[pookspur]

not sure where's best to put this (i surely didn't go to london to see the arsenal) - but here it is.

just a quick post-trip shout to rick and a handful of additional gooners for coming out last thursday night. while i was in town (for spurs and some other stuff), rick and i had arranged to get together that he might render financial compensation for the Arsenal tiles that were posted on here a few months back, and have a pint or two. well, he put a couple of calls out, and aaron (skizz), nick (homeathighbury), and frank (garrison) were good enough to come out for a few, as well. a fine evening.

now, i know i'm not telling any of you american gooners anything you don't already know, but you're all most fortunate to have rick (and now aaron) as liaisons between yourselves and your club. they are truly fine ambassadors for the arsenal (not that they were acting in that capacity on that particular evening, of course). still, that these fellows will not only get you tickets (or in my case, enact a 'business transaction'), but throw back a few, and make it all just a part of the communal aspect of football is really quite a bonus.

sorry, gents, if i was a bit out of it toward the end (not that i know i was - i honestly don't remember some bits); but between having had no sleep since wednesday morning, and a couple of pints prior (during spurs' 4:00pm uefa cup match), the evening's take was (to judge by my friday morning, anyway) not without effect. oh well, such things happen.

thanks, again, rick, for your generous exchange rate. it was the best i was treated by the british pound sterling all weekend, i assure you. and sorry again, skizz, for letting the cat out of the bag (nice brace on sunday, though) - but i'm sure you can count on the others' discretion. nick, frank, a pleasure.

not to make an overly big deal about it, but cheers again for coming out.

[Skizz]

I'd come out for a drink if they were opening a toilet mate, any excuse

Just kidding. It was good to meet you and you proved somewhat that Spurs fans can hold a decent conversation in person and on BigSoccer...a tough combo!! And at least I've now seen what all the fuss was about with Havana Club...it all makes sense. What did you think of the game?

[HomeatHighbury]

No problem, Dave! It was great fun. And I'm sure you enjoyed that match. Anytime you're in the Boston/Washington DC/Chicago areas let me know, and we'll see if we can't get a drink somewhere. What all did you do that weekend before the Spurs match, so, on the Saturday?

[pookspur]

Originally Posted by HomeatHighbury

... What all did you do that weekend before the Spurs match, so, on the Saturday?

saturday morning was a train ride up to sheffield, where i met some wednesday fans i know at a pub just outside hillsborough, prior to taking in the wednesday's dismantling of southampton at five goals to nil. good atmosphere in the stadium and good atmosphere back at the pub post-match, which was only slightly soiled by sheff united's late winner on the telly during the championship's late match. later train back to london, then spurs/wigan and the antwerp arms on sunday.

neither match was competitive, obviously, but both were great fun, and the home sides looked brilliant, which was nice. the slightest degree of objectivity would demand recognition that the utter shyte that were southampton and wigan contributed greatly to their opponents' excellence - but none of my company on either day required any such clear-sighted analysis, which was also nice.

[Skizz]

Good to hear that all in all it was a good trip. When you coming back?

[pookspur]

dunno.

any of the last five years i'd've said "see you next fall". but the decline of the dollar and rising airfare has taken the london long weekend into four figures - even when done on the cheap (as i do). throw in the possibility that this time next year, the lane may be under renovation (do i really want to go to all the time and expense to pay a visit to upton park, or somesuch?) and it's no certainty. still, should a wednesday-in-london saturday, spurs-at-home sunday pop up next fall, it could go.

i tell ya, sky may have done irreparable damage to the fibre of english football, but i can't deny there's a certain excitement that comes with the announcement of their bastardization of the fall fixture list. first, you look at spurs' schedule. then you sit down and analyze all four divisions, look at europe and cup ties, and try to figure out what four-or-so day trip is going to give you maximum footy/pub value. then you have to try to correlate cheap airfare to your dates of choice.

it's an intoxicating process, really.

[antifan]

Originally Posted by pookspur

dunno.

any of the last five years i'd've said "see you next fall". but the decline of the dollar and rising airfare has taken the london long weekend into four figures - even when done on the cheap (as i do). throw in the possibility that this time next year, the lane may be under renovation (do i really want to go to all the time and expense to pay a visit to upton park, or somesuch?) and it's no certainty. still, should a wednesday-in-london saturday, spurs-at-home sunday pop up next fall, it could go.

i tell ya, sky may have done irreparable damage to the fibre of english football, but i can't deny there's a certain excitement that comes with the announcement of their bastardization of the fall fixture list. first, you look at spurs' schedule. then you sit down and analyze all four divisions, look at europe and cup ties, and try to figure out what four-or-so day trip is going to give you maximum footy/pub value. then you have to try to correlate cheap airfare to your dates of choice.

it's an intoxicating process, really.

It's cheaper going to see your team play in Europe than it is going to London. Not that you'll have the chance to do that next year.

[Lanesra]

Originally Posted by antifan

It's cheaper going to see your team play in Europe than it is going to London. Not that you'll have the chance to do that next year.

????

[antifan]

Originally Posted by Lanesra

????

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the Scum are playing in Europe this season, in the UEFA Loser's Cup. But they can put away the passports for next year.

[pookspur]

Originally Posted by antifan

It's cheaper going to see your team play in Europe than it is going to London. Not that you'll have the chance to do that next year.

cheaper, perhaps, but not necessarily the easier option.

spurs prioritize away tickets by 'loyalty points' which are all but impossible to accumulate in significant quantities when one is only able to attend one or two matches per year. so you see, since spurs actually take significant quantities to away matches, it's not a given that one can simply ask and acquire europe away tickets the way that fans of some other clubs might.