Travel for January 30 Canada match

[JamboAl]

Have to agree...have spent many occasions in Hamilton for work; sure downtown has some rougher areas but no worse than many cities.  The people I've met are so pleasant and helpful.

[Admin]

2 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

Have to agree...have spent many occasions in Hamilton for work; sure downtown has some rougher areas but no worse than many cities.  The people I've met are so pleasant and helpful.

Stay away from that Theater at Dundurn and Hunt, I've heard the people that own that are badass gangsters.

[Unnamed Trialist]

16 hours ago, Cblake said:

Holy Trinity Banquet Hall is less than a 5 minute walk to the stadium. 

If we get three points, that'll be the Holy Trinity. 

[Admin]

Regarding Pre Game... we are on that.  Holy Trinity only holds 220 with no covid restrictions.  Probably half that currently.

We may gamble and book some places hoping the restrictions change.... anyway, we are trying to figure it out.

[The Real Marc]

WRONG THREAD

Edited November 26, 2021 by The Real Marc

[chalms04]

I only have a fuzzy recollection of my one visit to Hamilton during the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race of 2010.

Ironically, a group of civil engineers managed to overload the elevators at the Sheraton downtown. 😂

[nfitz]

15 hours ago, RS said:

It's standard practice for games at BMO. I assume Whitecaps season ticket holders got priority for games played at BC Place.

I don't think I've had an email from TFC about Canada games for years. I wonder what that's about ...

[Free kick]

3 hours ago, JamboAl said:

Have to agree...have spent many occasions in Hamilton for work; sure downtown has some rougher areas but no worse than many cities.  The people I've met are so pleasant and helpful.

The first time i ever went there, it struck me as so much better than what I was lead to believe.  This stuff always comes down to expectations.   i have been to other Canadian towns and cities that IMHO were worst but you never hear a peep about those places.

 

 

Edit.:  The opposite is also true.  I have to places where the expectations were high, but in my mind never came close to meeting.  Chicago comes to mind.  In those early years of TFC travel parties,  Chicago was one of the 4-5 out of town trips i went to.  It turned out that Chicago was my least favorite place to visit of all the soccer related road trips.   Very over rated city.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Free kick

[Cblake]

On 11/25/2021 at 6:20 PM, dyslexic nam said:

That seems like a great idea.  Rewards the local fan base, encourages early uptake of season tickets, and is yet another ticket stream that will be off limits for US fans.  

The American Outlaws allotment will be quite small, in the area of 100 tickets. It comes out of the USSF overall allotment which will also include The US Soccer Supporters Club, The Sammers and team use players, staff, partners, donors etc. This is pretty typical of how the away team is allocated for US home games in the smaller stadiums.  

[dyslexic nam]

I was holding off on booking airfare in case of screw ups (or the omega variant…) but I took the plunge and booked our airfare last night.   Have the hotel as well.   Family vacation, Chevy Chase style. 

[aslemko]

I dont imagaine that anyone has any insights yet as to what time the game will start?

[TGAA_Star]

On 11/26/2021 at 8:54 AM, JamboAl said:

Have to agree...have spent many occasions in Hamilton for work; sure downtown has some rougher areas but no worse than many cities.  The people I've met are so pleasant and helpful.

Yeah they are and being from Mississauga I go over to Hamilton every so often and the atmosphere over there is actually quite good. Has a blue collar type vibe that you can resonate with.

[El Hombre]

So, at the risk of igniting a firestorm, it looks like Canada is instituting travel restrictions.  We are 60 days out from the game in Hamilton.  Should these restrictions remain in place in January, will this affect our ability to host a World Cup Qualifier?

NOTE: I am not looking to debate the effectiveness of or need for travel restrictions.  I'm looking for input from someone who has been paying attention to the details of these restrictions as it pertains to international soccer.  Also, looking for reassurance that we won't end up having a home game take place in Miami.

[RS]

Just now, El Hombre said:

So, at the risk of igniting a firestorm, it looks like Canada is instituting travel restrictions.  We are 60 days out from the game in Hamilton.  Should these restrictions remain in place in January, will this affect our ability to host a World Cup Qualifier?

NOTE: I am not looking to debate the effectiveness of or need for travel restrictions.  I'm looking for input from someone who has been paying attention to the details of these restrictions as it pertains to international soccer.  Also, looking for reassurance that we won't end up having a home game take place in Miami.

Watch the NHL and NBA for your answer. They'll be affected before this game would.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Just now, RS said:

Watch the NHL and NBA for your answer. They'll be affected before this game would.

When the whole pandemic thing was starting in China and then elsewhere in Europe, I was paying no attention.  But during my daily trolling of the soccer forums I saw that an NBA player got Covid and then the NBA season got cancelled.  That's when I knew things were serious, and they all quickly went to hell after that.

[theaub]

5 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

So, at the risk of igniting a firestorm, it looks like Canada is instituting travel restrictions.  We are 60 days out from the game in Hamilton.  Should these restrictions remain in place in January, will this affect our ability to host a World Cup Qualifier?

NOTE: I am not looking to debate the effectiveness of or need for travel restrictions.  I'm looking for input from someone who has been paying attention to the details of these restrictions as it pertains to international soccer.  Also, looking for reassurance that we won't end up having a home game take place in Miami.

As of now, no.  They have specifically not implemented any new travel restrictions from the US.  

[narduch]

6 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

So, at the risk of igniting a firestorm, it looks like Canada is instituting travel restrictions.  We are 60 days out from the game in Hamilton.  Should these restrictions remain in place in January, will this affect our ability to host a World Cup Qualifier?

NOTE: I am not looking to debate the effectiveness of or need for travel restrictions.  I'm looking for input from someone who has been paying attention to the details of these restrictions as it pertains to international soccer.  Also, looking for reassurance that we won't end up having a home game take place in Miami.

Right now they are only banning flights from a handful of African countries. But who knows if this will snowball.

The African Cup of Nations is supposed to start in Cameroon on January 9. I bet that will get canceled first.

Switzerland recently canceled the Winter University Games that was supposed to start December 11.

I think they will try their hardest to play the next WCQ round. Anymore cancellations will make it harder to even have the World Cup this year.

 

 

 

[Floortom]

18 minutes ago, RS said:

Watch the NHL and NBA for your answer. They'll be affected before this game would.

The US seems to be exempt from these new restrictions so far.

Given our first match is in Honduras, when we fly back to Hamilton all the players / staff would have to be tested and then isolate until results are received. that's a non starter since the Hamilton match is 3 days after Honduras. Based on this - wouldnt we need to  reschedule the US match to a neutral location (can we play them in Honduras? that would probably be the easiest solution for us if possible)

[El Hombre]

27 minutes ago, RS said:

Watch the NHL and NBA for your answer. They'll be affected before this game would.

I can see there being different rules for the NHL/NBA than for a one-off international match.  I don't agree with it, but I could see it.

5 minutes ago, Floortom said:

The US seems to be exempt from these new restrictions so far.

Given our first match is in Honduras, when we fly back to Hamilton all the players / staff would have to be tested and then isolate until results are received. that's a non starter since the Hamilton match is 3 days after Honduras. Based on this - wouldnt we need to  reschedule the US match to a neutral location (can we play them in Honduras? that would probably be the easiest solution for us if possible)

This is exactly my fear.  I'm not worried about the travel ban per se.  I'm more curious on the testing/quarantine requirements and how that can affect things.

[Floortom]

Interestingly - the US is also instituting similar new restrictions. Might take a bit of time for all of this to shake out but it could have a huge impact on remaining qualifying.  I'm not sure what workarounds there are though at this point 

[dyslexic nam]

As of right now, the federal plan is to administer tests at the airport for incoming travellers (other than the US - but that may change) and then to have individuals quarantine until they receive a negative test.   I am in the process of finding out whether that will be a rapid antigen test or a full PCR test, which would affect the turnaround time for test results.     Either way, I think they could expect to receive their test results within the 3 day period prior to the US game.   Thus it may affect their ability to train in between the games, but likely wouldn’t impact the US game itself.  

[dyslexic nam]

…and it turns out it is a PCR test so no super-rapid turnaround.  

[RS]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

I can see there being different rules for the NHL/NBA than for a one-off international match.  I don't agree with it, but I could see it.

There are different rules for the NHL, which hasn't applied for a National Interest Exemption. As far as I know, Canada Soccer has.

[Floortom]

1 minute ago, RS said:

There are different rules for the NHL, which hasn't applied for a National Interest Exemption. As far as I know, Canada Soccer has.

These exemptions will be no longer valid as of January

[Approve My Account Pls]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

So, at the risk of igniting a firestorm, it looks like Canada is instituting travel restrictions.  We are 60 days out from the game in Hamilton.  Should these restrictions remain in place in January, will this affect our ability to host a World Cup Qualifier?

NOTE: I am not looking to debate the effectiveness of or need for travel restrictions.  I'm looking for input from someone who has been paying attention to the details of these restrictions as it pertains to international soccer.  Also, looking for reassurance that we won't end up having a home game take place in Miami.

Last I saw Canada was walking back their exemption for unvaccinated pro athletes. Not sure if any new restrictions due to the new strain