After the World Championships in
Czechia, the Swedish Ice hockey association took
the3 decision that should have come many years ago. “Weak-Hardy”, “Tired
Hardy”, “Mysterious Hardy” Nilsson
that hadn’t produced nothing but disappointments
for the Swedish people was kicked out as general
manager for Tre Kronor.
His lousy leadership in combination
with no Gold medals for Team Sweden for six years
was the main reason that the association took the
decision that should have been taken many years ago.
In came Bengt-Åke Gustavsson that before the
Championships in Austria gave a serious impression
and who seemed determined to give Team Sweden back
its status as the leading hockey team in the World.
Finally Tre Kronor had the General manager that they
deserved and a leader that we supporters have been
looking for.
Svea
Svin rates the World Championships in
Innsbruck and Vienna 2005:
Motivation:
One could fast make sure that the World Championships
2005 was very good organised. The organisers had
prepared lots of stuff for the supporters that
got down to Innsbruck and Vienna.
You could see that this was people that knew what
they were doing and that they had done it before.
Already when getting to the party place outside the
arena you could feel that “This is good. Really,
really good!” It was a feeling that was to
prove right.
Besides this we also noted that Japan was not given
a “free ticket” to the Championships
this year. We never really understood why the Asian
group was to be given this prerogative. In the name
of consequence the African-, Latin American and the
Mid-East group should be given this chance to a free
ticket.
finland once again humiliated.
This is getting really funny! Year after year the
finnish Ice Hockey team is just bringing misery
and pain to its supporters on location and at home.
This year, just like previous years, the finnish
supporters and their confused representatives in
the media is shouting about “This year we
will get the Gold!” But of course it didn’t
happen this year. Either.
finland has to date not
won ONE SINGLE GAME against their masters Sweden
since 2001 in Cologne which says pretty lot about
this joke of a team. Not enough with this. finland
has now reached a position on the international
world ranking of Hockey that they have not had
for many, many years which proves that their saga
of success that they had during the end off the
last century is over for good.
For those of you who are interested in the world
ranking you can download the official paper here.
As can be seen finland is now after successful hockey
nations like Latvia, and Russia. In other words,
nations that have coaches with true winner instinct.
Just like finland, also Mexico and South Africa has
slipped down two steps. Besides them Germany and
Austria are now two steps down and will play in the
B-group next year. So in the line of looser nations
finland has now put on the Yellow leader shirt and
we hope Germany and Austria will be joined by them
in the B-group in a not to distant future?
Party
mood
Inside and around the arenas
in Innsbruck and Vienna there were always lots of things
to happen. It can be thanks to the good weather that
we had, but also due to the fact that we this year
was located in the Tyrol in Central Europe. Everywhere
people had a relaxed attitude to us drunk supporters
and just like in 1996 the attitude from the authorities
(read “the Police”) was very tolerant.
The same thing was on those places that we visited
where the doormen on the different pubs were very
nice all the time. We can just conclude that the
Austrians are one of the worlds most friendly and
hospitable people.
Arrangements
Beer tents located right outside
of the arenas, tons of places to eat and superb information
from the organises. What more can you ask for? It
was also great that almost everyone working for the
2005 World Championships spoke English, which is
a great benefit for the supporters that don’t
speak German.
Souvenirs
Huge quantities of souvenirs were sold both on the
inside and the outside of the arenas. Souvenirs were
sold for all the competing countries and the prices
were actually quite decent which is not too normal.
| The two,
according to us, most important souvenirs that
shall be on sale during the World Championships. |
The scarves this
year were a really tragic thing. It was made
of some nylon kind of material with printed
logo and team name that made no one happy.
Or like Patrik said: Paint that shit pink and
you will have Chat Noir. On the good side is
that it was produced for all competing countries
and also an “event scarf” was for
sale.
(move your pointer over the picture to see
the reverse of the scarf)
 |
Of course the Austrians
had a patch for sale this year. But what most
of us wanted to have was a patch with the logo
and not only the one with the mascot.
|
The
weather
It sucked plenty during our stay in Innsbruck the
first days. Rain and cold winds almost the entire
time. Pretty much to our disappointment since we
had gotten reports from people that were there the
first week that the weather was great. Fortunately
it improved a lot even if it didn’t get as
good as the weather in Zurich in 1998 (when we did
beat finland in the finals) or Germany in 2001.
The
arenas
Huge and roomy arenas even if they were extremely
anonymous both on the in- and outside. Actually none
off us actually remembers what they looked like on
the inside, but that can probably be due to the heavy
drinking that took place before the games. That it
was impossible to walk from one side to the other
in Innsbruck once on the inside is also worth criticising.
Guards/Security
staff
Those guards that we came across inside and outside
the arenas had the same attitude as the Austrians
in common. Meaning that they were very friendly and
helpful. We never had any problems with them and
that also was the case in Innsbruck and Vienna when
visiting the various pubs and discos.
The
World Championships...
...Best
partyplace:
Mausefalle in Innsbruck without
a doubt!!! That was the place where we were partying
until we dropped; we were given beer and alcohol
from local people night after night after… It hadn’t
mattered if the rest of the Championships had sucked
plenty, Mausfalle made our stay in Innsbruck a
great experience!
...Most
drunk:
Without being embarrassed we have to appoint our
own Nilses thit title when passing out during the
game SWE-SUI in Innsbruck in his old Swedish army
uniform. And for those of you who wonder if there
were no one else that were more drunk we cn simply
say, NO! There were no one that drank so much pure
alcohol as him before the games. We were not the
only ones that were amazed.
...Most
crowded:
The place Kaktus at Bermuda were so crowded that
one had to drink the beer with a straw. We also noticed
that since our last stay there that now had some
really nice girls there that was dancing on the bar
counter.
...Most
disgraceful:
The German and Austrian hockey team that don’t
just play so boring hockey that Bambi seems like
the devil himself but also manages to be reduced
to B-pool teams. That Austria also manages to do
this when organising the Championships must be some
kind of world record in lack of interest.
...Most
medicated?
Maybe Gabbe. Patrik is convinced about this
since Gabbe didn’t freak out on him or
screamed at him one single time during the
Chamspionships.
...Most
bad smelling:
The members of the house car riding a taxi
in Vienna. The stench surrounding us were so
intense that the taxi driver had to open all
four windows. Then we hadn’t showered
for over four days.
...Most
confusing:
All the Austrians that were walking around
in other countries hockey jerseys. It felt
so embarrassing every time one started to talk
to some one that you thought was a Canadian,
Czech, finn or a Swede just to find out that
it was an Austrian in the “wrong” jersey”.
...Most
yelled at:
The Czech supporter that was sitting right
behind “The
referee” Andersson during the semi. Every time
that Sweden scored Andersson was up jumping and screaming
and so on. The Czech supporter wanted him to sit
down and be quiet. We have never seen Andersson so
angry before as when he responded to this guy from
Czechia.
...Worst
intestants:
Gabbe was in the lead for this award after
his rush in Innsbruck one morning desperately
trying to find a toilet only wearing his underpants
and a polo shirt. But Lövis gets the award after his “performance” in
Munich the same morning, as we were to give back
the house car. (No, we will not give any details
on this one).
...Least
active listener before the Championships:
Is Patrik that we asked before the Championships
to get a new Svea Svin flag since the one that we
had before was gone somewhere.
When he got down to Innsbruck was darn pathetic since
it was not nearly as big as the one that we had in
Russia and Germany for example.
...Least
appreciated:
Patriks initiative to pay for the rest of us
at the bath place. He obviously thought that
we were to spend like the whole day there when
the rest of us just wanted to shave and shower.
When we got out he started wining about that
he had paid more than 50 Euros for all of us
and that we should be there longer and bla,
bla, blaaaaaaa. Gabbe gave him a grin and a
finger in the air and said “Shut
up fool. Now we are going drinking.” And then
we headed off to the arena.
...Funniest
"newcomers":
The Yanks and the Canadians who were on location
in Innsbruck due to the NHL-strike. Very nice actually
and we hope that it wasn’t the last time that
they came to the Championships in such crowds.
...Worst
chickens:
Patrik and Lövis who didn’t dare
to take photos inside Kaktus. (WHAT???)
...Worst
fuck up:
Patrik that managed to smash our car into some German
blokes car so that we had to spend 300 Euros for
his rear view mirror instead on Alcohol.
...Cutest:
Lövis and Munken who slept tight, so tight
together in their pink sheets during the entire stay
in Austria.
...Most
pisssed off:
Jörgen who appeared like a finn when the Championships
was almost over and complained that “I have
been waiting for a whole year for this, and then
I don’t get down here until the very last days.”
Jörgen, that is what happens when you aren’t
travelling with professionals.
Svea
Svin strongly recommends!
The best partyplace in Innsbruck!!! Nothing more,
nothing less.
Thanks to all
of you who has helped us with this page. You are
all on our thanks-page.
