Stade Nyonnais, or Mayonaise as we christened them last season while they were competing in the Challenge League are another of the losers of the infamous 2011-12 "Todessaison" (season of Death). Nyonnais were the unfortunate occupants of the last relegation birth, missing out on survival by two points in the end.
Somewhat guiltily, I have to confess to FC Winterthur smacking the last nail into their coffin last season...and they waited until the 94th minute to do it! Not quite true actually, Nyonnais had to win. Winti took the lead in the 84th minute but were pegged back in the 88th to set up a grandstand finish for the last relegation place. Unfortunately for Nyonnais, as so often happens when a side is forced to attack, they leave gaps and Winti found one in the 94th minute to end life for the visitors in the second flight.
Mrs Duck and I were upset to witness Winti performing this dastardly deed as this rare footage of the English fan in foreign climes demonstrates.
Getting There
7 / 10. Nyon isn't quite on the main Zürich - Geneva Trainline, but its not far off with a change in Lausanne being required. Outside Nyon station, and we didn't see any signposts to the ground so Google Maps got it's second outing in as many weeks.
Google told us to follow the railway line, which seemed OK at first as we followed a main road. But we were urged on down a track and I was half expecting to see one of those signs that informs you that your Sat Nav is an arse, but floodlights came into view and my confidence in technology increased.
You see that bar at the bottom of the barrier? Well, I noticed that by stepping onto that bar from where we were standing was about a 6" step, which is perfect for step aerobics. So Mrs. Duck and I started our stepping with about 15 minutes to go in the first half. Taking a break for half time, we continued into the second period.
With brilliant insight, one of the locals realized what he was watching, shouting "FFS!" He then enquired whether we could possibly stay still for long enough to allow him to watch a penalty. FFS was stopped but resumed after the penalty until the end of the game. The success of FFS is clear. We burned 969 calories ensuring that the eating and drinking activities of the day did not bust our calorie goal and hamper our progress to becoming thinner ducks.
OK, it did drive the locals mad but if it's any consolation to them, my claves were killing me for the next two days!
View
8 / 10. Great from what we saw with standing right next to the pitch. My only doubt is that the capacity is 7200, with only 800 being seated in that rather smart looking main stand. So that's 6400 standing, all uncovered without much in the way of terracing. Will everyone be able to see?
Atmosphere
3 / 10. Really tough to have atmosphere when the visitors bring no fans at all. But at least it looked like the Nyonnais fans knew each other. and there were a fair number more of oohhs and aaahhs than we experienced at either Yverdon or Fribourg. According to the only site where I could find a statistic, only 182 attended the match. It looked like more!
Refreshments
3 / 10. Doh! The bar looks nice enough with the collection of scarves and shirts from the illustrious clubs who, no doubt due to the UEFA connections have visited the Colovray. At half time we had a really tasty and welcome hot wine but we could only have one! When we returned for a refill, sadly the wine was gone. A lack of hot food also let Nyonnais down as I had to settle for a ham sandwich.
Overall
40 / 60. A very pleasant place to attend a football match. At 10 Swiss Francs entrance you can't go wrong. More should go.
The Match
Wasn't bad either! Just 9 minutes had gone when the visitors had the lead. Marco Summer scored the goal, although it was more thanks to Osni Mutombo allowing the shot through his hands than a great finish. But the lead was only to last 4 minutes. Nicolas Hélin fed M'Futi Mobulu for him to drive home his sixth of the season. The home side then started to control the game, but couldn't get the breakthrough with Hélin coming closest forcing Ilija Kovacic into a decent stop.
After the break, Nyonnais continued to press. Mobulu should have scored hi second from inside the 6 yard box but somehow St. Gallen scrambled the ball away. Hélin had another effort denied by Kovacic and Denis Bega put a shot from 35 yards over the bar. Nyonnais were knocking on the door, and eventually they were let in. Mobulu being upended in the area and substitute Asani Farques doing the necessary from the spot.
But symmetry was to be maintained in the game. St. Gallen failed to hold onto a lead for more than 4 minutes at the start of the game, and now at the end, it was Nyonnais who couldn't keep the visitors out. A St. Gallen corner ended in a scramble which Nyonnais could not keep out. It ended in a draw that helped neither side.
Stade Nyonnais 2 : 2 St. Gallen II
In honesty, we were disappointed by Nyonnais that evening. The team could have given more and there were no Nyonnais fans that we could see, which couldn't have helped the team. True, it is a long trip from Nyon to Winterthur and the match was on a Thursday evening. But come on Nyonnais! It was a survival game and your club needed you! Perhaps I'm just too used to English football.
Onto this game and the first thing that the English fans will notice is that Nyonnais were playing St. Gallen II, otherwise known as the under 21s. This is another way in which the larger clubs in Switzerland have profited from the reorganization. Their U21s get to play in a national league that is of a reasonable standard. Obviously this is a great way for the kids to learn allowing the big sides to bring players more effectively and efficiently through the ranks.
Unfortunately the news isn't that good for the clubs who's first teams compete in the erste Liga Promotion. U21 teams do not bring much of a following and nor do they bring in the locals.
Nyonnais, like all teams relegated from the Challenge League are having a tough time of it in the new league. They sit in 12th position just 4 points clear of the relegation places bit having played two games more than the 14th placed club, their opponents for this match, St. Gallen II. I think Nyonnais will keep their place in the national leagues, but need to keep an eye on their rearview mirror.
Points Time
Getting There
7 / 10. Nyon isn't quite on the main Zürich - Geneva Trainline, but its not far off with a change in Lausanne being required. Outside Nyon station, and we didn't see any signposts to the ground so Google Maps got it's second outing in as many weeks.
Google told us to follow the railway line, which seemed OK at first as we followed a main road. But we were urged on down a track and I was half expecting to see one of those signs that informs you that your Sat Nav is an arse, but floodlights came into view and my confidence in technology increased.
Down to the end of the lane and onto a main road. There we found UEFA headquarters with the Colovray just across the road.
Friendliness.
9 / 10. Very good and that's despite our annoying the locals with the latest craze that will sweep the football world.
You see, Mrs. Duck and I are currently fighting a winning battle against the flab. Now our efforts to bring you the joys of Swiss football, with its fast food catering plus our liking for a wee drink while watching the game doesn't make the Swiss 36 exactly conducive to our weight-loss aims.
The half-hour walk from the station to the stadium, whilst not helping Stade Nyonnais in the "Getting There" section, was much appreciated. But these Football Flabbies need more to get in shape.
So FuzzyDuck is proud to present "Football Fan Stepping", which we will call FFS.
You see that bar at the bottom of the barrier? Well, I noticed that by stepping onto that bar from where we were standing was about a 6" step, which is perfect for step aerobics. So Mrs. Duck and I started our stepping with about 15 minutes to go in the first half. Taking a break for half time, we continued into the second period.
With brilliant insight, one of the locals realized what he was watching, shouting "FFS!" He then enquired whether we could possibly stay still for long enough to allow him to watch a penalty. FFS was stopped but resumed after the penalty until the end of the game. The success of FFS is clear. We burned 969 calories ensuring that the eating and drinking activities of the day did not bust our calorie goal and hamper our progress to becoming thinner ducks.
OK, it did drive the locals mad but if it's any consolation to them, my claves were killing me for the next two days!
We met the irate fans after the game. Irish guys Jim and Dave. Great lads with a lovely pair of daughters / nieces being brought up in the right way. That is of course supporting Dundalk in the Irish League. Just keep them away from Man Utd. lads, and they'll grow up fine lasses.
Other than the nice people we met, it was also good to see the lady behind the bar going up to the offices to get our car-pennants. Nyonnais is a friendly club. We liked it!
Safety.
10 / 10. Not too much wrong with the Colovray on the safety front, which is hardly surprising when you find it is managed by UEFA. And from what I could see, they are doing an excellent job. Everything clean and in a good state of repair. Absolutely no fences and I think no real segregation of away supporters. A very pleasant place to watch a football match.
All I would ask woudl be for Mr Platini to apply the excellent standards obviously applied in Nyon to some of the awful Stadia we have seen on travels around Switzerland.
8 / 10. Great from what we saw with standing right next to the pitch. My only doubt is that the capacity is 7200, with only 800 being seated in that rather smart looking main stand. So that's 6400 standing, all uncovered without much in the way of terracing. Will everyone be able to see?
Atmosphere
3 / 10. Really tough to have atmosphere when the visitors bring no fans at all. But at least it looked like the Nyonnais fans knew each other. and there were a fair number more of oohhs and aaahhs than we experienced at either Yverdon or Fribourg. According to the only site where I could find a statistic, only 182 attended the match. It looked like more!
Refreshments3 / 10. Doh! The bar looks nice enough with the collection of scarves and shirts from the illustrious clubs who, no doubt due to the UEFA connections have visited the Colovray. At half time we had a really tasty and welcome hot wine but we could only have one! When we returned for a refill, sadly the wine was gone. A lack of hot food also let Nyonnais down as I had to settle for a ham sandwich.
Overall
40 / 60. A very pleasant place to attend a football match. At 10 Swiss Francs entrance you can't go wrong. More should go.
The Match
Wasn't bad either! Just 9 minutes had gone when the visitors had the lead. Marco Summer scored the goal, although it was more thanks to Osni Mutombo allowing the shot through his hands than a great finish. But the lead was only to last 4 minutes. Nicolas Hélin fed M'Futi Mobulu for him to drive home his sixth of the season. The home side then started to control the game, but couldn't get the breakthrough with Hélin coming closest forcing Ilija Kovacic into a decent stop.
After the break, Nyonnais continued to press. Mobulu should have scored hi second from inside the 6 yard box but somehow St. Gallen scrambled the ball away. Hélin had another effort denied by Kovacic and Denis Bega put a shot from 35 yards over the bar. Nyonnais were knocking on the door, and eventually they were let in. Mobulu being upended in the area and substitute Asani Farques doing the necessary from the spot.
But symmetry was to be maintained in the game. St. Gallen failed to hold onto a lead for more than 4 minutes at the start of the game, and now at the end, it was Nyonnais who couldn't keep the visitors out. A St. Gallen corner ended in a scramble which Nyonnais could not keep out. It ended in a draw that helped neither side.
Stade Nyonnais 2 : 2 St. Gallen II
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