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Furlough
Apr 25, 2020 8:44:56 GMT
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Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 8:44:56 GMT
If contact sport is allowed in the next few months I assume the players won't be insured for getting corona virus etc as they won't be following social distance rules etc etc. Putting a lot at risk. Now we've all got used to the virus (!?) the idea of 22 players plus officials, subs & managers on the same football pitch......it's ludicrous. In hindsight (a wonderful thing) the idea of playing behind closed doors sounds a bit "let's keep the public safe but sod the players." To run games behind closed doors Bundesliga have a plan that involves 300 people at each game. Including players, coaches, refs, TV, VAR etc. And 20,000 covid tests on players ongoing until the season ends. All paid for by the club's and done in a way that doesn't block normal tests for normal people The economic and mental health benefits allowing top pro sport to do the above The club's need to finish the season in bundesliga to get their final live tv payment and without it the league are saying 13 of the 36 clubs will go bust this year
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Post by otep on Apr 25, 2020 9:33:34 GMT
I really enjoyed reading your Barcelona insight Observer. One of those moments when clicking 'Like' wasn't quite enough. Thank you.
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Post by A38 on Apr 25, 2020 10:31:17 GMT
I really enjoyed reading your Barcelona insight Observer. One of those moments when clicking 'Like' wasn't quite enough. Thank you. Agreed, observer do you mind me asking what it is you do to have ended up in those situations?
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Furlough
Apr 25, 2020 10:31:48 GMT
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otep likes this
Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 10:31:48 GMT
I've watched teenage girls wait outside Barcelona's trying ground for Neymar in his red Ferrari. (They had travelled from Germany just to try and meet him)
He's trained for a couple of hours in the morning.
There's a barrier that opens and Neymar drives out. 2 girls literally lie in the middle of the road so he can't drive on. Whilst 2 or 3 others just try and look at him or talk through the window whilst he can't drive. Security have to move the girls away and then he speeds off towards home.
And the girls just start crying with joy because they saw him.
My son had a shirt on Neymar had signed after the training session. They started trying to touch and kiss the signature he had done on the shirt. And taking photos of the signature.
When they were training one of the players was sat on a ball with his back to the rest of the players about 40 yards from them.
Neymar picked up a ball dropped it and half volleyed it with a kind of swerve on it from 40 yards away and I swear to God knocked the other player straight on to the floor.
I know he's good but I don't even think he thought he could do it.
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Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 10:35:14 GMT
I really enjoyed reading your Barcelona insight Observer. One of those moments when clicking 'Like' wasn't quite enough. Thank you. Agreed, observer do you mind me asking what it is you do to have ended up in those situations? You used to be able to pay to fly with Barcelona on their official plane to away games. And they also included you could go and watch them train a couple of days after. I used to take clients with me for a once in a lifetime experience. Sometimes they flew same day as the game other times they flew night before and you then got to stay in same hotel with them as well. We would arrive at the Hotel in a coach behind the players coach. And when you got off the plane you saw what their lives were like as you would be walking through the same fans and arriving at the same hotels. Honestly it's like Beatle mania everywhere they go.
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Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 10:38:27 GMT
Agreed, observer do you mind me asking what it is you do to have ended up in those situations? You used to be able to pay to fly with Barcelona on their official plane to away games. And they also included you could go and watch them train a couple of days after. I used to take clients with me for a once in a lifetime experience. Sometimes they flew same day as the game other times they flew night before and you then got to stay in same hotel with them as well. We would arrive at the Hotel in a coach behind the players coach. And when you got off the plane you saw what their lives were like as you would be walking through the same fans and arriving at the same hotels. Honestly it's like Beatle mania everywhere they go. Not sure if you can still do it. Rumour was Messi was willing to pay to buy the spare seats to stop being pestered!! Even from a distance. My son went with me a couple of times. Before the trips Messi was his favourite player. After them he changed to Neymar. He never even got an autograph or photo with Messi. He didn't blank people he just always made sure he was out of reach so to speak. On the plane the players sit at the front and the club officials and people like us at the back. And security in between if anybody bothered the players on the way to the match.
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Furlough
Apr 25, 2020 10:48:32 GMT
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Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 10:48:32 GMT
They would fly to every away game except Espanol. And even on the days of games they would fly early and check into hotel rooms to relax and have a team lunch at the hotel.
For earlier kick offs they would fly the day before and stay overnight
Loads of security staff with them everywhere they went
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Furlough
Apr 25, 2020 11:52:52 GMT
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Post by A38 on Apr 25, 2020 11:52:52 GMT
That’s quality, great insight. Cheers. Interesting re: Neymar, I’ve always assumed he’s a bit of a numpty with all the showboating, diving etc. but that’s really good to hear. Great story re: knocking the ball over, my dad always used to tell me about Glenn Hoddle when he was Chelsea manager or something basically doing ridiculous passes in training that none of the players could hope to replicate.
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Furlough
Apr 25, 2020 12:15:57 GMT
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otep likes this
Post by observer on Apr 25, 2020 12:15:57 GMT
I ended up on holiday in Cyprus in the next room to Des Walker once and we became friends during the holiday.
He told me loads of stories. One I remember was about Di Canio when he played with him at Sheff Wednesday
He said one day after training had finished Di Canio told whoever their keeper was to kick the ball as high as he possibly could straight up in the air
And as it came down Di Canio caught it perfectly on his foot
And all the players went mental shouting and applauding etc
One of them said I bet you can't do it again!
So the keeper kicked it again even higher and he did exactly the same and caught it perfectly on his foot again
Des said it was just incredible. He'd never seen anything like it.
Then another player said do it again.
Des ran over (he was the club captain) and said
No - never ask him to do it again. We've just seen something you will never see again. And let's not give him the chance to fail now we've seen that twice. Dont ruin it. Just remember what you've seen and tell your friends.
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Post by otep on Apr 25, 2020 20:07:17 GMT
Really enjoying these insider stories Observer. Thank you very much for sharing.
Based solely upon his antics (cheating) on the pitch, I think of Neymar as being a squit. I wouldn't open my door if he rang the doorbell. Seriously. I have no time at all for football cheats.
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Post by sinfinbovril on Apr 26, 2020 16:27:13 GMT
Really enjoying these insider stories Observer. Thank you very much for sharing. Based solely upon his antics (cheating) on the pitch, I think of Neymar as being a squit. I wouldn't open my door if he rang the doorbell. Seriously. I have no time at all for football cheats. Thing I love about Messi is that he appears (I don't watch Sky) to be a team, even with all that skill. I remember the Barca V Man Utd Champions League Final where the press billed it as Messi vs Ronaldo. Ronaldo tried to win the game by himself and Messi just knocked it around a bit and Barca wiped the floor with Utd. I know I'm boring, but I love a decent 'team' player.
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Post by sinfinbovril on Apr 26, 2020 16:28:08 GMT
Really enjoying these insider stories Observer. Thank you very much for sharing. Based solely upon his antics (cheating) on the pitch, I think of Neymar as being a squit. I wouldn't open my door if he rang the doorbell. Seriously. I have no time at all for football cheats. The other answer to your post is: "You don't like many players, then..."
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