Frostoms played several teams from the Balkans on their recent tour of Basel Switzerland.

FROSTOMS football team for over-35s have been to Switzerland to play in an Anglo/Balkan tournament.The Frostoms team from Workington during their visit to Basel the Workington side, which plays in the Cumbria Veterans? League, took on teams from Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia at the Sportplatz Landauer in Basel.As a warm-up to the tournament Frostoms played ASC Sparta Helvetik and Frostoms proved to be the perfect guests by allowing their hosts to win 2-0.The following day, in the tournament, Frostoms were drawn against FC Alkar from Croatia and FC Sloboda from Serbia.In their first game, against FC Alkar, Frostoms were under pressure from the start and it came as no surprise when the Croatians took an early lead.Frostoms battled hard but the Croatians were solid in defence they were also able to score twice more shortly after half-time.Simon Ward gave Frostoms hope when he pulled a goal back but Alkar netted a fourth to give the Croatians a 4-1 victory.In their next group game Frostoms could not have had a worse start against FC Sloboda from Serbia when Nebosja Ojdanic scored within a minute.Tony McMullen then scored an own goal of the best quality with a looping header to put the Serbs two goals up despite Brian White trying valiantly to keep it out.Frostoms tried hard and Mike Cameron, Barry Hitchen, Joe McGuiness and Bob McGarry all had goal-bound efforts turned away.With two defeats the Workington side were out of the tournament. However, as both Alkar and Sloboda went on to qualify easily for the final, Frostoms had obviously been in the harder of the two groups.The next day Frostoms played their final game against FK Vardar from Macedonia for the FK Vardar Turnier Pokal.Frostoms were good to their hosts when a defensive mix-up by Jeremy Lihou and Tim Linford let in Be!ikola Gergev.
Barry Hitchen equalised and McMullen scored for the first time in 30 games on tour to give the visitors the lead.
He scored his second the take Frostoms into a 3-1 lead but Vardar then powered into a 5-3 lead.Ben Hadfield had a goal-bound shot blocked by team-mate Jim Mavir but luckily the loose ball fell to Tim Linford who chipped home from just outside the penalty area.In the last minute Ben Hadfield put the ball in the net from close range to draw the teams level at 5-5.A penalty shootout then took place and Bob McGarry, Mike Cameron, Tim Linford and Ian Lowery scored for Frostoms to give them a 4-1 win on spot kicks.
Clubs in Basel have asked if any teams of any age group wish to visit. They would be honoured to organise games against similar standards and age groups.Contact Tony McMullen on 07941 581188 for further details.