SEA DEVILS ‘WANT TO STAY IN HAMBURG’
The European League of Football’s Hamburg Sea Devils have confirmed the venue for their next home game, fulfilling a promise to stage five games in their home city this season.
The situation has not been as easy as it may sound, however, with the team having struggled to line up a location for their game against the Madrid Bravos on 28th June. While the majority of the Sea Devils fixtures are staged at the Hoheluft Stadium, with an annual ‘away day’ in Bremen to open the campaign, the game with Madrid next weekend will take place at the more intimate Sportpark Eimsbüttel closer to the heart of the city.
“We want to stay in Hamburg and are very happy to have found a home for our home game against Madrid together with the city,” GM Mark Weitz commented. “We said we wanted to play five games in Hamburg this season — and we’re going to do it.”
Hamburg’s remaining home games following the Madrid encounter will be played at the Hoheluft, against the Nordic Storm, on 6th July before the grand season finale against the Rhein Fire at the bigger Volksparkstadion on 20th July.
In the meantime, there is the small matter of this weekend’s rematch with the Prague Lions, at the Hoheluft, where Hamburg expect to face a much better team than the one they beat 28-13 on the road in the Czech Republic.
After the trouncing they suffered against a Rhein Fire side determined to bounce back after successive home defeats, the Sea Devils will be looking to stage their own return to form in Sunday’s lunch-time kick-off, but face a Prague side buoyed by back-to-back wins, including a road victory over the Wroclaw Panthers.
“We expect a much tougher game than the last time we met Prague,” head coach Lee Rowland confirmed. “Their offense has developed further and showed noticeable improvement in the last game. We know we have to work hard to emerge victorious this time.”
With good weather forecast — something that’s not been a given in this year’s ELF — Weitz is hoping for a good turn out for what could be a pivotal game as Hamburg try to keep pace in the tough North Division.
“After last weekend’s defeat, we naturally want to show a reaction,” he said. “With perfect weather, in front of our fans, and in this special atmosphere at the Hoheluft Stadium, we’ll do everything we can to come back with a cohesive team performance and bring the next victory to Hamburg.”