Trip Report
We met at Kingdom's Yard at 11.30pm on the 31st March and departed at midnight travelling to Folkstone to catch the Euro Tunnel at 7.20am on 1st April. We then proceeded through France and Belgium to Holland. Our first point of call was Rotterdam for the local derby between Feyenoord and Excelsior. A good match won comfortably by Feyenoord. The boys enjoyed their tour of the stadium and free gifts include in their match day package. I still cannot believe they let us park 50 yards from our entry to the stadion. After the match we headed to our 4* hotel which certainly lived up to its billing. The boys enjoyed the leisure facilities including swimming pool which were open to 11pm. The evening meal was a whole chicken and chips in the hotels lovely restaurent. On Easter Monday we left the hotel for a mini tournament at a club with 900 youth players VVOR who apologised for their poor facilities better than anything below championship club.The first match was against their 4th team and we won a good match 2-0 thanks to goals from Taylor Stansfield and Jack Bulford. Next up was their 5th team and we won 5-0 with goals from Jack Bulford, Kacey German 2, Taylor Stansfield and an own goal. The last game was against their 8th team and ended 15-0 in our favour. Goals from Dillon Phillips, Connor Clapp 5, Archie Howe 3, Taylor Stansfield 2 and Artur Zur 4. We won our section and could have probably played their 1, 2 and 3 teams. Their 1st team won the overall tourney. Excelsior youth took part as did Sparta Rotterdam. A good morning. We then sped to Dordrecht to see them take on Young Ajax in divisiuon two. A very enjoyable match won narrowly by Young Ajax. Then off to the local Rotterdam KFC for food and the boys trying to chat up some dutch girls to great laughter from both sides. Back to the hotel to use their leisure facilities with some boys and adults having more food in the hotels separate pancake restaurent. An excellent day. The next day we headed north to the Center Parcs, De Emmhof but not before a tour of the hotels windmill and a visit to the local supermarket for supplies. The best hotel Twyford has been too. On the way to Center Parcs it was decided to visit the old dutch town of Amersfoort which was lovely. We had bbq pork sat outside in the main square with the church chimes ringing out. We arrived and settled into our new center parcs home and the lovely view across the lake to Spakenburg. We then departed for our evening fixture at Spakenburg. As usual it was a warm welcome. Twyford scored first through Archie Howe but but Spackenburg blitzed Twyford with 5 first half goals. Taylor Stansfield scored a worldy to make the half time score 5-2. A half time talk about effort brought a better second half with Kacey German making it 5-3. They then gave the boys a drink and some cake before we headed back to Center Parcs for our final food of the day and some fun in the Action Factory. Wednesday saw us head to Amsterdam. A canal barge tour followed by a look round the center before heading to the Amsterdam Arena, home of Ajax, for an excellent tour with Johnny. On to Zeewolde for our next match. Our two older boys have trained with two dutch teams. Here they can play as our opponents are adding two older kids as well. For some reason Zeewolde have loaned us 3 players as well as we play 11 a side. Jordy and the 2 Sem join in well to our warm up and add to our team. Goalie Sem is good and very tall for 13 5'11''. The result is a close 0-0 and we are given pizza and free drink including beer to the adults. A really friendly club where i would love to return. Back to De Emmhof for evening meal and the Action Factory. Thursday and we head south to Eindhoven for a tour of the Phillips Stadion home of the dutch champions PSV. A great tour as always followed by a free drink in a business restaurent within the stadium. We decide to have food here. Expensive but the boys enjoyed it especially as still inside stadion. Half way back is the city of Utrecht and we called into Zeist to play Saestum. An excellent game followed. 1-0 down to 3-1 up to 3-3 and then with the host looking for the winner we scored two break away goals. Goalscorers for Twyford were Jack Bulford 2, Connor Clapp, Freddie Verrier and Jordan Grubb. Archie Howe made a good save at 3-3. Back to the Center Parcs for a nice meal in one of its restaurents then to the Action Factory for the entertainment. Friday we went to Walibi Theme Park which the children and adults seem to love before finally making the carvery we had booked all week in Center Parcs and onto the Action Factory which was quite full this night. Saturday saw the boys make use of Aqua Mundo pool and the other wonderful Center Parcs facilities. We then traveled to Alkmaar. Firstly for a look around the lovely town center, including a meal in a lovely restaurent, before making our way to AZ Alkmaar stadion for their match against PSV. AZ took a 2-0 lead, PSV hit back with three late second half goals to win 3-2. PSV had a goal disallowed while AZ had two disallowed and a player sent off. The travelling PSV supporters were loud and made us and our seat go up and down with their jumping around. A great game, as good as you will see live although the standard of play was not as good as premiership. We arrived late back at Center Parcs and the boys ate cereal, crisp etc. Sunday was a lay in followed by using the Center Parcs facilties before travelling north to Heerenveen for their local derby with Groningen. A good atmosphere on a hot day. When Heerenveen took the lead the boys decided to wave their shirts above their heads which made the home singing supporters to point at us singing some song at us before they took the shirts off and joined in waving them above their heads. Quite funny. We traveled back to the Center Parcs for evening meal before going for the last time to the Action Factory. After packing and loading the bus we left De Emmhof at 8.45 and traveled to Calais where the boys had KFC before joining the Euro Tunnel. We arrived back in Tiverton at 9.30pm. A big thank you to our driver Russell Kingdom who took part in the whole trip. Massive thank you to the adults Steve Verrier, Rob Howe, Tom, Nick Sandiford, Anne Greenslade and HRH Jane Sandiford. The boys set a high standard of behaviour and did the town proud. Thank you to Taylor Stansfield, Tyler Shere, Corban Simmons, Artur Zur, Jordan Grubb, Tobias Jefferson, Finn Potter, Freddie Verrier, Jack Bulford, Archie Howe, Connor Clapp, Kacey German and Dillon Phillips. Maybe the last ever trip but if it is it will be remembered as an excellent one.
Results
5th April 2018
| TIME |
|
SCORE |
|
| 18:00 |
Saestum, Zeist, Holland. |
3-5 |
Twyford Spartans |
4th April 2018
| TIME |
|
SCORE |
|
| 18:00 |
Zeewolde, Holland |
0-0 |
Twyford Spartans |
3rd April 2018
| TIME |
|
SCORE |
|
| 18:00 |
Spakenberg Holland |
5-3 |
Twyford Spartans |
2nd April 2018
| TIME |
|
SCORE |
|
| 10:00 |
VVOR Rotterdam, Holland |
0-2 |
Twyford Spartans |
| 10:00 |
VVOR Rotterdam, Holland |
0-5 |
Twyford Spartans |
| 10:00 |
VVOR Rotterdam, Holland |
0-15 |
Twyford Spartans |
