YOUR ESSENTIAL TRAVEL GUIDE
The joy of a Bigger Cup European tour is what makes a season for the fans – the trinket on offer in Budapest is merely a bonus. Six Premier League sides will get to test themselves against the best over the coming months and there are a few new faces in the competition and some intriguing passport stamps to collect. Who wouldn’t want to travel to the Cypriot city of Paphos in September to watch their beloved club play David Luiz’s Pafos FC? The temperature reaches 29C and there is no chance of rain. There are miles and miles of beaches to enjoy with a Keo in hand. If anything, the prospect of a 90-minute match is a bit of a distraction. The even better news is there are flights from London, Manchester and Newcastle.
Obviously, travelling to Paphos is the ideal scenario for any supporter but equal weight should be given to some of the other Bigger Cup new boys. Bodø/Glimt’s Aspmyra Stadion is also very close to a body of water but swimming in the Norwegian Sea is not advised in winter when the temperature drops to a rather chilly 3C. A trip in December would make it unlikely that the thermometer would get above freezing. Trying to find a direct flight is a nightmare, so changing in Oslo is about as good as it gets but when the team plane does eventually land it is less than a quarter of an hour walk from the airport, making it very convenient. On the upside, even with a stop in Norway’s capital, it can be reached in five hours from Manchester.
Almaty, on the other hand, is almost in China and that is a ruddy trek. It will therefore come as no surprise that is is a right faff getting there. The most straightforward route would involve a stopover in Istanbul and flying to Kazakhstan from there, which would set you back around 12 hours but is certainly worthwhile. As Celtic fans will tell you, it is a long way to go for disappointment, although Football Daily is sure the blow was softened by seeing the Tian Shan mountains and a trip to the The Museum of Folk Musical Instruments. No one can really complain about a Daizen Maeda missed penalty when there is the prospect of seeing a zhelbuaz – a Kazakhstani bagpipe. Football is not the be-all and end-all in life, enriching oneself with culture is more important and Bigger Cup gives people the chance to visit places they would never have considered on your average package holiday.
Qarabag are 3-1 up from their opening leg against Ferencvaros, meaning Azerbaijan will be another destination on this voyage. Surely the idea of going somewhere new rather than your Barcelonas, your Madrids and your ,erm, Parises is a far more enticing prospect for the average fan. The Camp Nou has been done to death, it’s not even cool to go there, even with its revamp. Celtic and – almost certainly – Rangers fans should not be upset about missing out on Bigger Cup for the matches, but for the places they will never see. Bigger Vase has gone mainstream, with teams from Salzburg, Zagreb and Rotterdam, which EyeWitness and Lonely Planet have covered to the extreme. Bigger Cup is finally for the real hipsters, wanting to catch a glimpse of football destinations as they should be, and it should be embraced.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
I’m someone who is passionate and will fight ever[y] time I step on the pitch. But I need to set a better example and you fans know how much I love you and this club” – West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen takes to InstaChat to expain why he appeared to lose his cool with a West Ham fan after they were knocked out of the Milk Cup by Wolves.
Hold him back boys. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
A doff of the cap to the Leeds fans, who went from chanting Sheffield Wednesday’s hopefully soon to be ex-owner, Dejphon Chansiri’s name to booing their own side and leaving during the penalty shootout as they lost to what is essentially our under-21 team. And an extra doff of the cap to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, making his debut for Leeds, who fluffed three easy chances to win it for them in the last 10 minutes and then, in the penalty shootout, did his own heartwarming tribute to Wednesday legend Chris Waddle (circa Italia 1990). Hurrah!” – Noble Francis.
Thank you Celtic for giving us the daunting prospect of impossible away-day draws, cheesy headlines and, worst of all, hearing about that teenager Chelsea have already signed until 2068 every single week. Yes Kairat Almighty, the unbeaten at home Beast from the Far East. The broadcasters and tabloids are going to milk this to the last drop aren’t they? As a Spurs fan, I am already dreading the second half of our inevitable fixture against them. I hope you enjoy Bigger Vase, Celtic” –Yannick Woudstra.
I can assure Alex Cameron (yesterday’s Football Daily) he was not alone in his interpretation of your wine-related strapline. Maybe readers could suggest suitable managerial or player candidates to receive a bottle of Chateau d’Arse, an amusing little Fitou from the Languedoc-Rousillon region” – Max Maxwell.
Federico Macheda (yesterday’s Football Daily) – now there’s a blast from the past! The last time I heard that name, I looked like Jack Grealish before he signed for City. Fortunately, as someone who’s only 40 in January, I’m still some ways away from looking like Everton Grealish” – Rowan Sweeney.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Noble Francis. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.
RECOMMENDED BOOKING
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