DODGING war zones, tucking into horse brains and braving Arctic conditions, an away day in Kazakhstan is like no other.
Chelsea face Astana in the Conference League tomorrow, with die-hard fans embarking on a gruelling 3,700-mile journey to near the Chinese border.
HaytersChelsea face Astana 3,700 miles away[/caption]
HaytersBlues fans have made the gruelling trip, eating horse brains and drinking Russian beer[/caption]
Blues supporters are experienced European travellers and they have watched their side clinch continental success before – yet this trip provides an equally unforgettable and unique experience for the 500 going.
Three flights are needed as direct journeys from London to the city of Almaty only run once on a Sunday and Tuesday.
Chelsea fans have therefore been forced to get inventive, with the 24-hour trip beginning on Wednesday with a plane to Ankara, Turkey from London’s Stansted Airport.
A seven-hour layover in an eerily quiet terminal until a local time of 2am awaits before boarding a second flight between two war zones to Astana.
The route taken goes over the Black and Caspian Seas, using a so-called “Middle Corridor”, in order to avoid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the north and the raging Middle East tensions to the south.
That would normally be far enough, but Astana’s usual home ground is being renovated and they are instead playing 764 miles away in Almaty’s Central Stadium.
When touching down just 235 miles away from China, the Chelsea faithful are greeted by bitterly cold temperatures.
Weather forecasts say it will drop to -11 at the time of the game.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
But it has not put off Londoner George Higgins, who said it was the allure of visiting a new country that attracted him to the trip.
His adventure was pushed over the 24-hour mark by a three-hour delay at Heathrow before he finally boarded a flight to Kazakhstan via Istanbul and the Uzbekistan capital Tashkent.
In a region five hours ahead of UK time, Almaty is a city that finds itself somewhere between gentrification and post-Soviet greyness.
Battered Mercedes estates of years gone by fill the roads but there are also modern shopping malls full of familiar brands.
In the back alleys there is a surprising number of English-inspired pubs for fans to enjoy once they have shaken off the jet-lag.
HaytersTemperatures will hit -11 at kick-off[/caption]
Over a pint of Russian beer, Norwegian Chelsea fans Knut, Lars, Sven, and Anders discuss a week that has seen them ditch the usual pre-match pie for a plate of horse brains.
On what drew them to this unique away day, they said: “The trip, mate, the trip.
“We said ‘we have to go to Kazakhstan.’ If Chelsea are going, why shouldn’t we?
“I was actually hoping to qualify for the Conference League because of exactly these types of away days.
“You get to watch teams you have never heard of, but you still want the excuse of going somewhere you would never normally go.
“It was a very nice journey, but a long one.”
The last time Chelsea were near Asia for a game was when they beat Arsenal in the 2018 Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Enzo Maresca and the travelling Blues fans will be hoping the miles on the clock are worth it come May 28 next year for the Conference League final in Wroclaw, Poland.
HaytersChelsea have had to travel to Almaty as Astana’s ground is being redeveloped[/caption]
HaytersIt is a 24-hour journey from Stansted[/caption]