gpapadop

I have a reservation set spending 50,000 of my 50,871 US Air miles...not ticketed yet, I have until Saturday. UA or DL have nothing direct to MAN for me...US can get me there through FRA on Lufthansa and the times appear to work out. But game time has not been set and it will very likely be a night game which means that I may not be able to catch the train to make it back to MAN (and then to the airport the next morning for my flight back). And one delay somewhere and I can be screwed...I may have to stay in Blackburn for one night and then the next night in MAN so that will leave me a whole day in MAN.

The first leg is in Greece Sept 20 and a lot will depend on that score...if we get blown away I am staying home....Either way I may have to snag one and then pay the change or cancellation $100 fee...

And I am also thinking about going back to Greece for the first game...the thing is i just came back from a 3 week vacation there...the old man will be really pissed off and may threaten me with the future of my inheritance

But last time our hometown team played in European competition was 19 years ago....this is history and I want to be part of it, even if it's Blackburn

bounty

it will be a night game, but the last train from Blackburn to Manchester Airport leaves at 23.10, so you could make it back to (relative) civilisation and a decent hotel. I can't think of one in Blackburn itself.

mrploddy

You'd make the 23:10 train with ease from a 6.30pm / 7pm kick off, you'd probably even have time for a swift one in the pub near the station. Pulls in to Victoria at about 00:01 and then a quick walk back to your hotel. Or say the game was a 7pm kick off, 90 minutes for the game and 10 minutes for half time you could easily make the 10pm train back to Picadilly from where you could change for one of the last trains of the night to the airport say the 23:08 and stay at a airport hotel. You'd just not need to hang around at Blackburn stadium and high tail it back to make the 10pm train thinks I. You wouldnt get much sleep mind you as you'd be schlepping in to the airport hotel at circa 11.30 to 12 midnight.

-mrploddy

gpapadop

My original reservation getting to MAN through FRA with LU was no longer available (the US air rep had given me 3 days, which I thought was generous...but it cancelled after 24 hrs ) so I made another one..this one flying Air Canada all the way with stops in Toronto and Heathrow (and then connecting to MAN with a BMI flight). Getting to MAN about 10 am so it should be fine.

But it was just announced that the game on October will have a 20.00 starting time and it should be over by 22.00. Can you please confirm I can make it for the 23. 10 train easily or do I have to sprint for it? I am really on a bind here because if the game goes into OT or PKs I clearly can not make it back to Manchester which means getting on a 9.00 am flight out of MAN is out of the question....so then my best bet would likely be to find a decent hotel to stay in Blackburn and then take the train to Manchester the next morning and spend the day and night at a Manchester hotel (either the Hilton downtown or at the airport look fine) and leave on October 6...which will require a change fee of $100 which is the least of my problems.

Or my team gets blown away this Thursday and just decide to stay home

It will get clearer Thursday...

mrploddy

http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/GettingToEwood

There is the page about getting to Blackburn. I'm afraid that I can't be more helpful than that as I've never been to Blackburn. You're probably best phoning and asking about taxi's from Ewood Park back to the station but at approx a mile assuming there is a taxi rank at the ground it's less than a 10 minute journey at that tie of the night but best to phone ahead and check.

-mrploddy

gpapadop

Well, I cancelled my crappy US Air reservation and paid for a DL ticket getting me direct to MAN from ATL...with the $400 voucher it cost me a little south of $1,000 but that almost requalifies for Gold Elite in NW's Worldeperks. The nice thing about it is I get to MAN at 10 am on October 4 and I return on a flight leaving at noon on October 5. So, the game starts at 20.00, assuming no overtime and PKs I should get on the last 23.10 train to Manchester...

In case I miss the train to the airport that night how much will it cost me to take a taxi to MAN? I would rather hang out in the airport that night instead of paying for a hotel...

If the game goes into overtime or PKs I won't know what I am doing but I would definitely try to hitch a ride with the other fellow team fans and hope they drive directly back to MAN

Or I may just rent a car myself and save me all the heartache of trains and transfers and sprinting for them...Never rented a car in your country but I clearly remember I was almost run over by one in London about 20 years ago since I did not remember to check the wrong side while crossing a busy street

Any help appreciated.

Aviatrix

I would NOT recommend renting a car.

You've never driven on the left before (if I understand you correctly).

You will be tired and jetlagged after an overnight eastbound flight.

You will be even more tired by the time the game finishes.

If I were you I would try to find a hotel in the Blackburn area (you may want to look at budget chains such as Travelodge), get some rest in the afternoon, get a good night's sleep after the game and take a train back to MAN in the morning. Blackburn may not be the most exciting place in the world but a Travelodge in Blackburn won't be any different from a Travelodge anywhere else!

Travelodges in the Blackburn area:

http://www.travelodge.co.uk/find_a_h...Darwen&id=2484

iancanton

using www.qjump.co.uk to find train times, there is one inconvenient train option after 2310. this is the 2330 from blackburn to preston, arriving 2353, followed by the 0208 preston to manchester piccadilly, arriving 0253 (the same train goes onward to manchester airport, arriving 0309). only if u're desperate!

ian.

goldy

This is sound advice from Aviatrix...grab a beer after the match and a taxi to the the nearest Travelodge or Premier Trave Inn.Be sure to get a confirmed reservation. Win or lose you'll feel better in the morning and have plenty of time to connect on to Manchester. Good luck by the way.

ionlyflyupfront

David Dunn is the first football player to have a University named after him...
UMIST !!!!!!


Blackburn FC is apparently under investigation by the Inland Revenue for tax evasion; they've been claiming for Silver Polish for the past 20 years.




A ventriloquist is working in Blackburn, and during his show a bar code stands up and yells,
"HEY YOU! ON STAGE! You've been making remarks about us locals being stupid all night long! We're not all stupid, ya know!" "Relax," says the ventriloquist. "They're just jokes!"
"I'm not talking to you, sir," the bar code replies. "I'm talking to that ugly little guy sitting on your knee




Someone asked me the other day, what time do Blackburn kick off?
About every ten minutes I replied.



Brian Kidd was spotted in a Supermarket yesterday. On noticing an old woman struggling with five bags of shopping, Kidd asked her "Can you manage dear?"

The old woman replied "Get lost!, you got yourself into this mess, don't ask me to sort it out! Anyway," she continued, "what are you doing in here?"

"I'm getting some booze, oh and also a new pair of gloves for Tim Flowers."

"Sounds like a good swap to me," she said.



There's this Rovers fan and he's only got one arm. One day he's walking up Bolton Road when he finds a magic lamp. He duly rubs it with his stump and a genie comes out. 'You're wish is my command' says the genie. 'Could you give me back my arm?' says the Rovers fan. 'Well,' says the genie,'it's cut clean off at the elbow, there's not much for me to work with'.'Ah well' says the Rovers fan, 'I've been a lifelong fan at Ewood Park and it was a dream come true when we got back into the premiership, could you grant me my greatest wish and let us stay up for another season?' 'Let's have another look at that stump.' says the genie.



What have Blackburn Rovers and a three pin plug got in common?

They're both no use in Europe!



Q: Why do people take an instant disliking to Blackburn fans? A: It saves time!



Q: What's the difference between a Blackburn fan and a Walrus? A: Ones fat, greasy and smells of fish - the others a Walrus.



Q: What's the difference between a Blackburn fan and a supermarket trolley? A: The trolley has a mind of it's own.



Q: What's the difference between a Blackburn fan and a computer? A: You only have to punch information into a computer once.



Q: What should you do if a Blackburn fan throws a grenade at you? A: Pull the pin and throw it back.



A new blue and white Oxo cube is about to be introduced. It'll be called "laughing stock".



Tim Flowers was up for a charge of allegedly sexually manhandling a woman but the woman recently dropped the charges. When asked why she dropped the charges the woman is alleged to have said: "I saw flowers play against Man United and his handling was so bad that I knew immediately that it was a case of mistaken identity."



Jack Walker is standing on the roof of Ewood park, preparing to jump on to the pitch below. The police were called, and the chief superintendent called up:

'What are you doing up there?'

'I'm going to kill myself!' came the reply.

'Why?'

'Because I pumped millions into this club and we are still going to be relegated.'

'But', said the copper, 'You're standing on the roof of the old stand. Why don't you go to the Walker Steel stand? It's much higher, for a start.'

'You must joking,' said Walker. 'Have you seen the size of the queue over there?'

gpapadop

Just returned from my trip. I had a fantastic time with my fellow Greek fans celebrating our team's advance to the next round. All the flights were great. I ended up getting to Blackburn via transferring at Bolton and ended up staying the night at the Ferhnurst Pub where our fans gathered before the game. Very convenient walk down the street to Ewood Park. Very nice stadium. And very friendly all the fans of Blackburn Rovers, we had a few beers together at Fernhurst after the game. Very gracious indeed. Thanks for all the advice here, it was a memorable trip and well worth it!