We were bound to come unstuck at some point on our travels. Everything had gone remarkably smoothly so far, but we knew that, with every journey we booked, and every game that needed covering, the chances of something going wrong were only increasing. That moment came on our way back from Belo Horizonte. The road…
Month: June 2014
England’s Farewell
We arrived in Belo Horizonte just after 6am, after an eight-hour journey on the luxury Leito bus. It was our first trip between the two cities, so when we originally booked it, we decided a proper night’s sleep was in order; a journey without the interruptions and occasional discomfort associated with a conventional bus. The…
On The Road Again
With Belgium’s star line-up on show, this game was a gimme. Being played in our base city, in a great stadium to work in, everything made sense. Our morning started with a struggle to find a taxi near Joe’s. It was a Sunday…Brazilians don’t like to over-exert themselves at the best of times, so it…
Belo Horizonte
Moans and groans echoed around the inside of the bus as the driver switched the internal lights on at 8am, shortly before pulling into the main rodoviaria bus station in Belo Horizonte some eight hours after our departure from Sao Paulo. We had a hotel booked for the night, and were keen to freshen up…
England: The Same Old Story
We arrived at the now-familiar surroundings of Sao Paulo’s Tiete bus station once again not long after 6am. Initial thoughts: it was cold. Even by UK standards, it was fairly chilly. My shorts/ t-shirt combo may have met it’s match. Due to a lack of space in my rucksack, I’d decided to gamble and travel…
The Return To Rio
We landed back in Rio at around 11am, this time at the domestic Santos Dumont Airport. The approach into SDU is incredible. Whichever route the pilot takes, and whichever side of the plane you’re sat on, the views are incredible. The airport is located much closer to the city, so Corcovado, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the…
Sao Paulo: The Opening Game
Our first experience of Brazil’s night buses took us from Rio to Sao Paulo as we journeyed away from the sunny shores of Zona Sul and into the concrete jungle of South America’s largest city for the opening game of the tournament. We caught the 00:05, a comfortable service with well-cushioned, reclining seats and air…
Our First Few Days In Rio
After settling in to our familiar accommodation in Barra, on the western side of Rio, Chris (Brunskill), Ben (Queenborough) and I decided to head out for a few drinks nearby with our host, Joe. Joe’s part of the Jennings Bookmakers family and a former school mate of mine from Framlingham, in Suffolk. He’s not shy of a…
2014 FIFA World Cup: The Journey Begins
A year on from the ‘World Cup warm-up’ that is the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the main event is now just around the corner. I’ve revisited my schedule, drawn up on an Excel spreadsheet, more times than I care to remember, checking and double-checking that everything has been accounted for. Every detail has been considered,…
Champions Matchday Magazine – 2014 Season Review
Having been forced to witness most of the drama and excitement of the UEFA Champions League Final in Lisbon a couple of weekends ago from the wrong end, I was pleased to have been informed of the latest issue of Champions Matchday magazine, the cover adorned with my image of a victorious Gareth Bale. There’s very little you can predict…
Madrid In Lisbon: UCL Final 2014
This season’s UEFA Champions League culminated, for the first time, in a final between two sides from the same city. The ‘Galacticos’ of Real Madrid, with Bale, Ronaldo et al took on their local rivals Atletico, lead by fiery Argentine Diego Simeone, in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Some extremely civilised flight times and a charming apartment in the heart…
Simon Stacpoole | Photographer 