[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Gondolin. The Hidden Rock. The city on a hill, founded in memory of Tirion-upon-Túna. The most enduring fortress of the Noldor in Beleriand. Winner of the 2010 Arda Cup. One of the powers of football in Arda

The Gondolindrim have long been isolated from the rest of Beleriand, and they have turned to many things to distract them from the rumours of trouble in the world at large. Some have turned to music, some to arts and crafts, but many have turned to sports, most especially football, both as players and as spectators. Almost every young Elf in Gondolin has once played in a youth football team; some have gone on to become senior players in the various local clubs, the biggest of which are AC Gondolin and Inter Gondolin (both of which play in the regional Northwest League). And a few have gone on to become players of great renown for other teams: Glorfindel of Eriador, Turgon of Inter Beleriand, and Ecthelion of Anfauglith have once played for Gondolin in both the youth and the senior levels, and brothers Huor and Húrin, both of Hithlum, have once been loaned to Gondolin as youth players.

Few other cities can boast of such a vast talent base relative to its size. Nargothrond have gone no closer to the cup than the first knockout round. Doriath, a kingdom many times larger than Gondolin, required the services of Túrin, Beren, and Huan to secure the cup. And Angband, for all their power and wealth, have never once played in an Arda Cup final.

Gondolin boast three arenas that fall under the AFA’s stadium category A—stadiums with capacities greater than 30 000, excellent pitch conditions, and a sizeable media area for broadcast teams and press conferences. The oldest one, Ondolindë Stadium in city centre of Gondolin, is a multi-purpose stadium currently being converted into a pure footballing arena. The Rock of the Music of the Water, as it’s also known, has been used during the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Arda Cup, but has recently been supplanted by the bigger and more modern Stadium on the Rock, sitting on the edge of a cliff above the plains of Tumladen. Boasting a capacity of 85 000, it hosted last year’s quarterfinal ties between Real Valinor and Rohan, as well as AC Beleriand and Shire-Bree United. And this year it will host five group games (the second game of the last group stage matchday will be played at the nearby Tumladen Park, the third category A stadium in the city.)

Cornflower blue banners were flown upon the gleaming white walls of the Stadium on the Rock, commemorating the return of the city’s daughter, Idril Celebrindal, to the home team. Also returning home (but playing for a different team) is their king Turgon, goalkeeper for Inter Beleriand. Most of Fëanor’s AC Beleriand squad were also familiar with the stadium, having secured their advance to the semifinal within its walls. The only newcomers then were the Dwarves United team; Aulë, Celebrimbor, Galadriel, and the dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost have long expressed their desire to see Gondolin for themselves, and the Middle-earth dwarves and Legolas were happy to be playing in a historic city.

Group B Main Host: Stadium on the Rock (Capacity: 85 000)
17:00 WBT Inter Beleriand - Dwarves United
20:00 WBT AC Beleriand - Gondolin

*Western Beleriand time