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I don’t go overboard about our national side, but fair play to them, they did well tonight, and so head off to South Africa next year.
However, I can’t help feeling that a World Cup over there could be very, VERY, dodgy.
My mate went over there a few years back, for the cricket, and he said it was well ‘on top’. People just walking around with guns everywhere, and dodgy as anything. There’s a very high crime rate and a lot of poverty. You have to wonder how good the security will be. If Al-Quaeda or someone like that fancy a crack at a major sporting event, this will be it, I think.
Add the fact that during the Lions rugby this June, the weather was god awful, very heavy rain, it might be very interesting to say the least.
Well done Vat
I was chuffed bit’s with the result and then you come out with that .
Front of telly for me then 8-)
“fair play to them, they did well tonight”
Beat Croatia 5-1 and won every qualifying game home and away.
South Africa, until recently a virtual police state where the vast majority of the peole were denied basic human rights and brutally conrolled by the army/police and you question what the security will be like.
Poverty and high crime rates are true, but there’s parts of Wigan I wouldn’t fancy going after dark.
South Africa will, I hope and believe, be the best World Cup ever. It’s a fantastic country.
Best of all, there’s NO time difference, so we can all see the games at sensible viewing times!
Of course, we will build up our team to such an extent every man, woman, child and their dog will think we’re going to win it.
We aren’t, but who cares, this is our national team. For the players, it’s about representing our country, playing for the shirt, pride and passion. Nothing to do with money, or greed. Give me that every time over the Premiership.
C’mon England!
And yes, I know our manger isn’t English.
I was only going off what I’ve seen, read, and heard. My mate was in Jo-burg and he said it was, and I quote ‘Fu**in nuts’!
Told me he was in a nightclub, and some bloke came in with a gun and all hell broke loose!
I DO hope that you are RIGHT, and it ends up being a great World Cup. But if I was a ‘little Englander’, with my face painted and my Union Jack shorts, and my big St Georges flag, I’d be giving it a miss, LOL! :lol:I hope we do well. I always do. But I find it hard to get excited by our national side, being honest. Although Capello has definitely had a big effect. I don’t quite know what he’s done different, but it’s worked.
I don’t know about parts of Wigan, but I once walked through HARLEM at night, and felt safer than I have done in parts of Skem. (Tanhouse-think serious sh**hole)
Jo-Burg is notoriously bad, I wouldn’t go there if you paid me, but much of the rest of the country is fine. Like anywhere else really, if you’re silly you’ll end up in bother, if you’re sensible with where you go it’s a great place. I was over there for a number of months and loved it.
I spent 3 weeks travelling round the eastern parts of south africa about 4 years ago & all I’ll say to anyone thinking of not going there next year because of the scare stories is to ignore them & go coz you’ll have a great time.
Follow sensible safety rules like you would anywhere else like don’t walk on your todd through downtown soweto, pished & singing England songs at 3 in the morning & you’ll be alreet
You’ll probably meet some real racist pillox but by & large the population (black & white) are some of the friendliest you’ll come across
I went to a football game in Pretoria (Mamelodi Sundowns v Ajax Cape Town) & even though they held it in the big rugby stadium there instead of their own ground (meaning it was only about a quarter full) the atmosphere was like nothing I’ve experienced in Europe. Those horns that were so annoying during the confederations cup when combined with drums & all sorts of other makeshift instruments they bring along sound really good coz they actually all bash out a proper, heavy, tune unlike that bunch of feckers that get free tickets to watch England & only know god save the queen & the great escape
As for the weather, it is their rainy season at that time of year apparently but I was there in July & it was 70-80 degrees & it rained once
So, all in all, if you get the chance to go – do it. You won’t regret itNot doubting South Africa is a great place but…if I ever did go to a major England tournament this wouldn’t be the one.
I want to sit there in a bar pre-match soaking up the atmosphere not lookin over me shoulder for any bugger with a gun and a bad attitude.
I can honestly see somebody gettin shot or even killed at this one so its telly for me.
COME ON ENGLAND.
“I want to sit there in a bar pre-match soaking up the atmosphere not lookin over me shoulder for any bugger with a gun and a bad attitude”
That was my point – you won’t have to. I went in big popular bars in city centre’s, night clubs & small “shabeens” (no idea if that’s the right word but it sounds like how I remember it being pronounced) in small towns in the middle of nowhere & not a hint of trouble, no threats & no-one with guns
So don’t believe the hype. The attitude reminds me of some Afrikaaners I was talking to the night before going to the game that I went to. I had warnings telling me not to go coz it was a “black mans game” & I’d get stabbed & mugged, don’t take any money or valuables & all other sorts of prophecies of doom. Me & a mate went as probably the only 2 white guys in the whole stadium & as soon as their (or what I assume was) main bulk of hardcore fans saw us (my mate had a Latics shirt on) we were invited over to em & welcomed. Didn’t get mugged, stabbed, beaten up or owt
The only crime I saw or experienced was some bloke trying to rob my mobile phone from a pub bench I was sat on but considering I’ve had my mobile robbed in London & both my jacket & wallet robbed in successive weeks in the Bees Knees, its hardly somet I got worked up aboutNot doubting South Africa is a great place but…if I ever did go to a major England tournament this wouldn’t be the one.I want to sit there in a bar pre-match soaking up the atmosphere not lookin over me shoulder for any bugger with a gun and a bad attitude.
I can honestly see somebody gettin shot or even killed at this one so its telly for me.
COME ON ENGLAND.
Aye.
The last time our lads went over there en-masse, they got hammered at Rourke’s Drift. Bloody Zulu’s coming over’t hill…….non stop.
As much of a football fan that I am, and always HAVE been, I’ve never had the desire to even go and watch the England team here, never mind thousands of miles away.
In fact, I’m hoping Honduras make it, so then perhaps we can follow them, with our connections. (If we still have any, by then)I went a few years back with the army.
We visited Bloemfontein and Cape Town. They told us not to end on your own, due to it being rough. Some of the lads chose to ignore this warning and subsequently got themselves mugged at gunpoint, however for everyone else who stayed in numbers we had a fantastic time. It’s all about common sense, and being in numbers. At a world cup it will be full of fans from all over.
In Bloemfontein, I did find the locals to be a bit strange, with most of them still being racist, the taxi drivers carried guns for protection. It was still great. Cigs were 40p for twenty. Beer was 40p a pint and my personal favourite was the steak. £12 for a kilo(36 ounce) of Fillet Steak. It was and still is the best I have ever had.
Cape Town was brilliant and seemed to have a better feel to it regarding the people. If I could afford to go next year I would love to go to Durban, as I have heard good things about it. Every place I have mentioned are hosting world cup games.
In summary my advice would be to go and don’t worry about the stories as long as you use common sense and don’t think you are ten men when drunk and end up on your own. The more likeliest time to be mugged is going to a cash machine.
Dont yer know, theres no point in going? Engerlund have already won it according to the hacks n players
theyll just get embarrassed like they do in every competition there in,,
all this Patriotism bullshit yer can shove it up yer arse…
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