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Post by Humph on Jul 8, 2016 18:43:46 GMT
Picking up on Espada's footy comments in his intro thread, some here will know that I attended my first ever professional football match back in April at the Ethihad stadium. It was the night of the Paris St Germain match and I was the guest of a season ticket holder.
Having been a lifelong football sceptic ( wrong shaped balls ) I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have resultantly been taking an interest in the Euros. I still don't fully understand what I'm watching but I'm getting there. Pity England lost out to Farmfoods was it? 🤓
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Post by Hofmeister on Jul 8, 2016 18:59:08 GMT
Humph, lesson numbers 1 and 2 in the world of footie is very simple, and never changing. The Scots expect nothing from their team and those expectations are usually fulfilled. The English fans expect 100% qualification into major finals and winning thereof, and those expectation are never fulfilled.
Being a from birth West Ham supporter, failed expectations is part of my birthright.
Its often called the beautiful game, and sometimes, just sometimes you will see skill and team work that will make you go "Oh wow" and lives up to that title.
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Post by Humph on Jul 8, 2016 19:01:12 GMT
The Wales / Belgium game was great viewing even for someone as clueless as me.
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Post by Hofmeister on Jul 8, 2016 19:03:49 GMT
Yes it was an entertaining game.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2016 23:25:45 GMT
As a 40 year City supporter (Manchester that is), I have known years of despair and lack of expectation. That all changed about 8 years ago and now the despair comes from not winning everything. Sad really, but when you see players earning £200,000 per week, not trying it is very frustrating.
So I sometimes look elsewhere for football entertainment and was delighted to see Leicester win the premiership and the Germany France game was very good. Roll on Sunday night I hope.
Humph, if you want to go to the Etihad again let me know, I have two season tickets I have use of for non-Saturday games ....let me know.
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Post by Humph on Jul 10, 2016 8:13:52 GMT
That might indeed be fun ! Fab thanks. Let's talk. I'll tell you all about my previous experience, it was something a bit special. Hospitality thing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2016 19:05:17 GMT
OK. When my sons have sorted the fixture list for me I'll give you a couple of dates.
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Post by Humph on Jul 10, 2016 19:08:48 GMT
Fab thanks !
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Post by Humph on Apr 13, 2018 10:38:00 GMT
One for Espada really. The same guy who took me to the Etihad a couple of years ago called me on Monday this week to invite me to this week's Man City v Liverpool game. In truth I wasn't all that bothered, after my last trip I did try to get into football and watched a few matches on the telly, but rarely managed to say awake or interested until the end.
However, he was inviting me as part of a party of four to a new type of hospitality thing called the "Tunnel Club". It's a bit weird in that you are sitting in a fairly posh restaurant, being fed expensive food and drinks but, the now glass walled players tunnel, runs right through where you are sitting so you can see them come and go. This was clearly exciting to many of those there.
When the match is about to start ( after your main course ) you go through some doors to seats pretty much behind the manager's boxes. At half time, you come back in for pud, and at full time it's cheese and biscuits.
Anyway, Liverpool won, so that was that, but it was quite good fun.
Oh, and by the way, I was also given a pass for a sort of VIP car park where most of the other vehicles made my car look like a Trabant.
It was a nice experience, but I'm still struggling to see the attraction of attending a game where the crowd are so bestial in their hatred of the opposition.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2018 16:44:37 GMT
Ah yes, the tunnel club. Expensive, very expensive. Glad you enjoyed it; I'm unlikely to get in there, although I was there also at the match but in the regular seats, watching in pain.
For some reason, there is some animosity between Liverpool FC and the two Manchester clubs. You may recall the week before the scousers damaged the City bus at the first leg. Football is very tribal. I really feel very odd when I see an educated man scream obscenities because of something happening on the pitch. However the lack of discipline on the pitch and importantly the inability of the authorities to ensure truly fair play is a major contribution.
Roll on the VAR system... If it had been operational in these matches the scores would have been very different; although the result might not have been.
Spurs away tomorrow. I can't bear to watch it.
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Post by Humph on Apr 13, 2018 19:24:26 GMT
I did feel a bit of a fraud to be honest, I didn't really have a scooby as to what was going on, bit wasted on me in truth, but it was very decent of the guy to invite me. A good night out.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Apr 13, 2018 19:26:25 GMT
>> Roll on the VAR system
Are they using that next season in the PL?
There is a lot of emotion and some threatening bahaviour at football grounds by fans, hence no alcohol when seated.... So how does rugby manage?
How much is the tunnel club BTW? Very very expensive = ?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2018 19:30:16 GMT
>>but I'm still struggling to see the attraction of attending a game where the crowd are so bestial in their hatred of the opposition.
It's peculiar, isn't it. My sister and I used to walk with my Father down to watch the local team when we were little. I really enjoyed it and we always got to squeeze down to the front.
I've taken mine to rugby matches but I haven't, and doubt I will, take them to a Premier League Football match. I wonder what they are like during the week, because so many of them are utter animals at a football stadium. The fact that the footballers behave badly is no excuse.
However, I do like hospitality events. Rugby or Football. Truly the civilized way to watch a game.
And you should not feel like a fraud or even vaguely guilty. Football needs hospitality money, even if the supporters would have you believe otherwise.
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Post by Humph on Apr 13, 2018 19:42:21 GMT
I've no idea how much it cost Rob, it didn't seem appropriate to ask at the time. But yes, I imagine it wasn't cheap.
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Post by dixinormus on Apr 14, 2018 7:57:04 GMT
I'd have a wild guess of around 500 quid a head for the evening...
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