As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Gilles Grimandi wrote:Right, I don't want to get into argument regarding the Fulham final but felt I should post with regards my own trips with Sport Options.
I have travelled with SportOps many times in the past, including places like Moscow & Kiev. Never with any problems. There are a few thing I would like to share on this board that spring to mind.
AIK Solna, Champs League 1999. I was booked with SOptions for this trip to Stockholm, as things panned out this was the last group game and turned out to be a dead rubber. Due to this fact there were not enough people to fill a plane. Flight Options advised me of this but said they would book me onto the BA flight and into a hotel at no extra cost, I would just have to find my own transfers. This actually cost SOptions money but due to the fact I had booked in good faith they would not renege on the deal. Now I ask you, even to this day, Arsenal (and their official travel partners Thomas Cook) would NEVER do this! If you read the small print on their trips it always states that trips will only run if 'sufficient numbers' are met. What a joke, you could find yourself cancelled on at the last minute because the travel club simply couldn't fill a plane!
Secondly, Only twice in all my European trips have I not been able to source a ticket from the Club or alternative sources in the UK. Both times (Barcelona & Villareal, 1999 & 2006) Flight Options have come up trumps for me when asked. Maybe not through 'official' channels but what the hell, I was in. Again ask yourself this question of the travel club.
Lastly,
I'm sure lots of you younger generation won't remember, but when English teams were allowed back into European competition early 90's things were very difficult with regards to travel. Believe me, official travel was an absolute nightmare. Sport Options (and others) offered alternative travel and as the poster above stated, helped drive down the cost of such trips. Also giving the 'officials' and the authorities something to think about and not have a monopoly. They also provided travel when the club simply couldn't be bothered or was not cost effective, Donetsk springs to mind.
So I for one will still be with Sport Options again this year and long may it continue.
GG
Absolutely bang on the money mate. I too went to places like Kiev and Moscow with them, amongst many others, and have had numerous times to thank them for going out of there way to help me and my mates. They always made sure that things were properly organised, and that we were free to have a laugh but should show respect to the people taking us there on the flights and coaches, etc...
What you say GG about Solna I don't find surprsing - I was there too, but had booked with a mate to make our own way there - but it doesn't surprise me what they did for you - and this sort of thing at least tries to keep the club honest (fat chance )
I've never sworn on this site but you ar a fuckin loudmouthed wanker with second hand information and the tidal wave of loyal Sport Options followers over the last 19 years would all queue up the length of Fulham Broadway to give you a well deserved slap for over reacting and making unneccesary over the top dramatic and vitriolic statements.
Ironically , I was the famous 'agent' helping Sport Options in Hamburg and clearly you and your family have never experienced or handled the logistics of a sporting event like this and sadly your relative are suffering from a little bit of memory loss.
You weren't there but seem to have Adrian Moles diary on everything said and done.
Thomsons ( our great new official travel partner) and official Fulham organisers, didnt even turn up after the game but you didn't mention that and if you ever travel abroad with Arsenal or anyone then you will know that every game for every team Sport Options always take more fans than the clubs and are the benchmark to all of how to run an away trip properly,efficiently and priced sensibly to achieve the objective of getting as many fans to attend and support their team as possible
Thomsons and Thomas Cook are so good that they keep doing the merrygo round from club to club swopping official partner roles more times than i can remember.
Sport Options will survive your abuse because we know the truth and you are a 1 man crusade- quit whilst you can and fuck off to Craven Cottage
NorthbanlBren: what are your own experiences with FO/SO?
A very good point was raised earlier regarding the health/age of the two gentlemen. I would not of recommended either of them attempting a one day in and out trip but i guess they were looking for the cheapest option. Also, as you say, had they won they probably wouldn't have minded the delay. So they get pissed off 'cos they lost and wanted to take it out on someone.
As many have stated those of us that have travelled abroad to watch The Arsenal have no problems with them and will continue to use them. If anyone bothers to take your second hand observations to heart there'll be more room for the rest of us . . . but i doubt they will so book early as always.
I also think it bang out of order that you decide to make public a comment sent via PM
Reg Niseth wrote:NorthbanlBren: what are your own experiences with FO/SO?
A very good point was raised earlier regarding the health/age of the two gentlemen. I would not of recommended either of them attempting a one day in and out trip but i guess they were looking for the cheapest option. Also, as you say, had they won they probably wouldn't have minded the delay. So they get pissed off 'cos they lost and wanted to take it out on someone.
As many have stated those of us that have travelled abroad to watch The Arsenal have no problems with them and will continue to use them. If anyone bothers to take your second hand observations to heart there'll be more room for the rest of us . . . but i doubt they will so book early as always.
I also think it bang out of order that you decide to make public a comment sent via PM
All quiet Mr Bren? Seems like you and your old man are on your own on this one. :awnker:
George knows I know the details because I've been told them, my old man and uncle are no liars.
The fact is the sports options rep disappeared (if that was you, why? And where did you go?). Of course they dont care about thomsons as they hadnt paid thompsons for their trip.
I have no doubt that you have given good service on previous occasions, and the posts here suggest that. But this doesn’t justify the poor service given to my family.....oh and the fuck off to craven cottage comment...is this the type of attitude you had with your Fulham customers in hamburg....because it sounds like it to me.
Reg I personally have never gone on a sport options trip.
I agree that they shouldn’t have done the one day trip at their age, but the official packages were sold out, They originally booked with sport options for the overnight stay, this was cancelled by sports options. So they had no choice really. As for the if they won comment....of course it wouldn’t have felt so bad as their club would have just won a euro cup. It wouldn’t have meant they were happy with the service, it would have just made the poor service easier to cope with.
As for the PM....I come on this forum for the banter, jokes, gooner chat plenty of good debate.....Not to be called out for a fight by some pathetic troll....im just not into that sort of shite and its not what i come on here for. So if trolls like him want to act the big man, I’ll show everyone what a muppet he really is......Id advise you actually read his posts and then tell me who’s bang out of order.
Since when was asking someone for a 'chat' calling them out for a fight?
You've shown yourself on this thread alone, to be an aggressive loud-mouth. I'd calm down mate, get some exercise... I wouldn't waste your time trying to show me up as a muppet. There's more to life than spending all of your time on a chat-room. You must be about, what 40? Have you not got better things to do? Over 2500 posts I see now...
Here's another post for you. Oh and the irony of you posting a response to my post talking about posting lots
I've been here 4 years.....do the maths on the average that you've posted in just 5 months..... when you're here 4 years on current figures you would have posted more than me
.....you probably need time to work out the maths but on your current posting levels you'd be up at around 2700.
1.86 posts per day]
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Find all posts by northbankbren
eeerrr sorry where you saying I post a lot......not much difference is their reidy
'good riddance to a bunch of cowboys' - you caused all this shit on the back of an error from Tee Cee ( that he acknowledged) by coming out with a statement that was bang out of order and unsubstantiated.
Make statements but back them up with facts.
Even if the Hamburg night didn't go exactly as your old man hoped, Sport Options did the best they could in the circumstances as they always try to do for all their customers and the various positive responses of experiences going back to 1994 endorses this.
They have taken thousands of Scousers to CL finals, Man U and Chelsea the same year and tens of thousand Celtic and Rangers fans who keep repeat booking every year their team is in Europe
You wont admit it but you have fucked up and your last posting finally shows signs of a bit of back tracking.
Arsenal,Chelsea, Liverpool , Everton , Man U, Man City , Rangers, Celtic, even Spurs and many more all continue to use Sport Options as the BEST alternative to official club trips and i am the vast majority of members of the 1100 + viewings who have read this topic will agree that you have over reacted against a decent bunch of hard working Gooners .
Just promise me that if we get to the CL Final when you are 69 that you wont let your kids send you on a 1 day trip
georgeknows89 wrote:'good riddance to a bunch of cowboys' - you caused all this shit on the back of an error from Tee Cee ( that he acknowledged) by coming out with a statement that was bang out of order and unsubstantiated.
Make statements but back them up with facts.
Even if the Hamburg night didn't go exactly as your old man hoped, Sport Options did the best they could in the circumstances as they always try to do for all their customers and the various positive responses of experiences going back to 1994 endorses this.
They have taken thousands of Scousers to CL finals, Man U and Chelsea the same year and tens of thousand Celtic and Rangers fans who keep repeat booking every year their team is in Europe
You wont admit it but you have fucked up and your last posting finally shows signs of a bit of back tracking.
Arsenal,Chelsea, Liverpool , Everton , Man U, Man City , Rangers, Celtic, even Spurs and many more all continue to use Sport Options as the BEST alternative to official club trips and i am the vast majority of members of the 1100 + viewings who have read this topic will agree that you have over reacted against a decent bunch of hard working Gooners .
Just promise me that if we get to the CL Final when you are 69 that you wont let your kids send you on a 1 day trip
Ok here is two statements of fact.
My dad booked and paid for an overnite package. Your company cancelled it. - you expect me to tell my dad not to go to the biggest match of his teams history, would he have listened to me?
Your rep (you if thats what your saying) dissapeared with no information whatsoever for paying customers.
Again I ask the question where were you?
As I have posted before Im sure you have offered a good service, but my dad didnt get one....that is a statement of fact.
Ok both sides have a point, many people here say how SO have given a fantastic service, but the only time bren's dad decided to use them, it didn't go as planned. We're both on the same side at the end of the day, and it's all in the past, so I say we sweep it under the rug and carry on.
But I do have to point out threatening bren was out of order.
nothings out of order other than nbrens first post on this subject. im not even sure his dad did travel with so ! alot thought they did cos we were the only reps on airport. .... but when pushed it turned out they booked with other operators. this guy did NOT have a bad experience he just has a chip on his shoulder. what proof is there that your dad went with so?
As for having Pacquiao on his posts!!! ? personal friends of mine are in his camp. ... call it if you want but I think you will find Im for real.
Now you know my name and you know my address..... whats yours? when would you like to meet for a chat ?
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