SLEEPING ON BENCHES or by the river is advice football fans who can’t afford pricey hotels in Poland are hearing ahead of the Euro 2012 football championships.
The campaign sprung up on social-networking site Facebook with the “Kibice spiom gdzie chcom” or “Fans sleep where they want” page, which has garnered over 12,500 “likes” since May 25.
Tips there on the best open-air crash pads include beaches and railway stations or benches under magnolia trees. So far, city and public transport authorities are fans of the idea, but it has gotten a thumbs down from the Warsaw metro and Euro 2012 organisers.
“We wanted to appeal to city authorities and local residents to be open and understanding toward the fans,” campaign co-organiser Katarzyna Tyska told AFP.
They hope Poland’s four host cities will let sleeping fans lie as many Poles can ill afford hiked-up hotel prices during Euro. Co-hosting the 16-nation, quadrennial football showcase this June with Ukraine, Poland has matches in capital Warsaw, the Baltic port of Gdansk, Wroclaw in the southwest and Poznan in the west.
While the “sleep rough” campaign is for everyone, it applies most to out-of-town Poles who plan to spend just a night or two in the host cities.
“We assume foreign fans will be staying longer, so the option of spending several nights under the open sky would be tiring for them,” Tyska said.
But for those willing to brave the elements, they will be left alone so long as they’re not disturbing the peace or drinking alcohol in public, Katarzyna Dobrowolska, from the Warsaw city warden press service told AFP. Polish state railways echoed the laissez-faire attitude.
“Fans sleeping in the stations won’t be woken up and the stations will remain open all night,” said spokeswoman Barbara Leszczynska.
No snoozing however in the Warsaw underground, Poland’s only metro line, says spokesman Krzysztof Malawko citing safety concerns. The city’s Euro 2012 organisers were also not enthusiastic, discouraging makeshift sleep-outs due to weather, hygiene and safety woes.
“And let’s not forget sleep comfort,” said Marta Brzegowa, a city spokeswoman for Euro 2012.
Holding hands?
Do ya think he was trying Humor, normally people together that long get married hence the holding hands and ceremony. Do ya think maybe he was just havin a laugh. Homophobs starting to panic “Gay” is getting into rugby. Gareth Thomas one of the best sportsman to take to the field and one of the toughest men around aswell(was gonna use hardest around but thought better)
It’s a great idea on lots of levels. I hope that this doesn’t disturb the homophobes too much!! Real men are not insecure about their sexuality or how their actions look to bigots
Holding Hands…a sort of Irish haka ..I’m sure Wales would be really scared by it
Well they are Ladyboys…..?
2 Zimmer frames
As a munster fan you shame is all Elrat get a life son.
Elrat. You’re a trolling pain in the arse
Combined age – 67 – free travel for both!
They’ve had lots of free travel, London, Paris, Rome, cardiff, Edinburgh, the states, Australia, new Zealand , south Africa the list of free travel is endless elrat.
Did he really just say that ? he shouldn’t be captain, hes too soft, hes too much of a p**sy ,” , and a total shaper, holding hands “,,,,,
Lighting up . He said it lightheartedly..
Rugby players don’t hold hands , I thought they were Real Men..
All that groping and grappling? Not to mention where heads and hands are positioned in the Scrum!
He’d want to go and eat a few spoons of cement and harden up !
“Bigger tackles and softer hands….”
I’ll just leave this link here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTpXymuwxNs