Football Rambo retires

[Jimmytaff]

TDA Jnr was at Moscow University 2001-2002 with his year group from Leeds University. It was a pretty terrifying time for a group of 19 year olds. Apart from having to have cash for every day bribes, each of the students carried a card with diplomatic contacts to give to the police whenever they were stopped, which was frequently. The cards carried some sort of a warning to the police to lay off the students and apparently were effective.

I know that he was threatened at knifepoint at least once, certainly on the train back from watching Locomotiv play Real Madrid when it was picked up that they were Brits.

I also know that he has never told me the everything that went on in that year. Occasionally I will get something along the lines that the students were confined to their apartment block for three days as it was too risky to go out on Hitler's birthday as the far right groups were out looking for foreigners to attack.

We went out for a week to see them and I can confirm that it was a bloody horrible place.

I went in 2003 I think it was. Had zero bother personally but it helps if you don't stick out too much. Not saying your son did but if you're there longer you'll have a much higher likelihood of an issue.

Officials are very corrupt - conductors threatening to throw our whole party off sleeper train in the middle of nowhere in the middle of night. They're so notorious for it the firm budgets for it but on this occasion they were demanding even more than the corruption fund. Only time I've been on a package trip and it was a blessing that time.

Their police are super corrupt as rarely get paid. The hotel I stayed in (biggest I've ever seen) was clearly run by organised crime.

Despite this I loved Moscow and found the average Russian to be salt of the Earth. I appreciate I may have been lucky but I speak as I find. I'd love to go back but things will need to improve considerably before I do.

 

[TDA]

I went in 2003 I think it was. Had zero bother personally but it helps if you don't stick out too much. Not saying your son did but if you're there longer you'll have a much higher likelihood of an issue.

Exactly right. If you are there for 9 months straight,, there is far more chance of seeing the underbelly.

 

[Popeye]

View: https://x.com/Savigma/status/2041467697867714757?s=20

 

[Steve R]

View: https://x.com/Savigma/status/2041467697867714757?s=20

Because we had Alnwick, Meite, Collins, Bowler, Etete, Romeo, Adams, McGuinness, Runnarsson, Kanga, Daland, Ojo, Diedhiou & Mark Harris.

 

[Can't think of a gimmick]

Because we had Alnwick, Meite, Collins, Bowler, Etete, Romeo, Adams, McGuinness, Runnarsson, Kanga, Daland, Ojo, Diedhiou & Mark Harris.

Nah, Rambo dragged them all down to his level.

 

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

The hotel I stayed in (biggest I've ever seen) was clearly run by organised crime.

Was it the Cosmos? I went in 1981 during the Communist era. I was apprehensive beforehand but I've never felt safer in a city. Got asked to change money and sell my Levis quite often but no trouble at all. I was flicking through a Sunday magazine many years later and saw a photo of our hotel. It was a warning to stay clear as it was now full of gangsters and hookers. I also spent a week in what was then Leningrad which is a beautiful city. I'd love to go back but can't see it happening.

 

[Can't think of a gimmick]

Tbf, if he's retired and Trump wipes out Iran, Rambo will have kept his killing record up.

 

[Jimmytaff]

Was it the Cosmos? I went in 1981 during the Communist era. I was apprehensive beforehand but I've never felt safer in a city. Got asked to change money and sell my Levis quite often but no trouble at all. I was flicking through a Sunday magazine many years later and saw a photo of our hotel. It was a warning to stay clear as it was now full of gangsters and hookers. I also spent a week in what was then Leningrad which is a beautiful city. I'd love to go back but can't see it happening.

It was. Built for the Moscow Olympics and I think could accommodate 8,000.

The hotel was safe but packed full with prostitutes and loads of bouncers that would make Klitschko and Valuev think twice. Bouncers on the lifts and I'm pretty sure the reason was to ensure only registered guests and their girls could go upstairs.

Remember having a drink in the bar and one of the mob representatives coming round for a chat with two massive goons. Was fine but he was defo sounding us out. Seemed to like us though as gifted us a plate of prawns on the house

 

[kernel]

Who was it on the comb that said they went to Belgium and got held at gunpoint twice in one night?

 

[Jimmytaff]

Who was it on the comb that said they went to Belgium and got held at gunpoint twice in one night?

Mad Al?

 

[Steve R]

Was it the Cosmos? I went in 1981 during the Communist era. I was apprehensive beforehand but I've never felt safer in a city. Got asked to change money and sell my Levis quite often but no trouble at all. I was flicking through a Sunday magazine many years later and saw a photo of our hotel. It was a warning to stay clear as it was now full of gangsters and hookers. I also spent a week in what was then Leningrad which is a beautiful city. I'd love to go back but can't see it happening.

Some barman in Egypt 'gifted' me a bottle of brandy in 1998 for my yellow South Wales Echo away shirt. It wasn't until I got home I realised I'd been fucking scammed, we were on a fucking all inclusive holiday.

 

[Steve R]

Mad Al?

I think it's Mad Al that does the gun pointing.

 

[Jimmytaff]

Who was it on the comb that said they went to Belgium and got held at gunpoint twice in one night?

Brussels is pretty sketchy mind even in the city centre. Lots of reported muggings and incidents around the Wales game last June. Was in a pretty sketchy area after cycling back after the game and couldn't get out of there quick enough. A few blocks away from the main areas where it's really safe

 

[kernel]

Brussels is pretty sketchy mind even in the city centre. Lots of reported muggings and incidents around the Wales game last June. Was in a pretty sketchy area after cycling back after the game and couldn't get out of there quick enough. A few blocks away from the main areas where it's really safe

Yeah but this was a known bullshitter, I just can't remember his username

 

[Steve R]

Yeah but this was a known bullshitter, I just can't remember his username

Nugent?

 

[Jimmytaff]

Yeah but this was a known bullshitter, I just can't remember his username

The guy who said he was in the Army? Cedric or something like that?

 

[Steve R]

The guy who said he was in the Army? Cedric or something like that?

Cedric Harper was funny as fuck. Obviously a parody account.

 

[Jimmytaff]

Cedric Harper was funny as fuck. Obviously a parody account.

Is Nugent a parody account? You can tell us mate......

 

[Jimmytaff]

Yeah but this was a known bullshitter, I just can't remember his username

Splott Dai?

 

[Robin Friday's Ghost]

It was. Built for the Moscow Olympics and I think could accommodate 8,000.

The hotel was safe but packed full with prostitutes and loads of bouncers that would make Klitschko and Valuev think twice. Bouncers on the lifts and I'm pretty sure the reason was to ensure only registered guests and their girls could go upstairs.

Remember having a drink in the bar and one of the mob representatives coming round for a chat with two massive goons. Was fine but he was defo sounding us out. Seemed to like us though as gifted us a plate of prawns on the house

When I stayed in Leningrad it was much the same vibe. However at the weekend you'd find drunken Finns asleep in reception and the lifts. Beer was so expensive in Finland that groups would nip over the border for a few drunken days.