27th January - ideal draw for trips

**NY Hoop** · 27/01/2006, 3:59 PM

The last few contributors actually made me laugh out loud.

Eh read the thread title kids.

Firstly you take offense even though you said that I should get "my head out of my arse"

Jamaican PM thats hilarious. Tell you what why dont you ban me cos I have an opinion. Down with that sort of thing.

Oh nedder I will be there and always do enjoy myself as have done on countless trips including 3 World Cups.

Whats wrong with inflatable hammers?!

Have a good weekend ladies and dont forget to agree with yourselves!

KOH

**nedder** · 27/01/2006, 4:06 PM

Timing of trips will be everything, but I'd fancy a mid week in bratislav

**nedder** · 27/01/2006, 4:15 PM

NY hoop,
Sounded like you were only going to go to some god forsaken place in the ar*e of europe.
Just saying its easy to go on about the ole ole brigade on this site. I don't think its going to change anything, It's always going to be there.
Other countries fans , like our friends across the water have far worse to worry about in terms of supporters i'm sure you'd agree.

**NeilMcD** · 27/01/2006, 5:30 PM

I dont think I took offence at anything you said to be honest. I just said take your head out of your arse as it seemed to me that you were coming across as a Irish football supporter snob.

**lopez** · 27/01/2006, 5:33 PM

Originally Posted by nedder

Timing of trips will be everything, but I'd fancy a mid week in bratislav

That'll be cool. It leaves out the w*nkers Hoop talks about and with a 30K ground it didn't sell out when the Tans came and won't sell out for us. Prague looks like the b*stard. Their stadium holds 20K (Sparta's ground). They want to build a 50k one to host internationals (sounds familiar).

**sligoman** · 27/01/2006, 6:24 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

Germany, Sweden and Greece would be good

. Not great for qualification though

.

Well we got one of the team's I wanted

.

**pineapple stu** · 27/01/2006, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

But there was blame on both sides in my view but that was not posted here.

I was told to "shut the **** up". I wasn't prepared to accept that from a fellow fan. I was restrained from thumping the person by one of the other lads. Could you please tell me where the blame on our part lies?

NY Hoop is correct. Kind of. Every trip there sounds like great craic. Prague, Bratislava, Berlin/Munchen, Cardiff, Cyprus, San Marino - some great places to visit. However, I can only see Slovenia and San Marino as having any sort of decent atmosphere. It's a shame, as the atmosphere before games is rocking (e.g. Cyprus), but once the game starts, it dies, which ruins the entire trip. (France was different because a few people around the place refused to sit down and the stewards basically told anyone who complained to cop on and stand up, so the whole place ended up standing).

On another note - what odds a double haeder in Prague and Bratislava on Saturday and Wednesday? Now that'd be a good trip!

**onenilgameover** · 28/01/2006, 5:12 AM

see below

**onenilgameover** · 28/01/2006, 5:45 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

It's not about one-up-man-ship. The difference in craic and atmosphere in the ground was marked between the Faroes and Cyprus in the last campaign. Only the true fans - hate to use the phrase, but you know what I mean - went to the Faroes, which practically everyone who was there has nominated as one of the best ever away trips, while every bandwagon jumper was in Cyprus, which had a dire atmosphere despite the 11,000 there and ended in me nearly punching some bloke for telling me to shut up during the game!

I think you might have been beside me so..I had the same problem...I brought the girlfriend and even she noticed the difference in fans there. ie bandwagon jumpers v fans and she could hardly say if a football was round or oval.(BTW she wasn't bandwand jumper, I paid for her trip (birthday pressie) and she went for the sun)

Roll on euro 2008!

NY Hoop's attitude sounds worse than the bandwagon jumper TBH Ye can deal with someone coming along for the ride but those snobby type fans who only want the ball for themselves...well screw em....

I think its a great draw.....

Germany - we're actually getting to go now..(should be alright for a ticket)
Czech Rep - Never been but sounds nice yada yada (should be a hell finding a ticket)
Slovakia - Very interesting (defo alright for a ticket you'ill be missing out on the oler's) (30,000 plus stadium)

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium...ava_pole.shtml

Wales - went to college there and haven't been back in 4 years would never go on holiday (alright for a ticket with contacts might be difficult as will defo sell out, great stadium)
Cyprus - Well its what we know and its sunny (tickets swapped for milk...nice stadium)
San Marino - sure why not? (another tricky one regarding tickets but ye might not have the olers depending on time of year) fits about 4,600

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium...olimpico.shtml

spain had 3 and a half for the wc qualifiers

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/...onth=10&day=12

**nedder** · 28/01/2006, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I was told to "shut the **** up". I wasn't prepared to accept that from a fellow fan. I was restrained from thumping the person by one of the other lads. Could you please tell me where the blame on our part lies?

NY Hoop is correct. Kind of. Every trip there sounds like great craic. Prague, Bratislava, Berlin/Munchen, Cardiff, Cyprus, San Marino - some great places to visit. However, I can only see Slovenia and San Marino as having any sort of decent atmosphere. It's a shame, as the atmosphere before games is rocking (e.g. Cyprus), but once the game starts, it dies, which ruins the entire trip. (France was different because a few people around the place refused to sit down and the stewards basically told anyone who complained to cop on and stand up, so the whole place ended up standing).

On another note - what odds a double haeder in Prague and Bratislava on Saturday and Wednesday? Now that'd be a good trip!

True about cyprus before and during the game, difference in atmosphere was immense, and it really left a bad taste in the mouth. Performance on the pitch didn't help, but if you had 2,000 real fans there would have been more noise and support. It will probably put me off going there this time around. Will hardly afford all the away games so depending on the draw, would favour going to slovakia and germany above all others. Hopefully will get a double header in. San marino could be an interesting trip also.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 28/01/2006, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by lopez

That'll be cool. It leaves out the w*nkers Hoop talks about and with a 30K ground it didn't sell out when the Tans came and won't sell out for us. Prague looks like the b*stard. Their stadium holds 20K (Sparta's ground). They want to build a 50k one to host internationals (sounds familiar).

To be fair it is Sparta Prague's home ground and even when they are doing well ( they aren't this season bottom half of the League)their crowds rarely breach 14,000. Averaged about 10,000 last season when they won the League and only had around 7,000 home fans for the visit of Arsenal in the Champions League this season!

**gspain** · 28/01/2006, 12:26 PM

The bandwagon jumpers ahve been around for a long time.

They certainly added to the atmosphere in Paris and Nicosia. They aren't denying any real fans tickets either.

Now definitely a section of w%^kers in Cyprus we could do without. there could yet be trouble in Cardiff.

My real issue with the bandwagon jumpers are those that take tickets from the real fans. Basle 03, Giants stadium 94 spring to mind.

**lopez** · 28/01/2006, 4:23 PM

In my experience, the games that are hard to get ticks for are the weekend games. That's where the bandwagon jumpers come out. The exception to this was the Macedonia game of 1999. Here I have to defend NYHoop. I agree with him, although I don't like dumps like Macedonia etc. However, where were the 'fans' here? As a weekend it cost less than a trip to say Sweden (especially if you get drunk, but don't fall asleep in a park and get robbed as I did). This was a key game that we were seconds from travelling to Euro 2000. Our support was made up of die-hards, Irish soldiers, their workmates in KFOR and a load of Military Police that certain lads managed to get mixed up with the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment. Anyway, should be alright for Prague if the game is midweek (remember Basle 2). Keep the Germans (and the Cypriots) for the weekend w*nkers.

It's not a case of keeping it to ourselves. As stated not everyone can get to every game. But if you're going for the experience, not because you have other pressing financial commitments then as Sr. Espana says in more politer terms, join the f*cking back of the queue. And don't ask to see my passport just cos I have a ticket (as some other w*nker did in Basle 03).

**pineapple stu** · 28/01/2006, 7:47 PM

Originally Posted by onenilgameover

I think you might have been beside me so..I had the same problem...I brought the girlfriend

Is your girlfriend Scottish? I met you before the Croatia game (red card protest), though I'm woeful with faces, so I probably wouldn't have recognised you! After the goal, I moved down a block and ended up right in line with the goal we'd scored into.

**onenilgameover** · 29/01/2006, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Is your girlfriend Scottish? I met you before the Croatia game (red card protest), though I'm woeful with faces, so I probably wouldn't have recognised you! After the goal, I moved down a block and ended up right in line with the goal we'd scored into.

The girlfriend is Irish. I did meet ye briefly alright...I was in the main stand can't remember the name of it. I was almost directly in line with where elliot scored from (nearer the back of the stand) . the atmosphere was so bad at the game cos we were playin so crap and people got worked up.... i'd say there was a few instances of fans not gettin on. I would have got ****ed off with people being idiots (as there was loads) but I more or less go into another world and have a vague idea of whats goin on around untill the final whistle..my hands usually go numb for some reason too!

**lopez** · 29/01/2006, 9:36 PM

Originally Posted by onenilgameover

...my hands usually go numb for some reason too!

Dehydration from too much drink. Getting a lot of that lately!

**TheJamaicanP.M.** · 29/01/2006, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by onenilgameover

The girlfriend is Irish. I did meet ye briefly alright...I was in the main stand can't remember the name of it. I was almost directly in line with where elliot scored from (nearer the back of the stand) . the atmosphere was so bad at the game cos we were playin so crap and people got worked up.... i'd say there was a few instances of fans not gettin on. I would have got ****ed off with people being idiots (as there was loads) but I more or less go into another world and have a vague idea of whats goin on around untill the final whistle..my hands usually go numb for some reason too!

Lads, I wasn't in Cyprus but from reading a lot of the posts in this thread, it would appear that there was some tension amongst the Irish fans out there. Its obvious that a large portion of "fans" just went out for the holiday and had little interest in the football (i.e. on the bandwagon).

However, I was just wondering what type of fans were annoying ye? Was it big-shots or scum-bags or just people with no interest?
BTW, I'm serious. I'd just like to know why a number of the users on this forum were so disgusted with the sections of the travelling party to Cyprus.

**onenilgameover** · 30/01/2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by TheJamaicanP.M.

Lads, I wasn't in Cyprus but from reading a lot of the posts in this thread, it would appear that there was some tension amongst the Irish fans out there. Its obvious that a large portion of "fans" just went out for the holiday and had little interest in the football (i.e. on the bandwagon).

However, I was just wondering what type of fans were annoying ye? Was it big-shots or scum-bags or just people with no interest?
BTW, I'm serious. I'd just like to know why a number of the users on this forum were so disgusted with the sections of the travelling party to Cyprus.

There was a huge amount of bandwagon jumpers there and thats fine for the most part ie. when your having a load of drinks and partyin' who cares? right.....the problem was when the match started in my opinion...the mood dropped from a sharp height and hit rock bottom. So you've got a mixture of fans who don't really care about the result and those who think the result is a matter of life and death. So theres a bit of tension there already cos ye can tell those people that care and those that dont by tone of voice etc. We were playin so badly and the crowd couldnt get goin (i mean it was dead at times) it all seemed like a bit of a sham if ye know what I mean. We can bring 10,000 to Cyprus but cant string two passes together and 3 quarters of are fans couldn't give a bol!ox either way? So youv'e got the idiots who don't give a sh!t about the game talking over it about soemthin they did last week and you've got the fan who cares, who cant believe theres an idiot talkin over the game and cant believe how bad we were playing. There was bound to be a few arguments. Cyrus wouldn't be the trip I'm most looking forward to this time round. I mean dont get me wrong, the sun and the scenery were great but the football and anything to do with it was p!ss poor.

With regards to the team there was rumours of unrest within the squad in Cyprus and it sure seemed to be the case by the way they played and that never really changed when it mattered 4 days later against the Swiss.

**onenilgameover** · 30/01/2006, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by lopez

Dehydration from too much drink. Getting a lot of that lately!

Nah its nerves I only had about 5 pints that day I swear! Actually it happens at most qualifying matches and if im not able to watch the match live my feet go numb too. Its a serious affliction!

**TheJamaicanP.M.** · 30/01/2006, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by onenilgameover

There was a huge amount of bandwagon jumpers there and thats fine for the most part ie. when your having a load of drinks and partyin' who cares? right.....the problem was when the match started in my opinion...the mood dropped from a sharp height and hit rock bottom. So you've got a mixture of fans who don't really care about the result and those who think the result is a matter of life and death. So theres a bit of tension there already cos ye can tell those people that care and those that dont by tone of voice etc. We were playin so badly and the crowd couldnt get goin (i mean it was dead at times) it all seemed like a bit of a sham if ye know what I mean. We can bring 10,000 to Cyprus but cant string two passes together and 3 quarters of are fans couldn't give a bol!ox either way? So youv'e got the idiots who don't give a sh!t about the game talking over it about soemthin they did last week and you've got the fan who cares, who cant believe theres an idiot talkin over the game and cant believe how bad we were playing. There was bound to be a few arguments. Cyrus wouldn't be the trip I'm most looking forward to this time round. I mean dont get me wrong, the sun and the scenery were great but the football and anything to do with it was p!ss poor.

With regards to the team there was rumours of unrest within the squad in Cyprus and it sure seemed to be the case by the way they played and that never really changed when it mattered 4 days later against the Swiss.

I see what you mean. That type of behaviour would p!ss me off too. I watched the game on tv and the atmosphere was just as you described it. The stadium was so quiet, it was hard to believe there were 15,000 Irish there.

As for unrest within the squad that week, one player told a journalist that "the atmosphere in the hotel is awful". Lets hope we can forget those last 2 performances as soon as possible.