How long can football clubs to exist without crowds?

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Well good luck (getting in and stay safe if you do!), I must admit, it'll be quite an experience and I do like going to neutral matches to mix it up as it's a completely different football perspective. Talking of perspective, I know that's a wide-angle shot of the stadium but those types of stadia drive me nuts. I like to be close to the action and the huge perimeters between the pitch and the fans puts me off them.

I follow the Greek Super league (AEK Athens) and watch it whenever I find a stream but the grounds are often too big (or the crowds are too small!) and there's little atmosphere on TV. I've got a trip planned this winter. Mrs Citizen is running a half-marathon (she's building up to the Marathon for next year) and I of course will be exercising my best Greek so I can order a cocktails while I cheer her on from a Taverna. It's going to be tough.... but I've got this!

I wish her well with her semi-Snickers. For my part, I managed to get a ticket for the game on Wednesday but I can't understand how demand must be so low. It's a night kick-off but I'll keep you informed. The opposition is Cleopatra Ceramica but I'll be supporting the home toxopholists.Screenshot_20220627_174442.jpg

[Citizen's Nephew]

I wish her well with her semi-Snickers. For my part, I managed to get a ticket for the game on Wednesday but I can't understand how demand must be so low. It's a night kick-off but I'll keep you informed. The opposition is Cleopatra Ceramica but I'll be supporting the home toxopholists.Screenshot_20220627_174442.jpg

Those are some amazing football club names! Well done with the ticket. Keep us informed. Our man in Cairo! (I'm picturing you in a jaunty Panama).

[Citizen's Nephew]

I wish her well with her semi-Snickers. For my part, I managed to get a ticket for the game on Wednesday but I can't understand how demand must be so low. It's a night kick-off but I'll keep you informed. The opposition is Cleopatra Ceramica but I'll be supporting the home toxopholists.Screenshot_20220627_174442.jpg

Dear TBG, Did you go and are you OK? Concerned Citizen of Grangetown.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Dear TBG, Did you go and are you OK? Concerned Citizen of Grangetown.

Well I have a confession. After swanning around the backstreets of Cairo most of the day visiting the Coptic Christian area, several markets and a number of interesting mosques I returned to my digs to flake out for a couple of hours. Just as I seemed be be dropping off for a snooze I received an alert on my phone about the line-ups. Bugger, I thought, the game was that evening and not the following evening, as I had erroneously thought (and which has been my only cock-up in a very busy week).
I hastily left my gaff to flag down a taxi at what still seemed to be rush hour (which obviously goes on for hours). After flapping my arms for quite some time, I got a bite! The taxi driver seemed to understand that I wanted to see the Zamalek game. We slowly weaved our way through the cacophonous and jammed Street until he stopped outside a well-illuminated sports venue adorning the Zamalek badge. The taxi driver shoots off and as I try to enter the venue I am informed that the game is taking place not in the area of Zamalek (which is in western part of Cairo but in the eastern part of the city). It seemed that I was dropped of at their general sporting HQ and not the stadium. After several minutes being taught by the guy on the door how to pronounce the name of the actual venue, I flagged down another taxi and the driver seemed to understand what I said. However, whist being stuck in even more traffic crossing the city he asked me the location again but I had forgotten it. By the time I googled it, time was running out due to the sheer log-jam of traffic and I abandoned it. It was quite ironic that it took so much effort to obtain a ticket but the fault was really my responsibility. I have been scooting all over the place and my plans have otherwise gone perfectly even in the weirdest circumstances.
I'm now on a bus on the Sinai peninsula where security is hot and there are regular checkpoints. I know in recent years armed guards were required on these local buses.
Any apologies, I failed you!
P.S. I'm a wee bit saddle-sore after riding a horse around the Sphinx and the pyramids yesterday. Couldn't descend the steps into the pyramid itself as it involved bending over double and going backwards along a long tunnel. Far too claustrophobic for me!

[Citizen's Nephew]

Well I have a confession. After swanning around the backstreets of Cairo most of the day visiting the Coptic Christian area, several markets and a number of interesting mosques I returned to my digs to flake out for a couple of hours. Just as I seemed be be dropping off for a snooze I received an alert on my phone about the line-ups. Bugger, I thought, the game was that evening and not the following evening, as I had erroneously thought (and which has been my only cock-up in a very busy week).
I hastily left my gaff to flag down a taxi at what still seemed to be rush hour (which obviously goes on for hours). After flapping my arms for quite some time, I got a bite! The taxi driver seemed to understand that I wanted to see the Zamalek game. We slowly weaved our way through the cacophonous and jammed Street until he stopped outside a well-illuminated sports venue adorning the Zamalek badge. The taxi driver shoots off and as I try to enter the venue I am informed that the game is taking place not in the area of Zamalek (which is in western part of Cairo but in the eastern part of the city). It seemed that I was dropped of at their general sporting HQ and not the stadium. After several minutes being taught by the guy on the door how to pronounce the name of the actual venue, I flagged down another taxi and the driver seemed to understand what I said. However, whist being stuck in even more traffic crossing the city he asked me the location again but I had forgotten it. By the time I googled it, time was running out due to the sheer log-jam of traffic and I abandoned it. It was quite ironic that it took so much effort to obtain a ticket but the fault was really my responsibility. I have been scooting all over the place and my plans have otherwise gone perfectly even in the weirdest circumstances.
I'm now on a bus on the Sinai peninsula where security is hot and there are regular checkpoints. I know in recent years armed guards were required on these local buses.
Any apologies, I failed you!
P.S. I'm a wee bit saddle-sore after riding a horse around the Sphinx and the pyramids yesterday. Couldn't descend the steps into the pyramid itself as it involved bending over double and going backwards along a long tunnel. Far too claustrophobic for me!

Now that really is a cool story (no sarcasm). That's proper travel and it sounds like you're having quite an experience out there. Shame about the match but as someone who's very much given myself up to chaos theory and the randomness of the universe, it all sounds like a living Mandelbrot equation to to me which makes for great reading!

As someone who ended up taking 13 hours from Brussels to Amsterdam a few weeks ago instead of 2, I do empathise. Though, I did meet and chat to some great people and it all worked out to be a much better life experience. Go with the flow TBG. I look forward to the next instalment.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Now that really is a cool story (no sarcasm). That's proper travel and it sounds like you're having quite an experience out there. Shame about the match but as someone who's very much given myself up to chaos theory and the randomness of the universe, it all sounds like a living Mandelbrot equation to to me which makes for great reading!

As someone who ended up taking 13 hours from Brussels to Amsterdam a few weeks ago instead of 2, I do empathise. Though, I did meet and chat to some great people and it all worked out to be a much better life experience. Go with the flow TBG. I look forward to the next instalment.

You are very generous in spirit, old fruit. I have had a multitude of experiences off the beaten track this week but I won't bore message boarders with all that stuff

[Taunton Blue Genie]

FAO Citizen's Nephew. Thanks for the PM but such are your settings that I can't reply

[Citizen's Nephew]

FAO Citizen's Nephew. Thanks for the PM but such are your settings that I can't reply

Sorted. I always forget to lift lower the drawbridge.