eircom League in Europe - 2008

[twoenz]

Are many of you guys making the trip out to Berlin? I live right beside the Olympiastadion if anyone's looking for tips or anything.

[Dodge]

Are many of you guys making the trip out to Berlin? I live right beside the Olympiastadion if anyone's looking for tips or anything.

About 300 travelling. Wouldn't be many that post here. Most staying in the Mitte area or just off Ku'undaam.

The earliest some people are arriving is Sunday but most coming in on Tuesday morning. And there'll be people there until at least Saturday.

Looking forward to it. Apart from the Olympiastadion (I'm obsessed by the Olympics), I'm looking forward to visitng the Reichstag and the Topography of Terror. Hope the weather is fine.

Any tips for us?

[twoenz]

About 300 travelling. Wouldn't be many that post here. Most staying in the Mitte area or just off Ku'undaam.

The earliest some people are arriving is Sunday but most coming in on Tuesday morning. And there'll be people there until at least Saturday.

Looking forward to it. Apart from the Olympiastadion (I'm obsessed by the Olympics), I'm looking forward to visitng the Reichstag and the Topography of Terror. Hope the weather is fine.

Any tips for us?

If you wanna do the Reichstag then you'll have to be there early in the day. It's free to get up the dome and is well worth it, but there's massive queues for most of the day.

It's a great city for doing walking tours around, there's a free one that leaves from Bandy Brooks ice cream shop beside Friedrichstrasse station at 1pm which is excellent. If you can, avoid eating around Mitte, they'll hear the foreign accents and serve you ****.

The Olympic Stadium is well worth a visit, but be warned, on match day apart from the game there's nothing to do out there. There's two very small bars that you could drink in, but they're miniscule. Drinking in the streets is legal, so popping to a supermarket and buying a case of the local brew (should cost about €12 including Pfand (recycling charge) may be advisable.

The stadium tour (not guided) is €3. Won't be open the day of the game and I can't see it opening before 12 on the day after the game.

If you're into museums then check out the Pergamon museum on Museum Insel (Island).

As for bars to enjoy while you're there: the main Irish bars are the following:

in Mitte you've got Oscar Wilde's on Freidrichstrasse (U Bahn stop Oranianburger Tor), which is owned by a Derry guy who also owns Quigley's Point in Paris. It's a bit of a dive, smells really bad and has awful food. It's cheaper than the other bars though and is quite big. It's €3.40 for a pint of the local, and I think it's €4.20 for a pint bottle of Magners. Staff are pretty woeful but it's central.

A much nicer place in Mitte is the Kilkenny in Hackesher Market S Bahn station. About 10 minutes walk away from Oscar's. It's much nicer but more expensive. For a pint of the local/Guinness it's €4.90. Pub quiz on a Thursday, food's much more reasonable than their booze and the staff are much nicer.

AVOID, and I can't stress this enough AVOID, The Irish Pub in the Europa Centre. It's a huge, soulless, vacuum of a place in a shopping centre. Tourist trap and overpriced and basically hell.

The one nearest to the stadium is the Harp in Charlottenberg. It's the sister pub to the Kilkenny and is in a leafy side street 3 stations away from the stadium. Also within walking distance from Ku'Damm. Same prices as the Kilkenny, with a large terrace and a large smoking room. You can booze there, and be at the stadium in 20 minutes, including the walk from bar to S Bahn station.

That's everything off the top of my head at the minute...

[Dodge]

Thanks. We've arranged discounts (etc) on beer in the Kilkenny and the Harp (pre match for the Harp, the rest of the time in the Kilkenny). They've been really really accommodating (even drawing up maps etc). Nice to here an independent review of them though

[finnpark]

Thanks. We've arranged discounts (etc) on beer in the Kilkenny and the Harp (pre match for the Harp, the rest of the time in the Kilkenny). They've been really really accommodating (even drawing up maps etc). Nice to here an independent review of them though

What about the home leg, I assume that tickets are on sale on the night?

If the first leg is a hammering not many will turn up but hopefully that won't happen.

[Dodge]

Kilkenny pub poster

Tickets won't be a problem for the 2nd leg

[finnpark]

Thanks Dodge,

Well hopefully Pats will keep the tie alive

[Dodge]

Hertha v Pats live on Setanta from 5pm on Tuesday. RDS leg live on German TV, no news yet on Irish TV

[Speakthetruth]

Thanks Dodge,

Well hopefully Pats will keep the tie alive

Hoping that too! Lads, I know Fahey sat out the match the other night but any insight on whether he is fit for Tuesday! Was on the Pats site there a minute ago, and seen powers have a special for him to score a 10/1!! If he's fit, definitely worth a fiver!

German football has regressed seriously over the past 5 years, so I think we should be optimistic!!

[pete]

Hertha v Pats live on Setanta from 5pm on Tuesday. RDS leg live on German TV, no news yet on Irish TV

aha

Live UEFA Cup - Hertha Berlin v St Pat's Live
Available in (Setanta) Ireland only. Live action from the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, as St Patrick's Athletic travel to Germany to take on Herttha Berlin. K.O. 5:00pm.

Pity it is on so early.

[TheBoss]

I have a feeling it may be 5 or 6 for Hertha. Pats defence has been a little disappointing in recent games.

[Dodge]

I have a feeling it may be 5 or 6 for Hertha. Pats defence has been a little disappointing in recent games.

What gave it away the 3 goals against Bohs or Fingal?

Insightful...

[TheBoss]

Its hardly the way a team should be playing conceding that many goals in a week and then playing a top German Team.

[micls]

Its hardly the way a team should be playing conceding that many goals in a week and then playing a top German Team.

How were ye playing in the weeks before teh CL games?

I dont believe LOI form makes much difference in the run in to European games. its a completely different scenario.

[holidaysong]

Plus Hertha Berlin could not be classed as a 'top' German team.

[Dodge]

Its hardly the way a team should be playing conceding that many goals in a week and then playing a top German Team.

You think they're doing it on purpose?

[TheBoss]

Plus Hertha Berlin could not be classed as a 'top' German team.

They have the players to be up there, it is just not working for them at the moment.

You think they're doing it on purpose?

Why would I think that, how can a team play not so good on purpose. I want them to do well, I think a 2-0 defeat would be an amazing result. Its just if they play bad like recently, it could be embarrassing.

[twoenz]

ah come on, form's paramount!!!

After watching Hertha today against Wolfsburg, they're a team without confidence....


We'll see what happens.

[finnpark]

It could be embarrising. St Pats have conceded 6 goals in 2 games against an understrength Bohs side and a first division side. They play a team with Marko Pantellic and Voronin up front - two Internationals, superstars in their own right.

[passinginterest]

Preview on Hertha site here.

They seem confident, but acknowledge that they need to be wary considering Pat's result against the Swedes. Hertha have won 1 drawn 2 and lost one in the Budesliga. The win was in their first game so they not exactly high on confidence.