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Keep up to date with the latest scores
26 August 2009
Beginners session 2nd September
Get your kit ready...
20 August 2009
New season about to start!
First training 2nd September.
5 April 2009
Supernova 2 win LKA Division 3!
We've done the double!!!
5 April 2009
Supernova 1 finish fifth in LKA Division 2
Onwards and upwards...
2 April 2009
On for a double?
Could Supernova 2 do it too?
This report was to be all about a Bosnian korfball tournament in Maglaj, Bosnia. However after we’d all booked our non-refundable flights and got very excited about it, the tournament was cancelled. Not a team to let a little thing that like stop us, we all headed to Bosnia anyway with no korfball in sight.
We arrived in Maglaj after one of the longest and hottest train journeys known to mankind down from Budapest. The trip had not started well when we arrived at the train station to find Kath running down the platform slightly panicked saying “Errr, guys, there’s a bomb”. Somewhat confused and thinking there couldn’t possibly be a bomb on the train or in the train station or else there would be considerably more pandemonium that there currently was, we only had a minor fret and thought our Savior Of All Things Hungarian, Zsolti, would translate for us and save the day. As it was, Zsolti was nowhere to be seen which left us all bemused about this bomb.
Thinking we’d miss the train we jumped onto it and waited. And waited and waited. Zsolti did arrive and informed us that there was indeed a bomb, but it was on a bridge somewhere outside of the train station and we were all being evacuated. Excellent start. We stayed on the train, and waited. And waited. I hope you are seeing a reoccurring theme here. Waiting. 2 hours later we crawled out of Budapest past said evacuated bomb site, I think we could have walked out of Budapest more quickly but there you go. So our 9 hour journey to Maglaj was already extended by 2 hours. Excellent.
We sat back to enjoy the journey, enjoying the air con and the views from our little compartment. We realized that we went through Zsolti’s hometown of Pecs, so he rang his mum and requested some snacks. When we arrived in Pecs 4 hours later, we were greeted by mummy Zsolti laden with 2 bags full of food (potatoes, salads, chicken, cheeses, bread, fruits and random Hungarian stuff we had no idea what it was) and another bag full of beer. She immediately became our most favourite person…
Over the border and into Croatia the air con stopped working. For a few hours the trip went downhill from there as we sweated away together in a little room. Nothing like team bonding in a sauna after all. We were harassed many times by border patrol and have more passport stamps for Croatia than anywhere else despite the fact we weren’t even going to Croatia. Things got more comfortable as the temperature dropped and we became more human instead of sweat-producing machines. Yummy.
Anyway, back to the point. We arrived in Maglaj, smelling quite badly, tired and hating trains with passion. We were delighted to find nice rooms and showers in our accommodation so we freshened up, ate and naturally sampled many of the local bargain-priced beers. The next day we went around Maglaj town, which is a beautiful town surrounded by hills and greenery. Although the general tone of this report is jovial as it should be, I would like to point out how very sad the town is with its recent civil war still very much evident in the shelled houses and scarred community. We went up to the castle to take in some magnificent views. Zsolti decided to become a climber and scaled the walls of the castle to get in whilst we mere mortals waited for some guy with a key to materialise.
You will be pleased to know, that, riveting as my report has been thus far for anyone who read this to hear about Bosnian korfball, there was actually some KORFBALL played in Bosnia. Oh yes, but don’t get too excited, there wasn’t much of it. We had our Supernova-Trans Siberian Marching Band extravaganza all stars team against some very over enthusiastic and well, let’s just say erm, “biased” Bosnians. I fear I have thus far failed to mention that Supernova were also travelling with Kath’s band, the Trans Siberian Marching Band (TSMB when I can’t be bothered to write the whole name out). These poor souls had heard us rant on about korfball for days by this point and some were keen to see what it was all about. I’m not entirely sure they had counted on being drafted in as players when showing their initial enthusiasm. This was what happened and captain Tam did a marvelous job of trying to explain korfball to total beginners who were about to take center stage.
We all went on court for a “friendly” and to ”ease” the beginners in. Yeah right. The Bosnians went for it straight away with some erm, extravagant and I’m not entirely sure legal korfball moves. This game was somewhat different to our usual LDKA div 1 or National League games. It was chaos and we were battered by some over enthusiastic Maglajians. I know in such circumstances, it is customary to blame the referees so I shall do the same. Let’s just say the referees had some “interesting” decisions and inevitably they didn’t ever go Supernova’s way… The Bosnians also had the distinct advantage that they had essentially three teams who rolled on and off as subs to give each other a break in what was possibly the longest korfball game in history. There was no time frame, no halves, random stoppages, rolling subs, entire teams who switched on and off and we assumed that signaled the end of the “game” but oh no, it went on. Credit to the TSMB beginners who soldiered on and did very well and credit to Supernova who didn’t slap any passing Bosnian in frustration. So some illegal moves, non penalties, basketball playing, travelling, cheating, shouting, arguing, Aladdin’s bleeding leg and much sweating later, Bosnian korfball ended. We all agreed it had been a very unique korfball match. One thing of note - how these Bosnian girls managed to remain looking perfect and stunning, with make-up and hair beautifully in-tact after the sweatiest longest korfball game ever, is beyond me.
We celebrated with beer. Hurrah for the cheap beer!
With the lack of korfball, we Supernovans became TSMB groupies and their most hardcore fans. I even find myself humming along to their tunes now. The TSMB gig in Maglaj was brilliant, it was a fantastic atmosphere and was evidently very popular with the locals. We even danced, yes really. It was a sight to be seen. After many many beers and a party back at ours, we were delighted to discover that trains left Maglaj in the afternoon as well as the morning, phew. With hangovers sorted we headed to Mostar for the next TSMB gig. The train journey (oh yes we got back on a dreaded train) was stunning and we enjoyed this one considerably more than the last train journey. Mostar is a quaint town, one for the tourists, where locals have somehow got into the habit of jumping off the Stari Most (the famous bridge in Mostar) for money. Weirdos. It was not exactly an easy jump and I felt rather queezy just watching them do it.
TSMB went down a treat in Mostar with an open air party on the streets of the town. Other highlights of Mostar included the biggest thunderstorm accompanied with torrential rain we’ve seen in years, and a foam party in a cave. Yes there was a rave in a cave, we thought it was just a party and suddenly we were covered in eye stinging fairy liquid. I am reliably informed that there was a kebab shop in Mostar called “Supernova” but I failed to see it with my own eyes so someone else will have to prove that one to you. In Mostar we also realized the value of languages and as English speaking natives we are used to English being helpful when abroad. Not so in Bosnia, ye auld Deutsch came in more useful. The simple transaction of buying a bus ticket caused mayhem as no one could communicate. Let’s just say we spent a long time queuing for no ticket, we weren’t allowed to buy a ticket (no explanation), we had a half English half German mesh of an explanation for a bus ticket, then there was no bus, then there was a bus, then it went to the coast, then it didn’t, then we (just!) got on the bus, then Zsolti had no seat and sat on the floor (to our helpful cries of hysteria as it was really a sight to be seen), then a seat appeared out of nowhere and we all got on the bus to the coast, via Croatia naturally.
The group split for a couple of days, some of us heading to the (very small) Bosnian coast and others spending longer in Sarajevo. In Neum on the coast, we found a supermarket called “Supernova”. There isn’t anything else interesting about said supermarket, just its name so I thought I would include it. We reunited in Sarajevo for more TSMB, who sent Sarajevan crowds wild their gigs. Locals came to both nights (it must have been good) and the place was on fire with lots of dancing and by now, even we Supernovans were humming along and we were right up there dancing (needing increasingly less beer to do so). Sarajevo itself is a great city, the old town is lovely and you could be back in the Middle Ages, it has a brilliant mix of major religions and what’s more, there is a distinct lack of carbohydrates there. Meat and bread only (yes I appreciate bread is a carbohydrate, but it’s about the only one). Food consists of steak/sausages and bread for breakfast, steak/sausage sandwich for lunch and just for a change, steak/sausage and bread for tea as well. Sounds good eh? Well, it gets to you after a while.
Other highlights include:
“Is this the way to Sarajevo?”. Find out on the next Supernova-hits-Bosnia trip.