Rewriting the rules

Today I have a relatively short train journey taking me from Lviv to Kiev, only nine hours.

So I thought I could use the time to understand the rules UEFA have issued to decide how group placings are decided in the event of teams finishing level on points.

a) Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question.

OK, I understand this and know this system is used in leagues in Europe, in the U.K. we are used to using goal difference first, and then goals scored.

As a) is clear why do we need,

b) Superior goal difference resulting from the matches between the teams in question.

c) Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question.

If there were two teams then it would not apply, but if there were 3 or even 4 teams it could come into effect.

Ok, so far.

d) If, after having applied criteria a) to c), two teams still have an equal ranking criteria a) to c) are then reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine the final rankings.

It is beginning to make sense.

e) superior goal difference in all group matches

f) higher number of goals scored in all group matches

So these two are the ones that I personally am used to, and would have been a) & b) in the past.

g) position in the UEFA coefficient national team ranking

h) fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament)

i) drawing of lots

So, it is quite simple after all.

A slight rewording to a), adding in the event of three or more teams finishing level on points, then it does become clearer.

My guess is that someone from UEFA was on a long journey and decided to have some fun.

Did you see that at the press conference before the Italy v Ireland game, that there was a score of 2-2 projected on a screen for the Croatia v Spain game, a result that would knock Italy out . So clearly there is at least one person in UEFA with a sense of humour.

Maybe that same person had too much time to spend on a long train journey, and created the new rules for their own personal amusement, and left them in amongst a number of items due to be released to the press.

Now my journey isn't over yet so I thought I should finish the task that they started, surely we could incorporate some of the statistics that are produced for every game.

For example, shots on target, surely the team with the most shots on target have been trying to provide the most entertainment.

In the past the number of corners, have been suggested as a means of deciding games.

A new set of statistics shown at these games is the one that shows the distance the players have covered. Now obviously each team would have to employ a specialist just to ensure they understand these rules, South Africa of course would need more than everyone else following their failure to understand previous rules when they were happy to play for a draw thinking they would qualify, when they actually needed a win.

Now if things were looking tight they could advise the goalkeeper to start running around his area. This could leave him vulnerable to long range speculative efforts, but provided his team can hang on to the ball at the other end of the pitch then he could quickly build up the miles. The speedy winger (who is on the bench as he consistently fails to deliver crosses to his team mates) could be brought on to run up and down or even across the pitch so that he doesn't get caught offside.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com

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Euro 2012 Lviv

A Tale of Four Cities

Now coming towards the end of my tour of Ukraine, I thought it was time to discuss what the Ukraine has to offer.

Before the tournament started there was plenty of bad publicity. Now I believe that the reason there are not as many supporters here as normal is the ridiculous prices being charged from the outset by the local hoteliers.

When people see prices of over £100 a night for a basic hotel and over £50 a night in a hostel dormitory bed shared with 8 other people, a year before the competition starts, then prospective visitors are not encouraged to look at this as a sensible proposition. If you did look further into accommodation you would have been shocked to see some rooms at over £1,000 a night.

Noises were made by the Ukrainian government in April asking hoteliers to drop prices, but this fell on deaf ears. Some Ukrainians looked to put this right in May by setting up a movement to offer free accommodation to foreigners to counter the bad publicity their country had been receiving, alas this is too late to make any difference as the people who are set on coming have already made their arrangements.

The attitude of making as much as possible from the visitors is highlighted by my experiences with the taxi driver in Donetsk who would rather charge 250 hryvnia and stand outside waiting for a client than keep busy at a reasonable rate. Also the bar in Kharkiv where the price was exorbitant for locals. This shortsightedness does not endear you to the local businesses but makes me feel sorry for the local people who have to put up with this behaviour, whilst earning a meagre wage for example, the young doctors on the train to Lviv on €100 a month.

As for sightseeing, Kharkiv had several Soviet sights which you are warned that the locals don't like talking about.

Donetsk has the Donbass Stadium and the restaurant Старгород (Stargorod). The next thing to do there was visit a salt mine some 75k away where there is a football pitch 300m underground. I didn't have time to visit but I am guessing that someone from the U.A.E. did.

Lviv has a pleasant feel to it and has plenty of old buildings in the city centre which with some investment could make a popular tourist destination, especially as they have just improved the airport facilities.

There is also the Masoch Cafe, but don't beat yourself up if you don't get to see it!

I had read that there are plenty of things to see in Lviv, and I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the school of science, by a local. The place was used to film the Russian version of the Three Musketeers.

Kiev has (as I mentioned previously) numerous sights which make it stand out as a must see destination.

Would I come back to any of them?

Of course I will, if there is a football match on!

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com

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Euro 2012 Lviv

Lviv and late lie!

Arriving in Lviv, immediately asked for help to get to accommodation. As ever there were volunteers at the train station who seemed startled and surprised to see you.

They pointed me on the direction of trolleybus No. 9. (I had already problems with this address as on the google map showing directions it highlighted a completely different address to the one given. I wrote to them to confirm, but received no reply, so also wrote the Lviv Tourist board who confirmed the mistake on Google maps.

So took the tram the 4k into town and began to search for the accommodation.

Couldn't find our destination wanted No. 10, had 9 & 11 across the street, locals offered to help but were just as confused. So I went round the block and saw an entrance manned with guards. This was my accommodation. Once again nigh on impossible to find.

Lviv itself is a pleasant place with something to offer any tourists unlike Kharkiv and Donetsk, which I don't think too many people would visit.

The support also here in town was good with a large number of Germans once again present. There was also a number of Polish supporters here (Lviv is near the Polish border). Throughout the tournament the atmosphere has been good and fans have mingled with no problems whatsoever, and I have not witnessed any racism at all.

The Lviv New Stadium lies some 6 miles out of town in the middle of nowhere, but free buses were laid on. The stadium has a strange steel looking facade, but inside offered a good view as everyone is close to the pitch.

The feeling between supporters was that there would be a 1-1 draw. However basically anything was possible in terms of who could qualify.

Maybe the Danes shouldn't have been singing "Remember 1992", as Germany drove forward looking for victory.

The German supporters really got behind their team in the second half with a 20 minute chant of "Ole, ole,ole". Though it was only in the last few minutes that they sensed victory as they chanted "Seig".

So now after getting up at 11a.m. It's Lviv for today.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com

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Euro 2012 Lviv

Euro 2012 24 Hours to Lviv

Arrived at the train station to see another new train, unfortunately that was not the one travelling to Lviv at 13.31. Instead it was back to normal, and the comforts of a third class sleeper.

Sat next to two Ukrainians who invited me to play cards, and quickly got talking about football and life in their country. They had just visited Donetsk for the first time having taken the train from their home town on a 16 hour journey.

Their accommodation sounded familiar, a student hall let out to football supporters at 10 times the normal price. If we think this is outrageous, imagine how you would feel if that amount was two thirds of your salary for the month, as it was for these two doctors in their second year of work.

Word got round the carriage that there were foreign football fans in the carriage and my new found friends warned me that they overheard others planned to join us for a party as they stocked up on alcohol. At this stop I also spotted a German friend, Markus and invited him to join us.

Sure enough our compartment was crowded as the locals asked the same questions over and over again through the help of our doctors who translated.

They insisted that we drink vodka with them and when it was suggested that they should offer something to eat, within seconds a loaf of bread, tomatoes and a gherkin appeared.

They were all in total agreement that Ukraine were too reliant on Shevchenko, and that it was unfair on him to carry the whole attack.

Talking of great Ukrainian footballers one man put forward his vote for Oleg Blokhin.

A young boy joined us and quickly took over as translator, as he spoke fluent French/Ukrainian/Russian and English. He offered his views on football and even communism. Finding out that he collected coins from around the world, we were reminded that he was just 12, as he rejected the offer of a €2 Italian coin as he had one already.

There was plenty of heated discussion , especially as Markus got louder and louder convincing everyone that on July 1st 2012 at 23.35 (local time) Germany will be lifting the trophy.

Eventually went to bed around 2a.m! And arose at 9a.m. Only four hours to go.

Complimentary tea was served for breakfast although the sugar that came with it gave a false impression of the train we were on.

Arrived in Lviv on time at 13.04

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com

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Euro 2012 football