While on holiday in Portugal I could not resist trying out some of the local football flavour. So from visiting the club shop at Benfica, watching Boavista playing at Bessa I finished the holiday by visiting the F.C. Porto Football Museum at their Dragon Stadium. I can recommend them all to you!
The visit to Benfica was on the day after the Super Cup final and it was an open training session that day with a few thousand locals in the stands celebrating their heroes. What an amazing area, stadium, path to the stadium Benfica has and their history is very proud as well. I wanted also to visit their football museum but it was closed on the day when I was there.
Next up was the opening match at Bessa for Boavista. The team with the black and white chequered shirts. Boavista resented itself as a family club. They were big 10 years ago, but when the financial problems appeared in Portuguese football Benfica, Porto and Sporting got off while Boavista was taken down – well that is the local explanation for their decline. But, they are back now. Unfortunately Boavista lost the match against Rio Ave with 1-2. But they still have the most beautiful shirts I know.
Then, on the last day of my holiday a trip to Dragon Stadium and the home ground of the famous F.C. Porto. I had heard much about their football museum and wanted to see what was on offer. Believe me this was something else. I have been to a few football museums around Europe, and this must surely be one of the best. For a football historical nerd like myself I had shivers walking through the club’s history.
All aspects was covered, foundation, rivalries, good times and bad times, other sports, low lows and glorious highs. I took lots of pictures but they can no fully justify the experience. But maybe the words of my wife can. Not many I know have a wife that comes along to football matches etc. My wife has helped me and supported me in my passion for Liverpool F.C. God knows how many cemeteries we have visited searching for old players, grounds visited, book stores explored for any kind of statistic books. She’s been there, and she knows more than average football related items.
Her words a few minutes into the museum was “Wow, this is something else.”
It surely was!
Thank you, Portugal, Benfica, Boavista and FC Porto. May you all prosper and may fortune be with you in all your quests (maybe not when you are up against Liverpool).
Pictures from the football museum at F.C. Porto; starting with Bobby Robson and myself and ending up with colour images of old Porto-players. I hope you will enjoy it,
"Play Up, Liverpool" 