the same by the evening. FC UOR's Vice Chairman, Bernhard Schmidt, was another exemplary host laying on a mini-tournament for the juniors, matches for the youth and senior sides, and great hospitality.

First off was the Youth game, and as the Bingham U13-15s were clearly squaring up to a much older side, a little balance was added with the inclusion of a couple of the Bingham U18s. This proved vital as Bingham notched up their first win 1-3 with goals from "ringer of the tour" Tom McRobie (2) and James Brookes, and a very creditable performance by Sam Weaver.

Next came the Junior Tournament, and a side of Bingham U10-12s, faced an experienced side from Berlin along with two teams from the hosting FC UOR. Experience shone through with the juniors managing just one draw and two defeats (2-0, 0-0, 4-1), but signs of this side beginning to gel were evident when Olivia Lyons got the first of her goals in the final game.

Finally, the seniors put on a proud display, but again experience (and fitness) was the telling factor, as Bingham failed to score (with Woodsy being man-marked throughout...honest) and running out as eventual losers 2-0.

Going Wild

Monday began with a trip to the Tambach Wildlife Park which included a breath-taking falconry display marred only by the vultures poor attempt at impersonating Steve Woods performance up front for the seniors.

It was then the turn of the group to "fly through the air" at the Schloss Banz tree climbing centre. Zip-wires, rope walks and traversing obstacles 50ft high was a real test for all, but with only a couple failing to go the distance this was proud performance by the Bingham crew as young and old worked together to complete the course.

SV Rothenkirchen

A late replacement to the usual FC Kronach match was organised by Roland Dittrich, as Bingham travelled to face for the first time SV Rothenkirchen on Tuesday. A quick stop off at the old east-west border was a sobering moment for the more mature members of the group, but fortunately no-one made a run for it.

The Junior side were first to kick off that afternoon, and playing 9-a-side on a massive pitch was a format they were unaccustomed to. That said, they adapted superbly and were unlucky to finish the first half 0-0. With the temperatures passing 30° again, the hosts handled the huge pitch and conditions better, scoring three times without reply in the second half to finish victorious 3-0.

The Youth team again showed their experience of playing together as they continued their unbeaten run with a trouncing 1-12 win, the highlight being Harley Cox’s hat-trick, braces from Harry Cottee, Sam Weaver, and Harry Grice, and goals from Ed Chapman and their two foreign signings Fabi and Julien.

The Seniors were a little nervous after learning SVR had beaten their previous opponents FC UOR 12-0, but a shock seemed on the cards when Tom McRobie opened the scoring early on. The crowd erupted and the vulture goal celebration was met with rapturous applause. It was clear however that the SVR seniors were obviously a very special side in their youth, and they began to take control confidently stroking the ball around. Four very good goals inevitably followed and despite Bingham threatening to strike back, a couple of late goals as tiredness set in gave SVR a flattering 6-1 result.

Schutzenfest

The next three days before the final game, were filled with a multitude of activities. Wolfgang’s trek in the surrounding forests gave the walkers some breath-taking views of Wallenfels and the surrounding area, and the more adventurous embarked on a cycling ‘Tour de Wallenfels’ up and down the mountainsides led by the Town Mayor Peter Hänel. The tennis tournament saw Steve McRobie just edge Pete Kennedy in the Men’s Singles, and the Ladies Doubles was declared a draw at 5-5.

The kids were finally dragged away from the pool for an afternoons bob-sleighing, before a very memorable evening at the Schutzenfest. The youngster's screams on the fairground rides were only drowned out by the singing coming from the beer tents as the adults led the way with the locals. A night of dancing on tables, hearty singing, and sloshing glasses was rounded off with an exhilarating firework display.

The next morning the group returned to historic Kronach for a tour of the old town, and the evening wound down with a gentle raft trip in Neuses (and the first rain of the tour), before the adults began their usual pre-match preparation around the campfire easing the aches and strains with the local schnapps (David,David...David,Roland).

The Big Day

Saturday was the final stage of the nine day tour, with Bingham facing up to their hosts FC Wallenfels.

The Juniors set the tone of the day, as they finally gelled as a unit to produce a fully deserved first win on the tour 2-4. Rhys Sandford punished the keeper throughout, but the goals came from Fabi Schlee and a superb hat-trick by Olivia Lyons to finish joint top-scorer of the tour.

The Youth side completed an undefeated and triumphant tour with a 2-6 win despite Harley Cox’s injury early on, with a couple of braces from Matt Ingham and joint top-scorer of the tour Harry Grice, a goal for Jake Lawrence and another for Harry Cottee.

It was now time for the Cottee Shield to be contested, and with more than pride to play for, the seniors embarked on a fiercely (yet friendly) contested game. Bingham dominated initially and Woods and both McRobies really should have opened the scoring. It was however against the run of play when a 25yd strike was thundered home by the Wallenfels No13 mid way through the first half. Still in the game, Bingham regrouped, and early on in the second half James Brookes drew Bingham level with a similarly thunderous long range strike. With nerves tense, and a hushed crowd, the final whistle blew and the game moved to penalties. England-Germany…again; surely not!

Bingham were first up and Ozzy thundered low and hard; advantage Bingham was consolidated when Wallenfel's first was saved by Jake Lawrence in goal. James Brookes and Steve McRobie converted and were matched by their counterparts before Sam Sandford smashed Bingham's fourth high and hard into the top corner. 2-4, Wallenfels needed to score. Hearts pumping, silence around the ground, FCW strode up to the spot; a short run up and the ball flies high and over; elation all around..Bingham win on penalties to retain the cup! Scarlet Cottee, the daughter of the trophy's namesake, presented the award, and after handshakes all round the evening celebrations began.

Another great tour was rounded off with evening awards, including the "knighting" of the legendary Eric Sharp, who has been involved in the twinning partnership since its founding, and for the hosts at FCW.

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