There were no games on Monday after the tournament matches. We were all up for breakfast at the usual time then departed for a swimming session at the local baths. We all felt better after a swim and a jacuzzi to get the stiffness out of our legs.
We returned to the hotel for a midday meal and then set off for Sundsvall to watch their 1st team in competitive league action. We didn’t think the standard was as good as the Championship, probably akin to League 2 / Conference level.
To watch this game involved 5 hours of travelling returning to the hotel at 11.30 pm. All the lads were straight off to bed as everyone was exhausted.
We played our final group game against OFK on Tuesday and managed to restore some pride with a 5-0 victory. Once again we dominated the play and were disappointed to have only scored five goals.
After returning to the hotel for some well earned rest, we watched Barnsley record a comfortable 4-0 victory. The outcomes of these final games meant that Barnsley and Hartlepool were to contest the final on Thursday. Our final game was to be against AIK to contest 3rd and 4th place.
After breakfast on the Wednesday morning we went swimming for a cool down which we found beneficial, returning to the hotel for some lunch. Go karting had been arranged for the afternoon which all the lads enjoyed and the staff joined in as well.
We found it particularly amusing to watch our coach Steve Thornber get in all sorts of trouble in the pit lane. We all really appreciated the activities that had been provided for us throughout the tour.
We can now understand the issues that professional players have when they are away on long tours, in terms of providing some valuable options in avoiding boredom. We have now to focus on our final game to seek revenge on AIK!
