SecretSam

3 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

That was crap, as expected.

No, it was worse

Imagine waiting in anticipation for ten years for...that

Qatar's coach really looks like Steve Clarke

What. A. Miss.

This is not going to end 11 vs 11

Living up to the standard of every wc first game ever.

What's the pen going to be ruled out for

6 minutes ago, RedHienz said:

Var is the best thing to happen to football 

For bribes

On 14/11/2022 at 15:44, North London Red said:

Someone on the England fans' forum posted the other day that it is going to be QAR 50 for a can of Budweiser in the fan zones and at / outside the stadiums; there was a picture which appeared to confirm this. At current FX rates that's between £11 and £12 per can.

It might be possible to buy alcohol more cheaply in hotel bars; hopefully that will be the case, and hopefully it won't be Budweiser. I'll find out in a few days.

Or you could just not drink? 

On 14/11/2022 at 15:53, maxjak said:

Good Luck.........hope you have a great time, and an intereseting experience.  Take a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels with you?,  Then again, maybe not? 

Sure fire way to get arrested. Alcohol can only be consumed in permitted areas (eg hotel bars)

On 14/11/2022 at 21:04, ScottishRed said:

Never been to Qatar but in Dubai this is standard practice in hotels that can sell alcohol and is extremely popular but is usually a weekend thing.

Obviously a different country and not during a major sporting event so the rules could be very different for either or both, of these reasons.

Same in Qatar. 

Probably popular because it's one of the things the parping clowns of the England band can play. The talentless c**ts

Following his heroics on Saturday, is a reappraisal of O'Leary required? He seems to be the main man now

Shit

4 hours ago, slartibartfast said:

The same for EVERY club....................just think how few the Fewers actually get !

You mean the 100k locked out of every game is actually only 99k?

1 hour ago, LondonBristolian said:

You've gone and done it now. This is going to be in my head all afternoon...

 

Boiiiinnngggg

1 hour ago, real_bristol said:

IYKWIM?

That too 

Oh c0ck, how bloody unlucky is the lad? 

I blame David Bentley

Fact is, if he didn't have flaws in his game, he'd be in the Prem.

(Note: I'm talking about GK and Bristol City player Daniel Bentley, not former Spurs player David Bentley. Nor am I talking about Bentley cars, the band Bentley Rhythm Ace, nor Bentley Systems (an infrastructure systems software company, apparently)) 

On 08/10/2022 at 23:45, Logical-City said:

At what point do people start to recognise that Frankie Fielding was better ? And that our next signing should be a keeper? Sorry he can make all the random world class saves he wants but give me a steady reliable safe hands keeper all day   

I didn't know David Bentley was still playing, he must be getting on a bit

Needs a bit more peripheral vision, ITKWIM

2 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Football doesn't negate the decency of respecting others cultures but I agree Qatar should not be hosting the World Cup. We shouldn't however impose western values on an arabic long, proud & influential culture.

I travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, was considerate of its culture even where it didn't concur with my own values and never had a problem other than once inadvertently sitting in a women's area in a cafe in Jeddah (not there was any obvious way to identify,) where having highlighted my error the locals watered and fed me with a smile and for gratis.

You use the term 'strict', so what say we flip cultural norms to see whether you consider us to be as strict as they? I was once travelling in a cab in Bahrain, fancy top-of-the-range Merc, not some backstreet mini cab. Chauffeur smartly dressed in crystal white dishdasha, butterfly style shumagh, classy. A slight delay at a set of lights and he gets out the car, hoicks up his thwab and proceeds to curl one out in the road. Nobody (save me) batted an eyelid. He climbed back in and life continued. Do you reckon he'd think us strict for not allowing him to do likewise here?

:laugh: getting an Uber back to the airport in Riyadh during a massive downpour (including lightning) was...an experience

9 minutes ago, Cowshed said:

Bristol City lads have been there before for a game  v Brazil and? Drank in a gated complex for tourists. Drinking alcohol was restricted and it is exceptionally expensive.

Years later. Drinking alcohol is stiil restricted and it is exceptionally expensive.

It will be unlike any other tournament.

I don't know current prices, but back in the day it was (say) double London prices.

I understand in many Scandi countries, alcohol is very pricey. 

End of the day, it's their country, if they have rules you don't like...don't go.

5 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

The very fact there is any sort of dress code makes it strict. Think they'll allow female fans to wear shorts around town?

I can only go by the word of my mate, who has worked in UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

He found the Bahrainis the friendliest and Qataris the least. He had friends among the expat and South Asian community there, but not the Arabs. 

At any rate, it isn't a football culture,  nor one used to josting large numbers of fans from across the world.

It is a farce it was ever considered, let alone granted the gig. 

There's a dress code in lots of places. You can't go into St Peter's Square with uncovered arms and legs, for example (IIRC). Similarly, women topless on general beaches here is forbidden. That's a dress code.

Whether the local authorities in Qatar relax some rules during the World Cup remains to be seen. The drunkeness rule is going to be a problem, and I'm told Qatari jails are not pleasant.

And if you are going to Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is well worth a visit, stunning building and some amazing exhibits.

6 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

A few queries (been there twice with work):

• "Strict dress codes"? Not really, when I went there (twice), t-shirts and shorts were fine. Sure, walking round with your shirt off probably isn't the done thing, but nor is it in many countries
• "Unfriendly society" - I found the locals (there's very few actual locals) to be pretty pleasant
• "Weather" - your friend is talking about summer. This will be winter. I've been there twice in winter, perfectly pleasant, warm, yes, but mid-30s and dry heat. Evenings cooler. Quite pleasant.

Mind you, the whole regime is unpleasant and the way they treat their migrant workers is appalling. As a side note, the working standards for them makes you realise why the much-criticised "health and safety" culture of this country is a good thing. 

PS and it bloody rained one day, too.

PPS: did the same in Saudi, pissed it down. I'm cursed.

On 12/11/2021 at 10:50, Red-Robbo said:

Even if you ignored the evil regime, the exploited virtual slave labour building the stadiums and the corruption that landed them the gig, it will be a crap experience.

Get drinks only at a hotel bar, strict dress codes, an unfriendly society and weather that even my sun-loving friend who lives in Doha says is unbearable.  He says life is just leaving your air-conditioned apartment by lift to your air-conditioned garage then driving your air-conditioned vehicle to your employers' air-conditioned garage under their air-conditioned office. As little time as possible is spent outdoors.

Not really the travelling football fans ideal.

A few queries (been there twice with work):

• "Strict dress codes"? Not really, when I went there (twice), t-shirts and shorts were fine. Sure, walking round with your shirt off probably isn't the done thing, but nor is it in many countries
• "Unfriendly society" - I found the locals (there's very few actual locals) to be pretty pleasant
• "Weather" - your friend is talking about summer. This will be winter. I've been there twice in winter, perfectly pleasant, warm, yes, but mid-30s and dry heat. Evenings cooler. Quite pleasant.

Mind you, the whole regime is unpleasant and the way they treat their migrant workers is appalling. As a side note, the working standards for them makes you realise why the much-criticised "health and safety" culture of this country is a good thing.