 | Forum
Thread | Austrian newspaper article
at 14:53 23 Jul 2012
Not desperately exciting but here's a translation nonetheless!
Close your eyes and jump — the no-nonsense English way
Rochdale FC players are at a pre-season training camp in St. Lambrecht with a friendly game against a Murtal XI scheduled for Saturday 4 p.m.
Football: The players of Rochdale FC weren’t expecting this: the unheated St. Lambrecht open-air swimming pool, 1000 meters above sea level, proved a less than comfortable experience for the Englishmen. They did however take the opportunity for a refreshing dip. Close your eyes and jump — the no nonsense English way! The club from the North-East of Manchester has been stationed in St. Lambrecht for three days and is currently mid-way through a 7-day training camp, based in and around the Lambrechterhof hotel. But don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of them before: “The Dale”, as the club is known, was founded in 1907 in Rochdale, a town of 97,000 inhabitants, and currently plays in “League Two” - a somewhat optimistic name for the fourth tier of English football. The fully professional team are managed by John Coleman. According to the hotel manager, Alois Grasser, the work is full-on. Swimming and a trip to the summer toboggan run in Grebenzen are the only relief from an otherwise punishing training schedule.
A strong presence
The 20-man squad and four trialists come together twice a day. “They are very professional”, says Grasser, who is also impressed by the players’ demeanour. “As far as I’m concerned, they can stay another three weeks.” It appears the respect is mutual. The training ground is described as the most beautiful in Austria, Switzerland and Germany and a return visit is therefore on the cards.
Team Rochdale is in the country until Sunday. Before they return to England, Coleman’s players will play a friendly game against a Murtal XI, comprising players from Scheifling, Stadl, Neumarkt, St. Peter and St. Lambrecht. “The region’s strongest players have already returned to their clubs, but of course we’ll give it everything we have nonetheless”, says the Murtal XI team manager, Roland Höritzer.
|
| | Blue_Axis
|
Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 0 | | Comment Votes: | 0 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | 0 |
|
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.