If only Carlsberg Made Swipe Card Systems…..
There is nothing better than a European night at CP. The Champs League, the most corrupt league in the world, ever, seems to have raised the bar amongst supporters with even the most consumer of consumer fan singing for at least one song.
When Handels “The Priest” bombs out from over the PA, the teams run out into the floodlit gladiators den and the ball bhoys wave that giant tablecloth aboot in the centre circle it really is the place to be. No matter how much we denied it last year we were jealous of them across the river. Doesn’t matter if your only there to make up the numbers, the champs league is the only place in town to be seen at.
For me this game is more important, bigger even than the return match against Man Utd. This is a game, which if we win could go a long way to ensuring that we still need our passports out in 2007.
So makes me wonder why tickets are still available for this game? Why have 3 match packages been offered to season ticket holders, then to huddle club members then to public sale and eventually to any man and his dug?
Are we now being blasé by this gesture? Is the lack of interest in this game due to the fact that our expectations have been raised by our narrow, but still an away defeat yet again, in our last outing? Our is it just the fact that all over Europe CL games fail to sell out due to high ticket prices and saturated TV coverage.
The CL still has a novelty factory for me. The fact I think we didn’t qualify for it, for years it still seems like we are gate crashing a wedding and trying to cop of with the bridesmaid. But for some, the big team supporter mentality comes to the fore and FC Copenhagen have been dismissed by some as cannon fodder and labelled group’s whipping boys.
There results should dispel that notion, beating Ajax and the fact that a good Benfica side saw a draw, as a good result in match day one should make us sit up and take notice. Now I really don’t know much about them, and I’m not going to say other wise all I have got to go on is a 20 min conversation I had with a Bronby fan in Dublin the other week.
This lad was gushing with praise for his chosen teams rivals. He said that they will execute a game plan and if we allow them to settle a long evening is on the cards. They play a direct style that should suit Big Mick, and play to Marcus Allbacks strengths up front. He also said they have a Swedish playmaker and if we give him time and space he can hurt us.
But they lack experience in Europe espsically in the CL. An early goal could desettle them and if we coax them out we could win by a few goals. The bottom-line is they are a handy side that can hurt us and if our performance level doesn’t improve and application level is not the same as it was at OT then we will have a hard time.
From what the guy said to me, I think they will be about Anderlects level. A team that troubled us away from home on a night when our performance was so poor that it reminded me of mid 90’s European performances. And it was bloody freezing that night it Brussels, ticket less standing in a field with a couple of hundred fellow Tims.
But I digress. The question is how far above Anderlects levels are we now or are we above Anderlects level at all? The team that gave Anderlect a doing at CP, I think, was a better team than we are now. With that team I would have been confident of getting 3rd place in our current group but with our current squad doubts still remain.
We have not been firing on all cylinders this season. The fact that the squad was not settled until late in the transfer window, the international break disrupted the chance for them to gel and our program has not been conducive for them to work on things in training, for me has lead to disjointed performances but on the whole winning performances.
Things is, we need our top guns, or big game players to be fully fit and them to talk our younger less experienced troops through the game. News that Tommy G and JvoH does not bode well especially the fact that we let Jvoh play on after it was obvious he was limping on Saturday.
We need a big performance and hopefully the fans will play their part if they get in that is. I’m not going to blame the swipe card system for the delays. The swipe card works it’s just a bit slower than the usual hand over your ticket stub system. The main reason for this is the delay between the person in front of you going through the turnstile and the light turning green to allow you to get in.
On Saturday I was quite sad and worked out there is about a 10 second delay in the person going through, the system rebooting itself an allowing the person behind to get in. I’ll do the math and that’s about 6 people a minute the system should let through if the person with his card is not trying to stick it in the slot or getting impatient waving the card aboot before the light turns green.
Now tomorrow night we will all have paper tickets. Tickets that warning has already been issued regarding bending them. Tomorrow will be worse due to this and as usual midweek games the fans arriving are less staggered due to the lack of time between finishing work and getting to the stadium.
Tomorrow will be bedlam if people don’t change their habits. On Saturday I left the London Road Tav at 12.15, I knew I would never make the kick off due to the slowness of the system. In the queue the amount of moans about the time and how the system was better was unreal. When I asked why one of the moaners, like me, hadn’t left the pub earlier to ensure he saw the kick off he said he shouldn’t have too as the system should work.
Note to all, the system does work. Celtic have told us to get their earlier, thus giving the system time to allow all into the stadium. I for one will be at the stadium earlier than usual on CL nights to ensure I hear Handel booming over the PA. Would advise everyone to forget about that fly pint on the way to the ground and go straight in.
I know it will be bedlam around 7.30. We can’t change our footballing going culture to a more European style, which means arriving hours before kick off in a few weeks of this system being implemented. This culture will eventually change- our neighbours across the river are earlier arrivers- but it will take time.
Mon the Hoops
Hail Hail
When Handels “The Priest” bombs out from over the PA, the teams run out into the floodlit gladiators den and the ball bhoys wave that giant tablecloth aboot in the centre circle it really is the place to be. No matter how much we denied it last year we were jealous of them across the river. Doesn’t matter if your only there to make up the numbers, the champs league is the only place in town to be seen at.
For me this game is more important, bigger even than the return match against Man Utd. This is a game, which if we win could go a long way to ensuring that we still need our passports out in 2007.
So makes me wonder why tickets are still available for this game? Why have 3 match packages been offered to season ticket holders, then to huddle club members then to public sale and eventually to any man and his dug?
Are we now being blasé by this gesture? Is the lack of interest in this game due to the fact that our expectations have been raised by our narrow, but still an away defeat yet again, in our last outing? Our is it just the fact that all over Europe CL games fail to sell out due to high ticket prices and saturated TV coverage.
The CL still has a novelty factory for me. The fact I think we didn’t qualify for it, for years it still seems like we are gate crashing a wedding and trying to cop of with the bridesmaid. But for some, the big team supporter mentality comes to the fore and FC Copenhagen have been dismissed by some as cannon fodder and labelled group’s whipping boys.
There results should dispel that notion, beating Ajax and the fact that a good Benfica side saw a draw, as a good result in match day one should make us sit up and take notice. Now I really don’t know much about them, and I’m not going to say other wise all I have got to go on is a 20 min conversation I had with a Bronby fan in Dublin the other week.
This lad was gushing with praise for his chosen teams rivals. He said that they will execute a game plan and if we allow them to settle a long evening is on the cards. They play a direct style that should suit Big Mick, and play to Marcus Allbacks strengths up front. He also said they have a Swedish playmaker and if we give him time and space he can hurt us.
But they lack experience in Europe espsically in the CL. An early goal could desettle them and if we coax them out we could win by a few goals. The bottom-line is they are a handy side that can hurt us and if our performance level doesn’t improve and application level is not the same as it was at OT then we will have a hard time.
From what the guy said to me, I think they will be about Anderlects level. A team that troubled us away from home on a night when our performance was so poor that it reminded me of mid 90’s European performances. And it was bloody freezing that night it Brussels, ticket less standing in a field with a couple of hundred fellow Tims.
But I digress. The question is how far above Anderlects levels are we now or are we above Anderlects level at all? The team that gave Anderlect a doing at CP, I think, was a better team than we are now. With that team I would have been confident of getting 3rd place in our current group but with our current squad doubts still remain.
We have not been firing on all cylinders this season. The fact that the squad was not settled until late in the transfer window, the international break disrupted the chance for them to gel and our program has not been conducive for them to work on things in training, for me has lead to disjointed performances but on the whole winning performances.
Things is, we need our top guns, or big game players to be fully fit and them to talk our younger less experienced troops through the game. News that Tommy G and JvoH does not bode well especially the fact that we let Jvoh play on after it was obvious he was limping on Saturday.
We need a big performance and hopefully the fans will play their part if they get in that is. I’m not going to blame the swipe card system for the delays. The swipe card works it’s just a bit slower than the usual hand over your ticket stub system. The main reason for this is the delay between the person in front of you going through the turnstile and the light turning green to allow you to get in.
On Saturday I was quite sad and worked out there is about a 10 second delay in the person going through, the system rebooting itself an allowing the person behind to get in. I’ll do the math and that’s about 6 people a minute the system should let through if the person with his card is not trying to stick it in the slot or getting impatient waving the card aboot before the light turns green.
Now tomorrow night we will all have paper tickets. Tickets that warning has already been issued regarding bending them. Tomorrow will be worse due to this and as usual midweek games the fans arriving are less staggered due to the lack of time between finishing work and getting to the stadium.
Tomorrow will be bedlam if people don’t change their habits. On Saturday I left the London Road Tav at 12.15, I knew I would never make the kick off due to the slowness of the system. In the queue the amount of moans about the time and how the system was better was unreal. When I asked why one of the moaners, like me, hadn’t left the pub earlier to ensure he saw the kick off he said he shouldn’t have too as the system should work.
Note to all, the system does work. Celtic have told us to get their earlier, thus giving the system time to allow all into the stadium. I for one will be at the stadium earlier than usual on CL nights to ensure I hear Handel booming over the PA. Would advise everyone to forget about that fly pint on the way to the ground and go straight in.
I know it will be bedlam around 7.30. We can’t change our footballing going culture to a more European style, which means arriving hours before kick off in a few weeks of this system being implemented. This culture will eventually change- our neighbours across the river are earlier arrivers- but it will take time.
Mon the Hoops
Hail Hail
posted by Keving at Monday, September 25, 2006
5 Comments:
I get the message, be there early! The guy in front of me going through the gate on Saturday was more interested in talking on his phone than being efficient. Very rude!
I really can't wait to hear the music blaring out the tannoy tomorrow and will definetly be in early. I love to soak up the atmosphere, the nerves, the expectations, etc. I love it all. Even watching the players warming up and working out who is starting and who's on the bench. Sad but true.
I'm always in the ground at least 30 mins early and to be honest one of my real pet hates is the late arrivers.
Everyone moans about the early leavers but no one ever complains about all the Johnnie-come-lately types. They do my head in. If you want to have a drink then just arrive at the pub earlier. Simple. Yes? No?
Anywho back to the game, I really think the first fifteen minutes tomorrow will be massive and if we can sing our hearts out and hopefully get them rattled then a rerun of the Anderlecht home game could be on the cards. But and this is a big but, is one more beer really more important to the average fan than being on time?.......................................
Sadly I think it is!
Only in Scotland.
© the sick man of Europe
Public transport to matches has too often been hijacked by the all drinking, all smoking, let`s disgrace the hoops mob. Tonight I`ll avoid them by going directly to the match.
Come on the Bhoys!
Tempo, tempo, tempo!
good 3 points last night.
lennon was again immense and as ive said time and time again no matter who we are playing should be the 1st man on the team-sheet.
naka and mcgeady were very good but in order to have players like that u need the balance with players like lennon.
tommy g had a great game and hardly gave a ball away all night.
kenny miller again ran his heart out again and showed great bottle stepping up to score the penalty.
next game v benfica will be massive but we are looking better all the time.
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