Another Drive4show 'Anything goes' thread

[dynamark]

First topic message reminder :

I think its a done deal -no doubt he will be sat with the owner tonight
Villa should be a big big club remember going to cup semis there but probably need an owner willing to throw in some quick money .
No messing around in football these days from any of the owners.

[super_realist]

If Liverpool put robertson up for sale, they would as at least 70m. I doubt him being english would make him 140m.

It was only a few months ago that John Stones was being touted as a 100m player by people on here, Robertson is much better than Stones is or ever was, but I don't think anyone would ever offer 100m for Robertson. English players definitely carry a premium. That young lad at Chelsea Hudson Odoi being a case in point. Do you think if he was from Northern Ireland that Chelsea would have such a high tag on him?

[JAS]

Just think it's ridiculous that Chelsea and Arsenal only getting 6,000 tickets each in a stadium that holds over 68,000. I know it's a difficult place to go to, but someone on Talksport suggested that UEFA increase the clubs allocation and arrange charter flights for the fans.

Should just play both finals at Wembley as all English clubs.
Shame they couldn’t do that.

Is it ridiculous that a major final is held in such an inadequate backwater? Yes of course it is...but why didn’t anyone object with the arguments being put forward now when the venue was chosen?? The thing is if you’re happy to accept the benefits of the obscene amounts of dirty money sloshing around in football you can’t really complain when dirty money takes a prestigious occasion up a back alley.

[super_realist]

Who says it's dirty JAS? Baku is a tremendous city. It's neither a backwater or inadequate.

Also for Westisbest, why would you want any European final to simply feel like another FA Cup final at Wembley? Isn't it bad enough it's two English teams which takes away from the romance of it being a EUROPEAN competition? Why wouldn't you want to play a final in one of the continents great stadiums and vibrant cities? How very short sighted and unimaginative.

[dynamark]

Kwini you made an error there.I was at the Leicester/Chelsea game and a severe lack of atmosphere and neither side wanted to put the ball in the net A few good moments though.I thought Mahrez 3rd goal for City was a super bit of work he did that many times at Leicester.To think he hasn't been on the pitch for 5/6 games is crazy.

[JAS]

Who says it's dirty JAS? Baku is a tremendous city. It's neither a backwater or inadequate.

Also for Westisbest, why would you want any European final to simply feel like another FA Cup final at Wembley? Isn't it bad enough it's two English teams which takes away from the romance of it being a EUROPEAN competition? Why wouldn't you want to play a final in one of the continents great stadiums and vibrant cities? How very short sighted and unimaginative.

Super it might well be tremendous but in terms of European football it really is the arse end of nowhere, no direct flights from most European cities. It would be like holding the FA cup final in somewhere like Carlisle.
Other than UEFA officials palms being greased by people with too much money, what other logical explanation could there be for staging a major European final there?

[westisbest]

Who says it's dirty JAS? Baku is a tremendous city. It's neither a backwater or inadequate.

Also for Westisbest, why would you want any European final to simply feel like another FA Cup final at Wembley? Isn't it bad enough it's two English teams which takes away from the romance of it being a EUROPEAN competition? Why wouldn't you want to play a final in one of the continents great stadiums and vibrant cities? How very short sighted and unimaginative.

I really don’t care where it’s played.
I was just putting it out there more for convince for the fans.

I don’t think it’s bad that it’s two English clubs. Fair play to both of them for getting there.

[McLaren]

Kwini, you have missed the point. It is the non defensive attributes of Arnold that are hard to find. Have you seen how often Ashley Youngs final ball hits the first defender.


I'm with Super on Baku. The f1 goes there and looks like a beautiful city. Full of historic charm. Other than the long flights there is no reason not to host the EL final there.

[kwinigolfer]

[quote="McLaren"]Kwini, you have missed the point. It is the non defensive attributes of Arnold that are hard to find. Have you seen how often Ashley Youngs final ball hits the first defender.


I think you've made my point, Thanks Mac.

[McLaren]

Then we are in agreement. As the sups debate on player prices highlights man utd would need to spend well over £50m to get a player like Arnold.

Although I will maintain that there is a great player hiding in Shaw somewhere.

[kwinigolfer]

Unfortunately Shaw is lazy and always seems to be carrying a few too many lbs.

Considering the rubbish MU have spent 50M on in the past, surely that's not too much to pay for a full-back who's likely to give you 10+ years of top class performances.

Though I'd much rather have Robertson than TAA.

[pedro]

Super,
Azerbaijan is a corrupt dictatorship. Nothing more, nothing less. Big sporting events are being pulled in only to cater to the presidents ego. I’m sure many other cities would have loved to host that final.

And by the way, Doha is a nice place too.

Mac,
The fact the F1 is there just proves my point. Dirty money.

[McLaren]

Pedro

Our nation is run by someone who deported black citizens, should everything done by UK citizens be viewed trough that lens?

[kwinigolfer]

Is Azerbaijan actually in Europe?
Blimey, the European Tour will be having their season finale in Dubai before you know it.

[McLaren]

Is Azerbaijan actually in Europe?

It's in the Eurovision. That has to be pretty official.

[pedro]

Is Azerbaijan actually in Europe?

It's in the Eurovision.  That has to be pretty official.

Was that a joke?

[Be_the_ball]

Can't believe Brighton have sacked Chris Hughton. He's kept them in the Premier League twice now. Deluded.

[super_realist]

Super,
Azerbaijan is a corrupt dictatorship. Nothing more, nothing less. Big sporting events are being pulled in only to cater to the presidents ego. I’m sure many other cities would have loved to host that final.

And by the way, Doha is a nice place too.

Mac,
The fact the F1 is there just proves my point. Dirty money.

So if F1 is there, it must be a corrupt regime? Wow, fantastic reasoning.

Anything to back that claim up, or just surmising? Azerbaijan, like lots of countries in that part of the world gained enormous wealth incredibly quickly through energy. I don't see you crying your eyes out about Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan, Norway,  etc holding sporting events. Or how about the blatantly corrupt governments of Berlusconi for instance? Were you moaning about them getting to hold finals?

Being a rich country doesn't make you corrupt. I'm sure they have elements of corruption, like many do, but no worse than a lot of others who you don't seem to give a toss about.  I'm sure many cities would "have loved" to have hosted that final, but it's a process like any other, and pretty much a Buggin's turn. Any large city who has the facilities will eventually get to host the final if they want it and put forward a decent bid.

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

[Roller_Coaster]

Is Azerbaijan actually in Europe?
Blimey, the European Tour will be having their season finale in Dubai before you know it.

Ha ha

[Roller_Coaster]

Is Azerbaijan actually in Europe?

It's in the Eurovision.  That has to be pretty official.

Was that a joke?

Yes.

It must have been, no-one was accused of racism, oppression or not rating Michael Carrick.

[beninho]

People don't believe Azerbaijan is corrupt?

Anyway the fact that clubs get 6500 tickets for fans in a stadium which holds 60k due to the fact its a fricking nightmare to get to, tells you its a terrible choice.

Also the fact that there are safety risks against an Armenian in the arsenal squad, so much that he may not travel gives good reason to pull the bloody thing.

[navyblueshorts]

People don't believe Azerbaijan is corrupt?

Anyway the fact that clubs get 6500 tickets for fans in a stadium which holds 60k due to the fact its a fricking nightmare to get to, tells you its a terrible choice.

Also the fact that there are safety risks against an Armenian in the arsenal squad, so much that he may not travel gives good reason to pull the bloody thing.

Yes, many people in Azerbijan might be corrupt, incl. their President. Bit like America or the UK in many ways.
S_R makes a valid point though - this is only an issue because it's miles away for fans who want to go and ticket allocations. I think he's probably being a bit harsh on Norway though, bracketing them with Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Berlusconi's mafia.

[Davie]

It's not just purely the distance though is it? It's the difficulty of the distance. 4 days car journey including trying to get around some blocked borders, 2 days train (blocked borders again). War torn areas. Only one easy flight a week and that is on a Saturday so it would require a week's stay for 90 minutes of football. Otherwise a change or two in delightful places like Istanbul. So it's not just pure distance.

New York (for example) would be another 2,000 miles more round trip - yet infinitely easier

[pedro]

Super,
Azerbaijan is a corrupt dictatorship. Nothing more, nothing less. Big sporting events are being pulled in only to cater to the presidents ego. I’m sure many other cities would have loved to host that final.

And by the way, Doha is a nice place too.

Mac,
The fact the F1 is there just proves my point. Dirty money.

So if F1 is there, it must be a corrupt regime? Wow, fantastic reasoning.

Anything to back that claim up, or just surmising? Azerbaijan, like lots of countries in that part of the world gained enormous wealth incredibly quickly through energy. I don't see you crying your eyes out about Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan, Norway,  etc holding sporting events. Or how about the blatantly corrupt governments of Berlusconi for instance? Were you moaning about them getting to hold finals?

Being a rich country doesn't make you corrupt. I'm sure they have elements of corruption, like many do, but no worse than a lot of others who you don't seem to give a toss about.  I'm sure many cities would "have loved" to have hosted that final, but it's a process like any other, and pretty much a Buggin's turn. Any large city who has the facilities will eventually get to host the final if they want it and put forward a decent bid.

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

Obviously you didn't see the sarcasm in the F1 comment.  
I think I have been clear about my stance on ET events in dodgy places. However Azerbaijan is still in Europe (just) so unfair to bracket them with non-European countries. I don't see EL or CL finals being played outside Europe (at least not in the near future) simply beacuse the money is here - unlike golf.
I'm pretty sure it's one of the most corrupt nations in Europe and undeniably a dictatorship. In fact it's pretty shocking you think it isn't worse than other places. Inspired by mac I post this link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
Fair enough about EL finals can be held off the beaten track, but in this case why support a corrupt regime when you have other choices. And yes, no one really gives a toss about the EL final, but hey, it's a discussion forum and I'm a bit tired of the Brexit stuff...

PS: Norway and Italy are democracies last I checked. And despite Silvio it would be wrong not to give credit to Italian football (and Milan), who unlike Azerbaijan, means a hell of a lot more to European football. What's next? No finals in England because English clubs are being owned by Russian oligarcs and Middle Eastern sheikhs?

[navyblueshorts]

It's not just purely the distance though is it? It's the difficulty of the distance. 4 days car journey including trying to get around some blocked borders, 2 days train (blocked borders again). War torn areas. Only one easy flight a week and that is on a Saturday so it would require a week's stay for 90 minutes of football. Otherwise a change or two in delightful places like Istanbul. So it's not just pure distance.

New York (for example) would be another 2,000 miles more round trip - yet infinitely easier

I get that, but that's the way it goes, otherwise these golden eggs are only ever hosted by the usual suspects. No easy solution - maybe set off a week before the final?

[navyblueshorts]

Ah ha...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48265079

[dynamark]

Could we get onto reality please in the form of Jeremy Kyle !!
Speaks for itself but what is incredible and quite disturbing is that it is a very very popular programme .Says volumes about our society.
Mind you I'm about to watch the daily politics show so glass houses etc.

[JAS]

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

As is the selective belittlement of certain venues.. can’t be bothered to check the status of Hampden (stage of one of the best European cup finals ever) nor am I sure of the status of casa breeze block in the east end but last time I looked Ibrox was a uefa 5 star rated stadium and I’d hazard a guess that Arsenal/Chelsea fans would find it infinitely easier to get to Glasgow than Baku. Also as you keep reminding us of the dire state of the Scottish game I’d say it would be just as worthy if not more so of an injection of uefa cash for hosting a 2nd tier final.

[navyblueshorts]

Could we get onto reality please in the form of Jeremy Kyle  !!
Speaks for itself but what is incredible and quite disturbing is that it is a very very popular programme .Says volumes about our society.
Mind you I'm about to watch the daily politics show so glass houses etc.

Not sure what the fuss is with this. Someone died, which is a shame, but there's no suggestion (and certainly no evidence) that being on Kyle killed him. The MP(s) banging on about it should all resign if they actually think it's appropriate to peddle this schidt in the absence of any actual supporting evidence.

[beninho]

A bit of reading between the lines. But I gather he went on the tv show claiming he did not cheat on his wife. Did a lie detector test, and they claimed he was lying. He then.killed himself. It seems in this instance being on the show led to his death. Not surevwhy anyone would go on it anyway.

[navyblueshorts]

A bit of reading between the lines. But I gather he went on the tv show claiming he did not cheat on his wife. Did a lie detector test, and they claimed he was lying. He then.killed himself. It seems in this instance being on the show led to his death. Not surevwhy anyone would go on it anyway.

No, me neither. 15 mins of 'fame'?

[Collapse2005]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy-will-represent-ireland-at-2020-tokyo-olympics-1.3892327

[beninho]

Irishman to represent ireland shock.

[Davie]

Could we get onto reality please in the form of Jeremy Kyle  !!
Speaks for itself but what is incredible and quite disturbing is that it is a very very popular programme .Says volumes about our society.
Mind you I'm about to watch the daily politics show so glass houses etc.

Not sure what the fuss is with this. Someone died, which is a shame, but there's no suggestion (and certainly no evidence) that being on Kyle killed him. The MP(s) banging on about it should all resign if they actually think it's appropriate to peddle this schidt in the absence of any actual supporting evidence.

Beninho has just said what I was going to say. I've never watched JK show and I don't know what anyone else would watch it either, but there is certainly a suggestion (if no direct evidence yet) why he killed himself

[super_realist]

Super,
Azerbaijan is a corrupt dictatorship. Nothing more, nothing less. Big sporting events are being pulled in only to cater to the presidents ego. I’m sure many other cities would have loved to host that final.

And by the way, Doha is a nice place too.

Mac,
The fact the F1 is there just proves my point. Dirty money.

So if F1 is there, it must be a corrupt regime? Wow, fantastic reasoning.

Anything to back that claim up, or just surmising? Azerbaijan, like lots of countries in that part of the world gained enormous wealth incredibly quickly through energy. I don't see you crying your eyes out about Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan, Norway,  etc holding sporting events. Or how about the blatantly corrupt governments of Berlusconi for instance? Were you moaning about them getting to hold finals?

Being a rich country doesn't make you corrupt. I'm sure they have elements of corruption, like many do, but no worse than a lot of others who you don't seem to give a toss about.  I'm sure many cities would "have loved" to have hosted that final, but it's a process like any other, and pretty much a Buggin's turn. Any large city who has the facilities will eventually get to host the final if they want it and put forward a decent bid.

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

Obviously you didn't see the sarcasm in the F1 comment.  
I think I have been clear about my stance on ET events in dodgy places. However Azerbaijan is still in Europe (just) so unfair to bracket them with non-European countries. I don't see EL or CL finals being played outside Europe (at least not in the near future) simply beacuse the money is here - unlike golf.
I'm pretty sure it's one of the most corrupt nations in Europe and undeniably a dictatorship. In fact it's pretty shocking you think it isn't worse than other places. Inspired by mac I post this link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index
Fair enough about EL finals can be held off the beaten track, but in this case why support a corrupt regime when you have other choices. And yes, no one really gives a toss about the EL final, but hey, it's a discussion forum and I'm a bit tired of the Brexit stuff...

PS: Norway and Italy are democracies last I checked. And despite Silvio it would be wrong not to give credit to Italian football (and Milan), who unlike Azerbaijan, means a hell of a lot more to European football. What's next? No finals in England because English clubs are being owned by Russian oligarcs and Middle Eastern sheikhs?

Azerbaijan is a democracy too. I don't see you whining about getting your oil and gas from Qatar, Russia or Saudi Arabia though, so why care about where a tinpot final is held?

[super_realist]

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

As is the selective belittlement of certain venues.. can’t be bothered to check the status of Hampden (stage of one of the best European cup finals ever) nor am I sure of the status of casa breeze block in the east end but last time I looked Ibrox was a uefa 5 star rated stadium and I’d hazard a guess that Arsenal/Chelsea fans would find it infinitely easier to get to Glasgow than Baku. Also as you keep reminding us of the dire state of the Scottish game I’d say it would be just as worthy if not more so of an injection of uefa cash for hosting a 2nd tier final.

How idiotic to suggest that it  logistically possible to arrange a final to be held in a "convenient" location at the conclusion of the semi final. Have you any idea how much organisation goes into this? Hell, why don't they move the Wimbledon final to New York because the Williams sisters are in it as it would be easier for their fans. Why go on a ski holiday? Isn't it more convenient to just go up the local dryslope? Who cares about convenience when your team is in a final. It's an event, and the venue is part of that, why would you want to demean it by moving it to somewhere dreary "just so it's easier for the fans to get to"?

It's 100% necessary to have the final venue nailed down prior to the commencement of the tournament. Why wouldn't you want to travel somewhere different for a final? Why would you want to go to Glasgow? Yes, Baku is further away than holding the final at QPR for those clubs, but for goodness sake it's part of the process to play a final in a far flung destination. It's part of the "journey" to use a phrase from Digger's favourite show X Factor (where is he by the way?) and adds to the experience. Which are you going to remember more fondly as a fan? Travelling somewhere you've never been before, which is interesting, different and diverse, or some turgid, rainy, wet, ugly, poverty stricken dump like Glasgow?

Why is Scottish football any more deserving of a cash injection than Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Belarus etc  anyway? The Azeri league is only ranked 6 places lower than Scotland.

By the way, I presume you are referring to Parkhead as a "Casa Breeze Block". Well having been to both Parkhead and Castle Greyskull (Ibrox) as a neutral, Parkhead is better in every way, besides I could think of dozens of better grounds than Ibrox which would also offer much more to the fans as a location.

[beninho]

Realist you seem to be big in for the dodgy Azerbaijanis. Do you think its a proper democracy? The leader took over from his dad in 2003, and "wins" elections deemed far from democratic by popular convention. Aswell as scrapping macimum terms for leadership.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Azerbaijan

Seems like a place to defend. And if tgey hadn't paid a massive amount of cash they wouldn't hold to uefa cup final.

And arsenal player has safety fears because he is Armenian.

[westisbest]

Well, the heart has just about recovered after last night.
Talk about nerves. We were poor last night in most parts.
McGinn our best player again.

Love watching penalty shoot outs, when it’s other teams involved.

Back at Wembley. Have to do it this time. Will lose our best players if we fail again.

Fair play to Tammy for keeping his nerve. Talk about pressure in sport.
Also great saves from Jed. Steering us to Wembley

[navyblueshorts]

Realist you seem to be big in for the dodgy Azerbaijanis. Do you think its a proper democracy? The leader took over from his dad in 2003, and "wins" elections deemed far from democratic by popular convention. Aswell as scrapping macimum terms for leadership.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Azerbaijan

Seems like a place to defend. And if tgey hadn't paid a massive amount of cash they wouldn't hold to uefa cup final.

And arsenal player has safety fears because he is Armenian.

He's a footballer. This is the people who fall over at a gust of wind and via imaginary contact from opponents. Everyone said English fans shouldn't travel to the recent World Cup in Russia - what happened there then? If nothing else, I'm sure Aliyev won't be happy if some of his local thugs mess up this showpiece for them - probably more than their lives are worth; bit like Russia.

[JAS]

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

As is the selective belittlement of certain venues.. can’t be bothered to check the status of Hampden (stage of one of the best European cup finals ever) nor am I sure of the status of casa breeze block in the east end but last time I looked Ibrox was a uefa 5 star rated stadium and I’d hazard a guess that Arsenal/Chelsea fans would find it infinitely easier to get to Glasgow than Baku. Also as you keep reminding us of the dire state of the Scottish game I’d say it would be just as worthy if not more so of an injection of uefa cash for hosting a 2nd tier final.

How idiotic to suggest that it  logistically possible to arrange a final to be held in a "convenient" location at the conclusion of the semi final. Have you any idea how much organisation goes into this? Hell, why don't they move the Wimbledon final to New York because the Williams sisters are in it as it would be easier for their fans. Why go on a ski holiday? Isn't it more convenient to just go up the local dryslope? Who cares about convenience when your team is in a final. It's an event, and the venue is part of that, why would you want to demean it by moving it to somewhere dreary "just so it's easier for the fans to get to"?

It's 100% necessary to have the final venue nailed down prior to the commencement of the tournament. Why wouldn't you want to travel somewhere different for a final? Why would you want to go to Glasgow? Yes, Baku is further away than holding the final at QPR for those clubs, but for goodness sake it's part of the process to play a final in a far flung destination. It's part of the "journey" to use a phrase from Digger's favourite show X Factor (where is he by the way?) and adds to the experience. Which are you going to remember more fondly as a fan? Travelling somewhere you've never been before, which is interesting, different and diverse, or some turgid, rainy, wet, ugly, poverty stricken dump like Glasgow?

Why is Scottish football any more deserving of a cash injection than Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Belarus etc  anyway? The Azeri league is only ranked 6 places lower than Scotland.

By the way, I presume you are referring to Parkhead as a "Casa Breeze Block". Well having been to both Parkhead and Castle Greyskull (Ibrox) as a neutral, Parkhead is better in every way, besides I could think of dozens of better grounds than Ibrox which would also offer much more to the fans as a location.

Where at ANY point have I said that the final should be hastily rearranged?? Jeezo Super sometimes your comprehension/interpretation skills are as bad, if not worse than Macs. I was merely trying to counter some of the sillier aspects of your diatribe. Same goes for the tongue in cheek comment about Scottish football and cash injection. You constantly berate it and tell us how dire it is so jokingly I threw it back to you that if we’re that bad why is UEFA not trying to regrow the game there instead of Azerberjhan?

Getting back to the point about the EL final in Baku, it might well be a nice place but the travel difficulty and the ticket allocations still make it an odd choice regardless of when it was chosen to host, obviously at that point there was no clue who the finalists would be but whoever they were likely to be, it would STILL have been a travel nightmare for most fans. It’s on a different scale obviously but the lunacy of the decision is along similar lines to Qatar hosting the World Cup.

Oh and btw Glasgow isn’t really the dump you make out either. Every big city has its black spots. Have you ever actually took the trouble to have a look round the Kelvingrove Gallery or the Burrell Collection?

[super_realist]

Looks like Mac and Beninho are working at Kick it Out now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48286337

No wonder Mac didn't want to tell us where he works.

[super_realist]

Besides, it's only the EL final. It's got a history of being held in places you might not consider "amazing venues". Stockholm, Basel, Warsaw, Glasgow,Bucharest and even bloody Dublin have held it in recent years. It seems they have a history of choosing places a bit off the beaten path, so why not Baku?

The selective outrage is pretty hilarious and begrudging Azerbaijan a final in something as insignificant and inconsequential as the EL final is pretty pathetic.

As is the selective belittlement of certain venues.. can’t be bothered to check the status of Hampden (stage of one of the best European cup finals ever) nor am I sure of the status of casa breeze block in the east end but last time I looked Ibrox was a uefa 5 star rated stadium and I’d hazard a guess that Arsenal/Chelsea fans would find it infinitely easier to get to Glasgow than Baku. Also as you keep reminding us of the dire state of the Scottish game I’d say it would be just as worthy if not more so of an injection of uefa cash for hosting a 2nd tier final.

How idiotic to suggest that it  logistically possible to arrange a final to be held in a "convenient" location at the conclusion of the semi final. Have you any idea how much organisation goes into this? Hell, why don't they move the Wimbledon final to New York because the Williams sisters are in it as it would be easier for their fans. Why go on a ski holiday? Isn't it more convenient to just go up the local dryslope? Who cares about convenience when your team is in a final. It's an event, and the venue is part of that, why would you want to demean it by moving it to somewhere dreary "just so it's easier for the fans to get to"?

It's 100% necessary to have the final venue nailed down prior to the commencement of the tournament. Why wouldn't you want to travel somewhere different for a final? Why would you want to go to Glasgow? Yes, Baku is further away than holding the final at QPR for those clubs, but for goodness sake it's part of the process to play a final in a far flung destination. It's part of the "journey" to use a phrase from Digger's favourite show X Factor (where is he by the way?) and adds to the experience. Which are you going to remember more fondly as a fan? Travelling somewhere you've never been before, which is interesting, different and diverse, or some turgid, rainy, wet, ugly, poverty stricken dump like Glasgow?

Why is Scottish football any more deserving of a cash injection than Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Belarus etc  anyway? The Azeri league is only ranked 6 places lower than Scotland.

By the way, I presume you are referring to Parkhead as a "Casa Breeze Block". Well having been to both Parkhead and Castle Greyskull (Ibrox) as a neutral, Parkhead is better in every way, besides I could think of dozens of better grounds than Ibrox which would also offer much more to the fans as a location.

Where at ANY point have I said that the final should be hastily rearranged?? Jeezo Super sometimes your comprehension/interpretation skills are as bad, if not worse than Macs. I was merely trying to counter some of the sillier aspects of your diatribe. Same goes for the  tongue in cheek comment about Scottish football and cash injection. You constantly berate it and tell us how dire it is so jokingly I threw it back to you that if we’re that bad why is UEFA not trying to regrow the game there instead of Azerberjhan?

Getting back to the point about the EL final in Baku, it might well be a nice place but the travel difficulty and the ticket allocations still make it an odd choice regardless of when it was chosen to host, obviously at that point there was no clue who the finalists would be but whoever they were likely to be, it would STILL have been a travel nightmare for most fans. It’s on a different scale obviously but the lunacy of the decision is along similar lines to Qatar hosting the World Cup.

Oh and btw  Glasgow isn’t really the dump you make out either. Every big city has its black spots. Have you ever actually took the trouble to have a look round the Kelvingrove Gallery or the Burrell Collection?

You were contemplating the ease in which Arsenal and Chelsea fans would get to a final in Soap Dodge City, as if that's ever a consideration for the final. Why would you even bring that up?
How is it any more weird to hold it in Baku than Stockholm or Kiev or Glasgow? Just because you have limited knowledge about Baku, and simply because it is "far away" for fans of Chelsea or Arsenal is completely irrelevant. UEFA don't pick the final venue on the basis of where this years finalists MIGHT come from. If it was being held in Glasgow and the finalists were from Turkey or Ukraine would you be making the same point? No of course you wouldn't. This isn't an event held for the benefit of English clubs, nor does it need to be picked on geography central to the majority of teams . It's not geographically remote for many of the teams who could have made the final with a few twists and turns, and just because it happens to be remote for the two teams that actually made it to the final is no reason to complain about the geography. It's not Timbuctu, it's Azerbaijan, it's not difficult to get to.

Glasgow is a dump and it does have terrible weather. I lived there in 2017 for 6 months and it really isn't that great other than a few small pockets in the West End. Every city has it's rough bits, but Glasgow has more than most.

[Davie]

It's not Timbuctu, it's Azerbaijan, it's not difficult to get to.

Yes it is. Timbuctu would be far easier

[pedro]

It's not Timbuctu, it's Azerbaijan, it's not difficult to get to.

Yes it is. Timbuctu would be far easier

Walking down the street, at least it doesn’t look that difficult to get from Timbuctu to London...

[dynamark]

JK has been stopped a step in the right direction.Every man and his dog talking about mental illness and that garbage was a popular tv programme.What next Corrie,Hollyoaks,Songs of praise.Black and white minstrels.
Lets face it Baku is a pain if you are a supporter who wants to go I'm sure its a lovely place but a bit remote to say the least.

[super_realist]

It's not Timbuctu, it's Azerbaijan, it's not difficult to get to.

Yes it is. Timbuctu would be far easier

It's just not, you can fly direct from plenty airports in the UK.

[beninho]

Baku is a stupid place to hold the final. But uefa like tge cash that cones with it from a pretty dodgy country.

Anyway, 13k fans from both teams purely because its so difficult to get to. Puts to bed any argument that its not a stupid place for the final. And it's kicking off at 11pm or something,not great for the players.

Baku was a money choice, pure and simple and a stupid one at that.

[JAS]

It's not Timbuctu, it's Azerbaijan, it's not difficult to get to.

Yes it is. Timbuctu would be far easier

It's just not, you can fly direct from plenty airports in the UK.

Ok you’ve made an admirable case for Baku....have you been there on a company jolly and pulled one of the locals??

[McLaren]

I heard he took one in the Baku door....

[Roller_Coaster]

Leeds fans (prior to playoff defeat by Derby) to Derby in reaction to the spying scandal, set to the Oasis song Stop Crying Your Heart Out:

All of the spies,

Are hidden away,

Just try not to worry,

You'll beat us some day,

We beat you at home,

We beat you away,

Stop crying, Frank Lampard.

Cue playoff defeat, by Derby and the response by Derby fans to Leeds to the same tune

Now all of the scarfs
Have been thrown away
Just try not to worry
You'll be promoted one day
Playing Barnsley at home
And Luton away
Stop crying Bielsa

Now, ignoring the inevitable "Derby's a dump, Leeds is a sh*thole, footballers are all kn0bheads" etc etc diatribe from Super, I do take my hat off to football fans sometimes. They do have a penchant for the occasional amusing re-work of songs. Although I do accept that, like a good pub quiz name, the shine rubs off after a few repeats...

[I'm never wrong]

....and yet Derby are not promoted yet.

[Sponsored content]