France pull out of hosting 2014 European finals.

Rigor Mortis

awhh crap, was really hoping for Edinburgh. Atmosphere in the ground is great in Cardiff but the city itself is not the nicest.

.ak

I'd rather sleep on the streets of Cardiff then go through the train farce again anyway.

justsomebloke

.ak wrote: »

I'd rather sleep on the streets of Cardiff then go through the train farce again anyway.

why what happened

.ak

They had que systems organised at the train station, so basically if you were going to Birmingham you'd go to one que, London another, etc., etc. I thought it looked really well organised actually!

But after the game, for some reason, they just threw that system out of the window. They had us all que into one massive que and would only let 10 or 20 people in at a go. We were an hour early for our train to Birmingham and we specifically told the instructor at the top of the que. He said there'd be a train for us when we got through. We were in the que for over 2 hours and when we got through we were directed onto a train.

Only that train was going nowhere near Birmingham, and terminated a few stops down the line with a train packed full of people trying to get home. It was a farce, with one station master blaming the other. Eventually they rang us taxis, but the taxis turned up and wanted to charge us £100 sterling to Birmingham. Obviously we didn't take them.

So we basically kept complaining to the station master, as we were in the middle of nowhere, so he put his back on the train, the train went back a few stops and let us off there, at which point the station master there hadn't a clue what was going on.

It actually turned a bit ugly at that stage as you had a big mix of people with drink on them. The police had to be called. Eventually they organised coaches for us, but we had to wait for them to arrive.

We got back to Birmingham at 4 or 5am.. The sun was coming up by the time we got to our hotel room. I wouldn't mind but I was sober! Actually, it wouldn't have been funny at all except I couldn't wipe the grin from my face as I thought I'd just seen the best game of rugby in my life.

Podge_irl

.ak wrote: »

The sun was coming up by the time we got to our hotel room.

Me too!





Though my hotel room was in Cardiff.

Larbre34

Oh great, the FFR are building in the French equivalent of Milton Keynes, that should have a rocking local atmosphere....

I predict major financing issues for this project from the off.....

Its probably a moot point about the ERC if the Top14 do pull out of it, but lets hope Paris never holds another Final again. They should go to Toulouse or somewhere, the real rugby heartland....

justsomebloke

all of a sudden I'm so thankful I stayed in Cardiff ( even though we were flying in and out of london. Got to love megabus!!)

Buer

Larbre34 wrote: »

Oh great, the FFR are building in the French equivalent of Milton Keynes, that should have a rocking local atmosphere....

I predict major financing issues for this project from the off.....

Its probably a moot point about the ERC if the Top14 do pull out of it, but lets hope Paris never holds another Final again. They should go to Toulouse or somewhere, the real rugby heartland....

I'd love it but it will never happen given the side of the stadia elsewhere. Marseille has the only ground outside of Paris that's over 50k and it's just not a suitable place for an ERC final. It's a football city and the stadium isn't even that great.

Buer

.ak wrote: »

I'd rather sleep on the streets of Cardiff then go through the train farce again anyway.

Camp grounds were the way to go. We arrived in Cardiff two hours before kick off, put our tents up, got a pint in at the club we were staying at and caught a 10 minute taxi to the ground. Left the city centre at 2am and were all asleep by 2.30am and in our cars back to the ferry before 11am the next morning. Very simple and cheap.

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

all of a sudden I'm so thankful I stayed in Cardiff ( even though we were flying in and out of london. Got to love megabus!!)

Yep, once bitten and all that. I'll either be staying in Cardiff, or atleast somewhere I can get a taxi to.

.ak

Buer wrote: »

Camp grounds were the way to go. We arrived in Cardiff two hours before kick off, put our tents up, got a pint in at the club we were staying at and caught a 10 minute taxi to the ground. Left the city centre at 2am and were all asleep by 2.30am and in our cars back to the ferry before 11am the next morning. Very simple and cheap.

Great idea. Unfortunately I was bringing the old dear and my missus along at the time so I'd imagine they'd turn their nose up to the idea.

bilston

former legend wrote: »

It's being reported that Cardiff will host the 2014 final...
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/millennium-stadium-set-unveiled-venue-5096503

Well that's original

P_1

Just don't camp in Penarth is my only advice

Cookiemunster

Buer wrote: »

I'd love it but it will never happen given the side of the stadia elsewhere. Marseille has the only ground outside of Paris that's over 50k and it's just not a suitable place for an ERC final. It's a football city and the stadium isn't even that great.

I don't know the city, but the stadium is in the middle of being redeveloped into a fully roofed 67,000 cap stadium for EURO 2016. It'll be one of the top stadiums in Europe.

Rightwing

Cardiff has been selected to host the 2014 Heineken Cup and Amlin Cup finals.

Good, Cardiff has got it, maybe we can win our 3rd H cup there.

Larbre34

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I don't know the city, but the stadium is in the middle of being redeveloped into a fully roofed 67,000 cap stadium for EURO 2016. It'll be one of the top stadiums in Europe.

Il est une Kip. (Pardon my french)

bilston

Rightwing wrote: »

Cardiff has been selected to host the 2014 Heineken Cup and Amlin Cup finals.

Good, Cardiff has got it, maybe we can win our 3rd H cup there.

Yeh, Cardiff gets to host the HEC final for 43rd time.

Somewhere like Amsterdam should be looked at in the future rather than just doing the rounds in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Dublin. It's easy access from the UK and Ireland via train, plane and boat and the French can bus it, train it or fly there.

Spread the gospel ERC!

OnTheCouch

Buer wrote: »

I'd love it but it will never happen given the side of the stadia elsewhere. Marseille has the only ground outside of Paris that's over 50k and it's just not a suitable place for an ERC final. It's a football city and the stadium isn't even that great.

Lille also, although this figure includes business seats. Can't see a final ever being played there either, even though the town is nice.

Podge_irl

Considering tickets are sold so far in advance these days, there is really no reason why it shouldn't go around Europe. Do they think fans wouldn't like the opportunity to have a weekend away in Spain, Italy or even Netherlands in May?

Buer

OnTheCouch wrote: »

Lille also, although this figure includes business seats. Can't see a final ever being played there either, even though the town is nice.

Due to transport links and a complete lack of rugby interest in the area, I'd be very surprised if they'd consider it. The nearest large population base is Belgium, really, and we saw how much interest they've in rugby when Saracens and Metro played there this year.

If they're going to look beyond the usual 5 cities, then I suppose the next places they should look at should be Barcelona or Rome/Milan. Even Bilbao could be considered. It's the capital of the Basque country, has a big population, is near rugby country and has an international airport. Stadium is a 50k all seater there. I've heard iffy things about it as a city though but they're desperately trying to change the perception of it from an industrial place to a cultured spot for tourists. It's only 40 minutes from San Sebastian, where Biarritz play their big HEC games.

I'd say Italy would be the natural destination though. Anywhere else would be a major slap in the face for them.

.ak

Well it's very political isn't it?

Question for those more in the know regarding financial figures of the tournament, but do the unions only get a cut from the final if their teams are in it? i.e the IRFU see any money from the final in May, even though it was 2 French teams?

Podge_irl

I'd be surprised if they got anything beyond the rent.

sid waddell

Buer wrote: »

I'd love it but it will never happen given the side of the stadia elsewhere. Marseille has the only ground outside of Paris that's over 50k and it's just not a suitable place for an ERC final. It's a football city and the stadium isn't even that great.

It'd be as suitable a place as anywhere. It's hosted the French international team many times and held two World Cup quarter-finals in 2007, as well as hosting a World Cup semi-final in football.

The stadium itself is also far superior to Lansdowne Road with 17,000 more seats and as posted above is being redeveloped with a new roof for Euro 2016.

Buer

sid waddell wrote: »

It'd be as suitable a place as anywhere. It's hosted the French international team many times and held two World Cup quarter-finals in 2007, as well as hosting a World Cup semi-final in football.

The stadium itself is also far superior to Lansdowne Road with 17,000 more seats and as posted above is being redeveloped with a new roof for Euro 2016.

True enough but I still don't think it would be suitable for an ERC final weekend. The city is also now generally required to have a smaller stadium available in the vicinity for the ACC final.

I'm not convinced of a non-rugby city being able to sell out their stadium for a HEC final in France though. We saw how many tickets were floating around in Dublin this year with a smaller stadium where a massive number of tickets were sold a year in advance. I suspect they'd be fairly indifferent to two visiting teams.

who_me

bilston wrote: »

Yeh, Cardiff gets to host the HEC final for 43rd time.

Somewhere like Amsterdam should be looked at in the future rather than just doing the rounds in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh and Dublin. It's easy access from the UK and Ireland via train, plane and boat and the French can bus it, train it or fly there.

Spread the gospel ERC!

Barcelona! You'd have loads of holiday makers there too who'd swell the crowds.

Admittedly, it'd be a tad hot there in late May...

sid waddell

Buer wrote: »

True enough but I still don't think it would be suitable for an ERC final weekend. The city is also now generally required to have a smaller stadium available in the vicinity for the ACC final.

I'm not convinced of a non-rugby city being able to sell out their stadium for a HEC final in France though. We saw how many tickets were floating around in Dublin this year with a smaller stadium where a massive number of tickets were sold a year in advance. I suspect they'd be fairly indifferent to two visiting teams.

Toulon's stadium could host the Amlin final?

The issue of spare tickets can arise anywhere really if two French teams are involved, and certainly if you were to hold it in Italy it could well be a problem whoever is involved.

But the alternative is to keep holding it in the same three or four venues in perpetuity, and that's not a good idea.

Buer

sid waddell wrote: »

Toulon's stadium could host the Amlin final?

The issue of spare tickets can arise anywhere really if two French teams are involved, and certainly if you were to hold it in Italy it could well be a problem whoever is involved.

But the alternative is to keep holding it in the same three or four venues in perpetuity, and that's not a good idea.

Agreed. I don't think it would be a bad idea, just not a place that I could see the ERC going for. Toulon is 65km away. At least in Paris, Edinburgh, Cardiff, London and Dublin, you've a suitably sized stadium in the same city.

If they leave the usual spots, it has to be Italy. To move it outside of the countries without giving it to one of the countries involved in the HEC would be poor form. After that, it should go to Spain, given they're involved in the Challenge Cup and Biarritz regularly play in Spain.

irishbucsfan

Yeah surely Italy is the next place to look at?

Podge_irl

Italy is already confirmed for 2014/15 (assuming their is a HEC to hold).

bilston

who_me wrote: »

Barcelona! You'd have loads of holiday makers there too who'd swell the crowds.

Admittedly, it'd be a tad hot there in late May...

Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bilbao and Lisbon, it's time for the HEC to take this show on the road. I'd even be up for a final in Manchester at either OT or the Etihad just for a change of scenery, although obviously it would just rain!