Daily Mirror ... cheeky b*ggers

England will have just 3,000 die-hard supporters following them at Euro 2012 – the smallest number in the modern tournament.

Fans chiefs yesterday blamed the sky-high cost of accommodation, travel chaos and the recession for the failure to sell our official allocation of tickets.

Hotels in the Ukranian venue of Donetsk, where England play two group games, are charging around £250-a-night. Described as the country’s equivalent of Barnsley, its main ‘tourist attraction’ is the biggest mining slag heap in Europe.

England had 15 per cent of the 52,518-capacity Donbass Arena, around 7,800 tickets. But less than half have been sold.

 

Tired old ******** from the usual suspects. "Described as the country's equivalent of Barnsley" - for the first time ever, just now, by a lovely person of a journalist.

 

I'm sure the FA woudl never think to blame people losing interest in the overpaid over hyped tossers that play for England for them not selling the allocation out...

 

Exactly. I bet more than 3,000 went out to Bilboa to watch Man Utd. It's not that people can't afford it they just can't bothered and who could blame them? England are ****.

 

More likely to be apathy towards the team than owt.

 

Good point. The way I feel about our 'superstars' right now I wouldnt pay money to watch England if they were playing at Oakwell.

 

I would guess a combination of that, and the fact that the Ukrainian infrastructure is about on the same level as Zimbabwe's (from someone who has driven in Zimbabwe). Even if you manage to get to somewhere within striking distance of Donetsk (Kiev, Krakov), you're still a day's train ride away. I pity anyone attempting to travel around inside the country who doesn't have at least a rudimentary knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian, 'cos as sure as Kenny Dalglish is a big nob end, no fecker outside Kiev will speak a word of English!

 

Having looked at going, the £400 flight and total lack of available accomodation put me off. Kiev looked sightly better but £300 flight and £200 per night hotel killed it again.

At a cost of roughly £1000 to see a game it's a no hoper

 

Apparently there's plenty of campsites in and around Donetsk. I'm serious by the way, it's pretty popular in ukraine!

 

Well, suppose they are right, after all. The daily Mirror is only the equivalent to shithole paper, isn’t it :tongue:

 

I thought one of their sports journos is a massive reds fan?

 

Well I'm going

Flights £100 each way (BA to Kiev). £30 a night in Kiev and about the same for the fans' campsite in Donetsk. Cheap "holiday"!!
..and which footballers aren't over paid?

 

Re: Well I'm going

Have you decided how you're getting from Kiev to Donetsk yet mate?

 

Re: Well I'm going

Intend hiring a car cos we've got four days after the match and we fancy a drive around!! (I know how dodgy that is but we are game!) May end up getting the overnight train but want to avoid if possible. Any advice? - I know you have experience.

 

Re: Well I'm going

i was planning on going this summer but after the farce in last world cup and with rooney slagging the fans off they can ******'s as far as im concered, this is the first time supporting england that ive got little interest in the tournament

 

Have you been to Zimbabwe? Didn't think you had?

It is a total joke though, totally prohibitive due to ***** infrastructure and more importantly, cost.

 

Haha, it shouldn't have read like that!

The thing is, Russia is going to be just the same but on a much bigger scale. I suspect the transport between the cities will be much better organised as to their credit they have recognised the problems in Ukraine and are already putting plans together. Whether they will be ready in time is another matter mind. However the main problem is going to be with reasonably priced accommodation. I think Moscow will get its act together and possibly Saint Petersburg but the rest of the country - no chance.

 

Re: Well I'm going

My advice - get your driving licence translated into Russian (not Ukrainian, no-one in Donetsk speaks it) if you can, with a lawyer's stamp on it. I would guess plenty of places in London will be able to do it.
If you are stopped by the police, don't attempt to speak to them, just hand over your documents and smile.
If another driver looks like he is about to do something completely stupid, then he almost certainly will do. General rule of thumb is the more expensive the car, the more fecklessly it will be driven.
If you have an accident, you must leave the car on the spot til the cops arrive, even if it's a very minor shunt.
Don't drive at night, the roads are diabolical enough during the day.
Drink-drive limit is nil, and will be enforced.
Right of way is determined by the size of your car. If possible hire a Hummer (!)

 

Re: Well I'm going

Thanks for that. It's going to be a great experience I'm sure!

 

Re: Well I'm going

Yes mate, it will be absolutely superb. Russians and Ukrainians are in my opinion the closest people I've found to South Yorkshire folk, quite suspicious of outsiders to start with but as soon as you get to know them unfailingly down to earth, warm, generous and helpful.

By the way, a couple more driving tips which I remembered on my way to work this morning - if you see a left filter light at a crossroads and you're going left, you often still have to give way to traffic coming towards you, don't assume that you will automatically be able to go. Also, when turning right at a traffic lit junction, very often there will be a pedestrian crossing situated on the road that you're turning into. Even if you have a green light, very often so do the pedestrians, and of course they have priority. Loopy system I know, and one which must cause a ton of fatalities!