ironbrew

In Euro 2004 the stands behind the goals were temporary ( like Edinburgh Tattoo but not as windy) and there were a few reports of seats moving at one match. That`s a long time ago but does anyone know if there have been stands behind goals since? Stadium is mainly used for athletics and football (club with small support) so maybe 30000 capacity will not be possible.

I stay in Paris a few times per year for work so know some hotels. Cheap in Paris tends to mean about 90€ single 100€ double but events like Roland Garros tennis (just before Euro 2016 I think) tend to push prices up and I`m sure prices for next year are already high. i was at WC in 1998 (our first 2 games and others in Lens, Nantes and Marseille) and have been at other tournaments since in Portugal, Germany and Austria and remember having a great time in France but there was much less atmosphere in street even when France were playing than in other countries so wouldn`t give too much importance to being in city of match especially in Paris which is massive so you hardly know when there`s a match on. If it`s an early kick off look for somewhere out of town (France has great train network so you could stay in lots of places within an hour of Paris or even more and use night trains to places which will be better for a holiday on non match days). If staying in Paris, Improvements in high speed trains to Italy and Spain mean there are a lot of hotels near Gare de Lyon (Hotel Palym and Hotel Terminus Lyon are two reasonable ones) which is quite a good area for transport to other parts of Paris and for going out at night.

People that booked hotels before ticket draw did well since even on booking.com a lot of hotels seem to be asking for advance payment or possibility of pre charging 30%. I was looking mainly for Bordeaux hotels and even on coast an hour away by train, things were booked up and very expensive. Suspect hotel prices will drop later when people start to cancel bookings. Worth remembering that UEFA may change kickoff times after draw-in 2004 they changed England-France venue to a bigger stadium and time and it wasn`t a one-off.

What I read was from the England Supporters Club (found when doing a Google search about ticket applications) and seemed like they were working with UEFA so imagine SFA will be the same.

Passport details I think.

If anyone is doubly lucky in this draw and gets tickets for a Scotland match, they won`t be able to apply for a ticket for the same match (through UEFA or SFA) at the end of this year. Or will have to return ticket from this draw.

Who would be second singles player in a Scottish team? Jamie Murray? Colin Fleming? There was a Baker a few years ago but don`t know if he`s still playing,

Federer playing as well as ever. Will be interesting to see if he keeps up that level or Djokovic lets him play at that level. In lots of tournaments Federer has looked great until he`s played Djokovic and especialy Nadal. If Murray had managed a set (missed his chance in first game of match) maybe Federer wouldn`t have kept to same level in 4th or 5th sets.

Fair way from Faro. Never been but met someone who went a few years ago and said locals appreciated visitors. When he got there museum was closed but they opened it just for him.

Travelled first class between London and Edinburgh or further north several times a year in recent years and always got free snacks, tea/coffee etc. Thought it included beer but maybe that was only at certain times. Buying offer tickets you can`t use first class lounge at Kings Cross. Same happens elsewhere in Europe eg buy Preferente tickets with offer price in Spain means you can`t use VIP lounges (free snacks and drinks and more importantly quiet place to unwind for up to 2 hours before train).

Arrived in Turin early on the Monday so had 36 hours to find a ticket . Lots of Brasilians had spare tickets (tickets were sold by venue so many Scots had tickets for all Genoa games hence Saltires at Ireland v Roumania match in last 16) but were asking silly prices so I spent ages following silly leads walking out to Delli Alpi (no luck) and to old stadium (Comunale?) etc before buying from a Brasilian for a reasonable price. Left Turin very early the morning after match (was behind goal so got good view of Leighton and McLeish ballsup) on train with a lot of other Scots knowing that we might still get through (I was only travelling to southern France so would have turned back if we`d got through) . Seem to remember next round would have been in Bari which was a long way at a time when air travel was still considered expensive. Remember it as a good WC as the locals were really into it (was the same in Germany 2006 and EC in Portugal 2004 while French hardly seemed to notice there was a WC in 1998 till about the semis so don`t know what next year will be like with or without us).

Germany win last 4 matches, We beat Georgia and draw with Poland. Last match, Poland 2nd and us 3rd if they beat or draw with Ireland but if Ireland win in Poland we`d be level on 18 points with ROI (who`d finish 3rd) and Poland (who`d be 4th) while we qualify direct. Not that unlikely I`d say. Worried that ROI could win against relaxed and already qualified Poland but if we beat Georgia and draw with Poland that shouldn`t happen.

Seems like you won`t know how many tickets you`ve got if any till money comes out of your account which could be any time between 10th July and 15th August. Says you can check the status of your application after the ballot but you`ll have to check every day since date of ballot isn`t mentioned.

If travelling from Spain a couple of things to remember. 1. I believe there`s now a hefty toll on motorway from border to Algarve motorway. Maybe as much as 50€ each way even though Faro is near border. Alternative if driving is quite a detour. 2. Monday 12th October is Spain`s national holiday which may affect bus and train times (train from Seville to Huelva and bus from there is alternative to bus)and quite a lot of Spaniards will spend holiday weekend in Algarve but will wait to see weather forecast before booking. There are a lot of good hotels on the Huelva coast just inside Spain (Isla Canela etc) and some of the hotels offer cheap taxi services to Faro airport.

Beat Georgia, lose to Germany and draw with Poland who lose to Germany. We go into last match with 15 points, the same as ROI and Poland on 18. We beat Gib probably clinching 3rd so chance of best 3rd (maybe unlikely if dropping points against Germany and Poland) but if ROI win in Poland there`d be 3 teams on 18 points and we`d be second and ROI third based on triple head to head.

Apologies in advance if it`s been mentioned elsewhere but I thought that in this tournament head to head only counted after goal difference. Whatever, the Georgia game is massive and I hope players are really aware that it`s as important or more as sell-out Hampden game a few days later that`ll attract massive press coverage. At Ibrox we looked a better team than them but needed a lucky goal to win and they had their chances and apart from late goal rushes by Poland they seem to cause teams problems.

No we don`t. If we win 3 but lose to Germany we`d have 20 points and Germany and Poland could have 22 and 20 respectively so a draw between them would leave us third which would probably mean playoffs (know we were best 3rd till Russia got points back after possible sanction?). At the end of September we`ll probably be 4th but still in with a chance of being 1st so it`s going to be interesting.

This plus losing to Germany and beating Gib would give us 20 points which could still see us 3rd. We`d probably be equal with Poland on 20 points thought goal difference (which would favour Poland) or head to head (which would favour us) would decide 2nd.

Elche may get a double relegation (down from first to second for paying players late. If that had happened in Scotland, last year`s division one would have had record crowds.

Don`t know if he ever got a full cap but I remember him playing (and maybe scoring) as an overage player in an Under 21/23 match against Netherlands at Easter Road before about 35000 fans.. Think Joe Jordan might have been other overage player. An Aberdonian I seem to remember, playing for Rangers at the time of Aberdeen`s greatest ever team. RIP.

If Russia lost WC 2018 why would England get it? Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal bids both got more votes than England.

I used to listen to the cassette Scottish Battle Ballads by Alastair McDonald-Stirling Brig, The Wallace, Parcel O`Rogues etc That was 80s and even then it was old (came out in 1973). Not sure what locals in France, Spain etc made of it as it had to be belted out at full volume. Referendum campaign brought back a lot of the memories.

Think it says limit of 4 tickets per match which seems reasonable but is it also limit of 4 per tournament? Not very clear on website. And can you order tickets for venues (2 matches per venue) AND individual tickets for matches? In other tournaments instructions on limits etc have been clearer.

Curious here. Realise that many people here are not pro-independence or bothered about politics but many normally are but don`t see much if any sign of celebration here after Thursday`s election. I`m in my 50s and have voted SNP in every election where I`ve had had vote (lived abroad a lot and didn`t have vote in referendum or on Thursday) and was a party member in 70s before I was old enough to vote. Have always been in favour of independence and then Scots deciding what parties should be in control whether right, left, centre or whatever. My politics are left of centre but that doesn`t mean I dream of an independent Scotland with a one-party socialist state. In the last couple of years I`ve met Scots who have become fanatical nationalists who were previously Labour fanatics (or at least voted Labour cause their dad did etc ) but am not sure if they`d vote for independence if they thought Scottish government might not be socialist or if England and Wales voted Labour. Reading profiles in Scotsman of some of the new SNP Westminster MPs (say some because they only mentioned some) and some say they are "independence candidates" as though others may not be. What is the situation? Of course some NO voters backed the SNP on Thursday and SNP realise that they can`t pressurise for another referendum for at least a couple of years but what do Scots really think? Jim Sillars attacked what he called 90-minute nationalists and I shared his frustration at the time (still do!) but that didn`t mean you had to be left wing to believe in independence. As I said at the beginning I`m curious: Is SNP/Greens (?) movement restricted to left-wing policies? (may not be left-wing but may have to seem to be similar to policies of Labour party in England and Wales).