Erm just found this stored on my phone, Internet signal was variable, so...imagine I posted this one in 2012!!!
(Written errrr a long time ago...)
Folks, am out in Ug for a month at the moment, mainly with work (mental health projects).
I was first out there in 2008 and still owe a big (overdue :/ ) thank you to the fellow London Villa fans who donated shirts I took out, I left two sets of mixed vintage kit (one home and one away) at the Butabika national mental health referral hospital. Maybe one day I can get someone to blur out faces in the documentary of that trip to maintain the patients confidentiality. Back then we organised a good game with the patients, also went on the national Saturday radio sports show for football banter promoting the beautiful game as a way to maintain mental health. I also gave kids size shirts to a homeless street kids project in Kampala...
FYI, even though I know a local fan who refers to it as Soccer Club (as per a previous thread title) it is Sports Club villa according to their website.
Villa park I have some 2008 pics of, is the *very* low key training ground by a railway track from memory.
The home stadium is Nakivubo, where I saw other teams play in 2008.
Despite managing to be at the wrong stadium and missing the first half - just before I flew out all TV games were moved to the magnificently monikored Wankulukuku Stadium (home of Express FC) - I managed to finally see the team named after ours in the flesh. And they won! Cue various jokes of how far you have to travel to see Villa get 3pts etc.
http://mobi.supersport.com/football/uganda/news/120122/Villa_thump_Utoda_for_four*And* later in the day I managed to catch most of AVFC beating Wolves in a cafe too, thanks to Robbie Keane .
I generally find it alarming a lot of African fans are willing to pay to watch the premier league in a bar a lot sooner than go watch Ugandan footy, but the national team 'the Cranes' do get everybody going big time.
'Spot the most obscure shirt'/keeping a running count of how many of which team you see, is quite a good hobby when moving around a country like Uganda. Also wearing our colours a great way to meet people! It took a good minute or two to try and understand what one chap was saying, when finally I realised he was trying to pronounce, 'Agbonlahor'.
Wankulukuku Stadium (home of Express FC) comes complete with massive Marabou Storks flying overhead. (tip if you don't want to annoy local Kampala Footy fans as a 'Muzungu', don't get preoccupied taking pics of them instead of the action)