ICTFC v FC Astra Giurgiu // Travel + Build up

[Joe DiMaggio]

Ticket sales are supposedly going very well for home game. 

Is there a possibility we could sell for the south stand as well and split it. We did it before against Dundee when we won the league. Can't see Astra bringing many fans. Could we fill the entire stadium with pretty much home fans, with a small section for away fans. 

[alimci]

Also Astra fans have only just done Scotland, I'm sure we'll be equally disappointed if we draw another Romanian team next year

[Kingsmills]

Ticket sales are supposedly going very well for home game. 

Is there a possibility we could sell for the south stand as well and split it. We did it before against Dundee when we won the league. Can't see Astra bringing many fans. Could we fill the entire stadium with pretty much home fans, with a small section for away fans. 

I firmly believe we can get close to 7,000 home fans for this. Wouldn't it be great if, having ended last season playing in front of the highest number of ICT fans ever to congregate together we started this season in front of the largest number of our own fans ever to attend a home match....

[Trickyleftwinger]

Added my name for the bus. Fantastic effort on the organising. Take a bow son.

[Yngwie]

Reading all this makes me so jealous that I won't be going on our first European adventure, particularly as it is to an interesting and accessible country that most of us would otherwise never visit.  Sods law that the dates happen to clash with the family holiday which was booked last year.

Had one of my many weird ICT dreams though. Whilst on holiday, I decided to sneak away to Romania to catch the game.  But the missus had hidden my passport precisely to stop me going.  So I hired a hot air balloon and a Ford Transit van which would replace the basket underneath, thus enabling me to be able to steer the balloon and have somewhere to sleep on the long journey.  However, on lighting the burner, the balloon and van sailed up and away without me, as I had forgotten to rope it to the ground until I was ready to go.

You know how you get books which analyse and explain dreams?  Incredibly, this scenario is not covered by any of them. 

 

[ICTBluey]

Added me plus one other for the bus - much appreciated DBJ

[Joe DiMaggio]

Ticket sales are supposedly going very well for home game.

Is there a possibility we could sell for the south stand as well and split it. We did it before against Dundee when we won the league. Can't see Astra bringing many fans. Could we fill the entire stadium with pretty much home fans, with a small section for away fans.

I firmly believe we can get close to 7,000 home fans for this. Wouldn't it be great if, having ended last season playing in front of the highest number of ICT fans ever to congregate together we started this season in front of the largest number of our own fans ever to attend a home match....

You would have thought but after being told that tickets might not even go to public sale they are selling so well a mate called the stadium and asked and was told South Stand will be away fans only!!

Our club do well on many fronts but at times you have to dispair. If we do sell out the home end and leave the South Stand away fans only then it will be a total nonsense decision.

 

Realistically they might only bring a handful of fans so giving them a 2,500 seat stand would be crazy. Accomodate them in the Main stand or even give them a section in the South Stand then leave a section for segregation if that is the worry, then sell the rest to our fans. An extra 2,000+ ICT fans and much more income would then be possible.

 

At least they have time to re-think this.

[Alex MacLeod]

I'm sure the club will be aware of the numbers of home fans they'll get. I'm also sure they'll look at maximising. However, do we know how many Romanians there may be. Apparantly we need to make around 400 seats available for them but there could be a lot more. There is a big Romanian community in Scotland and some may want to come and watch a bit of home regardless of who their own team is. I'd also imagine that, knowing of behaviour of fans from East Europe, the police will have done intelligence gathering and will have a say in how segregation is addressed. Remember all this is very new to our club and the people running it must act on advice given regarding public safety.

[DmontCaley]

Good point there Alex. 

 

Just picked up my Astra ticket. Looking forward to the game and the atmosphere. 

[Sneckboy]

I think they took around 100 fans to Parkhead last season. Or, 85 allegedly, as a Celtic fan (I read on a forum and have no reason to doubt) decided to count them accurately, as there were so few of them!
Reading an old SKYSports summary of that game, the reporter described the Astra support as "...there was no away support worthy of the term..."

 

 

[Joe DiMaggio]

That gives us a good indication of what will come to Inverness. Probably less. 

Also saying we are unsure of behaviour as a reason makes us sound a bit daft. They don't have to be cordoned of with thousands of seats around them. Many teams with bowl stadiums can work out segregation. A section in the south stand Is more than enough to segregate 50 or so fans.

Will see how sales go and how club responds.

[CaleyD]

The club have a couple of temporary staff in assisting with ticket sales etc at the moment, so apologies if there was any misinformation given, or information not passed on correctly.

The situation for our home leg is that the South Stand has initially been designated (as normal) for away support.  However, should/when the Main and North Stands sell out then the South Stand will be made available (as much as possible) for home support.  Allocation of tickets to visiting FC Astra fans is being done so as to allow us to maximise this, should it be needed.

[DEANO96]

If there might not be a public sale, because of how well thy're selling, does that mean that we've sold 5000+ season tickets? cause i thought that season ticket holders got until wednesday then tickts were to go on general sale

[DmontCaley]

If there might not be a public sale, because of how well thy're selling, does that mean that we've sold 5000+ season tickets? cause i thought that season ticket holders got until wednesday then tickts were to go on general sale

I was just thinking the same. "If" tickets don't go on public sale, that indicates a sellout of season tickets, thus full house (home) seats every game. ........... That would be pretty damn amazing if it happens. 

[Joe DiMaggio]

The club have a couple of temporary staff in assisting with ticket sales etc at the moment, so apologies if there was any misinformation given, or information not passed on correctly.

The situation for our home leg is that the South Stand has initially been designated (as normal) for away support.  However, should/when the Main and North Stands sell out then the South Stand will be made available (as much as possible) for home support.  Allocation of tickets to visiting FC Astra fans is being done so as to allow us to maximise this, should it be needed.

That's more like it!

[Alex MacLeod]

If there might not be a public sale, because of how well thy're selling, does that mean that we've sold 5000+ season tickets? cause i thought that season ticket holders got until wednesday then tickts were to go on general sale

Priority goes to season ticket holders and shareholders. Those groups are also allowed to purchase more than one ticket so number sold does not equate to number of season tickets sold.

[CaleyD]

Not sure where the info/idea has come from that there won't be a public sale.  Sales have been good....but not quite that good.

Of course, if people want to guarantee a ticket, they can always purchase a season ticket before the 1st July and get a ticket for the FC Astra game at the same time!!!

[Joe DiMaggio]

If there might not be a public sale, because of how well thy're selling, does that mean that we've sold 5000+ season tickets? cause i thought that season ticket holders got until wednesday then tickts were to go on general sale

Affraid not. Priority sale is on just now but there is no limit as to how many you can buy. So one season ticket holder could be buying for a group of 10etc.

Having a look online there is plenty of seats left in both North and Main stand so maybe the person at the club was just getting over excited. They must be selling well none the less.

[neil mcleary]

http://mxnxn88.tumblr.com/post/102563188708/bucharest-2014-astra-vs-celtic

Lets hope they've recovered

[TheKarl]

Probably a silly question, a few beers permitted on these buses at all?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Nope - Voddie and coke only and I will have to check any such possessions.

[Joe DiMaggio]

John Hughes needs to get onto Google, not just to find out who's home first. Looking it up it looks like the Romanian league starts on July 10/11th, depending on what site you look at. So Astra will have two league games before playing us. Wondering if he can get a stream of it somehow or if there is anyone in the area that can watch them.

 

this HTML class. Value is http://uk.soccerway.

[DalgetyBayJaggy]

Probably a silly question, a few beers permitted on these buses at all?

Not sure yet - trying to figure out a way of asking without asking. It's the same bus company that did Celtic's transfer last year so if anyone knows anyone that was there you could try asking them what the situation was.  

[Yngwie]

Tripadvisor only has one entry under "things to do in Giurgiu" and that is to go to the "Bridge of Friendship" which takes you across the Danube and out of the country.

"Oh Giurgiu.......Is wonderful,

Oh Giurgiu Is wonderful.

It's got a bridge

To Bulgaria!

Oh Giurgiu Is wonderful."

[DalgetyBayJaggy]

That's us over 170 on the list now so only another 20 or so and we're onto coach number 5 which I think is a great effort! 
No problem making it 6 coaches if we need it.....

As Scotty has said on the event page the online payment facility will be set up in the next couple of days - £10 per head return including online transaction fee. Needs to be paid before we go as I don't want to be wandering round Bucharest with loads of cash in my pocket!