By KIERAN GILL
Published: 17:30 EST, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 12 December 2024
Chelsea were joined by around 500 fans on their trip to southeastern Kazakhstan for Thursday's Conference League clash with Astana and it is fair to say the journey was not for the faint-hearted.
Mark Narborough kindly relayed his odyssey to Mail Sport, beginning on Monday when he flew from London’s Heathrow Airport to Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. From there, he made his way to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on a Pegasus overnight flight which completed close to 10 hours of air travel.
There is still a very Soviet feel to Bishkek, with a Vladimir Lenin statue sitting in front of the State History Museum, and a communist-chic Ferris wheel at Panfilov Park. Oh, and lamb heads, complete with teeth, being sold by street vendors upon a visit to the maze of a marketplace that is Osh Bazaar.
Good luck haggling as English is not exactly a common language and, as pretty as this region overlooked by the Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountain range is, tourists get the sense they are not the most welcome.
After a night of karaoke with mates in Bishkek’s Munchen Pub came a hangover-curing visit to the natural hot springs in the mountains of rural Kyrgyzstan. Followed by another flight from Bishkek to Almaty in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, the body clock confused after yet another time-zone change. The 75p pints are a remedy, at least.
A farcical number of Kazakhstani police officers descended on the Almaty Central Stadium — where this game took place due to renovation work at Astana’s ground — before kick-off, witnesses saying they arrived in their hundreds by bus.
Chelsea travelled to Astana, Kazakhstan for their UEFA Conference League tie on Thursday
(From left) Chelsea fans Mark Narborough, Joe Byrne and Max Baker-Smith who made the trip
Lamb heads were sold by street vendors upon a visit to the marketplace that is Osh Bazaar
Mark and his mates were rewarded for their 7,000-mile round trip with a 3-1 win and a keyring given to him at ticket collection which read: ‘Over land and sea, Stamford Bridge to Almaty, 3,485 miles.’ Now that is dedication.