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going to a football match in Dubai
I want to attend a live football match in dubai. Does anyone have any experience of this? Specifically, do I need to get tickets in advancen where's best to find confirmed matches and kick off times (in english!), is it safe enough, is it recommeded for my wife?
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Hello and welcome to BE, never been to a football match here but I am pretty sure it will be safe.
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
http://www.uaefa.ae/en/game_results.php
Stick the dates you're here in the search, and choose Etisalat Pro League for the competition, which gives you a slim chance of seeing a decent game. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
This thread may be helpful..read down through it
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=782613 |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
The Etisalat Pro league is comfortably the worst football league in the World, closely followed by the KSA league and Qatar Stars League.
If you want to watch some decent live football, I would recommend going to watch a Division 1 game in the Dubai Amateur Football League - league matches are played Sunday through Wednesday from around 20:00 - 20:45 kick off out at the Sevens on Al Ain Road. Rest assured the quality will be 85,000 times better, it's free to get in, easy to park, and you can get a beer. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Do they have mixed crowds in UAE ? In KSA it is strictly MEN ONLY !
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by scot47
(Post 10471130)
Do they have mixed crowds in UAE ? In KSA it is strictly MEN ONLY !
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10471126)
The Etisalat Pro league is comfortably the worst football league in the World, closely followed by the KSA league and Qatar Stars League.
If you want to watch some decent live football, I would recommend going to watch a Division 1 game in the Dubai Amateur Football League - league matches are played Sunday through Wednesday from around 20:00 - 20:45 kick off out at the Sevens on Al Ain Road. Rest assured the quality will be 85,000 times better, it's free to get in, easy to park, and you can get a beer. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
I crossed the road from my villa last week to see one of the worlds greatest ever players train .
'Raul' Gonzalez Blanco is playing for Al Saad here and a few of us went over and watched them train . He came over signed a few shirts and stuff and had a chat and took the time out whilst running rings round a few clueless Arab footballers . A quite surreal Qatar moment , which believe me are very few and far between ;) The standard is not too bad , disciplines poor with set pieces and defending the main culprits but there's a decent crop of talented players scattered througout the league |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10471207)
Total bollocks. And you are clearly not neutral on this. Agreed it's way below the standard of professional leagues in Europe but that's football in the developing world. It's better than more well known leagues, for example, in China and several African countries.
Without using Google, name one GCC born player playing in a decent league? And I'll give you one - the Goalie for Wigan from Oman. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10471230)
I'm not neutral because I play football and unless you're a total fvcktard then you wouldn't be arguing the point. Given that many players in the Gulf leagues are actually nationalised Africans (to get around the restrictions on foreign players) it kind of goes against what you're saying. I also used to work with one of the biggest clubs in the UAE which I suspect gives me more experience than some armchair pundit like you.
Without using Google, name one GCC born player playing in a decent league? And I'll give you one - the Goalie for Wigan from Oman. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by co durham boy
(Post 10471235)
What about Mohammed Van Persie ?
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10471245)
Rashid Giggs?
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by co durham boy
(Post 10471250)
Abdullah Bin Vidic ?
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10471230)
I'm not neutral because I play football and unless you're a total fvcktard then you wouldn't be arguing the point. Given that many players in the Gulf leagues are actually nationalised Africans (to get around the restrictions on foreign players) it kind of goes against what you're saying. I also used to work with one of the biggest clubs in the UAE which I suspect gives me more experience than some armchair pundit like you.
Without using Google, name one GCC born player playing in a decent league? And I'll give you one - the Goalie for Wigan from Oman. You can call me any names you like but it doesn't support your silly hyperbole. You don't have to resort to obviously ridiculous put-downs of other leagues in order to encourage people to come and see your amateur league matches. You could have easily ommitted the first and last sentences of your original post and made your point far more credibly and effectively. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10471273)
You don't have to resort to obviously ridiculous put-downs of other leagues in order to encourage people to come and see your amateur league matches.
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Omar Abdulrahman looks useful.
Ithought Ismael Matar could have played overseas when I watched him vs Brazil in 2005. Some Gulf Arabs would not consider Europe due to the culture change. They're quite happy living and playing in the UAE. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10471273)
You can call me any names you like but it doesn't support your silly hyperbole. You don't have to resort to obviously ridiculous put-downs of other leagues in order to encourage people to come and see your amateur league matches. You could have easily ommitted the first and last sentences of your original post and made your point far more credibly and effectively.
It's never going to be a great standard but it's still live footie so I'm going to go watch a game or two. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Scamp
(Post 10472665)
Just ignore him, blokes a know-it-all prick
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10472708)
Says the Recruitment Consultant.... :thumbsup:
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Not really fussed about the football quality; it was the experience I was after. Looking at trying to find something in a couple of weekends time; 24th onwards
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dirtyleeds
(Post 10473149)
Not really fussed about the football quality; it was the experience I was after. Looking at trying to find something in a couple of weekends time; 24th onwards
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
On the women at football front this is entertainingly retarded
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/foot...tir-on-twitter |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
It's a decent experience, lots of singing, shouting, cussing and apparently theres some humour in some chants if you understand Arabic... plus tis free so why not, especially whilst the weather allows us outdoors. But yeah the footys pretty dire - League One level at best. Effort levels are lower than any level I can think of - except maybe early 1990's Serie A
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
I saw the best pitch invasion at a match here. All the locals ran on - something said on the tannoy, everyone ignored it. The police ran on and started chasing and hitting them. We were all asked to leave.
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Millhouse
(Post 10477056)
I saw the best pitch invasion at a match here. All the locals ran on - something said on the tannoy, everyone ignored it. The police ran on and started chasing and hitting them. We were all asked to leave.
Shame on you! |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
I've done a game in qatar before and the crowd were all very choreographed! I'll be based in dubai this time though, ideally hoping for something post brunch on 25th, but anything that weekend should be fine
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10471230)
I'm not neutral because I play football and unless you're a total fvcktard then you wouldn't be arguing the point. .
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by scot47
(Post 10478034)
Can't you have a civilised discussion ?
You may as well attend a U12 game at a school. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by britexpat76
(Post 10478263)
You took only a slice of the reply............UAE football is shit, in fact that is being positive, and I played profesionally in the UK................
You may as well attend a U12 game at a school. You see there are two things I just don't understand in the positions being taken by dubaiguy and britexpat: 1) Why the need to take such an obviously exaggerated position - UAE league football is like U12 football or the worst league in the world - and so aggressively defend it with an irrelevant claim to unimpeachable expertise - played pro or worked for a UAE club? And in dubaiguy's case, throw in a bit of random personal abuse as a bonus. Nobody is claiming that UAE football is comparable to European big leagues nor is expecting to see that when they go to a match. Another poster claimed League 1 as a comparison. That may be a bit generous but lots of people attend League 2 and Conference matches and enjoy them. It's the same here with the added bonus of participating in a bit of local culture and colour that you might otherwise miss. Which brings me to my second point... 2) We all have numerous complaints about living here, many of them justified and we are right to express them. I certainly don't subscribe to the "if you don't like it, leave" school of thought. Most of us here make very positive contributions to local social and economic development, pay all of our fees and charges and would be severely missed if we left en masse. Although the political systems do not give us a direct voice, that doesn't mean we don't deserve one (and expats do have a good deal more indirect influence on policy and governance than is usually publicly acknowledged). However, that is not the same as pouring vicious scorn and derision on everything connected with local culture and institutions. There are many things here which are good and valuable and many wonderful local people. If you really hate everything about this place so much, why on earth would you stay here? Anyway, for those who waded through all that, here is a treat. UAE played Oman in yesterday's Gulf Cup qualifier. UAE had already qualified as group winners by virtue of two wins; Oman needed to win, likely by more than a goal to survive. UAE team was mostly young reserves. It was a tight match with the UAE repelling wave after wave of Oman attacks which really lacked any penetrative power. Then UAE's Ahmed Khalil came off the bench (for Ismail Mattar) and did this in the space of four minutes: Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level???? |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10478887)
Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level???? |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by britexpat76
(Post 10478972)
That is the national team though. Not a league team, which I was talking about.
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by britexpat76
(Post 10478263)
I played profesionally in the UK................
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10478887)
.....sigh....
You see there are two things I just don't understand in the positions being taken by dubaiguy and britexpat: 1) Why the need to take such an obviously exaggerated position - UAE league football is like U12 football or the worst league in the world - and so aggressively defend it with an irrelevant claim to unimpeachable expertise - played pro or worked for a UAE club? And in dubaiguy's case, throw in a bit of random personal abuse as a bonus. Nobody is claiming that UAE football is comparable to European big leagues nor is expecting to see that when they go to a match. Another poster claimed League 1 as a comparison. That may be a bit generous but lots of people attend League 2 and Conference matches and enjoy them. It's the same here with the added bonus of participating in a bit of local culture and colour that you might otherwise miss. Which brings me to my second point... 2) We all have numerous complaints about living here, many of them justified and we are right to express them. I certainly don't subscribe to the "if you don't like it, leave" school of thought. Most of us here make very positive contributions to local social and economic development, pay all of our fees and charges and would be severely missed if we left en masse. Although the political systems do not give us a direct voice, that doesn't mean we don't deserve one (and expats do have a good deal more indirect influence on policy and governance than is usually publicly acknowledged). However, that is not the same as pouring vicious scorn and derision on everything connected with local culture and institutions. There are many things here which are good and valuable and many wonderful local people. If you really hate everything about this place so much, why on earth would you stay here? Anyway, for those who waded through all that, here is a treat. UAE played Oman in yesterday's Gulf Cup qualifier. UAE had already qualified as group winners by virtue of two wins; Oman needed to win, likely by more than a goal to survive. UAE team was mostly young reserves. It was a tight match with the UAE repelling wave after wave of Oman attacks which really lacked any penetrative power. Then UAE's Ahmed Khalil came off the bench (for Ismail Mattar) and did this in the space of four minutes: http://youtube.com/watch?v=cOs4XtadSdE Positioning awareness and finishing worthy of RvP - set up the first goal for himself to finish and calmly judged the incredibly acute angle of the second goal despite all that forward momentum (he's a big guy). Oh and he plays for Al Ahli of Dubai (though he hasn't been showing that kind of form recently in the league in fairness). U12 level???? |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by dubaiguy2011
(Post 10480257)
Are you this much fun IRL?
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Miss Anne Thrope
(Post 10480290)
If you're asking me on a date, no thanks, I can get all the insecure bully boy aggression I need in the car park at Spinneys.
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Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Cypselos
(Post 10473213)
On the women at football front this is entertainingly retarded
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/foot...tir-on-twitter women at a match would "lose the spirit of modesty and chastity". Um, how exactly? I don't believe it's complusory for female football fans to strip and shag during a game. Perhaps it's be 'safer' for them if the men knew how to behave decently? :blink: |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
Originally Posted by Meow
(Post 10481586)
women at a match would "lose the spirit of modesty and chastity".
Um, how exactly? I don't believe it's complusory for female football fans to strip and shag during a game. |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
got some Fitba in Abu Dhabi this weekend at Zayed Sports City...
Matchworld Cup: Fixtures January 16 2013 5pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Al Hilal 8pm: Zamalek v Shakhtar Donetsk January 19 2013 5pm: Shakhtar Donetsk v Al Hilal 8pm: Zenit St Petersburg v Zamalek Saudis, Egyptians, Ruskies and Ukrainians. Maybe a chance to see The Hulk! |
Re: going to a football match in Dubai
I had a brazilian friend who played for Al Wasl until year or so back when Maradona came in. I went to see a few games, but we just drove up with his mrs and they let us straight in the VIP area without any ID or tickets etc.
If you go to the main areas, you're not going to have a problem getting a ticket or space. The stadiums are always empty. There are people in the VIP section of course, which is fairly large. There was also a large group of men (and it was only men) on the other side of the stadium who would chant in organized fashion and sway from side to side. But other than that one block, the whole place was deserted. Not a single person literally in maybe 60-70% of the stands. I reckon no game I went to had attendance of more than 2-3000 people absolute tops. Southampton games in league one still had 20,000 people turning up and had atmosphere. Top flight games here have less atmosphere (and spectators) than a non-league game in England. My friend went on to play for Botofogo in Rio after his years here. I'm not sure which one paid the best, but surely playing in Brazil for a top team in front of tens of thousands of screaming fanatics must be better than the soulless kickabout that a typical UAE football game amounts to. The players here are probably fairly decent judging by the other clubs they come from and go to after playing here, although maybe not prem quality. But it's amazing how lack of crowd and atmosphere really kills the experience even though the fans you do meet are nice guys, even if they're supporting the other team. |
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