The 2nd place qualifying table

**M@ttitude** · 14/09/2009, 11:54 PM

Slovakia would have been great, loved that trip to Bratislava! Dont fear portugal, I fear France, Russia.. Whoever we play it will be a close game, we'll prob play **** but we'll grind out something! Hopefully.

**Claret Murph** · 15/09/2009, 6:22 AM

Originally Posted by M@ttitude

Slovakia would have been great, loved that trip to Bratislava! Dont fear portugal, I fear France, Russia.. Whoever we play it will be a close game, we'll prob play **** but we'll grind out something! Hopefully.

I would hate to have to go back to Slovakia , as Brat was a hole to tell you the truth .

**dodgycanadian** · 15/09/2009, 8:52 AM

for all you saying you dont fear portugal are you kidding me? imagine the fun ronaldo would have running rings around our world class left back zinedine kilbane... though they do ship quite a few balls themselves i think we would struggle against a side that plays flowing football.

**M@ttitude** · 15/09/2009, 7:49 PM

Originally Posted by Claret Murph

I would hate to have to go back to Slovakia , as Brat was a hole to tell you the truth .

Is that the truth? Myself and my 15 mates thought it was great..

**NeilMcD** · 15/09/2009, 8:12 PM

Originally Posted by dodgycanadian

for all you saying you dont fear portugal are you kidding me? imagine the fun ronaldo would have running rings around our world class left back zinedine kilbane... though they do ship quite a few balls themselves i think we would struggle against a side that plays flowing football.

Yeah not a great city at all. Probably the most unfriendly city I have been to on ann Ireland trip. Not that I had any bother or anything but the locals were just so unfriendly and they do not really know much about customer service there.

**M@ttitude** · 15/09/2009, 8:27 PM

I have read that on here before but none of us felt that about the place at all, although we did mostly try to avoid the irish fans at night and went to the local pubs and clubs which were fantastic and the best looking birds ever! Hated the following few days in Prague, sleazy dirty place that gave me food poisoning!

Just dont think Portugal have enough strength this year to be feared! Can someone jog my memory on our friendly with portugal over the past couple of years, I was at it and all I can remember is Ronaldo being non existent!

**newrynyuk** · 16/09/2009, 8:47 AM

Bratislava was a disappointment I must admit. It was absolutely bucketing down the day before the game. The locals weren't as friendly or helpful as others places I've experienced. Taxi drivers were a complete rip off. And I was unfortunate enough to stay in a tip of a hotel with leaky ceilings and lukewarm water. Plus all the bars and clubs were shut after the match and we resorted to queuing nearly an hour outside the one kebab placed that stayed open.

That said, all talk of a return there is probably academic as Slovakia will most probably win their group.

**Claret Murph** · 16/09/2009, 1:47 PM

There was 5 of us and I only found out on the day that they had double booked out apartment , lucky my other half back in Ireland sorted it out from home . Never once did any taxi driver work from his metre . in all the time I was there I can say hand on heart only remember once when I got a smile from market trader who was selling boiled cabbage , and that was it .
Now I have never been to eastern block when the wall was up but this is what I did think it would be like just a total distrust of anything western .
I was in China in 89 for 5 months and they were better than the slovaks .

**eirebhoy** · 16/09/2009, 2:09 PM

Our first night in Bratislava we were in some club in the centre with a slide. I went into the toilet and the lights were turned off. A load of kids came in the jax and then the lights were turned on and they laughed. Like a scene from the hostel.

There were men standing on street corners in the early hours of the morning waiting to mug some Irish person who happened to be on his own. Almost every taxi driver tried bringing us to brothels in the middle of nowhere. One taxi driver demanded a huge fair off us and got his baseball bat out of the boot when we refused (he accepted a 10 euro note in the end). The bars ran out of drink. The big niteclub wouldn't allow Irish in. We had a good time thanks to the dungeon karaoke club but you had to walk across a small road to have a **** in the pitch dark toilets. Crazy place.

**paul_oshea** · 16/09/2009, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Our first night in Bratislava we were in some club in the centre with a slide. I went into the toilet and the lights were turned off. A load of kids came in the jax and then the lights were turned on and they laughed. Like a scene from the hostel.

There were men standing on street corners in the early hours of the morning waiting to mug some Irish person who happened to be on his own. Almost every taxi driver tried bringing us to brothels in the middle of nowhere. One taxi driver demanded a huge fair off us and got his baseball bat out of the boot when we refused (he accepted a 10 euro note in the end). The bars ran out of drink. The big niteclub wouldn't allow Irish in. We had a good time thanks to the dungeon karaoke club but you had to walk across a small road to have a **** in the pitch dark toilets. Crazy place.

Jeez eb, i hope you weren't the receipient of their actions?! Was it a glow in the dark type light?!

**Brendan 82** · 16/09/2009, 2:23 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Our first night in Bratislava we were in some club in the centre with a slide. I went into the toilet and the lights were turned off. A load of kids came in the jax and then the lights were turned on and they laughed. Like a scene from the hostel.

There were men standing on street corners in the early hours of the morning waiting to mug some Irish person who happened to be on his own. Almost every taxi driver tried bringing us to brothels in the middle of nowhere. One taxi driver demanded a huge fair off us and got his baseball bat out of the boot when we refused (he accepted a 10 euro note in the end). The bars ran out of drink. The big niteclub wouldn't allow Irish in. We had a good time thanks to the dungeon karaoke club but you had to walk across a small road to have a **** in the pitch dark toilets. Crazy place.

Cool story! I love stuff like this; getting up to all sorts of hijinks in unknown places

**DeLorean** · 16/09/2009, 3:37 PM

Bratislava = worst place I've ever been, and that's not exclusive to Football trips. I would have thought that with the right preparation the bars could have made a killing in the square, but they were just too depressed to bother I'd say. It was a long, painful chu chu train ride back to Prague but well worth it.

**Jicked** · 16/09/2009, 4:04 PM

Another +1 for not wanting to return to Bratislava, an awful place. Friend of mine got mugged the last time, bars were extremely dodgy. Can Slovenia still finish second, a trip to Ljubljana would be amazing (and more importantly, extremely winnable!)

**DeLorean** · 16/09/2009, 4:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Can Slovenia still finish second, a trip to Ljubljana would be amazing (and more importantly, extremely winnable!)

They are 2nd at present. Think it would be reasonable to disgard Northern Ireland's chances at this stage so Slovenia are 2pts ahead of the Czechs and 3 ahead of Poland.

**gspain** · 16/09/2009, 4:33 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

They are 2nd at present. Think it would be reasonable to disgard Northern Ireland's chances at this stage so Slovenia are 2pts ahead of the Czechs and 3 ahead of Poland.

If Slovenia beat San Marino then NI are out.

Re Bratislava,

Another late goal, taxis were a ripoff and it did rain non stop. Otherwise I thought it was one of the better trips. Better than Prague imo. We didn't go near the Dubliner thankfully but enjoyed good cheap food and plenty of cheap drink with friendly locals.

You needed to agree the price before getting i nthe taxi or you got totally screwed. We got caught once.

**Jicked** · 16/09/2009, 4:38 PM

Good stuff, Ljubljana is one of Europe's most beautiful capitals (just check out Lake Bled about 40 mins outside it!) and the friendliest people I've ever met in Europe.

**bennocelt** · 16/09/2009, 6:01 PM

Jesus ye guys are funny..........."taxis were a rip off" ......what, really!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose ye all eat in Mcdonalds as well and drank min Oirish bars

**eirebhoy** · 16/09/2009, 6:29 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

Jesus ye guys are funny..........."taxis were a rip off" ......what, really!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose ye all eat in Mcdonalds as well and drank min Oirish bars

I suppose you've no problems with ticket touts and the like. Are the taxi drivers allowed rip us off because they don't earn as much over there?

**bennocelt** · 16/09/2009, 6:52 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I suppose you've no problems with ticket touts and the like. Are the taxi drivers allowed rip us off because they don't earn as much over there?

but why are you surprised!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**paul_oshea** · 16/09/2009, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Good stuff, Ljubljana is one of Europe's most beautiful capitals (just check out Lake Bled about 40 mins outside it!) and the friendliest people I've ever met in Europe.

ill agree on this one

Jees for more than a few reasons id love it to be slovenia.