Champions League

Table as at 21/10:
GROUP D    P W D L GF GA Pts
ManUnited  3  1  2  0   11   7     5
BMünchen   3  1  1  1   4    5     4
Barcelona  3  1  1  1   5    4     4
Brøndby    3  1  0  2   2    9     3

Brondby 2 (1)  v (3) 6 Manchester United  FT
Scorers:
Brondby - Kim Daugaard 34, Ebbe Sand 90
Manchester United - Ryan Giggs 2, 21, Andy Cole 27, Roy Keane 54, Dwight Yorke 59, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 61

Manchester United's faltering Champions' League campaign at last burst into life with a thumping victory in Copenhagen.

Alex Ferguson's side, who had not won in Europe this season, destroyed Brondby with a display of clinical attacking football.
Wave after wave of attacks led to goals, as United refused to play the containing game favoured by coaches for European away games.

Peter Schmeichel, back in the visitors' line-up after injury, watched from the other end as his former club, who frequently suffered defensive lapses, were ripped open.

The fireworks began as early as the second minute, when Ryan Giggs made the most of a blunder at the back.

Teenager Wes Brown, making his European debut, embarked a strong run down the right flank - but there seemed little danger from his cross until goalkeeper
Mogens Krogh fumbled the ball after a mix-up with defender Kennth Rasmussen.
Giggs was on hand to steer the ball into the unguarded net.

Cole came close to adding to the score when Krogh turned his angled shot around the post and another effort drifted just wide. But a second goal was not long in coming.

And again it was Giggs who found the target. With 21 minutes on the clock Jesper Blomqvist sent over a high cross from the left and the Welshman rose unchallenged to head home from six yards out.

By now United were in complete control and, after a Paul
Scholes effort was deflected around the post, Cole added a third in the 27th minute.

Yorke linked well with Giggs, who in turn found Cole on
the edge of the area and the striker finished emphatically from 18 yards out.

But just when United began to get into festive mood,
Brondby issued a timely reminder not to take victory for granted.

From a 34th minute free-kick Kim Daugaard fired in a
shot shot from 20 yards, which squirmed under a flailing Peter Schmeichel.

But United came out after the break with renewed vigour
and it did not take long for their rampant attacks to cause further damage.

Three goals in an eight-minute spell not only sealed victory for the visitors, they provided the ideal boost to United's goal difference.

Ten minutes into the second half, Yorke laid the ball off to Keane inside
the Danes' penalty and the skipper finished in fine style with a right-foot
shot that went in off the post.

Then on the hour Phil Neville crossed from the left and
Yorke capitalised to head home the fifth goal on the night.

Three minutes later it was six, as substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joined in the show, lashing home a 25-yarder with his first touch, just seconds after entering the fray in
place of Cole.

United hit cruise control for the last 27 minutes and Ferguson used the closing stages as a chance to blood younger players, with teenage midfielder Mark Wilson
coming on for his debut after 65 minutes.

Ebbe Sand added a late consolation for Brondby, but awesome United had done enough to go joint top of their group.

IF Brondby: Krogh, Bjur, Colding, Nielsen, Rasmussen, Ravn, B Jensen, Daugaard, Bo Hansen, Lindrup, Sand. Subs: Vragel for Jensen, Bagger for Bo Hansen Scorers: Daugaard (35), Sand (90)

Manchester United: Schmeichel, P Neville, Stam, G Neville, Brown, Keane, Giggs, Blomqvist, Scholes, Cole, Yorke. Subs: Solskjaer for Cole, Cruyff for Giggs, Wilson for Yorke. Scorers: Giggs (2,21), Cole (28), Keane (55), Yorke (60), Solskjaer (63)

Referee: Vitor Manuel Pereira (Por)

Attendance: 40,530 Parken Kobenhavn

---

UNITED ENJOY FAIRYTALE NIGHT IN DENMARK

Group D: Brondby 2 Manchester United 6

MANCHESTER UNITED hit Brondby for six in Copenhagen to ignite their European campaign inexplosive fashion. Alex Ferguson's side were simply awesome in the Parken Stadium as they overran the Danes to record their best ever victory in the Champions League.

In their two previous Group D games, United had played well only to be pegged back for draws but last night there was no stopping them. Ryan Giggs began the rout when he scored after just 100 seconds and United dominated the entire game. The victory, which was United's first in the competition in 11 months, puts them in a commanding position at the top of the group.

Peter Schmeichel returned from his stomach muscle injury to face his former club, althoug Jaap Stam took the goal-kicks. United were without six first team players, but that made little difference to Ferguson's formidable squad. He had a potential problem at right midfield with the suspension of Nicky Butt and David Beckham, but he moved Giggs across to that flank while Paul Scholes partnered Roy Keane in the centre of the park. Giggs was superb and scored the first two goals before he came off just after the hour.

And in the land of Hans Christian Andersen, Wesley Brown's fairytale United career continued as he made his European debut at right back. And it was the newest of Fergie's fledglings who helped create United's first goal. Keane found him as he made a great run down the right but there seemed little danger when he crossed into the middle. However, Brondby goalkeeper Mogens Krogh fumbled the ball after a mix-up with Kenneth Rasmussen and Giggs knocked the ball into the unguarded net.

Andy Cole came close to a second when his angled shot was touched away for a corner by Krogh, while Brondby tried to claw their way back in wet conditions more suited to a rainy night in Manchester and Soren Colding stung Schmeichel's fingers with a fierce 25-yard drive which he held at the second attempt.

But there was no stopping United, who were playing Danish opposition in Europe for the first time, and after 21 minutes they made it 2-0. Jesper Blomqvist sent over a high cross from the left and Giggs rose unchallenged to head home from six yards out. Six minutes later it was 3-0 when Giggs found Yorke, who in turn supplied Cole. He applied a great finish from the edge of the area.

Thomas Lindrup was booked after 34 minutes for taking a free-kick without the referee's permission and his second yellow card means he misses the return match at Old Trafford in two weeks' time. Kim Daugaard stepped up to take the free-kick at the second attempt and his 20 -yard shot skimmed off the greasy surface and underneath Schmeichel. That goal gave the Danes a glimmer of a hope but it did not last for long.

After the interval, Giggs and Cole combined and almost set up Yorke but the ball was played just too far in front of him. But United did not have much longer to wait for their next goal. It came in the 55th minute through Keane who fired home with a shot from outside the area which went in off a post.

But United were far from finished and Cole was denied a fifth by Krogh. On the hour though, the Reds stretched their lead to 5-1 when Phil Neville sent over a pinpoint cross which Yorke headed home for his seventh goal in ten United appearances.

That was the signal for Ferguson to bring off Cole and Giggs and he replaced them with Jordi Cruyff and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And within two minutes Solskjaer made it 6-1 when he shot home. United's travelling support of 1,600 fans were in party mood and they chanted the name of their manager as he handed teenage midfielder Mark Wilson his first team debut when he came on for Yorke in the 65th minute. Brondby pulled back a consolation goal in the final minute through striker Ebbe Sand, but there was no denying it was United's night.

And that result leaves United at the top of Group D after Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 1-0. Stefan Effenberg scored the vital goal on the stroke of half-time, and it means United now have five points, while both Bayern and Barcelona have four.

---

Copenhagen Parken Report pt 1/3
          .... 23 RED hours by Barry Leeming

Born To Be Wild, Wet & RED

Aalborg Flag Denmark: Picture from Craisy Daisy 21/10/98

Wed 21st Oct Early morning alarm at 6am, time to catch the 7am MUSCS Bus from Aalborg for the planned trip to Parken over the new "Storebelt Bridge" fron Jutland to Sjaelland. This trip was planned to 6hrs arriving in Copenhagen at 13.00.

The first part of the trip went smoothly with Calypso sounds from cassette tape and after filling the bus with REDS in Randers,Arhus,Horsens,Vejle & Fredericia we were now nearly full with 50 REDS. Through the bus intercom I arranged a "Tips Club" and at the price of 5kr/tip there was soon 485kr in the kitty with scorelines from 0-1?? (this was our driver) to 8-1!! The kitty would be divided between all those with the correct score. The coach video system was not working some electrical problem and we were soon to find ourselves in dire straits North of Fredericia! The bus stopped for the usual "break" and hey presto the electric door would not open! We all piled in/out through the driver's door/window. Btw it was pouring with rain and as we hit the road again we were soon to discover that the wipers were not working and there were no lights on the bus. (Note: lights are compulsory day/night in Denmark). Everybody started flashing us....

Jorgen our chauffor began to ring round for help and after stopping at a workshop, who could not help, decided that we would need a reserve bus. Arriving at Vejle we were to take on the last passengers but instead we were all had to pile OUT of the bus! We had heard that the "new" reserve bus would come in 15 mins putting us around 1 hour behind schedule.

New bus & new chauffor John arrived and all RED faces were happy again. The new bus was more modern and the bar was open! I sat up front serving beer/coke & chatting in the mike + singing songs (I can't sing). The new video did not work either! :( The display read d = damp so not too surprising judging by the buckets of wet stuff falling constantly from the heavens!

We stopped again North of the bridge were we met the other Musc Support Coach which had started in the Varde/Esbjerg region. Helge Conradsen who is Formand for the Muscs in Denmark (almost 4000 members in the Branch) came on the bus to say hi! He mentioned that we should run a tips club NOT allowing any Brondby Win "tips". These should be thrown off the coach. Unfortunatley Helge did not realise our new bus driver had tipped 0-1! We decided to keep him ON the bus rather quickly :))

Checking the video it was now working! :) So ahead with the loatest David Beckhan Career Video and a good time was had by all! The new Bridge was an amazing site it's a suspension bridge, 2nd largest in the world. My first time over.. toll was 900kr for the bus!!

We eventually arrived in Copenhagen around 2.45 pm an hour late, checking out "Parken" and parking facilities we then drove to Craisy Daisy for the Scandiavian Club Meet which was all afternoon!

---

Born To Be Wild, Wet & RED: by Barry Leeming
         Copenhagen Parken Report pt t2/3

Pt2 Craisy Daisy: TV, flags and beer:
Copenhagen 1500 hrs Norregade and Craisy Daisy had changed its name?

Yes we arrived at the club rented for the Scandinavian Manchester United Party. Now called "ENZO" for some peculiar reason, we all piled in to find loads of REDS all ready to sing drink and get together for the next 3 hours!!!

Danish TV had already arrived, the DJ was playing all the Red sounds he could find and there was "our" new RED Aalborg flag hanging on the wall. A well know journalist called Madsen got the guys together for a pic which was to appear on the back page of the Danish national newspaper "Ekstra Bladet" on Thursday morning. You can see this pic on the net if you read the multi media match report at above address. Grabbing a beer all the old friends were there and also quite a few UK guys. Helge Conradsen the Danish Chairman arrived and welcomed us all saying he was off to chat to Dwight and Andy. He has become a total fan of these two, Andy was always his favorite now he has both of them. The drinking continued and the crowd size was building up to around 800. The Danish branch of the supporters club MUSCS has now 4000 members!

The RED NEWS were represented and souvenirs + badges were for sale. Amazingly to us the RED NEWS guys had match tickets for sale, where were you Kerry? (some supporters had not made it over due to excessive expenses at the beer festival in Munich) and the tickets were snapped up for 200kr. Many of the Scandinavian REDS were holding tickets for the Brondby end so they were only too pleased for this opportunity to use "Entrance D" instead! Toilets were downstairs in the cellar and we arranged with the camera "girl!" to come and interview us all whilst relieving ourselves :))

We all stood in a row and she even filmed the actual water running down the drain. THIS WAS SHOWN on the national Danish TV news 18.50 hrs that same night. At the end of the interview Henrik was asked by the interviewer "If I say that Manchester United are a terrible side will you urinate on me?" "Most probably" said Henrik!! I ask you now, "would they have shown that on BBC Prime time?" That's one of the difference's between Denmark and Great Britain.

Around 16.30 Henrik, Preben, Leo and I went off to "The Old English Pub" to find Mike Dobbin and the crowd from London. This is the only pub in Copenhagen selling draught Boddies. No sign of them so back to the club. Mike "Hi! where have you been we have been looking for you" :)) I grabbed a round and there was Mike Dobbin, Steve and others including Graham who turned up a little later. Mike then presented me with a bar of SOAP in a plastic holder, as onlookers were laughing!! This was a bar I had left in his bathroom on the way up to the Eric/Munich Testimonial. Mike had thoughtfully flown over with it in his pocket, THANKYOU Mike :))

Time for Barry "DJ" to take over. I went up in the disco and found no mini disc or tape machine, just the cd's he was playing. No calypso or any good stuff, all planning out the window, I took over using a microphone (no ekko) running through a few ditties & shooting off a few names. Calling out Denmark, Sweden & Norway I forgot Iceland! Sorry Helgi I reckon I put that straight before I left?? The crowd was in good spirits and RED films were shown on the big screen. Only prob with my singalong show was this Danish dj who put Yellow Submarine on without asking me first ("Scouser" shouted the crowd) I quickly pulled it off again...sorry for all those who were hurt! Still we had a good singalong and Mike Dobbin was mentioned MORE than once ... oops! After all I had been drinking one or two beers?

I had to leave at 1800 as I had booked a meal with 3 work mates who would be going to the match with me. btw I still had my sons match ticket in my pocket at this time. Michael is in the Danish Army and they would not let him out the b....rs!

What happened later? read more in 2 days, it's weekend football + disco's today & tomorrow so I will conclude this report on Sunday!

to come
pt3 The Match & home:  RED goals galore and a long trip home

Barry "diggin the potatoes in Denmark"
Match report with pics http://Red11.org/mufc/9899/matfbroa.htm

---

Before match preview:      

Official url: http://www.brondby-if.dk/frames.htm

Brondby Support: http://www.bif-support.dk/
http://www.bif-support.dk/html/billede.htm Pictures
http://www.bif-support.dk/html/lyd.htm Sound files
+ http://www.bif-support.dk/html/mighty.htm
_________________

All you ever need to know about Brondby FC but did not dare to ask!

Address: Brøndby IF A/S
GildhøjCentret Brøndbyvester Boulevard 8 DK-2605 Brøndby
Tel +45 43 63 08 10 fax +45 43 43 26 27
E-mail: brondby@brondby-if.dk

Chairman of the Board: Ole Borch
Managing Director and Chairman of the amateur Club: Per Bjerregaard
Headcoach: Ebbe Skovdahl
Head-sponsor: CODAN FORSIKRING A/S
Sports clothes-sponsor: Reebok
Home ground: Brøndby Stadion Capacity 21.300
Seating capacity 6.074
Light 1.000 LUX Dimension: 109m x 74m.
Club members: About 1.000
active Teams: About 60 teams play in a local tournament

Colour (home/away): Yellow-Blue -Blue / Purple-Purple-Purple

History With about 1,200 members, a very large and dynamic youth department and room for both èlite and width, Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening is today one of Denmark’s largest and most powerful football clubs. Furthermore, it has Denmark’s largest and best organised fan club “Brøndby Support” with more than 16,100 members.

Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening was founded on the 3rd of December 1964 by consolidating the two football clubs Brøndbyøster Idrætsforening and Brøndbyvester Idrætsforening. The reason for the consolidation was a wish from the at the time parish council to unite the sport associations of the municipality. At that time the association comprised several types of sports such as football, team handball, gymnastics, badminton etc. From the beginning the football department concentrated on the youth. Throughout the years, the youth department has always had and still has a very high priority in the club. The senior department was, however, also strengthened by the consolidation and already in 1967 it succeeded in winning the Zealand 1. series and was promoted to the Zealand League. During the same period, the club was divided according to the different sports. The football club kept the name and the mayor of Brøndby, Kjeld Rasmussen, became its first president. In January 1973 he was succeeded by Per Bjerregaard, who has been club president since then.

Finn Laudrup, a former player of the Danish national team, coached and played for the team in 1973. But from 1974 he concentrated on playing and became captain of the team and fulfilled the club’s first long-term goal: to become a division club. Later the club was promoted in 1977 and in 1981. With that the next goal was achieved: First Division. During the first three seasons the club took the honourable, but frustrating fourth place. On his 18th birthday on the 15th of June 1982, Michael Laudrup became Brøndby IF’s first player on the Danish national team. Since then, further 30 players from Brøndby IF have played on the Danish national team. The first Danish championship was won in 1985. Later championships in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998 followed. The Danish national cup tournament was won by Brøndby IF in 1989, 1994 and 1998.

On the international arena Brøndby IF has made a name for itself as Denmark’s most powerful football club since its first European Cup match in the autumn of 1986. Brøndby IF has played a total of 62 European Cup matches in the three European tournaments. The best result achieved was the semi-final in the UEFA Cup in 1991, but also the quarter finals in the European Champions Cup in 1987 and in the UEFA Cup in 1997 has earned the club international respect. The best single results in this context was the win against Liverpool FC in 1995 and Karlsruher SC in 1996. In 1998 Brøndby IF is playing in Champions League group D with FC Bardelona, Byern München and Manchester United..

Brøndbyernes IF Fodbold A/S was founded on the 15th of May 1978 in connection with the introduction of professional football in Denmark. Brøndbyernes IF Fodbold A/S became listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in 1987. Brøndby IF was with this the second football club in the world to be listed.

In 1990 Brøndby IF acquired and rebuild GildhøjCentret, the former Gildhøj School, representing an investment of DKK 65 million. The rebuilding was financed by a capital increase in 1990. The GildhøjCentre is situated in the immediate vicinity of Brøndby Stadium and consists of a hotel with 78 rooms, a health centre and a physiotherapeutic clinic, the Team Danmark hostel and other enterprises. The administration of Brøndby IF is situated in the GildhøjCentre.

The chairman of Brøndby IF, lawyer Ole Borch, has been Brøndby IF’s lawyer since 1989 and was elected chairman of the board of directors in 1996.

Relations to Brøndby Support http://www.bif-support.dk/ http://www.bif-support.dk/html/billede.htm Pictures http://www.bif-support.dk/html/lyd.htm Sound files http://www.bif-support.dk/html/mighty.htm

Denmark’s largest and most active fan club “Brøndby Support”, with more than 16,100 members nationwide, was established in 1993. The fan club is an independent organisation with its own rules and management board. Information is exchanged with Brøndby IF and it is very important for Brøndby IF to be able to have a positive influence on the behaviour of the fan club members both at home as well as away games.

Brøndby Support plays an active role in ensuring that wherever Brøndby IF plays, the fans appear in great numbers and support the team with a positive spirit. Danish football supporters are generally positive and non-violent. Examples of the contrary are exceptions to the rule.

The Squad Goalkeepers: Mogens Krogh Emeka Andersen

Defence: Ole Bjur Per Nielsen Kenneth Rasmussen Søren Colding
Anders Bjerregaard Brian Jensen Vragel Da Silva Lasse Vigh

Centre: Allan Ravn Jensen John FAXE Jensen Kim Daugaard Jesper Thygesen
Aurelius Skarbalius Thomas Lindrup Mikkel Jensen Søren Krogh Mads Olsen

Attack: Ruben Bagger Ebbe Sand Bo Hansen Peter Madsen Bent Christensen
Thorbjørn Atli Sveinsson * Litauen

Manchester United Supporters Club Scandinavian Branch
Stiftet: 15 Feb 1981
             31.650 members / Aug 1998

Kontakt MUSCS
Norway: Ole P. Pedersen olep@united.no
Boks 4003, Dreggen, 5023 Bergen, Norway. Tlf: 5531 3889 Fax: 5596 2033

Denmark: Helge Conradsen,
Varminglundsvej 13, 6760 Ribe, Denmark. Tlf 75441396 Fax 75441412

Sweden: Kent Yxell,
Vastra Langgatan 4a, 374 33 Karlshamn, Sweden. Tlf/Fax: 0454 31 763

MUSCS: http://www.united.no
Support Site: http://Red11.org
Webmaster mail: BArry@mufc.dk

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