The flight on the Polish Airline was smooth but long. The 6am departure meant an early start for the travelling party and with a fuel stop on the way the journey took six and a half hours. The players reached their hotel around 5pm local time (3 hours ahead of the UK) and after a short rest they made their way to the stadium for a light session.
With Vigurs, McFadden and Sutton left at home there is an opportunity for some younger players to catch the manager’s eye. A fierce welcome from a big Russian crowd is expected and some valuable experience will be gained by those who have yet to experience an European away leg.
While the official party settled down to business the fans took to the town. Around forty travelled on the club charter and they were joined in the bars in the city centre by those who had travelled via Moscow.
The local beer passed the taste test and relationships were re-established with some of the Kuban fans who made the journey to Motherwell for the first leg. Krasnodar is a modern city with 750,000 inhabitants. The wide avenues and green spaces will be explored before the match and first reactions seem to be very positive.
All we need now is a wee surprise at the game!
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