Judging from this n other threads there seems to be a lot of us travelling alone. We'll have to arrange a big meet up over there nearer the time. I'm sure there'll be an area Saints take over anyway!
My first away game was Highbury, 1983. 0-0, a crap game but a scoreline I didn't mind too much as I was stood on the North Bank with some gooner mates who kept threatening to expose me if Saints scored. Neither side ever looked like scoring though. Travelling on my own to Milan, Alitalia from London City Airport arriving Milan 9.30am and leaving at 10am friday morning. £205 including hotel near the ground. San Siro does look a ****hole from photos, but then the Coliseum in Rome is well past it's best too but I hope to see that one day. Would be up for a not606 meet, what's "Farmhouse" in Italian?
My guess is that with over 8,000 Saints fans travelling to Milan, practically every flight leaving from airports across Southern England on the Wednesday and Thursday will have a contingent. I can't see anyone wearing a Saints shirt being completely alone, even if you are traveling by yourself.
Definitely gonna have to meet up with you mate, you knowing some Italian will be handy! Mine will consist of 'grazie' and how to order a beer
Oh I'm so tempted but the missus may have reservations as I would have to touch the house deposit money.
Act now explain later is the best bet. Does she like/follow football? Like will she understand the whole once in a lifetime thing?
No, she hates football. I can't see how I could explain it to be honest. I'll just get down the pub and tell fellow pub goers how I could have been there, whilst weeping in the urinal every time I go to the toilet.
To be fair, my other half isn't too keen on football, and once she realised that I have gone through thick and thin in 39 years of supporting the Saints, she encouraged me...even if I had to be a little economical with the truth of how much it was going to cost The one who surprised me was my football hating boss, who has let me have a couple of days off (unpaid) as I have run out of holiday. I asked him if it was possible and then emailed him pictures of a full San Siro and he called me up to say he asked HR and they said as a one off go for it and could I take loads of photos and bring back the head of HR a program So I say ask her and you may be surprised I'm STILL grinning from ear to ear about it and I booked it all yesterday
I'd just do it mate to be honest. You may never forgive yourself if you could of gone and didn't. That was my reasoning anyway. Though as someone who became single a few months back, my advice probably isn't the best to take
If @SootySaint doesn't mind can we have the title of this thread renamed to 'Saints Siro!' Like Dellhurst Park, but European
When Sajnts got to the Cup Final in 2003 and I was living up north and not a season ticket holder, I couldn't et a ticket at first. I then found an FA hospitality ticket for £705 online. I sat the wife down and told her that it had been 27 years since our last cup final, so really it was only £26 a year! She looked at me and quickly replied "well it will probably be another 27 years before you are there again which will only be £13 a year, so you'd better go!" Love her!
A short walk from the Duomo is a bar called "The English Football Pub" which is on Via Torino....basically stand facing away from the Duomo Cathedral and head towards the big Zara on the corner and head down that road and it's on a side street on the right hand side. It has an old hanging pub sign on the main street. The bar is full of Football memorabilia, including a Saints mirror and shirt somewhere and is a place I always go to to watch the football when i've visited Milan, as it has loads of TVs. It's not the biggest bar in the world, but it might be tucked away enough to not attract too many fans. Will be a good place to watch champions league matches if you're there Wednesday night.
It seems a lot of fans from British clubs go the Duomo Piazza square but apparently can be very expensive to drink in! A lot of images on google show fans just congregating in square with cans/bottles.
The Duomo Piazza is kind of the tourist/shopping hub of Milan. As well as the dominating Duomo itself, you have the main department store(Harrods equivalent) and the spectacular indoor shopping arcade the Galleria. As a consequence this is where the rich tourists head and the food and drink prices reflect that. Also there is not many drinking bars in that area. It's all very food and coffee centric. I don't know them myself, but I expect there are better areas for drinking/nightlife