Grótta

Ground: Gróttuvöllur

Visits: 1

Date: 20th July 2012

Match: Grótta - Hamar 2-0 (2. Delid)

Attendance: 114

I wanted to visit yet another new country this summer and started to look at different options. After a while I decided for Iceland and the possibility to attend matches four days in a row being the deciding factor. My schedule started with a 2. Delid match between Grótta and Hamar. 2. Delid is the third tier in Iceland but with it being on Friday evening and easy to get to from my hotel I considered this to be a bonus match. My flight to Reykjavik was at 14.30 on Friday afternoon. It takes around 3 hours to fly from Copenhagen to Reykjavik but with the two hour time difference we actually landed by 15.30. As we approached Iceland there was partly a clear sky and from my window seat I could see the impressive Vatnajökull glacier, the largest in Europe. When I left the plane at Keflavik airport the weather was quite nice, + 15° C and a blue sky. The weather in Iceland can change quickly though and on the way to central Reykjavik we drove into a rainshower. A couple of hours later it was back to sunshine and before making my way to Seltjararnes, the part of Reykjavik where Grótta are based, I did a mini tour of the city centre and visited one of Iceland's tallest buildings. Hallgrimskirkja is a very big and impressive church. It is situated on a hill and visible from far away. It took 38 years to build the church. Construction work began in 1945 and ended in 1986, the landmark tower being completed long before the church's actual completion.

Hlemmur bus terminal is one of the hubs for buses in Reykjavik. Being 300 metres from my hotel I realized I was a bit lucky with my choice of hotel. From Hlemmur there is a direct bus to Gróttuvöllur, the home of Grótta, which of course was perfect for me. I was at the ground by 19.30 and despite being there only 30 minutes prior to kick-off I was the first spectator to arrive. Gróttuvöllur has an artificial pitch and is situated only 100 metres from the sea. When the weather is as nice as it was this Friday evening it is a great place for football. There is only one stand at Gróttuvöllur, 300 seats in the north side of the ground. Behind this stand there is a grass slope from where you could take some really nice pictures of the ground and surrounding sea.

Grótta were relegated from 1. Delid last year and are now in the bottom half of 2. Delid. One angry fan (see picture below) demanded the departure of the manager! The match this Friday evening was not that bad. It ended 2-0 to Grótta and some relief for the home fans, not to mention the manager. Five minutes after the final whistle I boarded the last bus of the day from Seltjararnes to Hlemmur. It had been a long day for me but with the weather being as nice as it was I didn't have any complaints.

vatnajökull