City game, suburb game

Östermalms IP, 7 maj 2011, Djurgården v. Hammarby, Pictures
Tyresövallen, 8 maj 2011, Tyresö v. LdB FC Malmö, Pictures
Damallsvenskan Round 5

If you live in the greater Stockholm area, you may thank me for the warm and sunny weather you experienced last weekend. Spooked by the snow at the Round 4 game in Malmö and freezing temperatures here in Uppland, I had gone down to the city prepared for the worst, with a heavy jacket, long underwear, and hat and gloves. Thankfully, they were not needed.


Accessibility and surroundings
Östermalms IP: A sunken field in a sports complex, close to Stadion, views to park-like open space, and a bus stop just across the street. The feeling is relaxed, unhurried, and calm, despite being in the middle of town.

Tyresövallen: Also part of a larger sports complex, with a much-less convenient bus stop; most people probably drive (as did we), and the drop-off area is narrow. The stadium is well to the south of downtown, but the immediate area feels cramped, and the overall feeling is not serene.

Advantage: Östermalms IP


Seating and field view
Östermalms IP: Bench-like seats in a permanent structure, with plenty or room to spread out. The lowest row of seating is on the entry level, but still perched high above the field, so one only needs to climb steps if one wants. The view of the pitch is therefore good, but quite remote; for immediacy of action, one might as well be watching the match on TV.

Tyresövallen: Horrible molded plastic seats in a semi-permanent structure set too close together, with rows set far too close together. Seated patrons, and those trying to get move past them, become much more intimate with each other than anyone is comfortable with. On the other hand, the pitch feels extremely close—closer even than Kanalplan, which I didn't think was possible—one can read a player's facial expressions, hear their exclamations and disappointments, and see their sweat and joy.
Advantage: Even


Facilities and creature comforts
Östermalms IP: A fantastically advanced menu and well-stocked cafe, complete with sandwiches, ice cream, pancakes, decent coffee, bags of colored marshmallows, burgers, hot dogs, and french fries; indoor and outdoor picnic seating. Bathrooms scrupulously clean and also well-stocked, if slightly confusing; when I came out of my little stall, I was confronted with several nearly identical white doors, and was briefly confused as to which was the Way Out.

Tyresövallen: I didn't make it inside the cafe myself, but one of My Spies reports that they had one sandwich ("Not one kind of sandwich, but just one sandwich," she quipped.) Burger grilling was taking place outside, and after the game the leftovers were distributed gratis. Outdoor seating. Bathroom facilities are small, messy, include no paper of any kind or soap, and the walls are painted in Tyresö's mustard yellow.
Advantage: Östermalms IP


Supporters, bling, celeb spotting, post-game vibe
Östermalms IP: Program includes (at long last!) the words to "The Djurgården Hymn" as well as the opponent's starting line-up, but also badly-pixelated pictures of the players. There is one homemade sign for decoration, and no souvenirs for purchase that I could see. Apparently I brushed past a Celeb in the stands and didn't even notice. People hang out a little after the game, and some players come up to the seats, which allows some feeling of closeness to them, especially important after they have been so remote during the game itself. After about ten minutes, the announcer comes to the PA to say that there are still people in the stands, implying that he wonders why we are hanging about, but taking advantage to remind us for the twentieth time that the next home game will be at Grimstads IP. The supporters are few in number and relatively quiet, although they seem pretty interested, even the young ones, and well-informed about the players.

Tyresövallen: Program is full-sized, nearly glossy, and costs money, so it must be good! (Starting line-ups are provided for free.) It includes a center-fold spread of the team, appropriately-scaled pictures of each player and staff member, and an interview with Josefin Öqvist in which we learn that she has a Jack Russell terrier named Bubba. The back of the near-stands is covered with huge pictures of the players; there is a little hut selling Tyresö t-shirts and scarves. Celeb spotting is good and includes someone from the previous day's match, now magically transformed to Celeb status by virtue of not being on the clock. Today's players are forced to mingle with the crowd after the game, because the stands are in-between the pitch and locker rooms. Twenty-eight hundred fans can make quite a noise, and the people around us seem to be well-informed and very interested in what's going on on the field.
Advantage: Tyresövallen


Weirdness
Östermalms IP: Next to each team's bench, there are small red wooden structures that are clearly recognizable as the bus shelters that one sees out in the countryside. Their purpose here on the sidelines is not at all obvious.
Tyresövallen: Past the northern goal is a small hill, and about 20 kids in swimsuits are running around in a circle and leaping into the air. A rather surreal sight.