Holland will join the Europian Championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
whooooohhhoooooooooo!
What a brilliant match they played yesterday!
Portugal, here we come...............

Should have been Scotland and wales

So near but yet so far! Unfortunately Wales fell at the final hurdle (again) & haven't qualified for Euro 2004. Instead Russia will be making the trip - don't think they will have many fans with them. We will probably visit CVO AFTER the tournament has finished - just hope that the England 'fans' behave themselves. UEFA officials are already issuing warnings that England will be thrown out if their fans mis-behave.

Regards from a rather down hearted Wales BUT after seeing the horrific events in Turkey earlier today and the loss of life, it puts things in perspective - we only lost a football match!

Croeso, the England 'fans' will behave themselves. . . the criminals that use football and english football in particular as a front to commit offences of criminal damage, abh, gbh, common assault, breach of the peace, incite to riot, wounding, will undoubtedly not - all those with a conviction linked to football will have their passports confiscated for the duration of the tournament but some will get through.

We need to stop calling these people England fans and stop tarring all England supporters with the same brush, this is reactive not proactive - if being an England fan was something to be proud of (as it is in Rugby) then people would be keen to stop what is actually a tiny minority ruining it - at the moment, just being an England football supporter and saying so will mean that you immediately become associated with the criminal element (trying looking at any topic on here that celebrates England football success for a start, England win match, lets dis' the hooligans) . Anyway, I could rant and rant on this for ever so I will stop now.

Maddi

With respect to those (British and Turkish) who lost their lives in Instanbul today and their families - God Bless

100% behind you Maddi, not all England fans are hooligans .
There are good fans and bad hooligans that follow a lot national sides but it only seems to be the English fans that get stick. Personally i would have been more worried about some of the bad element of the Turkish fans if they had got through.
But i suppose give a dog a bad name

Thank you Guest, in all fairness though we need to say Turkish hooligans or Macedonian hooligans or whatever - wouldn't like to be responsible for making the same mistake - i.e. being unable to differentiate betweeen a fan and a hooligan, whatever the nationality.

Once again, thank you, this has to be almost the first time on cvo.com that I have received any real support on this particular topic.

Mads

i do actually agree with you maddi...and as i am from the fair isle,i will have no green team to support , either north or south !
so its great that england have qualified...means i`ll be able to support all the teams they come up against
here`s to a feast of footie in june ...!

Maddi,
It was me who wrote to lend you support but i didnt realise i wasnt logged in.
My husband has been to quite a few international matches and has witnessed some horrible things outside the grounds including crowds of fans attacking England supporters while the local police look on and do nothing It's then reported in the papers the next day that England fans have run riot.
Im not saying that all the people who go to matches are whiter that white but its just not Engalnd supporters who have the hooligan element.

Hi Maddi - I take your point but if you look at my previous post again I placed the word fans in inverted commas. The people that cause problems at matches (especially abroad) are NOT football supporters but thugs who get a kick out causing damage and fighting in large numbers knowing that they have a good chance of getting away with it. I've followed football for over 40 years & never caused any trouble at matches - sorry if I appeared to stereotype ALL England supporters as hooligans - this was NEVER intended. Regards

Does anybody know how to buy tickets in Portugal if Holland plays in Faro?
In Holland itself it is only possible if you are joining the fanclub etc (who is after all disasters before).

Little gambling:
1. Portugal
2. France
3/4. Holland (missing penalty's again) / Germany

All tickets gone as far as I am aware.

The draw for who play who is on 30th November and after that if England is not drawn in the same group as Portugal then the Portugal v England friendly may go ahead on 18th February 2004

Took a look at the possibility of attending that England/Portugal friendly, and on the positive side it is in our half term, on the negative side possibly as a result of it being half term and there being the chance of a Portugal/ England friendly - airline tickets to Faro at every source I have researched are mega bucks any time that week prior to 18th!!!!!!!!!

Looked at booking a cheapo package, just for the flights but same again!!

Mads