Away Game

 

My late husband was a Beşiktaş supporter. He would follow all their matches on TV but I'm pretty sure he never attended a live match.   He died over 8 years ago now and he could have never imagined that one day our local Bodrum team would play in the Beşiktaş stadium.  But they did, last Saturday, and I was at the game to watch them.  Obviously the home supporters didn't expect much as there were plenty of empty seats but the loyal Bodrum supporters were in good voice despite travelling up to Istanbul by bus (provided free, they only have to pay the 500TL entry fee).

Bodrum played surprising well considering their past form and the hallowed ground they were playing on and the 2-1 score line was a bit unfair as Bodrum were denied a penalty which VAR and most pundits declared valid.  I'm not a seasoned football fan, preferring to watch the highlights rather than a whole match but the atmosphere was electric and for a while we thought we might have a chance.  

Waiting in the cold for all the home supporters to leave didn't do my cold much good and a slight damper to the evening was the police officer outside the stadium telling me to take off my Bodrum scarf as I'd be a target for the home supporters.  Maybe I should stick to just watching Match of the Day.