Footy match in Edinburgh -- Sheila, Janis, anyone?
Jul 15th, 2004, 12:53 PM
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Footy match in Edinburgh -- Sheila, Janis, anyone?
I'll be in Edinburgh in September and want to see a soccer/football match. There is a Hearts-Rangers match on one of the Saturdays and I need some advice.
What type of seat level (like upper deck, box seats, loge, general admission -- I'm using US terms here b/c they're all I know) is advisable for a non-partisan? When should I get the tickets -- would walk-ups be available for a Hearts-Rangers match (I'd guess not, but just checking)?
What colors should I avoid wearing -- I know Rangers are red and Hearts are red-and-blue, right? How unhinged are the Rangers' fans? I've heard they are the rowdiest of the Scots, but don't quite match the English hoodlum level. I can handle a lot -- I've rooted openly for the Yankees in Boston -- but the fiancee will be with yours truly.
What type of seat level (like upper deck, box seats, loge, general admission -- I'm using US terms here b/c they're all I know) is advisable for a non-partisan? When should I get the tickets -- would walk-ups be available for a Hearts-Rangers match (I'd guess not, but just checking)?
What colors should I avoid wearing -- I know Rangers are red and Hearts are red-and-blue, right? How unhinged are the Rangers' fans? I've heard they are the rowdiest of the Scots, but don't quite match the English hoodlum level. I can handle a lot -- I've rooted openly for the Yankees in Boston -- but the fiancee will be with yours truly.
Jul 15th, 2004, 01:32 PM
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You cannot KNOW how glad I am you asked.
The game will be at Tyncastle. You will find the official web site at
www.heartsfc.co. uk. It's much better than the one that conned me at www.heartsfc.com
Having had a quick skim, it's not very good, I have to say.
This is better..
http://www.fanzone.co.uk/A5572F/fanz...00056CC5C?open
but you might find this review more useful.
It's one of the few SPL grounds I haven't been to, so I can't tell you where you should find your seat, but you may find this useful.
"Finding the ground was fairly easy as it was a straight route from the station and I managed to catch a glimpse of Murrayfield in the distance. Tynecastle was set back from Gorgie Road, with access quite restricted - it wasn't possible to walk round the ground like at many other football venues. There was a large police presence around the ground and the area in which the stadium was set struck me as quite run-down and ill-cared for. I was surprised that the one remaining old stand at Tynecastle looked to be in reasonable condition, even if it was somewhat dwarfed by its large new neighbours.
After taking a bit of time to find the turnstiles for the Gorgie Stand, which were set back from the structure itself, it wasn't long before the gates around the ground were being opened, on the stroke of 2pm. The club shop was located in the Gorgie Stand (the home end), meaning it had been behind locked gates until the turnstiles were open. From the outside, the Gorgie and Wheatfield stands had a modern appearance, although not particularly stylish. The curving roofs to the rear of the stands looked quite unusual and reminded me somewhat of the Holmesdale Road end of Selhurst Park. The concourse area within the Gorgie Stand was very spacious - whilst a lot of food was listed on the menus at the snack bars, a number of items were either not available at all or would not be ready until at least 2:30pm. The food that was available was tasty enough, if a little expensive. The anorak's award for best toilets must surely go to Hearts FC, with clean facilities, hot water, soap, paper towels and a bin to put them in. What more can the football fan ask for - even music was playing in there!!
As I emerged into the stadium, I was instantly impressed by Tynecastle. The Gorgie Stand, as with the other new stands at the ground, had a very steep rake and offered entirely unrestricted views of the pitch. My seat was situated about two-thirds back in the stand, just to the Wheatfield Stand side of the goal. The white tubing above and to the side of each of the stands did not extend upwards to form floodlight towers. The floodlights were instead attached to the top corners of each of the new stands and looked quite striking. The unusual colour of the seats, complete with the Hearts crest and Scotland badge incorporated into the seating pattern, further improved the ground's identity. Perhaps the most distinctive feature about the whole ground was the proximity of the stands to the pitch. I remember Simon Inglis listing Tynecastle in his top ten grounds for its hemmed-in moodiness and it's easy to see what he means.
The biggest surprise for me was the old Main Stand. This stand, whilst clearly showing its age, was certainly not in as poor a condition as I had imagined. It's low roof meant that it was deceptively sizeable and whilst there were a number of posts restricting the view of those in the upper section, and the roof did not fully extend over the enclosure to the front, it had a gritty character and provided a contrast to the stadium's shiny new structures. This stand ran the full length of the pitch and the lack of space between the new stands gave Tynecastle an enclosed feel. The Roseburn Stand at the far end of the ground was split between home and away fans, with literally just a few seats separating the two groups of supporters."
In a nutshell, I would suggest that that means you should go for the Gorgie Stand unless someone specifically tells you of something more neutra. Or, if there's a family, or boys' enclosure/section, go there.
There's a guy called Keith Legge who lurks in here, from Edinburgh, who's a footie fan, tho' not a Jambo. I'll see if he's been and ask him.
Get the tickets as soon as you can. You will categorically NOT get walk ups. If you have a problem, let me know, and I'll see if you can fix it.
Rangers are Red White and Blue, predominantly BLUE. DO NOT WEAR BLUE.
Hearts are maroon. It's less of an issue to wear maroon, in Edinburgh, but I'd avoid both, if I were you.
Rangers fans are no fun on a bad day, but Hearts fans are not their worst enemies. they reserve that position for Celtic or Hibernian fans.
To get a sense of perspective, there will be a lot of familes at the game. the bad guys are a small minority. The bad teddy bears will be wors than the bad jambos, but, basically, avoid both.
Now, I've gone and joined one of their fan forums, so I can get more info for you. Greater love hath no Saints fan than this....
The game will be at Tyncastle. You will find the official web site at
www.heartsfc.co. uk. It's much better than the one that conned me at www.heartsfc.com
Having had a quick skim, it's not very good, I have to say.
This is better..
http://www.fanzone.co.uk/A5572F/fanz...00056CC5C?open
but you might find this review more useful.
It's one of the few SPL grounds I haven't been to, so I can't tell you where you should find your seat, but you may find this useful.
"Finding the ground was fairly easy as it was a straight route from the station and I managed to catch a glimpse of Murrayfield in the distance. Tynecastle was set back from Gorgie Road, with access quite restricted - it wasn't possible to walk round the ground like at many other football venues. There was a large police presence around the ground and the area in which the stadium was set struck me as quite run-down and ill-cared for. I was surprised that the one remaining old stand at Tynecastle looked to be in reasonable condition, even if it was somewhat dwarfed by its large new neighbours.
After taking a bit of time to find the turnstiles for the Gorgie Stand, which were set back from the structure itself, it wasn't long before the gates around the ground were being opened, on the stroke of 2pm. The club shop was located in the Gorgie Stand (the home end), meaning it had been behind locked gates until the turnstiles were open. From the outside, the Gorgie and Wheatfield stands had a modern appearance, although not particularly stylish. The curving roofs to the rear of the stands looked quite unusual and reminded me somewhat of the Holmesdale Road end of Selhurst Park. The concourse area within the Gorgie Stand was very spacious - whilst a lot of food was listed on the menus at the snack bars, a number of items were either not available at all or would not be ready until at least 2:30pm. The food that was available was tasty enough, if a little expensive. The anorak's award for best toilets must surely go to Hearts FC, with clean facilities, hot water, soap, paper towels and a bin to put them in. What more can the football fan ask for - even music was playing in there!!
As I emerged into the stadium, I was instantly impressed by Tynecastle. The Gorgie Stand, as with the other new stands at the ground, had a very steep rake and offered entirely unrestricted views of the pitch. My seat was situated about two-thirds back in the stand, just to the Wheatfield Stand side of the goal. The white tubing above and to the side of each of the stands did not extend upwards to form floodlight towers. The floodlights were instead attached to the top corners of each of the new stands and looked quite striking. The unusual colour of the seats, complete with the Hearts crest and Scotland badge incorporated into the seating pattern, further improved the ground's identity. Perhaps the most distinctive feature about the whole ground was the proximity of the stands to the pitch. I remember Simon Inglis listing Tynecastle in his top ten grounds for its hemmed-in moodiness and it's easy to see what he means.
The biggest surprise for me was the old Main Stand. This stand, whilst clearly showing its age, was certainly not in as poor a condition as I had imagined. It's low roof meant that it was deceptively sizeable and whilst there were a number of posts restricting the view of those in the upper section, and the roof did not fully extend over the enclosure to the front, it had a gritty character and provided a contrast to the stadium's shiny new structures. This stand ran the full length of the pitch and the lack of space between the new stands gave Tynecastle an enclosed feel. The Roseburn Stand at the far end of the ground was split between home and away fans, with literally just a few seats separating the two groups of supporters."
In a nutshell, I would suggest that that means you should go for the Gorgie Stand unless someone specifically tells you of something more neutra. Or, if there's a family, or boys' enclosure/section, go there.
There's a guy called Keith Legge who lurks in here, from Edinburgh, who's a footie fan, tho' not a Jambo. I'll see if he's been and ask him.
Get the tickets as soon as you can. You will categorically NOT get walk ups. If you have a problem, let me know, and I'll see if you can fix it.
Rangers are Red White and Blue, predominantly BLUE. DO NOT WEAR BLUE.
Hearts are maroon. It's less of an issue to wear maroon, in Edinburgh, but I'd avoid both, if I were you.
Rangers fans are no fun on a bad day, but Hearts fans are not their worst enemies. they reserve that position for Celtic or Hibernian fans.
To get a sense of perspective, there will be a lot of familes at the game. the bad guys are a small minority. The bad teddy bears will be wors than the bad jambos, but, basically, avoid both.
Now, I've gone and joined one of their fan forums, so I can get more info for you. Greater love hath no Saints fan than this....
Jul 15th, 2004, 01:35 PM
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BigRuss... I can't give you specific advice for this particular match but some general will do well enough for now.
Ideal tickets for you and your fiancée would be on the half way line about half way up (vertically) the main stand on the lower teir (I'm not sure whether Hearts have two tier stands or not...) this way you'll be high enough to see all the game (and tactics and movement etc) but near enough to the pitch to see the players well and hear them too.
If you go on your own you may like to choose a team and support them, standing behind the goal with their fans - basically Hearts (at home) will occupy both main stands and one end (where the hardcore zealots will be), and Rangers the other end (the "away-end"
. The atmosphere will be better and the singing raucaus and, of course, if a goal is scored in front of you you'll have the best view... but if it goes in at the other end then you'll see next to nothing).
Hearts and Rangers are both "Protestant" clubs in divided cities (Celtic and Hibs being their opposite, "Catholic" teams in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively). Though the labels mean less these days the rivalries are just as bitter - for God's sake don't wear GREEN to this match... both sets of fans will have your guts for garters before you know it.
Rangers wear BLUE
Hearts wear DEEP CLARET/BURGUNDY
I suggest you stick to black!
Whenever Rangers or Celtic play, due to their enormous support and because they have the vast majority of the Scottish stars (and the foreign talent playing in the SPL - Scottish Premier League), matches are frequently sold out - you could try buying on line from Hearts' web site (www.heartsfc.co.uk)or you will probably find tickets will be available on matchday from touts (scalpers). Whilst police are trying to clamp down on touts (as a manner of ensuring the stringest efforts to avoid rival fans mixing are not by-passed) its a legal grey area and you should have no fear from going this route to acquire tickets - other than the price and the location and the odds of getting two decent seats together.
Hope all this helps... I'm sure a true scot can help you far more... and I hope you enjoy an excellent game.
Dr D.
Ideal tickets for you and your fiancée would be on the half way line about half way up (vertically) the main stand on the lower teir (I'm not sure whether Hearts have two tier stands or not...) this way you'll be high enough to see all the game (and tactics and movement etc) but near enough to the pitch to see the players well and hear them too.
If you go on your own you may like to choose a team and support them, standing behind the goal with their fans - basically Hearts (at home) will occupy both main stands and one end (where the hardcore zealots will be), and Rangers the other end (the "away-end"
. The atmosphere will be better and the singing raucaus and, of course, if a goal is scored in front of you you'll have the best view... but if it goes in at the other end then you'll see next to nothing).Hearts and Rangers are both "Protestant" clubs in divided cities (Celtic and Hibs being their opposite, "Catholic" teams in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively). Though the labels mean less these days the rivalries are just as bitter - for God's sake don't wear GREEN to this match... both sets of fans will have your guts for garters before you know it.
Rangers wear BLUE
Hearts wear DEEP CLARET/BURGUNDY
I suggest you stick to black!
Whenever Rangers or Celtic play, due to their enormous support and because they have the vast majority of the Scottish stars (and the foreign talent playing in the SPL - Scottish Premier League), matches are frequently sold out - you could try buying on line from Hearts' web site (www.heartsfc.co.uk)or you will probably find tickets will be available on matchday from touts (scalpers). Whilst police are trying to clamp down on touts (as a manner of ensuring the stringest efforts to avoid rival fans mixing are not by-passed) its a legal grey area and you should have no fear from going this route to acquire tickets - other than the price and the location and the odds of getting two decent seats together.
Hope all this helps... I'm sure a true scot can help you far more... and I hope you enjoy an excellent game.
Dr D.
Jul 15th, 2004, 02:09 PM
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Thanks Doc and Sheila. I'll take all the advice I can get on this. Since I'll be in Edinburgh for a bit before the match, I may end up buying a Hearts jersey (sweater) beforehand and the fiancee can do what she wants.
Is "footy" not used? Maybe I soaked up too much Aussie slang on my last trip. Of course their footy is different and even more arcane than American football.
Is "footy" not used? Maybe I soaked up too much Aussie slang on my last trip. Of course their footy is different and even more arcane than American football.
Jul 15th, 2004, 02:20 PM
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"Is 'footy' not used?"
I don't much follow sports, but.... I was staying with friends in County Durham last month when the phone rang during the England-France match. Ken answered the phone and said, in a tone of utter disbelief "Are you not watching the footy, then?" It became kind of a catch phrase for my travelling companion and me for the rest of the trip.
I don't much follow sports, but.... I was staying with friends in County Durham last month when the phone rang during the England-France match. Ken answered the phone and said, in a tone of utter disbelief "Are you not watching the footy, then?" It became kind of a catch phrase for my travelling companion and me for the rest of the trip.
Jul 15th, 2004, 03:41 PM
#9
And if you miss Hearts v. 'Gers, you can go to the battle of the Greens the following week at Easter Road (Hibees v. Celtic.) Better bars in walking distance IMO, for induction of post-match anaesthesia.
Attending a Rangers v. Celtic match at Ibrox is something everyone should do in one's lifetime, just so that you can contribute meaninfully to the thread about discovering religion in your travels. Oh boy, will you discover it.
Attending a Rangers v. Celtic match at Ibrox is something everyone should do in one's lifetime, just so that you can contribute meaninfully to the thread about discovering religion in your travels. Oh boy, will you discover it.
Jul 15th, 2004, 10:07 PM
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Absolutely, Gardy; you'll be on your knees praying to survive!!
I'm not sure that I'd want to go to any teams "home" pub on a match day, but the Golden Rule is one of Edinburgh's top drinking spots.
Seriously Russ, I wouldn't suggest you wear a Hearts top to the game.
a) it's not cool and b) in the wrong company it could be injurious to health.
I'm not sure that I'd want to go to any teams "home" pub on a match day, but the Golden Rule is one of Edinburgh's top drinking spots.
Seriously Russ, I wouldn't suggest you wear a Hearts top to the game.
a) it's not cool and b) in the wrong company it could be injurious to health.
Jul 15th, 2004, 10:18 PM
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Russ, news from the Jam Tarts fans site:-
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You will be able to buy tickets for any of the following three stands. Mainstand(this is the oldest stand at Tynecastle and is for home supporters only as are the Gorgie stand(which is behind the goals the Gorgie Road end) and the Wheatfield Stand(opposite the mainstand and runs the length of the pitch). Avoid the Roseburn stand at all costs as it will be full of Rangers supporters. You can purchase tickets at the Tynecastle ticket office up until 2:45pm on the day of the game. Word of warning however; the game may be changed from the Saturday the 11th to Sunday the 12th to accommodate live television."
First Team Player
Group: Members
Posts: 198
Member No.: 82
Joined: 14-February 04
You will be able to buy tickets for any of the following three stands. Mainstand(this is the oldest stand at Tynecastle and is for home supporters only as are the Gorgie stand(which is behind the goals the Gorgie Road end) and the Wheatfield Stand(opposite the mainstand and runs the length of the pitch). Avoid the Roseburn stand at all costs as it will be full of Rangers supporters. You can purchase tickets at the Tynecastle ticket office up until 2:45pm on the day of the game. Word of warning however; the game may be changed from the Saturday the 11th to Sunday the 12th to accommodate live television."
Jul 16th, 2004, 01:09 AM
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We call it footie down here also... (down here being London).
Was dragged to a match once, Norwich against someone or other and played at Norwich.
And we were in the stands at the end where "our side" were trying to score goals and one of our little gang had decided to wear the colours of a team that had, the previous week, beaten hell out of Norwich. It was fine during the game but we REALLY had to leg it afterwards to escape some very mean and nasty looking blokes wanting a fight.
And of course I had no bloody idea what was going on as I don't even know what the offside rule is but listening to the chants about Tricky Dicky and other characters and the less nice songs about the other team was enough to keep me amused.
Can't see myself going to another match but it was something worth doing once I think!
Was dragged to a match once, Norwich against someone or other and played at Norwich.
And we were in the stands at the end where "our side" were trying to score goals and one of our little gang had decided to wear the colours of a team that had, the previous week, beaten hell out of Norwich. It was fine during the game but we REALLY had to leg it afterwards to escape some very mean and nasty looking blokes wanting a fight.
And of course I had no bloody idea what was going on as I don't even know what the offside rule is but listening to the chants about Tricky Dicky and other characters and the less nice songs about the other team was enough to keep me amused.
Can't see myself going to another match but it was something worth doing once I think!
Jul 23rd, 2004, 07:29 PM
#16
Sort of OT, but a nice sight today on one of the ferries crossing Puget Sound into Seattle. It was a very hot day here - 95°F, and people were crowded out on the deck in the cool breeze, the city skyline looming and Mt. Rainier hovering to the south. Said people including all of Chelsea FC's starters, in their "Fly Emirates" shirts, in town for an exhibition match against the abovementioned (Glasgow) Celtic. They were swarmed by a blue tide of little kids and not a few adults, and seemed to handle the attention very well. Nice looking bunch of kids.
