I've decided to blow the dust off this site, give it a spring clean and get it up and running again. If anybody wants to join me then all the better!!
If not, no problem, I'll just indulge myself along the way. I'll put up some photos and a few words about our trip to the Ukraine, and a little about our time in Miami.
Hope you enjoy!!
Sunday, 22 March 2015
Monday, 4 June 2012
Donetsk here we come!
Well the title of this post may give the impression that we are enthusiastically counting down the hours and days until we head out for another European venture. But to be honest this trip has not had a lot to recommend it at the moment. Booking flights and hotels has been a nightmare, and its no surprise that very few England fans will be making this trip. We leave from Birmingham on the 8th, flying into Istanbul where we catch our connection and head out to Donetsk.
The hotel prices have beaten me I'm afraid, quotes of £500 and £600 a night for a single room have been common in this area and despite the warnings that people wouldn't pay those figures they have been ignored by our hosts. Reluctantly I recruited the help of a friend of mine who lives in Kyiv and through him we've managed to secure a rental house 10 minutes from down-town Donetsk. My fingers are well and truly crossed that this turns out OK. We are being collected from the airport by a work colleague, which is a small but significant positive in what has so far been anything but. I hope that sets the trend. The arrangements have been painful, a million miles from what we would normally accept, but sometimes you have to make the most of it and do what you can.
Fingers and toes are well and truly crossed!!
The hotel prices have beaten me I'm afraid, quotes of £500 and £600 a night for a single room have been common in this area and despite the warnings that people wouldn't pay those figures they have been ignored by our hosts. Reluctantly I recruited the help of a friend of mine who lives in Kyiv and through him we've managed to secure a rental house 10 minutes from down-town Donetsk. My fingers are well and truly crossed that this turns out OK. We are being collected from the airport by a work colleague, which is a small but significant positive in what has so far been anything but. I hope that sets the trend. The arrangements have been painful, a million miles from what we would normally accept, but sometimes you have to make the most of it and do what you can.
Fingers and toes are well and truly crossed!!
Apologies for the lack of content
I've been rather busy on other 'stuff' over the last 6 months or so, but to be honest the England scene has lacked in its excitement level. Once we had qualified and then Fabio took his long walk there didn't seem to be much to raise the interest level. A period of reflection perhaps? A period of intense negativity even? It could well be. However we are on the eve of another tournament so perhaps, just perhaps, we might find something to cheer about. Here goes!
Monday, 12 December 2011
Statement from David Bernstein
It is important that people understand that amongst the many duties of The FA we have responsibility for the England team and also, separately, to oversee the domestic game’s regulatory function.
“Our philosophy for the national team is clear. We will run this along the same lines and with the same focus and commitment as any football club in this country. Our fans would expect no less.
“To achieve this we will fully support our manager and our players.
“This is simply what we have sought to achieve in reducing Wayne Rooney’s suspension. I am very pleased that we have been successful in this appeal.
“The FA’s disciplinary department has stated, from the outset, that the domestic regulatory process is different to that of UEFA’s. In the case of Wayne Rooney we have been well and independently advised and have followed proper UEFA process throughout.
“Our management and players respect that domestic disciplinary decisions of The FA are made independently of matters relating to the English national team.
“Our philosophy for the national team is clear. We will run this along the same lines and with the same focus and commitment as any football club in this country. Our fans would expect no less.
“To achieve this we will fully support our manager and our players.
“This is simply what we have sought to achieve in reducing Wayne Rooney’s suspension. I am very pleased that we have been successful in this appeal.
“The FA’s disciplinary department has stated, from the outset, that the domestic regulatory process is different to that of UEFA’s. In the case of Wayne Rooney we have been well and independently advised and have followed proper UEFA process throughout.
“Our management and players respect that domestic disciplinary decisions of The FA are made independently of matters relating to the English national team.
Monday, 14 November 2011
England to play in Dublin?
It's been rumoured for a while but now it seems like the appetite is there to see the English national team appear in Dublin at the reborn Lansdowne Road ground. The last time England played there in 1995 the game was abandoned after 27 minutes when England fans tried to demolish the stand they occupied about 15 years too early.
If both teams can avoid each other for group stages of the UEFA Euro's next summer in Poland and the Ukraine then there exists the appetite between both FA's to confirm the fixture. Trappatoni has revealed that talks have been ongoing for a couple of years but the diary was a bit full. Now that qualifying is out of the way and the home fixtures and contractual games are sorted then there is a gap here and there.
Thoughts are that it's still a bit early to arrange this type of fixture, after all its very close to home and travelling should not be a problem for any ardent English fan, but maybe the type of riot seen all those years ago has finally been extinguished. Rugby fans don't have problems in Dublin, after all they are welcomed with open arms, but they don't carry the patriotic hogwash with them. I have always fancied a trip to Dublin to watch an English team play there, maybe the time is right and we can all celebrate a summer of good football!
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Montenegro - Wayne Rooney and the final chapter
Sleep deprived as usual I clawed my way across the bedroom floor, minutes before the alarm would sound and really awaken the senses, not something I wanted to do at 3 in the morning. But sometimes these sacrifices need to be made to follow the national team across the increasing expanses of Europe and provide the support they really need. I'm sure Wayne Rooney and company would be desperately upset if I wasn't there! OK, its not true but that's what I tell my wife every time I book another flight to another unknown destination.
The last trip didn't excite the travel senses but Montenegro is a new country for all England fans, so we looked forward to this one with a little anticipation. If allowing new teams and countries into the UEFA finals has some benefits this has to be one of them. The 3 points were almost a given, so it wasn't for that reason that we parted with several hundred pounds, sweated over match ticket purchases and set off on the early morning trip to Luton airport last Thursday. We collected a couple of other YES friends along the way and joined the throngs heading south on the M1, by the way why are the motorways so crowded at that time of day, does nobody need any sleep? And why are the parking and drop off arrangements so bad at Luton airport, does anybody know how that's meant to work?
The check in queue was alive with fellow England fans, plenty of them old friends who we've met over the years and the miles. A quick cup of coffee in the departure lounge and hey presto we were being ushered onto our plane for the 2-3 hour flight to Tivat. Interestingly the plane had set off from Manchester airport earlier that day so it had about 50-60 England fans already on board but a further pit stop at Luton was required so that we could join them.
On arrival at Tivat we were put onto coaches for the 30 minute journey to our hotel at Budva further down the coast. Our Police escort ( we were to see a few of these) ensured a speedy trip and at all traffic lights and junctions we were given priority. Now that's how to treat England fans! Within minutes of the journey starting the phones were ringing with tales of tickets and the cost. I had mine but we were 3 short and now faced with additional costs of 50 to 100€, something to sleep on maybe? At the hotel we settled down to enjoy a beer or two and lap up the late summer sun and the facilities at the hotel.
A relaxing day was planned, a few beers, some lunch, a stroll on the beach, check out the local wildlife, you know the kind of thing! Later that day after a quick taxi ride we arrived at the Old Town of Budva, a fortified town of walls and narrow streets alongside a marina resplendent with expensive yachts all standing to attention in their measured rows. A quick win on the Lotto would find me back here pretty quickly!
The Old Town is really pretty, some interesting shops open quite late into the night, but our main focus would be the open air bars, it may be late in the summer but its still warm enough to enjoy the evening without sitting indoors. Doesn't beer always taste better when sat outside?
Several beers later we set off to explore the rest of Budva by the sea. It was clearly out of season, all the beach bars and restaurants had either closed or had virtually no customers at all. We walked for ages before deciding we'd seen enough and jumped a cab back to the hotel.
A nightcap or two later, some pleasant chit chat about how we planned match day and we hit the sack, about 24 hours after my head had left my own pillow.
The next day again proved warm and sunny. Up nice and early to take advantage of the enormous breakfast buffet put us all in the right mood. A couple of phone calls made sure we all had tickets waiting for us when we arrived in Podgorica and so we settled into a match day routine. Being based at a decent hotel on the outskirts of Budva does have its advantages, we were in place known as Becici, but when its out of season there doesn't appear to be a lot to do. Some England fans had braved the outdoor pool, but the water park adjacent to the hotel was closed, to be honest I'm glad it was! So, a stroll along the beach, a pleasant hour or two passed with a beer and a bit of lunch before heading back to the hotel to await transport to Podgorica.
The coaches filled up and set off with yet another Police escort. Being held back at a major intersection was a minor set back but the Police did want all coaches to travel together, and the delay was to await other coaches travelling from different parts, and countries to assemble before the trip into the mountains. The climb out of Budva and high into the surrounding mountains took a while but we were happy to be on our way. Again we had the VIP treatment as the coaches sped us into Podgorica affording us priority status at all road junctions. The locals seemed mightily impressed with the convoy and waved us into their city.
A quick stop off at the hotel to collect tickets and we were free to enjoy the city, the match day and the pre-match atmosphere. We settled for a nice open air bar on the banks of the river Moraca, nestled in the ravine with a view of the Hotel Podgorica on the opposite bank which housed the England team that day. The route we chose to access the bar wasn't the most picturesque though! Service was very slow, glasses were in short supply, but then again its not every day a few thousand England fans hit town intent on drinking the place dry. It was nice to see some friendly faces enjoying the same hospitality, some YES friends having made the trip down through Kosovo and Dubrovnik had some interesting travel stories to tell.
The England players made a brief appearance on what must have been a terrace overlooking the river. We meanwhile headed back to the England fans hotel juct to double check that more 'official' tickets had not become available later that day. Confusion reigned though, as it always does with Englandfans and the message that no tickets would be available did get lost in the translation. It would have been more easily understood though if the Englandfans manager, Jamie Craig, could have lifted his head when speaking to people, it does help a little to be polite at times, a concept seemingly lost on him.
So, a walk to the ground was in order. Plenty of bars and fast food joints lined the approach and it would have been a pity to waste the opportunity to sample one or two. So we did! The locals, who had turned out in relatively large numbers, seemed to be enjoying having the England fans in town, despite being fiercely nationalistic they did seem intent on letting us know how much they enjoyed English football and reeled off player after player and team after team in an attempt to prove that point. Not many seemed to be supporting Doncaster Rovers though, pity!!
The normal security was in place for accessing the stadium, made a little more difficult this time because of the amount of tickets bought by England fans on the black market. The scare stories of no tickets being available and that the north end of the stadium being a dangerous no go area seemed way off the mark. In fairness the locals seemed a little in awe of the England fans and for the first time, I think, they applauded the national anthem belted out by the thousand or so official England fans. By way of thanks England fans showed the due respect to theirs which seemed a tad long but a great deal more uplifting than ours!
I don't do match reports, others are way more qualified than me to pontificate over the game plan but I will say this, we were rubbish! Yep, not very incisive but true none the less. It did rain, and heavily throughout the game, but no excuses, we went into a very nice 2 goal lead only to squander the whole thing with a poor performance and a sending off for the so-called English superstar Wayne Rooney. What a plonker! The final whistle brought the curtain down on another tepid performance against the newest footballing nation in the world. Cue celebrations that reflected the importance of such a win for the minnow of European, if not world, football. Meanwhile the rain continued to fall. By the time the stadium had emptied the rain had monsoon characteristics and the authorities had felt it necessary to leave the fans stranded, conditions worsened along with the mood. But not one of threat, a mood of typical English disappointment in our team, a team who continue to stumble their way to qualification and ignore the passion and willingness of fans who only want to see effort and application. Any sign that this England team care would be welcomed, but we may be waiting a long time.
The journey back was a sombre one, not helped by sitting in very wet clothes but we did arrive back at the hotel with a marvellous buffet waiting for us. Another drink and off to bed.
The following day was again bright and sunny. Breakfast, a walk along the beach and we were soon ready to check out of the hotel. The coaches arrived, filled up very quickly and yet again our Police escort ensured a short trip back to the airport. In fact it was probably too quick as the check in desks were not ready and the airport concourse got rather crowded. Everything sorted itself though, and before you could really deliberate how long Wayne Rooney would be suspended for we were on the plane and ready for home. Luton airport was a pleasant sight, not sure if I could ever really say that, but our weary bones jumped in the car, we pointed it north and by about 10pm we were home. Another journey done, another miserable performance over, another escapade to discuss and now we await the draw for Euro 2012. Hopefully, just hopefully, we can look forward to football matches that meet our expectations.
The last trip didn't excite the travel senses but Montenegro is a new country for all England fans, so we looked forward to this one with a little anticipation. If allowing new teams and countries into the UEFA finals has some benefits this has to be one of them. The 3 points were almost a given, so it wasn't for that reason that we parted with several hundred pounds, sweated over match ticket purchases and set off on the early morning trip to Luton airport last Thursday. We collected a couple of other YES friends along the way and joined the throngs heading south on the M1, by the way why are the motorways so crowded at that time of day, does nobody need any sleep? And why are the parking and drop off arrangements so bad at Luton airport, does anybody know how that's meant to work?
The check in queue was alive with fellow England fans, plenty of them old friends who we've met over the years and the miles. A quick cup of coffee in the departure lounge and hey presto we were being ushered onto our plane for the 2-3 hour flight to Tivat. Interestingly the plane had set off from Manchester airport earlier that day so it had about 50-60 England fans already on board but a further pit stop at Luton was required so that we could join them. 
The Old Town is really pretty, some interesting shops open quite late into the night, but our main focus would be the open air bars, it may be late in the summer but its still warm enough to enjoy the evening without sitting indoors. Doesn't beer always taste better when sat outside?
Several beers later we set off to explore the rest of Budva by the sea. It was clearly out of season, all the beach bars and restaurants had either closed or had virtually no customers at all. We walked for ages before deciding we'd seen enough and jumped a cab back to the hotel.
A nightcap or two later, some pleasant chit chat about how we planned match day and we hit the sack, about 24 hours after my head had left my own pillow.
The next day again proved warm and sunny. Up nice and early to take advantage of the enormous breakfast buffet put us all in the right mood. A couple of phone calls made sure we all had tickets waiting for us when we arrived in Podgorica and so we settled into a match day routine. Being based at a decent hotel on the outskirts of Budva does have its advantages, we were in place known as Becici, but when its out of season there doesn't appear to be a lot to do. Some England fans had braved the outdoor pool, but the water park adjacent to the hotel was closed, to be honest I'm glad it was! So, a stroll along the beach, a pleasant hour or two passed with a beer and a bit of lunch before heading back to the hotel to await transport to Podgorica.
The coaches filled up and set off with yet another Police escort. Being held back at a major intersection was a minor set back but the Police did want all coaches to travel together, and the delay was to await other coaches travelling from different parts, and countries to assemble before the trip into the mountains. The climb out of Budva and high into the surrounding mountains took a while but we were happy to be on our way. Again we had the VIP treatment as the coaches sped us into Podgorica affording us priority status at all road junctions. The locals seemed mightily impressed with the convoy and waved us into their city.
A quick stop off at the hotel to collect tickets and we were free to enjoy the city, the match day and the pre-match atmosphere. We settled for a nice open air bar on the banks of the river Moraca, nestled in the ravine with a view of the Hotel Podgorica on the opposite bank which housed the England team that day. The route we chose to access the bar wasn't the most picturesque though! Service was very slow, glasses were in short supply, but then again its not every day a few thousand England fans hit town intent on drinking the place dry. It was nice to see some friendly faces enjoying the same hospitality, some YES friends having made the trip down through Kosovo and Dubrovnik had some interesting travel stories to tell.
The England players made a brief appearance on what must have been a terrace overlooking the river. We meanwhile headed back to the England fans hotel juct to double check that more 'official' tickets had not become available later that day. Confusion reigned though, as it always does with Englandfans and the message that no tickets would be available did get lost in the translation. It would have been more easily understood though if the Englandfans manager, Jamie Craig, could have lifted his head when speaking to people, it does help a little to be polite at times, a concept seemingly lost on him.So, a walk to the ground was in order. Plenty of bars and fast food joints lined the approach and it would have been a pity to waste the opportunity to sample one or two. So we did! The locals, who had turned out in relatively large numbers, seemed to be enjoying having the England fans in town, despite being fiercely nationalistic they did seem intent on letting us know how much they enjoyed English football and reeled off player after player and team after team in an attempt to prove that point. Not many seemed to be supporting Doncaster Rovers though, pity!!
I don't do match reports, others are way more qualified than me to pontificate over the game plan but I will say this, we were rubbish! Yep, not very incisive but true none the less. It did rain, and heavily throughout the game, but no excuses, we went into a very nice 2 goal lead only to squander the whole thing with a poor performance and a sending off for the so-called English superstar Wayne Rooney. What a plonker! The final whistle brought the curtain down on another tepid performance against the newest footballing nation in the world. Cue celebrations that reflected the importance of such a win for the minnow of European, if not world, football. Meanwhile the rain continued to fall. By the time the stadium had emptied the rain had monsoon characteristics and the authorities had felt it necessary to leave the fans stranded, conditions worsened along with the mood. But not one of threat, a mood of typical English disappointment in our team, a team who continue to stumble their way to qualification and ignore the passion and willingness of fans who only want to see effort and application. Any sign that this England team care would be welcomed, but we may be waiting a long time.
The journey back was a sombre one, not helped by sitting in very wet clothes but we did arrive back at the hotel with a marvellous buffet waiting for us. Another drink and off to bed.
The following day was again bright and sunny. Breakfast, a walk along the beach and we were soon ready to check out of the hotel. The coaches arrived, filled up very quickly and yet again our Police escort ensured a short trip back to the airport. In fact it was probably too quick as the check in desks were not ready and the airport concourse got rather crowded. Everything sorted itself though, and before you could really deliberate how long Wayne Rooney would be suspended for we were on the plane and ready for home. Luton airport was a pleasant sight, not sure if I could ever really say that, but our weary bones jumped in the car, we pointed it north and by about 10pm we were home. Another journey done, another miserable performance over, another escapade to discuss and now we await the draw for Euro 2012. Hopefully, just hopefully, we can look forward to football matches that meet our expectations.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Bulgaria, the latest away trip
Sometimes England trips don't always fill you with a great sense of anticipation, or even a sense of excitement. Sometimes it's all too familiar, or maybe it's that feeling of a non-event that dulls any great desire to be actually travelling yet again. Bulgaria, and certainly Sofia, felt just like that. The last time we were there was a disappointment for all kinds of reasons that wasn't particularly the fault of Bulgaria or the host city.
We had to face Macedonia in a Euro qualifier in 2006, but no direct flights or decent travel arrangements seemed to be available to Skopje in those days, hence the need to visit Sofia, a very close neighbour, on the way. Hundreds, if not thousands of England fans had done the same, all hiring coaches and cars to make the 4 hour journey from Sofia to Skopje via the mountains. The magical 4 hour trip to Skopje turned into a nightmarish 7 hours as we were held, in very hot and humid weather, at the border crossing high in the Bulgarian Alps.We booked into what we thought was a half-decent hotel, but the 4 star rating in Bulgaria is different to the 4 star rating in the UK. A miserable 1-0 win in Macedonia compounded the trips desperate shortcomings.
And so on to Sofia for the 2012 Euro qualifying game. We've never lost to Bulgaria so we weren't expecting anything different. We've seen the city before so nothing special there either, but we wanted to get the hotel right this time so elected for the Hilton Hotel, within walking distance of the stadium. Again our Bulgarian gremlins kicked in, despite doing a wonderful side step to avoid the rip off taxi drivers, we arrived at our hotel to find our rooms unavailable. Apparently the hotel had a delegation who had taken 85 rooms and several floors for their use. The delegation turned out to be the England team and their many hordes of followers and hangers on. Our rooms would only be available after the game had kicked off, many thanks Hilton!
The England team eventually made their way to the ground, not a smile or a cheery wave from any of them, although David Bernstein, the FA head, took time out to have a warm chat, what a nice bloke he appears to be. Also had a catch up with Ray Whitworth the head of security who has attended the odd forum here and there too.
And so onto the game and negotiating our way through the massed throngs of Bulgarian supporters, or at least that's how it felt, but surprisingly it doesn't take too may people to fill that stadium either. It's a poor stadium by UK standards, no facilities, no concourse areas, no roof, and seats just bolted onto the concrete terraces. The game was over by half time, 3-0 up and cruising, and not a lot to get excited about.
The traditional delay in emptying the stadium, keeping the England fans back and then making them walk a tortuous route around the various blockades meant we were only free to enjoy the sights after midnight. The hotel in fairness had a great outside drinking area, a nearby McDonald's and pleasant company gave us the opportunity to while away the night drinking the local beer. For company that evening we had the Bulgarian team, complete with Lothar Matheus their manager, plus the Petrov brothers and Emile Heskey to make us feel like we were rubbing shoulders with the footballing literati. Matheus was giving his version of that nights proceedings in English so we could all understand, including the wonderful line 'anybody who thinks we should have beaten England tonight should be in a hospital'. Nice one! Anyway we collared him after breakfast the next morning;
The rest of the trip passed without incident, shopping and sightseeing, accompanied by a few beers was the order of the day. Bumped into quite a few old friends as always, exchanged pleasant chit chat and promised to meet up in a few weeks time in glorious Montenegro, ahh the pleasures of being a travelling England football fan!
We had to face Macedonia in a Euro qualifier in 2006, but no direct flights or decent travel arrangements seemed to be available to Skopje in those days, hence the need to visit Sofia, a very close neighbour, on the way. Hundreds, if not thousands of England fans had done the same, all hiring coaches and cars to make the 4 hour journey from Sofia to Skopje via the mountains. The magical 4 hour trip to Skopje turned into a nightmarish 7 hours as we were held, in very hot and humid weather, at the border crossing high in the Bulgarian Alps.We booked into what we thought was a half-decent hotel, but the 4 star rating in Bulgaria is different to the 4 star rating in the UK. A miserable 1-0 win in Macedonia compounded the trips desperate shortcomings.
 |
| The border crossing in the mountains |
 |
| The Hilton |
 |
| Roped off - keep out! |
 |
| Arguing with reception |
 | |||
| The England team bus |
The England team eventually made their way to the ground, not a smile or a cheery wave from any of them, although David Bernstein, the FA head, took time out to have a warm chat, what a nice bloke he appears to be. Also had a catch up with Ray Whitworth the head of security who has attended the odd forum here and there too.
And so onto the game and negotiating our way through the massed throngs of Bulgarian supporters, or at least that's how it felt, but surprisingly it doesn't take too may people to fill that stadium either. It's a poor stadium by UK standards, no facilities, no concourse areas, no roof, and seats just bolted onto the concrete terraces. The game was over by half time, 3-0 up and cruising, and not a lot to get excited about.
The traditional delay in emptying the stadium, keeping the England fans back and then making them walk a tortuous route around the various blockades meant we were only free to enjoy the sights after midnight. The hotel in fairness had a great outside drinking area, a nearby McDonald's and pleasant company gave us the opportunity to while away the night drinking the local beer. For company that evening we had the Bulgarian team, complete with Lothar Matheus their manager, plus the Petrov brothers and Emile Heskey to make us feel like we were rubbing shoulders with the footballing literati. Matheus was giving his version of that nights proceedings in English so we could all understand, including the wonderful line 'anybody who thinks we should have beaten England tonight should be in a hospital'. Nice one! Anyway we collared him after breakfast the next morning;
The rest of the trip passed without incident, shopping and sightseeing, accompanied by a few beers was the order of the day. Bumped into quite a few old friends as always, exchanged pleasant chit chat and promised to meet up in a few weeks time in glorious Montenegro, ahh the pleasures of being a travelling England football fan!
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Game called off!!
Amazing really that this game has been called off for non-football issues. Here's the official statement so far;
It is with regret that tomorrow’s international fixture with Holland at Wembley (Wednesday 10 August) has been called-off. More news will follow on www.TheFA.com and englandfans shortly.
It is with regret that tomorrow’s international fixture with Holland at Wembley (Wednesday 10 August) has been called-off. More news will follow on www.TheFA.com and englandfans shortly.
Thursday, 28 July 2011
The World Cup Draw
Most casual observers of the draw for the qualifying rounds which takes place in Rio this Saturday will be hoping that England avoid the big guns and the slippery banana skins of some odd ball East European nation. Not much chance of that happening though as England are seeded in Pot One along with the other key nations of Spain, Holland, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Norway and Greece.
English fans who travel the planet following the team are eagerly awaiting the draw but for totally different reasons. What they wish for is the footballing Mecca of places they haven't been to before, including Iceland, the Faro Isles, Malta or Cyprus. The last two in the hope that we can wallow in a bit of sun for a change! The trouble with so much International football these days is that you visit the same places over and over, and to be frank we don't always go for for footballing reasons. No, what we want is somewhere new, somewhere warm, somewhere the beer and food is cheap and within a few hours travel time. The results don't matter too much but the travel does. Here's a bunch of crossed fingers, bring it on!
English fans who travel the planet following the team are eagerly awaiting the draw but for totally different reasons. What they wish for is the footballing Mecca of places they haven't been to before, including Iceland, the Faro Isles, Malta or Cyprus. The last two in the hope that we can wallow in a bit of sun for a change! The trouble with so much International football these days is that you visit the same places over and over, and to be frank we don't always go for for footballing reasons. No, what we want is somewhere new, somewhere warm, somewhere the beer and food is cheap and within a few hours travel time. The results don't matter too much but the travel does. Here's a bunch of crossed fingers, bring it on!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
The mad scramble for England tickets
England away! It's why we all do it of course, the travel, meeting your mates, having a few days away, seeing folk who you know very well but surprisingly you don't talk to between England games. The flights and hotels are booked well in advance, sneaky phone calls and e-mails ensure we are well prepared, and the less your 'other half' knows the better. But the match tickets are a different matter, and sometimes they are in very short supply.
A case in point. Montenegro v England, Friday October the 7th 2011, kick off TBC but the venue will be the City Stadium, (great name!) in Podgorica. The flights and hotels were booked many weeks ago, time off from work was all arranged and the ticket application submitted to the FA. The bad bit though, we were only allocated 1,182 tickets and the mad scramble meant that 3,500 England fans applied. No matter how you look at that there will be some very disappointed people. 3,500 applications for the few tickets available means that the ballot system that the FA use has to be enforced again.
And it works like this. 70% of the tickets, i.e. 826 will go to the England fans who are at the top of the 'Caps' table, that is those who have attended most games home or away over the qualifying period. The other 356 tickets would be balloted to the remaining 2,318 fans who wanted to travel to Montenegro. Not very good odds eh?
So the result for me is what? I got mine, fortunately I just sneak into the top 826 but my 3 travelling companions didn't get one. Flights and hotels are still booked but no match ticket available. So the options are very limited, there will be a chance of obtaining a ticket from any of the 1,182 who don't wish to travel now, very unlikely, or travel and cross your fingers that we can purchase tickets from some kind hearted Montenegrin who doesn't want to attend the biggest match in the short history of the Montenegro national football team. Again, very unlikely!
Sometimes it does make you consider if all of this is worth the trouble. But believe me, when we hear the roar of the crowd and see the massed ranks of the England fans, that is all 1,182 plus the unofficial travellers too, it does seem worthwhile. Roll on October!
A case in point. Montenegro v England, Friday October the 7th 2011, kick off TBC but the venue will be the City Stadium, (great name!) in Podgorica. The flights and hotels were booked many weeks ago, time off from work was all arranged and the ticket application submitted to the FA. The bad bit though, we were only allocated 1,182 tickets and the mad scramble meant that 3,500 England fans applied. No matter how you look at that there will be some very disappointed people. 3,500 applications for the few tickets available means that the ballot system that the FA use has to be enforced again.
And it works like this. 70% of the tickets, i.e. 826 will go to the England fans who are at the top of the 'Caps' table, that is those who have attended most games home or away over the qualifying period. The other 356 tickets would be balloted to the remaining 2,318 fans who wanted to travel to Montenegro. Not very good odds eh?
So the result for me is what? I got mine, fortunately I just sneak into the top 826 but my 3 travelling companions didn't get one. Flights and hotels are still booked but no match ticket available. So the options are very limited, there will be a chance of obtaining a ticket from any of the 1,182 who don't wish to travel now, very unlikely, or travel and cross your fingers that we can purchase tickets from some kind hearted Montenegrin who doesn't want to attend the biggest match in the short history of the Montenegro national football team. Again, very unlikely!
Sometimes it does make you consider if all of this is worth the trouble. But believe me, when we hear the roar of the crowd and see the massed ranks of the England fans, that is all 1,182 plus the unofficial travellers too, it does seem worthwhile. Roll on October!
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