? Donetsk is apparently the most unpromising corner of Ukraine
? Only accommodation available is a campsite six miles from city
I am not the most dedicated England fan: according to the Football Association's membership rankings, there are 1,103 more loyal. Those are the people who went to Kazakhstan, or had booked to go to Thailand for the friendly that was cancelled after the assured vote for the 2018 World Cup bid went elsewhere.
But from Poznan in 1991 to Podgorica in October I have travelled to countless away games, including every match of Euro 2012 qualifying. Months ago I negotiated the whole of the finals off work. The draw, however, leaves me wondering how many, if any, games I will apply for, despite my guaranteed tickets. Friends were expressing the same doubts. Putting down returnable deposits for trips to the semi?finals and finals, just in case, was all some were prepared to do.
It is not just about Donetsk. Poor performances and the economic crisis have had an effect. The opposition is not the most appealing ? has there ever been a good England game against Sweden?
But while, for some, the game and the beer are the be all and end all, for many the trips are much more rounded experiences. From Sweden's remote islands at Euro 92 and Norway's fjords a year later to Robben Island and the Voortrekker Monument last year, I and my friends have explored countries chosen sometimes at random by total strangers. Sightseeing by day, football in the evening, a firm roof over our heads at night. Donetsk, apparently the most unpromising corner of Ukraine, can offer only the middle one: the sole accommodation available on Friday night was on an unbuilt campsite, due to hold 7,000, six miles outside the city.
What can I say? It was gone 1am, I'd been drinking to get over the draw, the tent looked nice and colourful, and I'd just read about the new high-speed trains that will halve the 11 hours it takes to get from Kiev to Donetsk. So I booked a night under canvas for 19 June, the final group game against Ukraine. But I just don't know whether I will persuade myself, or others, that we can save up for Brazil later and that we'd kick ourselves if this time, more than any other time, we got it right. That tent may stay empty.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/03/englandfootballteam-euro2012
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