Away experiences for match-going fans are usually associated with certain complications, for the lack of a better term.
It all starts off with travel arrangements, which can only be made after fixtures are announced.
For domestic games, this process goes by swimmingly, for European nights, however, you can expect a few hiccups.
Then we have accommodation, finding the ideal hotel on the required date, and of course, the tickets themselves.
With the checklist nearly complete, it’s time to assess the venue itself.
For the uninitiated, it’s fair to assume that the hard part is essentially over.
However, that is only partially true, as the away stands themselves can also be considered challenging.
In a similar vein to how away locker rooms are tweaked to cause discomfort for visiting teams, opposition stands are also altered to make the atmosphere just a little bit hostile.
The trend is especially true for the Europa and Conference Leagues, which aren’t as polished as the UCL, and hence, allow for certain undesirable elements to seep through.
Visiting Hammers’ learnt this the hard way last season when they travelled to Seville for an experience that is best described as an acrophobe’s nightmare.
Fortunately, they came across significantly better conditions during their most recent trip across Europe.
The West Ham faithful probably expected substandard conditions when they made the trip out to Denmark, for The Hammers’ fixture against Silkeborg.
JYSK Park was the venue for the evening, a stadium with a humble capacity of 10,000, and one you most probably would’ve never heard of until now.
Evidently, the stadium makes up for its meagre capacity with plenty of soul and what may just be the best away section we’ve seen yet.
As seen in this clip, the away seating area is the stuff of dreams.
Featuring a fully-equipped bar and concession stand, the stands also offer a glorious pitch-side view, allowing fans to survey the action while enjoying a fresh pint.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
West Ham fans online labelled it the ‘away end of dreams’, and considering that they frequently visit some excellent venues in England, it is high praise indeed.
