European Cup Trivia

[Alex Anderson]

Did Colombes stage the Olympics? If so I've been to 9 of them. Two inadvertently. I only went to Colombes because it was where they filmed Escape to Victory.

No. No - sorry, Rogin. You can't just skip straight to dessert young man. I've been in here all day slaving over a very substantial meal for you. No Arctic Roll for you until you've finished your Who Went Farthest Without Winning It pie ... you're not leaving this table until I see a clean plate ...

Anyway. It was Milan, mate. Same season as Rangers went ten unbeaten.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I saw Ferencvaros and Schalke 04 both at Murrayfield.That was in the UEFA Cup and at the home of Scottish Rugby Union so, really, I'm failing on two fronts straight away. But Hearts, who are playing there tomorrow and for a few more weeks while Tyney gets its Archibald Leitch-murdering new main stand, did play Champions League qualifier football there and when I was coming back from a game at Falkirk once the Glasgow train, which stops at Haymarket after Waverley, was full of families from the northwest of England in what were to me, fascinatingly strange replica sports shirts to be seen on that train ... that would be your Magic Weekend ... or did they have the Challenge Cup final at Murrayfield once? - and when Rangers (European Cup/UCL semi-finalists) won the league at Easter Road (Scene of first ever ECCC game in Britain) on 22 May 2005 it was the same day as STADE FRANCAIS lost the Heineken Cup final at Murrayfield and when I went to Ibrox for the team returning, over in the Copland Road stand someone was waving the very-Rangers Stade Francaise flag flag which, Rangers fans being Rangers fans, I hope they'd "swapped" with a passing Gallic visitor to our capital.

And I think I know South Africa played Uruguay at Hampden during one of the IRB World Cups. Union, again, I know but Hampden is a three-time final venue and I really am out my depth with the oval ball stuff.

Only other thing I can think of is watching some sort of Heineken Cup game on the telly for ten minutes because the crowd was stunningly mental for some Catalan rugger union team and packing out the Barcelona Olympic stadium up in Montjuic, which was still home to Espanyol at the time. Espanyol who I saw in the 2007 UEFA Cup final at Hampden ...

yeah, I'm letting you down on the Rugby League, Walt. Who'd have thought I'd be more of a Union man. See my post a bit back about Argentina, in their Racing Club de Paris (aaahhhhh) kit, sealing World Cup bronze against France at the Parc des Princes.

Also, I suppose Rangers were named after a rugby union side so ...

Could have been either the Magic Weekend or the Challenge Cup, both were staged at Murrayfield. I was there for Wigan v St Helens whichever year that was. I also saw Hearts play Barcelona in a pre season cash in there, in I think 2007.

I'll do it anyway - the unionistas can claim Hampden, Stade de France, Olimpico in Rome, and (accepting it's the same stadium) Heysel/King Baudouin. There could be more, they get everywhere them lot.

[Alex Anderson]

A bloody scourge is what they are, Walt - their hoodlum fans polluting our streets every weekend with their 4x4s, Barbour Jackets and over-stocked hampers.

Wigan v St Helens though? Bit of an honour for Murrayfield that one. I'm quite proud of the fact I've only ever been there for soccer but wouldn't have minded seeing my first ever Rugby League game there.

Still have a dream tho of doing Bradford Bulls, City and Park Avenue over one weekend. Want to make my debut at a proper, old school, League-specific venue and I've been on these threads before talking about my Odsal fixation.

But I'm changing the subject here. Trying to mask my ignorance of rugger at ECCC/UCL final venues ...

Reversing it again, though - Murrayfield, currently the largest stadium in Scotland, hosted another former ECCC/UCL winner when Celtic played Legia Warsaw there in the qualifiers of that very comp ... and they have a rugby strip.

[ursus arctos]

Virtually every major football ground in France has hosted rugby union, with recent playoffs being taken to grounds outside traditional rugby hotbeds such as Roazhon Park (nee Stade de la Route de Lorient), Stade Rennais' home ground.

Toulon regularly use the Stade Velodrome (OM) and Allianz Arena (OGCN) for matchs de gala, and Stade Toulousain does the same with the Stadium Municipal de Toulouse (TFC). There is also at least one league match played every year at the Stade de France. Union Bordeaux Bègles took over the Chaban-Delmas (nee Stade de Parc Lescure) after the Girondins left for the Matmut Atlantique (which hosted the 2015 Top 14 semi-finals). France have played internationals in the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille (LOSC), Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier (MHSC), Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (St. Etienne) and Stade de la Beaujoire (Nantes).

[Alex Anderson]

There's a tangent to be had here - ECCC/CL final venues at which Rugby League has been played ...

As I've shat out of this one, flailing, time to be classy and rabidly attempt manoeuvring the subject back to an area in which I can compete:

Inspired by Walt, I've thoroughly researched these ones - in my head while watching an episode of Grand Designs (why didn't they glaze the corner with the best view of the hills? and, oh my god, how defensive was the wife?!) - so all objections and queries will be sustained.


Four-part question on European Cup/UCL final venues to have hosted other major events *:


1 (a): Which five final venues have also staged the final of the European Championships and the World Cup?


1 (b): Which six final venues have also staged the final of the European Championships only?


1 (c): Which two final venues have also staged the final of the World Cup only?


2: Which are the only two European Cup/Champions League final venues to have never staged any game in the World Cup, Euros, IRB Rugby World Cup nor any Olympic Games event?



*For the purposes of these questions - AND I’M NOT SAYING THIS NECESSARILY APPLIES TO ANY OF THE ANSWERS HERE - name changes and pitch movements do not count as a new stadium. If it’s been seriously refurbished but it’s still using even part of the same plot, it’s the same ground – ala the new White Hart Lane: If it’s been wholly moved away from the previous plot, ala the Emirates from Highbury, I don’t care how close by it is; it’s a different ground.

[Antepli Ejderha]

One of the the two answers to question 2 is the Atatürk Olympic Stadium of course. It's held some athletics but nothing major.

[ursus arctos]

1a) Parc des Princes, Bernabeu, Olympiastadion Munchen, Olimpico, Wembley

[Various Artist]

Please, Alex – "à la", not "ala". We have been having a learned discussion about French stadia, after all.

[Alex Anderson]

One of the the two answers to question 2 is the Atatürk Olympic Stadium of course. It's held some athletics but nothing major.

Correct AE. One down, one to go.

[Alex Anderson]

1a) Parc des Princes, Bernabeu, Olympiastadion Munchen, Olimpico, Wembley

Correct, ursus. Nae bother.

[Alex Anderson]

Please, Alex – "à la", not "ala". We have been having a learned discussion about French stadia, after all.

No, VA - it's "we have been having a discussion in which we learned about French stadiums".

I mean, for goodness sakes - ala "dearie dearie me" ...

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

1a) Parc des Princes, Bernabeu, Olympiastadion Munchen, Olimpico, Wembley

Lads, lads, hold on now. Unless I've misunderstood the question, in which case carry on.

[Alex Anderson]

Lads, lads, hold on now. Unless I've misunderstood the question, in which case carry on.

No Walt you haven't. I just saw Ursus had named 5 stadiums and, him being him, assumed they were right. I'm sure it's just a slip of the keyboard on his part but he has one wrong.

Certainly poor refereeing on my part. Sorry troops. Thanks Walt.

[ursus arctos]

Apologies, I had just woken up and misread the question the first time round

The fifth is the Stade de France

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

No Walt you haven't. I just saw Ursus had named 5 stadiums and, him being him, assumed they were right. I'm sure it's just a slip of the keyboard on his part but he has one wrong.

Certainly poor refereeing on my part. Sorry troops. Thanks Walt.

I took no pleasure from that interjection, I was very much the Gerry Fitt of the situation, going through the lobby with tears in my eyes.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Actually Gerry Fitt might have abstained, so that analogy probably doesn't work.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Anyway never mind that look over there >>>>>>>>>>> apparently the Olympic Stadium in Munich hosts RU sevens tournaments.

[ursus arctos]

That sounds like some kind of sponsor's weekend nonsense.

Neither form of rugby is popular in Bavaria, even by German standards.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Wigan v St Helens though? Bit of an honour for Murrayfield that one. I'm quite proud of the fact I've only ever been there for soccer but wouldn't have minded seeing my first ever Rugby League game there.

Still have a dream tho of doing Bradford Bulls, City and Park Avenue over one weekend. Want to make my debut at a proper, old school, League-specific venue and I've been on these threads before talking about my Odsal fixation

I'll stop derailing this thread soon, honest.

Not only Wigan and Saints, but Atomic Kitten either before the game or at half time, can't quite remember.

Shamefully I've not seen League at Odsal - my sole visit was another anomaly though, it was to see Carlisle at Bradford City when they were out of Valley Parade for a season post-fire. For some reason (possibly because Northern were at home on the Sunday - it was in December but these were the days when men were men and men played RL in the winter) it was played on a Friday night and me and my mate had to get notes from our respective mams to skip school in the afternoon to go. I remember my mam making a big deal in the note of the fact I was going on the official supporters club bus, as if I had been selected for some form of ambassadorial role and was compelled to attend).

From what I see on the telly it's fair to say Odsal isn't looking quite as impressive these days as the time 100,000+ crammed in for a Challenge Cup final replay. It does remain steeped in League history and one of a dwindling number of old school, League specific grounds. Wakefield and (for now) Castleford are good alternatives, with the usual raggedy arsed stands, open terraces, strangely placed 'corporate' boxes (Wakefield's are a thing of beauty) and roofing that looks like it's been dropped there randomly.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

That sounds like some kind of sponsor's weekend nonsense.

Neither form of rugby is popular in Bavaria, even by German standards.

There's only half a dozen RL clubs in the whole of Germany, if that (these things fluctuate in League as clubs are often centred around an enthusiastic expat and fold when they move on somewhere). I got the impression from the stadium tour there that the Olympic Stadium will take what it can in terms of bookings, so that sounds about right. Incidentally it was the only stadium tour I've been on where the guide produced a ball, rolled it on the pitch and said "go on".

[Alex Anderson]

I took no pleasure from that interjection, I was very much the Gerry Fitt of the situation, going through the lobby with tears in my eyes.

Gerry Fitt. Brill. Had to look that one up, Walt. Knew about the vote of no confidence but not the details. Rangers supporter with no idea about an Irish politician. Who'd have thought.

And you're interjection was gratefully received - and very much required - before there was (another) vote of no confidence in my governance of this quiz question. Well, perhaps that moment has passed ... with a crushing majority.


I have indeed been to Wakefield's ground. In the area on holiday, decided to go to Babs Hepworth's and I wasn't about to pass up the chance of looking at, as you say, a proper venue. No game on. Afternoon visit. Gates locked. Always remember walking up a terraced street round back and a voice from above, in growling local accent, giving it "are ye lost?".

Outsiders. You can tell 'em a mile off.

Bloke was lovely. Told us how to get round the front for the main gates. But no entry possible. Love your story about Odsal (my mum was also very, very relived I was going to Ibrox in my early days on the supporters club bus. Even though she's catholic and it was the local masonic Lodge that ran it. She knew the wives and mothers of every bloke in that supporters club so it was all good) and I've seen YouTube clips of the City games there, particularly of course the chip van-burning riot with Leeds which reminds us all just how far we've come.

And I've also seen clips of that 1954 Challenge Cup final replay - Jeezus. To get there would, for me, be the same as the underlying buzz I have at Hampden (experienced as recently as last Monday night): For me, no matter how much disrepair the place falls into, if it retains the same basic shape around two or three sides there is enough to feed off. I'll envision all those punters crammed round the top against the skyline.

Even with my limited knowledge of Rugby league, I noted on Sky there was always a live Friday night game. In my head it was always the Bulls. And this had me thinking about the possibility of a couple nights in the area hoping for a perfect alignment of Odsal Friday, Valley Parade Saturday/Sun, Park Avenue Saturday/Sunday and tracking down the archaeological remains on Horton Park Avenue at some point in-between. Unfortunately the final alignment of the cash and time to do this has been the real bugger. But, one day. One day.

[Alex Anderson]

Apologies, I had just woken up and misread the question the first time round

The fifth is the Stade de France

Don't do that to us again, ursus. We were worried man.

Correct and, indeed, amundo.

So, we can confirm, the only European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final venues which have also staged the final of the European Championships and the World Cup are:

Bernabeu, Madrid (1957, 69, 80 & 2010 ECCC/UCL; 1964 Euros: 1982 World Cup)
Wembley, London (1963, 68, 71, 78, 92, 2011 & 2013 ECCC/UCL; 1996 Euros: 1966 World Cup)
Olympic Stadium, Rome (1977, 84, 96 & 2009 ECCC/UCL; 1968 & 80 Euros: 1990 World Cup)
Olympic Stadium, Munich (1979, 93 & 97 ECCC/UCL; 1988 Euros: 1974 World Cup)
Stade de France (2000& 2006 UCL; 2016 Euros: 1998 World Cup)

[Alex Anderson]

So, with ursus having cleaned up 1a and Antepli getting half of 2, that leaves us requiring 2 and a half answers to our
Four-part question on European Cup/UCL final venues to have hosted other major events *:

...

1 (b): Which six final venues have also staged the final of the European Championships only?

1 (c): Which two final venues have also staged the final of the World Cup only?

2: Which are the only two European Cup/Champions League final venues to have never staged any game in the World Cup, Euros, IRB Rugby World Cup nor any Olympic Games event?

Can't believe I'm beginning statements with "so". Fucking hate it when other folk do that ... especially when they're "answering" a direct question on the radio and I haven't had my breakfast yet ...

[ursus arctos]

1c) Wankdorf (1954), Olympiastadion Berlin (2006).

2) the other is the Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville (1986 European Cup Final)

[Alex Anderson]

Afraid not on 2, ursus but spot-on with 1c.