return visit

Tonight I was at Carcassonne v Bourgoin-Jallieu in D2 of the French pro league. 

Why?

I played my first championship game in France there, 40something years ago. It was also a D2 game, but things have re-structured a bit since then. 

My team (the visitors, and soft city folks as well) got a 6-6 draw, which was completely unexpected. It upset the local fans greatly. They were already at boiling point after the referee sent off one of the home players.

He deserved it. Repeated brutality is what the ref called it. I was his victim. He was on a bonus to get me sent off or carried off. 

We - the referee and us - needed a police escort to get out of the changing rooms and away from the stadium safely.

Tonight it was fun to be back as a spectator. The atmosphere at French club games is still wild. Most people still smell of garlic, pastis and Gaulloises. 

The stadium has changed a bit, but the old stand (where I was sitting) is pretty much the same.

Carcassonne won 25-22 in an exciting game. I was shouting for them.  

The Blip is some of the home players forming up for a lineout.