Pitching In Southern League Division One Central outfit, Hadley, are set to face a rather unusual pre-season fixture in June as they head to San Marino where a game against local outfit, Juvenes Dogana awaits.
The encounter will take place on Sunday, June 9th.
The story began in 2006 when committee member, Chris Nash, set out on a challenge to watch a match in each of UEFA’s 53 member nations. That number has since increased to 55 with the addition of Gibraltar and Kosovo.
“Over the years I have ambled my way around the continent,” Nash told us. “I have toured some of the big clubs, such as Dortmund and Milan, as well as many obscure backwaters.
“There have been plenty of memorable and not so memorable moments along the way; being chased by the hooligans of Zalaegerszeg or driving around the suburbs of Tirana looking for a stadium that unbeknown to me had been knocked down, are two of the more challenging times, but there have also been some real gems.
“Most notably at Ki Klaksvik in the Faroe Islands, which was a fantastic experience, and the fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch at half-time, which is where the idea of our own half-time entertainment originated from.
“I also had a successful visit to Kazakhstan in 2022 and it meant that I only had one of the 55 member nations left to visit – San Marino.
“I wanted to make the last one extra special, so I came up with the idea of taking the Hadley team out there with me and for the final game to involve them!
“I contacted the National Tourist Board and was put in contact with Adrian Eacock, an Englishman plying his trade in San Marino. Much research and many Zoom calls later and we were all sorted!
“The date for the game is set and the flights are all booked. Quite a number of supporters are also signed up to make the trip, including friends from Austria and Germany.
“It promises to be a fantastic trip and has really captured the imagination.”
San Marino is just inland from the Italian coastal city of Rimini. Aside from the occasional flights to Rimini, the best gateways are either Bologna (an hour north) or Ancona (an hour south).
We will be following this story closely and hope to bring you some fascinating content from the trip.
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