Anybody here ever been to Nimes? It looks like a smashing place and along with nearby Avignon, Iām strongly considering veering off the beaten track to sample some of the best what La Belle France has to offer.
Nimes is lovely. So is Avignon. Nearby Salon de Provence is also a lovely town, if you canāt get a hotel in Avignon
The utter Phillistines that Iām travelling with donāt seem to be sold on my plan.
One of them has done nothing but fucking moaning about what a shithole he thinks France is. Heās also constantly going on about the possibility of getting blown up or shot. Iāve told him to go off and have a good listen to himself, and/or opt out entirely, if he still feels that way afterwards.
Part of the genius behind going to Nimes is that as well as getting away from the Ole, Ole crowd for a few days, thereās a direct TGV connection between Nimes and Avignon and the grimy industrial city of Lille. On the morning of the Eire-Italy match you could get up early in Nimes, hop on the train and be in Lille having lunch before most of plastic hammer brigade are even out of bed.
Or head up to Paris for the Ireland-Germany game on the day before and then up to Lille the next morning, another plan that Mr. Surly McMinus-Craic refuses to entertain.
Thatās a lovely plan. Itās soul destroying that you are being held back by such intellectual pygmies.
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Why are you going to the Ireland matches, as a Northern Ireland fan?
The Ireland-Germany match is the only match Iām really bothered about going to.
Got tickets to the conditional last 16 match only. Disaster.
Donāt know if itāll be on or where itāll be on. 
Shouldnāt have applied for the bastards at all, but thought I might get either the second last or last group game.
As it stands Iāve been offered one for the first game which is great, but Iād have to go over and back then as the gap is too long.
AGGGGGHHHHHHH
My application was unsuccessful but The Border Bull has secured tickets for the Sweden game.
Just looking there Ireland could be in Paris, Lyon, Lens or Toulouse if they get through (Paris for winner so unlikely)
An awful distance between Lens and Toulouse for example, couldnāt be further apart 
Just got an email telling me I have 2 tickets for each game if you are in need mate.
got 4 for Belgium game!!! Yurt.
I have tickets for the Ireland vs Belgium and Ireland vs Italy games
Did you apply for Ireland tickets aswell or just Italy mate?
Iāll take 2 of those Ireland-Belgium tickets from you please, pal.
You are top of the reserves list, pal.
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Cheers mate. Iāve an offer of one for the first game and I think Iāll just go to that and see how it goes and maybe book late flights to the last 16 if we progress that far.
Myself and George are looking at flying to London/Eurostar now as well so we could be joining ye.
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Got fuck all.
Lads can someone explain to me how the 3rd place play offs will be chosen for the last 16. For example, this is how they are listed for the last 16
If I was trying to predict who would come out 3rd place and into what last 16 game they will go, where on earth do I begin? This Grounp A/C/D-B/E/F-C/D/E-A/B/F has me thoroughly flummoxed.
Itās unbelievably convoluted.
The table below shows the different options for the round of 16 pairings, depending on which third-placed teams qualify from the final tournament group matches. For example, if the teams finishing third in groups A, B, C and D qualify, the pairings will be WA v 3C, WB v 3D, WC v 3A and WD v 3B.
The four best-placed teams are:
WA plays WB plays WC plays WD plays
A B C D 3C 3D 3A 3B
A B C E 3C 3A 3B 3E
A B C F 3C 3A 3B 3F
A B D E 3D 3A 3B 3E
A B D F 3D 3A 3B 3F
A B E F 3E 3A 3B 3F
A C D E 3C 3D 3A 3E
A C D F 3C 3D 3A 3F
A C E F 3C 3A 3F 3E
A D E F 3D 3A 3F 3E
B C D E 3C 3D 3B 3E
B C D F 3C 3D 3B 3F
B C E F 3E 3C 3B 3F
B D E F 3E 3D 3B 3F
C D E F 3C 3D 3F 3E
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Basically theyāve pre decided who meetās who, how Iāve no idea, but if you think for example that the best runners up will come from A,B,C & D, then winner A plays 3rd in C, winner B plays 3rd in D, winner C plays 3rd A, winner D plays 3rd B.
Itās constructed to avoid teams meeting twice for as long as possible.
Iāve tickets for the last 16 if Ireland get there and from what I can tell there is almost no chance of knowing who or where theyāll be playing until practically all games are played.
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