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  On 13/01/2022 at 16:59, TRon said:

 

There'll be booze available in private, probably at the hotel they will be staying at. Not sure Howe would be allowing it anyway. 

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There really isn't.

 

I've been to Saudi many times, for many weeks at a time. I've been to Jeddah, Dhahran and Riyadh. There is no alcohol available at all in the country as a whole. None.

 

There's one exception - The British Aerospace compounds. I've stayed on them a few times, and there the expats make homebrew. But that's the only chance of alcohol in Saudi. Oh, and embassy parties. But I doubt they'll get to any of them!

 

Oh and they won't be able to get on the BAE compounds, there's no way on them. They're walled compounds that are strictly for employees only. I got in as I was working as a consultant for BAE but even then the application process was horrific and took weeks. There's zero chance of them getting in there just because they can't go a week without a beer.

 

 

Edited by Chris_R

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  On 13/01/2022 at 16:43, Holmesy said:

Seems like the Chairman might've kicked some ass at the weekend and just told them to go on a spending spree to sort this shit out. He's travelled over twice now and seen us get battered by Spurs and humiliated by Cambridge. Poor bastard!

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3 times pretty sure he was here for the Brentford game also

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:14, Fatwax said:

If they’re desperate they’ll just do a border run.

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Yeah, you can go across the causeway to Bahrain, that's the usual thing to do on a weekend from Dhahran, but you can't bring any back with you. The cars are searched on crossing back in. Just not worth it, the penalties are massive, and I'm not talking financially. 

 

It'd be all levels of madness to even try. 

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:17, Chris_R said:

Yeah, you can go across the causeway to Bahrain, that's the usual thing to do on a weekend from Dhahran, but you can't bring any back with you. The cars are searched on crossing back in. Just not worth it, the penalties are massive, and I'm not talking financially. 

 

It'd be all levels of madness to even try. 

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Aye I live in Abu Dhabi and there’s plenty who have spent time in Saudi who have said as much.

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Also thinking about it, they'll almost certainly all have single-entry visas, which mean they can't do a border run even if they were utterly crazy.

 

If they leave to go to Bahrain, they'll not get back in. :lol:

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:08, Chris_R said:

 

There really isn't.

 

I've been to Saudi many times, for many weeks at a time. I've been to Jeddah, Dhahran and Riyadh. There is no alcohol available at all in the country as a whole. None.

 

There's one exception - The British Aerospace compounds. I've stayed on them a few times, and there the expats make homebrew. But that's the only chance of alcohol in Saudi. Oh, and embassy parties. But I doubt they'll get to any of them!

 

Oh and they won't be able to get on the BAE compounds, there's no way on them. They're walled compounds that are strictly for employees only. I got in as I was working as a consultant for BAE but even then the application process was horrific and took weeks. There's zero chance of them getting in there just because they can't go a week without a beer.

 

 

 

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I've been to Saudi zero times, and have no plans on going either, but I would have thought your situation will be different to a team which is actually owned by the Saudis themselves. They will be considered VIPs of the highest status, I would have thought there would be special arrangements made if they agreed to go over there. Although personally, I doubt Howe would sanction booze on a training trip anyway. 

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:30, TRon said:

 

I've been to Saudi zero times, and have no plans on going either, but I would have thought your situation will be different to a team which is actually owned by the Saudis themselves. They will be considered VIPs of the highest status, I would have thought there would be special arrangements made if they agreed to go over there. Although personally, I doubt Howe would sanction booze on a training trip anyway. 

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:30, TRon said:

 

I've been to Saudi zero times, and have no plans on going either, but I would have thought your situation will be different to a team which is actually owned by the Saudis themselves. They will be considered VIPs of the highest status, I would have thought there would be special arrangements made if they agreed to go over there. Although personally, I doubt Howe would sanction booze on a training trip anyway. 

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Well, obviously they're at a slightly higher level than me that goes without saying but I normally work for the Royal Saudi Airforce when I go out there (I had to get subcontracted through BAE for complicated reasons) and I count a few Saudi majors and colonels as friends for many years and have been lucky enough to go to their houses, and I had absolutely no chance of getting a sniff of anything. From everything I know and from how the Saudis are about alcohol, there's zero chance. None. Not only can you not get it because it's just not available in any shop whatsoever to anyone at all, but you dare not even ASK anyone about it because it's so totalitarian over there that you fear they might just march you off somewhere.

 

Alcohol is against their Muslim beliefs, and they take those incredibly seriously. They hand out leaflets on the plane on the way over there with big banners on saying "DEATH TO DRUG SMUGGLERS" telling you exactly what will happen if you bring in the wrong stuff, and even though I don't even take paracetamol over with me and touch nothing harder than alcohol these days, I still have that moment of panic where I wonder if I accidentally packed a few kilos of coke. :lol:

 

First time I went over I had to sign a form saying I wouldn't even JUGGLE. I shit you not.

 

Don't equate Saudi to more relaxed Muslim countries like the UAE (which I've also been to loads) where you can get alcohol as long as you're not Muslim. It's not like that at all. Maybe they do find a way to get some, but because you cannot trust anyone around you and because you are in such an alien environment and know how illegal it is, you'd be fucking stupid to try.

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  On 13/01/2022 at 17:42, Chris_R said:

 

Well, obviously they're at a slightly higher level than me that goes without saying but I normally work for the Royal Saudi Airforce when I go out there (I had to get subcontracted through BAE for complicated reasons) and I count a few Saudi majors and colonels as friends for many years and have been lucky enough to go to their houses, and I had absolutely no chance of getting a sniff of anything. From everything I know and from how the Saudis are about alcohol, there's zero chance. None. Not only can you not get it because it's just not available in any shop whatsoever to anyone at all, but you dare not even ASK anyone about it because it's so totalitarian over there that you fear they might just march you off somewhere.

 

Alcohol is against their Muslim beliefs, and they take those incredibly seriously. They hand out leaflets on the plane on the way over there with big banners on saying "DEATH TO DRUG SMUGGLERS" telling you exactly what will happen if you bring in the wrong stuff, and even though I don't even take paracetamol over with me and touch nothing harder than alcohol these days, I still have that moment of panic where I wonder if I accidentally packed a few kilos of coke. :lol:

 

First time I went over I had to sign a form saying I wouldn't even JUGGLE. I shit you not.

 

Don't equate Saudi to more relaxed Muslim countries like the UAE (which I've also been to loads) where you can get alcohol as long as you're not Muslim. It's not like that at all. Maybe they do find a way to get some, but because you cannot trust anyone around you and because you are in such an alien environment and know how illegal it is, you'd be fucking stupid to try.

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Fair enough mate, I will cede to your greater personal experience. I think that will just have Eddie Howe even more buzzing to get the likes of Jonjo over there. 

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Used to have the Confederations Cup there this time of year in the 90s. European champions Denmark, world champions Brazil, Venables Australia and the USA, Argentina. Batistuta, Ronaldo, Laudrup, Romario, Viduka, Ronaldinho Now they get us. 

 

I must have missed the outcry back then.

 

 

Edited by Wolfcastle

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