Sugar_Army

. I confess I did put some coinage in their buckets. After all it would have been rude not to as they have given me so many wonderful footballing memories down the years.

The £20,000 story is embarrassingly true but if you read my follow up post it would give you a bit of context. (We were saving for to pay cash to my sisters for my family home rather than getting a mortgage and Mrs SA was always changing bank accounts to get best deals etc). To add to that we had been switching a lot over a 10yr period. I also admitted that while I was no way bragging about money it did come across as a bit "ooh look at me and how rich I am" which I definitely am not. As fir me being a Dee.

...Where our last two game would be against teams with no chance of qualifying. We would be going into them knowing we were going to Germany and highly motivated top the group. The flip side would be that other than group placings, Georgia and Norway would have free hits.

Yeah I kinda got that, hence the light hearted reply. But in fairness, with the benefit of hindsight I could have worded my initial post better, it did look a bit like a brag. No harm done. But you are right, savvy or not she must be a shit accountant. No idea why her employer is not bankrupt yet

Rich? I earn £27,000 a year, drive my late brother's 59 plate Astra and live in an ex-council house which my parents bought thanks to Maggie Thatcher. The reason we had/have that cash was due to us saving so as not to have to get a mortgage and therefore buy out my two sisters. Hence switching bank accounts and being savvy with our money etc To achieve such a lavish lifestyle we have no kids, no pets and neither of us smoke or drink. When we go on holiday we backpack, which involves, camping, living with locals or renting a basic apartment. Only ever stayed in a 5 star or all inclusive hotel 3 times in my life and that was with an ex over 15 years ago. Now if you excuse me, my chambermaid is warming my bed and my butler is busy ironing my silk pyjamas

She is an accountant. We have various joint savings accounts including a Bills account and a Holiday account which are topped up monthly by dd from our own individual personal accounts. Anything left over in our personal accounts is ours to do with as we please. We put most larger purchases on a joint credit card and, go through it and allocate if it is hers, mine or house purchases, and pay it off every month. Well I say she is an accountant. She found an account about 3yrs ago that had 6 grand in it that she forgot about. I had no idea it existed until she told me. The downside of multiple accounts and constantly moving money around. We were recently going through accounts and had to speak to the bank. They were adamant that we had deposited £13,000 by cheque into an account a couple of years back and neither of us could figure out where it had come from. And no, we are not Columbian drug dealers laundering money!

Cannot remember which one it was but a college I visited in the American south sold a t-shirt along the lines of... (Name of college) Football. Undefeated since 1893. Apparenty it was as a big seller. Mostly down to the fact that while technically the statement was true, the college had never had a football team since it was founded.

If we want to get out of this league we need to be coming out the traps and imposing ourselves on teams. Not saying we have a team that will steamroller others, but just need be attack minded (in fairness away form not bad, but especially at home).. Will it be the a home team that is sitting at the bottom of the league with the nerves and pressure all that entails or the one with the new manager bounce? Either way I do not see it being an easy day. We need to take the game to them and hopefully get our noses in front early doors to make it the former. Prediction: a scruffy 1-2 United.

We are top of our group. 5 wins, no draws or loses. Only one goal conceded (soft pen). Everybody is chasing us and have no margins for error so are under immense pressure (we all know only too well how that can effect a team). Even a 1-0 defeat to Spain can still see us win the group. Everybody would gladly swap positions with us. Relax.

While I get what you are saying is tongue in cheek there is a wee bit of truth in it. England will definitely be coming to Hampden looking to put us uppity Jocks back in our box and put doubt into our heads as to how good we might think we are.

Anybody got a working sink? No luck in the local bars here.

I looked up sports bars and there is a Duffs 6 minutes walk from here. Will check it out. Cheers mate. (Just checked, same bar...I have also contacted Liverpool Club to see if they will be watching Andy Robertson

Spent the say walking the city, took a "free" tour as well as bidited a couple of communist related attractions. To be honestbit has all passed me by as just keep checking for bars with big screens.

Thanks, might be the only option.

Hoping to watch this in Tirana/Albania. Arrived last night and staying in Blloku if anybody has any tips as to who might have it on. Passed a few bars with big screens but not sure of this game will be high on the list for people wanting to watch list. Might try popping and asking for it, no harm in trying. Prediction: A stuffy 0-2. First goal in about 20 mins from a corner. Second in 85th again from a corner. Hopefully I am wrong and it is 0-6 with 3 goals in first 10 mins!

Landed in Sofia. Went for a wee stroll down the pedestrianised area of old town/centre tonight. Loads of bars, restaurants, outdoor eating, families wandering about. Decided we would have an ice cream. She asked me what I fancied. Then I spotted this. Decisions, decisions, decisions

Not sure why you think I am desperately clutching at straws, I was merely suggesting all adult areas on planes might not go as swimmingly well as the airline thinks. For the record, I have no kids nor do I drink (although I do frequent pubs and have worked in them, not sure what you deem "a real pub", but I think the one I worked it would probably fall into that category. In a scheme where kids were never seen) so I have no dog in this fight. I fly quite a bit and only time I have personally had an issue with a flight (other than the one in Jordan last year that hit the tarmac, then shot up in the air again, circled for 25 mins before finally landing without telling us what was going on...turns out it was hit by a crosswind apparently) was when a mate thought it was a good idea to walk from the terminal to a plane while smoking a cigarette. To say it did not go down well with the ground and flight crew was an understatement.

I wonder what a flight could turn out like if it is full of adults who feel they do not need to mind there p's and q's and can liqueur up as much as they like because no kids about.

Small world. I have never knowingly met a fellow PnBr. I agree Vilnius was a step up on Kaunus. Still not booked Copenhagen yet as looking at other options but have had a look at renting a room on Airbnb as opposed to a hostel. Did that once in Stockholm and just having a few home comforts and local knowledge to hand worked a treat. Just booked the first 3 nights in Sofia 30 mins ago (fly out 8am Saturday). Nothing else booked for rest of the trip. Trying out a 10kg rucksack for this trip so see how it goes (only took a small one that fits under seat for Lithuania and Latvia). Booked To fly to Poland for Christmas and New year last night.

Did the trip to Trakai. Unfortunately had to do it by bus so was a bit gutted. Turned out it was a national holiday so train sold out. It was nice to spend a day out of the city so thanks for the tip. Had a couple of train trips while there and was impressed. Especially with the one to Siaulial for the Hill of Crosses. From there went on to Riga. Off on 2nd for a bit more travelling. Fly to Sofia, then through North Macedonia, (possibly Kosovo) Albania (possibly Montenegro) then a ferry to Corfu for flight home. I have a couple of days to use up by end of before October so looking at a weekend trip to Copenhagen. Been checking out hostels and rooms on airbnb. Can get a cheap flight but once there it will not be that cheap. See what happens.

When I was over at University of Georgia a few years ago with my mate doing research we got to know one of the history profs quite well. He was old school and told how one of his students complained on Rate My Tutor (or something similar) that he hated the fact the Prof took class register and it was used a percentage of a grade mark. Prof said he went into class one day, announced he had read it and followed it up with "The great state of Georgia sees it befitting to pay me to teach you. If you cannot be bothered to turn up for class in the hope you might graduate. then Waffle House have openings if you want to flip pancakes and burgers".

Cheers, will have a look at this. Travelled overnight from Baku in Azerbaijan to Tiblisi in Georgia by train a few years ago. It really was like stepping back in time to what the cold war must have felt like. Trains were very dated and opened the door to find a Ukrainian couple sitting cutting up suasage with a knife that looked like a mini-sword whike tearing off bits of bread and dipping it into red wine (neither o us drink abd she is veggie). The female staff looked like shot putters and border guards that came on the train wore soviet styled military hats and latex gloves. They sat on a bunk in one of the cabins and you were ordered in one at a time as they poured over your passports asking where you had been and every you were going details. They took particularl interest in mine do to the amount of visas and stamps. It was surreal.