globe trotter: richard has a nou experience

October 26th, 2009

The Nou Camp, home of F.C. Barcelona, is one of the largest football stadiums in the world and is capable of holding 110,000 spectators.

From the outside the stadium is not as impressive as many of the modern premiership football stadiums, it is the beauty and magic that happens on the pitch that is of most concern to the Catalan supporters.

The stadium complex is the centre of local pride; the tour itself is also one of the most popular in the city with football fans from all over the world taking in the rich history on show.

The tour takes in various areas of the stadium from the conference centre to the tunnel leading out onto the pitch. I could only imagine what it would feel like to walk up those steps when there are all those fans cheering and chanting.

From the pitch side the view is even more impressive as the pitch is sunken below ground level. The steepness of the stands could most probably bring out vertigo in anyone!

The highlight of the tour for me was the museum. Seeing the different memorabilia from all the fantastic players who have worn the Barcelona shirt over the years was an amazing experience. Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo and Hagi are just a few of the greats who have helped the club achieve greatness and getting to see all the league and cup trophies that have been won made the achievements of my club Blackburn seem extremely insignificant!

There was also the opportunity to have our picture taken with the European Cup – definitely one for the scrapbook as you can probably tell by the childish grin on my face! It was far heavier than I imagined it to be, the adrenaline of winning the trophy must have helped Carlos Puyol when he lifted it after beating Manchester United last June!

All in all, the stadium is a must visit for anyone visiting the city of Barcelona. It encapsulates the Catalonian spirit, the passion, the art and, of course, the football!