Birmingham, AL: USA vs. Guatemala WCQ Questions & Answers thread

Discussion in 'USA Men: Fans & Travel' started by nicodemus, Dec 20, 2004.

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  1. McTide

    McTide New Member

    Jan 19, 2004
    Pine Level Alabama
    #401 McTide, Mar 3, 2005
    Here's what I know:
    1. I have not heard yet, so if anyone finds out, please post.

    2. Stay either on the Southsidesay at the Pickwick or in the Oxmoor Rd. Homewood area. I stayed at the Alta Vista which is nice, especially for the money. There are plenty of Comfort Inn type of hotels in the Birmingham area.

    3. I would stay off of US 84, 2 lane road and dangerous. Hit I 10 in Fla. Stay on it to US 231 in Marianna. Take US 231 to Montgomery area; just outside Montgomery, take State 271 (Taylor Rd.) to I 85. Take I 85 into Montgomery and stay on it till you get to the interchange with I 65. Take it to Birmingham. This route is at least 4 lanes all the way. Be safe.
     
  2. nicodemus

    nicodemus Member+

    Sep 3, 2001
    Cidade Mágica
    Club:
    PAOK Saloniki
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #402 nicodemus, Mar 3, 2005
    I always take the Atlanta route when going home to Birmingham. All interstate the whole way.
     
  3. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #403 Lloyd Heilbrunn, Mar 3, 2005
    Thanks guys, Pickwick's soldout( hopefully all US fans ;) ), but I'm in the Radisson on S 20 St.(hope that is the right area) for the night of the 30th. I need to work the am of the 29th, so I think I'll split up the driving and spend that pm in Tallahassee.

    BTW, how far is the Radisson from the game?
     
  4. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #404 Lloyd Heilbrunn, Mar 3, 2005
  5. McTide

    McTide New Member

    Jan 19, 2004
    Pine Level Alabama
    #405 McTide, Mar 3, 2005
    15-20 minutes by car or shuttle. I hope that the city has them running. Raddison is good; on the Southside near UAB campus.

    Nico or Pvann 4, have either of you heard if shuttles are running?
     
  6. CG

    CG Member

    Jul 25, 2001
    #406 CG, Mar 3, 2005
    I have not heard if shuttles will be running.
     
  7. nyrmetros

    nyrmetros Member

    Feb 7, 2004
    #407 nyrmetros, Mar 3, 2005
    Operation Whitesnake will be running shuttles to a certain hotel.......

    I see nothing!!!!!
     
  8. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #408 Lloyd Heilbrunn, Mar 3, 2005
    Figuring an hour before kickoff is a good time to get there(6 pm),that puts us into rushhour.Will this increase the time estimate?
     
  9. McTide

    McTide New Member

    Jan 19, 2004
    Pine Level Alabama
    #409 McTide, Mar 4, 2005
    Will anyone be tailgating before the game and will there be access to the players beforehand. If so, I plan on getting to the field around 3:00.
     
  10. CG

    CG Member

    Jul 25, 2001
    #410 CG, Mar 4, 2005
    I'm gonna be watching the England-Azerbaijan game which I think will be over around 2:30. I'm down for some tailgating soon afterwards.
     
  11. bostonbully

    bostonbully New Member

    Aug 21, 2003
    Boston, MA
    #411 bostonbully, Mar 4, 2005
    Do you know any drinking establishments where this match might be/will definitely be aired? Would love to see it as well.

    (Disclaimer: Thought I saw the answer to my question somewhere on these boards but can't seem to find, so please forgive if it has been asked and answered.)
     
  12. CG

    CG Member

    Jul 25, 2001
    #412 CG, Mar 4, 2005
    In the 5 Points area there might be two places: Sabor Tropical & The Arena
     
  13. TheBritAbroad

    TheBritAbroad New Member

    Feb 17, 2005
    Dothan, AL
    #413 TheBritAbroad, Mar 5, 2005
    The England game probably wont start until 2pm cst (8pm local), which means it wont finish until about 4pm cst.
     
  14. CG

    CG Member

    Jul 25, 2001
    #414 CG, Mar 5, 2005
    according to soccertv.com it starts at 12:30pm

     
  15. TheBritAbroad

    TheBritAbroad New Member

    Feb 17, 2005
    Dothan, AL
    #415 TheBritAbroad, Mar 6, 2005
  16. Reccossu

    Reccossu Member+

    Jan 31, 2005
    Birmingham
    #416 Reccossu, Mar 7, 2005
    Either way, sounds like plenty of time to watch England, wash up, be at the field to tailgate, get to stands early, and watch US get 3 points.

    In other news, I heard some more radio advertising of the match. I wonder what the ticket sales are like? I have a friend I can ask.

    Also, who among you will take the lead in organizing the five go-to chants for the supporters section?
     
  17. Glenwood Lane United

    Glenwood Lane United Member

    Apr 28, 2001
    Hanover Park, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #417 Glenwood Lane United, Mar 7, 2005
    I e-mailed the Legion Field Manager as to what time parking lots will open. Here's his response:

    "We will have some lots open all day(beginning at 8:00am). However, most public lots will open at 3:00 pm.

    Hope you have a safe trip, and thank you for visiting Legion Field."


    Tailgate at 3?
     
  18. MelH

    MelH Member

    Jan 31, 2005
    Kalispell
    #418 MelH, Mar 8, 2005
    We'll l be there at 3 for some tailgating...

    Look for our banner!

    [​IMG]

    ~peace~
     
  19. WarrenAbao

    WarrenAbao New Member

    Jul 7, 1999
    Grand Prairie, Tex.
    #419 WarrenAbao, Mar 8, 2005
    Okay, I have a few facts and a lot of questions.

    I was exchanging emails with Mark Spacone last week regarding Birmingham. He said he's working with the Legion Field/USSF folks to get a few folks into the stadium early to hang banners. I'll pass along more information as it becomes concrete.

    The last time I was in Birmingham was for the friendly against Ecuador, and Five Points South was the absolute place to be in terms of nightlife and bar-hopping. My question is, how is the parking situation around Five Points South for those who have to drive to get there? We stayed at the Radisson by UAB last time and it was within walking distance, so there were no concerns about us driving.

    Another question -- do the bars close at 2am on a Wednesday night? Later? Earlier??

    It's been a long while since the Ecuador friendly, so I don't remember the names of the places we went to in Five Points South, but I know after the game, several of the USMNT players (I remember Mastro, Mais, Clint Mathis, and Cobi were definitely there) went to one of the restaurant/bars in Five Points South with their loved ones, so there's a chance you might be able to play the "Spot the National Teamer" drinking game on Wednesday night!

    I can't really vouch for parking at Legion Field, except that we got there 2-3 hours early for the Ecuador match and parking was no prob. Unfortunately, the entrances and exits for the stadium parking are few and far between, so if you plan to go to the stadium early, also plan to pack some post-game tailgate delights.

    I booked flights for the WCQ relatively late, so I wasn't able to find reasonable airfare into Birmingham -- the cheapest I found was $250 round-trip from Palm Beach International (even Southwest couldn't give me a good deal). I'm flying into Hartsfield instead, using AirTran to get to Atlanta and Delta to fly back to Palm Beach for $170.

    Nico, pvan, and all the others -- you guys have done a fantabulous jobs in keeping the out-of-towners well-informed on what to expect in Birmingham! Kudos to all of you!
     
  20. nicodemus

    nicodemus Member+

    Sep 3, 2001
    Cidade Mágica
    Club:
    PAOK Saloniki
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #420 nicodemus, Mar 8, 2005
    On a Wednesday night it shouldn't be too bad. There's a lot of free parking on the side streets and if you have to pay to park (something I've never done), it shouldn't be more than $5.00. One thing I would suggest though, if you park somewhere, don't take shortcuts through alleys. I know that's kind of common sense, but it can never hurt to hear the reminder. I've NEVER had any trouble in Five Points. The only people I know that have ever had a problem down there (i.e. mugging) thought they'd shortcut through an alley. It's better to walk an extra block or two and play it safe. It is a very safe neighborhood, but I want everybody's experience to be golden, so I'm stating the obvious on this one.

    To the delight of all, Birmingham has no "blue laws" governing what times bars close. Some bars stay open 'til 5 or 6 a.m. (with live music.) The only time bars have to close in Birmingham is from 2 a.m. to noon Sunday...10 hours a week of closing is a lot better than most cities. :D

    I have several friends that own establishments in the Five Points area and some of them had some of those guys eat at their restaurants. That's definately where the guys go.

    There are some alternate routes, but they'd be totally confusing to the non-local. Stick with the directions you get from city websites, etc. Legion Field's primary use during it's histor has been Alabama football. There would be shuttles all over town for that. Hardly anybody drove down there, I guess that's why there's limited entrances to parking. Since the facility isn't used much anymore, there's been no need to upgrade that facet of the operation.

    If you'd been willing to drive to Orlando to fly, you can find direct flights on Delta or Southwest for usually around $150, sometimes cheaper.

    We're trying. We hope you all enjoy your stay. Hope to meet as many of you as possible.
     
  21. MyHouse!

    MyHouse! Member

    Mar 12, 2000
    Tallahassee
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #421 MyHouse!, Mar 9, 2005
    Cleared it with the wife...I'll be in the House!
     
  22. Reccossu

    Reccossu Member+

    Jan 31, 2005
    Birmingham
    #422 Reccossu, Mar 10, 2005
    Good to see things are coming together. I look forward to a great time with a great crowd. Does anyone know of anything that needs to be taken care of on the ground here in B'ham that is not on somebody's list already?
     
  23. nyrmetros

    nyrmetros Member

    Feb 7, 2004
    #423 nyrmetros, Mar 10, 2005
    19.5 days till Operation Whitesnake takes effect !!
     
  24. MelH

    MelH Member

    Jan 31, 2005
    Kalispell
    #424 MelH, Mar 11, 2005
    Less than 3 weeks till Birmingham - can we get a list of the top 4 or 5 songs/chants together? If we can get lyrics together, I'd be willing to do some photo-copying / handing out at the gate...


    While 90+ minutes of:

    USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

    certainly shows spirt, ;) maybe we can have a little better showing than that...


    Please toss out your favorite American Soccer Songs for discussion - if nothing else it will help me (first cap, national team rookie) sing along...








    ps: thanks to the Birmingham Locals for chiming in here, helps to have a 'man on the ground'. What kind of local support is developing? I've heard mention of radio spots, are the local youth leagues/high school/college soccer programs getting behind this? Anyone gone door to door yet? ;)

    Several people have commented about calling the stadium to see what ticket sales looked like.. do we have a rough number expected?


    ~peace~
     
  25. TNJOHN

    TNJOHN New Member

    Feb 21, 2003
    Murfreesboro, TN
    #425 TNJOHN, Mar 11, 2005
    Coming from Murfreesboro, TN!!
    Can anyone recommend Comfort Suites on 4400 Colonnade Pkwy? Is it a safe area? Thanks!
     
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